Many different individuals work hard at their jobs to help the school’s athletics program stay up and running. Keeping the different programs at peak efficiency from the beginning of the fall season to the end of the spring season is something that Athletic Administrative Assistant Amber Gibson does everyday with a smile on her face.
Louisa holds a special place in Gibson’s heart. She graduated from Louisa in 1994 and started working at the high school in May of 2022.
“It’s my hometown,” Gibson said. “I went to school here. These are my friends’ kids, people that I’ve grown up with, that I work with. It’s more like a family environment instead of a work environment.”
After a year of learning from former Athletic Director and now 8th grade Principal George Stanley, Gibson has found her new footing working with Athletic Director Daniel Barrett who was the freshman principal up until last year. Not only do the two work together on the daily, they have adjoining offices which allows for smoother communication.
“Getting to know Mrs. Gibson last year in a different role, and then being able to move into this role where we’re sharing an office has really helped us,” Barrett said “Our families are getting closer, we’re friends, and just being able to spend time with a person that’s really awesome makes it really easy.”
I was able to see what Gibson does every Friday home football game when I shadowed her during the Louisa V. Mills Godwin game on November 10th 2023. Gibson is tasked with making sure referees have a meal before the football game, setting up for the tailgate, making sure all the football programs have been made and are being passed out by the cheerleaders, and so much more. Multi-tasking is a common skill Gibson uses when working a football game. She was often balancing different jobs at once like talking on her phone to sort out a problem while also being on the walkie-talkie, having a separate conversation hours before the game was to start.
“It’s kind of a sink or swim thing,” Gibson said. “You have to be able to do multiple things in this position. If you can’t, there’s no way you’ll survive. It is definitely a multitasking position 24/7.”
Gibson will often have multiple things to do at once and needs extra help. Junior volleyball and softball player Alyssa Hopkins is Gibson’s athletic intern; they have formed a mother daughter-like relationship. Hopkins helps Gibson with just about anything she needs from putting together sports programs to helping buy decorations for banquets. Gibson is not only there for Hopkins in school but they also spend time together outside of school whether it be getting food or Gibson watching her play softball.
“We have so much fun,” Hopkins said. “There’s so many memories that are created. Just the types of relationships she has with kids, she truly values the job for interactions she has with kids and the relationship she has with them.”
Gibson has built a rapport with all the different coaches and players in her year and a half here. She often talks to the athletes when they come into her office, to turn in a physical or to ask a question. Sophomore indoor track sprinter and softball player Lily Hix often spends her free time with Gibson and Hopkins, helping them with activities like rolling shirts in preparation for Friday night home football games.
“The hardest part about my job is building true relationships with students and then having them leave,” Gibson said. “It’s hard for me to know the struggles that kids go through secretly that no one else knows and know that I can’t really help them.”
No matter how hard it is for Gibson, students really value the time and effort she puts into building a relationship with them.
“Gibson is a teacher but she’s not only a teacher, she’s a friend and a trusted adult you can always go to,” Hix said. “She definitely leads with her heart and she’s very kind and definitely someone you can trust.”
