Sandburg athletic director Steve Schanz enjoys watching high-school competition no matter what sport it is.
On Oct. 2, he became one of two new members the IHSA Board of Commissions along with Edwardsville’s Amy Boscolo. Schanz will represents IHSA Division 3 on the board.
There will be some important work to do in the coming years, but the longtime Orland Park resident and Lyons graduate knows there will be some fun that goes with the gig. He’ll get so see even more prep events.
“One of perks of this is being able to go to all of the state finals and representing the board at these state tournaments,” Schanz said. “I like getting to watch the kids perform on the field or in the gyms or in the pool. Getting a chance to be up close for a lot of those — the top of the top with the state finals — is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Schanz was approached about representing the district during a Southwest Suburban Conference meeting that included IHSA executive director Craig Anderson earlier this year.
IHSA member schools nominated candidates for the Board of Directors beginning on Aug. 15. The nominations were counted up on Sept. 16 and votes were cast from Sept. 20 through Oct. 1.
Schanz has been the AD at Sandburg since 2020 after spending seven years in the same position at Maine East.
“I’ve been a part of two really good conferences (Southwest Suburban and Central Suburban),” he said. “I think that gives me a nice experience being in the north suburbs and the south suburbs.”
His term lasts until 2028.
As a newbie on the board, he is going to wait and learn before making suggestions.
“The biggest deal is to see where we’re at now and where we’re at when I’m done,” he said. “As ADs and coaches we ask, ‘Why are they doing it this way?’ or ‘Why are they doing it that way?’
“To be in the meeting room and to actually get to be a part of those decisions is something I’m really looking forward to. The IHSA is run by rules that we as a membership follow. Everybody always has the kids first in mind.”
Before his Maine East job, he coached girls basketball at Oak Forest. While at Maine East, located in Park Ridge, he commuted from Orland Park and estimated that he put 170,000 miles on his car in a seven-year span.