Olathe East High School athletic director wins elite award

Olathe East High School athletic director Amanda Faunce has been honored by her peers.

She recently earned the Promising Kansas Athletic Director of the Year award from the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

“I was completely caught off guard by the award,” Faunce said. “(Olathe district athletic director Tim Brady) told me he nominated me for it a few weeks ago. It’s a real nice surprise.”

A 1997 graduate of Olathe North High School, Faunce, 36, has built up an impressive resume. She spent nine years teaching and coaching at her alma mater before moving into an administration position at Olathe East in 2010. She took over as the Hawks’ athletic director last summer.

“When I went into administration, it was always my goal to be an athletic director,” Faunce said. “A passion is there for athletics. I enjoy working with the kids and working with coaches. Being at Olathe East is a great experience. The coaches, parents and athletes I get to work with have been incredible.”

Brady noted that Faunce easily met the award’s criteria of someone who has shown outstanding leadership and vision as a new athletic director.

“Amanda is well-respected by her peers and coaches she works with,” Brady said. “She is on top of things and holds people accountable. She is passionate about sportsmanship — models that herself — and expects that of all people at Olathe East.”

Faunce also is somewhat of a trailblazer. She is the first female athletic director in the Olathe School District.

“It’s definitely an honor,” she said. “I take pride in setting an example for other women, if that’s something they want to go after.”

Faunce oversaw her first state title and the school’s 47th state championship when the Olathe East gymnastics team captured the Kansas team state title in the fall.

“At Olathe East, we’re very blessed with a lot of talent,” she said.

Faunce, while currently working on her doctoral degree and hoping to eventually become a high school principal, is happy to be leading the Hawks’ athletic department.

“I really enjoy working with kids and want to stay working with high school kids as long as I can,” she said. “It’s been an honor to work with our coaching staff and interact with athletes and kids at the game who are there to support their friends.”

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Olathe East High School athletic director wins elite award."