Pascack Hills athletic trainer Steven Papa has been recommended by Superintendent Erik Gundersen to succeed Phil Paspalas as athletic director and supervisor of physical education. The news was announced to faculty Thursday in an email from Principal Tim Wieland.

Papa’s appointment is pending the Board of Education’s approval at their meeting on Monday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

“It has been my dream for a very long time to become the Athletic Director here at Pascack Hills, and I am excitedly looking forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead,” Papa said in a statement to the Trailblazer. “Most importantly, I look forward to working hard to bring our athletic program and our Physical Education/Health department to new heights.”

If approved to the position, Papa would begin his tenure as athletic director on July 1, the date when Paspalas is retiring.

Paspalas, who has been a district administrator since 2007, announced last August his intention to retire. In an interview with the Trailblazer, he said the decision was motivated by the prospect of “more time at home with my wife and my family.”

The new athletic director is expected to continue Paspalas’ role in managing Hills’ athletic program, overseeing its fields and facilities as well as its budget and equipment. The position also includes working out schedules for teams, booking officials like umpires and referees, and organizing busing and transportation.

According to an email Wieland sent to Hills faculty about Papa’s appointment, Papa will also be tasked with finding a new athletic trainer who can handle the challenges faced by student-athletes and colleagues. Like Paspalas, it is probable that Papa will play a key role in overseeing the implementation of Hills’ new mascot, the Broncos.

Papa has been a part of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District for nearly 20 years. Because he is currently the district’s licensed athletic trainer, he meets frequently with student-athletes during their sports season. Papa is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

In 2014, Papa was featured in local news stories after he helped save the life of a 15-year-old Hills student, Anthony Cortazzo, who collapsed during track practice. He and another student gave Cortazzo CPR, and Papa used a defibrillator to revive him. After the incident, Papa stressed the importance of CPR training for students and staff.

Throughout the 2020-21 school year, Papa has advocated for conducting sports games safely during the pandemic.

“It is important for the physical and mental wellbeing of everyone involved in athletics, whether a participant, coach, parent, or spectator,” he told the Trailblazer last August, saying he wanted to avoid putting any more athletes, especially seniors, through the difficulty of missing out on another season.

Prior to becoming the athletic trainer at Hills, Papa earned a Bachelor of Arts in athletic training and later earned a Masters of Science in holistic nutrition.

He was recommended for the athletic director position after a pool of candidates inside and outside the district were considered. At least four outside candidates were interviewed by Wieland during the month of March.