BOARDMAN, OH-  As school districts across the country embrace new beginnings each academic year, Boardman High School has taken a memorable step in fostering school spirit and community engagement. With a fresh vision and new leadership, the high school celebrated their inaugural Midnight Madness event—a diverse sports kickoff brimming with excitement and athletic fervor. We sat down with the new Athletic Director, Jeff Hammerton, to delve into the essence of this milestone event.
“We wanted to try something new,” Hammerton said, reflecting on the idea’s origins. “The school system’s going over a lot of transition, new superintendent, new athletic director…we thought, why not kick-start the year with something that includes everyone?”

The brainchild of Alyssa Birch, Midnight Madness unites all sports teams under one roof for a dynamic first practice, breaking from the tradition where only certain sports teams held similar events. *”Football did it a couple years ago, but it was just football. Alyssa brought it to us and said, ‘Let’s do it for everybody.’ It’s just a great idea,”* Hammerton explained.

Indeed, the spectacle saw the cross country team running behind the football team, the soccer team sharing turf—all athletes intertwining in a display of unity. Hammerton shared his vision of fostering this camaraderie to extend beyond the kickoff event: “Tonight, where everybody’s at the same time. So let’s come out on Friday nights and support the football team and then turn around on a Tuesday night and let’s pack the gym for a volleyball game.”

Hammerton, who recently transitioned from being the assistant athletic director to the main role, cherishes the responsibility of nurturing this community spirit. He fondly recalled his predecessor Marco Marinucci’s mentorship: “Marco was … a boss that, you know, gave you tasks and allowed you to do it. He didn’t micromanage you. He let you do your thing.”

The Midnight Madness event not only signifies a new start for the students but also underscores Hammerton’s inclusive vision for Boardman Athletics. Addressing the student-athletes on the field, Hammerton emphasized collective support: “We love to pack the stadium on Friday nights…it’s important to come out of the locker room and see a lot of people there to support you, not just family and friends, but now your classmates.”

While challenges lie ahead, especially in juggling the expectations of multiple sports, Hammerton remains optimistic. He lauded the efforts of Assistant AD Rick Cyper—“one thing I really like about Sipe is he’s such a hard worker…he knocks those tasks off and I try to do, like what Marco did to me and say, ‘Hey, here’s some things we need done’”—*demonstrating his faith in the school’s evolving vision.
Even as Hammerton transitions from coaching basketball to overseeing a broad spectrum of sports, his focus is clear: competitiveness and effort above all. *”I’m never going to, you know, say to a coach you’re going, if you don’t go… 6 and 4… I just want to see every Friday night on a football field that we’re competing as hard as we can,” he said.

In his heartfelt message, Hammerton also highlighted the rich legacy and connection he has with Boardman. “Boardman’s been so great to us… I just hope I could pay back now in an athletic director role.”

As the event climaxed with a community pancake breakfast, athletes mingling across various teams, Hammerton’s ultimate goal of building unity and spirit seemed well within grasp. Reflecting on the overwhelming participation, he reiterated the overall objective for the year: “Just be competitive…as long as we’re working and getting after it, those are really the expectations.”

We extend our best wishes to Jeff Hammerton and Boardman High School as they set forth on this promising new journey. With leadership rooted in a genuine desire to foster unity and sportsmanship, the future indeed looks bright for the Spartans.

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