GREENE COUNTY
Most athletic programs at Lake Oconee Academy have been thriving over the last several years and athletic director Chris Ingle is one of the main contributors to their development.
Ingle was recently presented with awards for being the GHSA Class A Division II Region 8 Athletic Director of the Year as well as the GHSA Class A Division II State Athletic Director of the Year.
Ingle shared with the Lake Oconee News that the job entails a lot and that he couldn’t have been recognized without the help of others.
“Of course, when your work is recognized by your peers across the state, it is personally rewarding; however, I truly feel that this is a team award. The entire LOA community deserves this,” Ingle said. “They have bought into what our athletic department and our administration are trying to achieve. We are building leaders through education-based athletics with education being the first priority. We want to excel in the classroom and on the fields and courts. No one reaches the top of these endeavors without a monumental amount of hard work. It takes a whole community to reach the level that we strive to.”
Ingle was brought onto the Titans’ staff by Dr. Otho Tucker almost a decade ago, and athletic programs have seen development since then.
Just in the past couple of years, Lake Oconee Academy has won multiple region and state championships across multiple sports, as well as has gotten its football program up and running.
During the winter, Ingle helped facilitate the girls basketball program to another state championship appearance and its third straight region championship even after a coaching change this past year. The Lady Titans claimed the state title during the 2021-22 season.
Additionally, spring sports have been at the top of their game as of late. The boys tennis program won the GHSA Class A Public state title last year in 2022. Also, the boys and girls golf programs have won multiple state championships over the last couple of seasons.
Multiple other sports are also excelling in their fields, and Ingle acknowledged that they’re always trying to pursue excellence.
“Fortunately, I’ve been able to work under a great leader (Tucker) for the past nine years who has the highest expectations. Our goal from the beginning has been to get better every day and every year,” Ingle said. “We can all learn to constantly pursue excellence. My job is to support, encourage, and motivate the 34 teams of coaches and players at LOA to set higher goals every year and equip them to do so.”
On top of keeping track of all 34 athletic programs, Ingle also puts an emphasis on academics as well. He believes that the goals they have for sports programs should reflect of the school’s goals for learning.
“From the beginning, our vision was that Lake Oconee Academy Athletics would perform at the highest level. It was my belief that LOA athletics and arts should and could reach for the same goals as the school in its academic success,” Ingle said. “Through unwavering support from the LOA Board of Governors, the LOA Foundation, Dr. Tucker, and the LOA family, the Titans have begun to see the results of years of sacrifice and work. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a young student-athlete transform from a beginner to a champion over years and years of effort. That is far better than any personal award to me.”
Moving forward, Ingle hopes that Lake Oconee Academy can keep developing kids into great athletes and students. He enjoys his job, although he thinks that it’s more of a “lifestyle.”
“I have learned that being an effective athletic director is more of a lifestyle than a job,” Ingle said. “I get the opportunity to spend most of my waking hours around outstanding students, teachers, coaches, administrators, and families. I couldn’t count the number of hours put in over the years, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
As LOA continues to grow and its teams succeed, the school can expand and add more sports.