Gibson embraces his new challenge

New Camas High School Athletic Director Josh Gibson is already making the rounds.

The 35-year-old spent a few hours at football practice last week. On Monday, he visited with volleyball players, soccer athletes and golfers in the morning, before meeting cross country runners, swimmers and tennis players in the afternoon. This is his way of showing that every athlete and coach in Camas matters.

“Our kids and coaches do such a phenomenal job of representing our community,” Gibson said. “It is such an honor for me to have the opportunity to be a part of all the great things they have accomplished, and what they are going to continue to do.”

Gibson graduated from CHS in 1995. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Western Washington University in Bellingham, and a master’s degree in teaching from City University in Vancouver. He moved back to Camas in 2001, taught math at the high school for three years and was a guidance counselor for two years.

After a one-year stint as the dean of students at Mountain View High School in Vancouver, Gibson has been the dean of students at Camas High for the past four years. His wife, Hilary, teaches language arts and history at Liberty Middle School. They have a 3-year-old daughter named Eliana.

“For us to be a part of this community is pretty special,” Gibson said. “We chose to come here because we love this area. This is where we want to raise our young one.”

Gibson takes over for Terry Cavender after Cavender accepted the athletic director position at Franklin Pierce High School, in Tacoma, to be closer to his family. Gibson respected Cavender for his dedication to Camas athletics.

“I look at Terry as such a great leader,” Gibson said. “He was not just a great athletic director, but also a great man. He took such great pride in talking about the qualities and characteristics of our student athletes.”

It is an exciting time to be a Papermaker athlete. Camas is moving up to the 4A Greater St. Helens League and will compete against the largest schools in the state.

“I look at this as a great opportunity,” Gibson said. “I know the kids and the coaches are excited, and I am excited to watch them compete.”

It is going to take a lot of teamwork and community support, traits Camas has become known for over the years.

“One of the great things about athletics is the performance on the field is a direct response to the habits formed by work ethic,” Gibson said. “If you work hard in the classroom and you work hard in practice every day, the results on the field are a reflection of that.

“I have a deep respect for what our coaches ask of our student athletes on a daily basis,” he added. “It’s just an honor for me to be a part of all that hard work that happens every day.”