DANVERS — As the calendar turns toward the fall sports season, St. John’s Prep Athletic Director Jameson Pelkey is busy behind the scenes, ensuring the school’s athletic programs remain competitive and high-performing.
Pelkey’s role begins well before preseason practices are underway.
“I’ll connect with our coaches toward the end of springtime, heading into the summer, and talk to them about things that they may need or just discuss ideas they may have leading up to the season,” said Pelkey, whose tennis and lacrosse teams captured state titles last spring.
Whether it’s arranging equipment needs, scheduling outside speakers for teams, or coordinating meetings between members of the coaching staff, Pelkey plays a pivotal role in the planning process.
A cornerstone of St. John’s Prep’s athletic success is its strength and conditioning program, which Pelkey describes as a “huge advantage” over other schools.
“The (Leo and Joan Mahoney) Wellness Center, this building – all summer long – people are in here at 6 a.m. for 6:30 workouts and there are hundreds of kids that are here before 9-10 o’clock in the morning every day,” Pelkey said. “The kids are super committed, but so are the coaching staff who I work with on a daily basis to help us maintain that high level of excellence.”
Scheduling competition across St. John’s many varsity sports is another key responsibility. While the football schedule is mostly set each year — barring last-minute changes — Pelkey works closely with varsity coaches across other sports like soccer, golf, water polo, and cross country.
“I give them a lot of responsibility and flexibility to schedule the non-conference opponents and they know what I want, and they want the same thing most of the time,” Pelkey said. “We want to play the best opponents – not only in Massachusetts – but throughout New England. We have a very competitive schedule year in and year out.”
Pelkey credits strong relationships with other athletic directors across the region for making scheduling easier.
“For the most part, we don’t struggle finding people to fill out our schedule. I have great relationships with a lot of ADs, not only in our league, but around the area,” he said. “I work hand-in-hand with the coaches to put the schedules together. We work on it months in advance. Our winter varsity schedule, for the most part, is pretty locked in already.”
Among the highlights Pelkey looks forward to every year is homecoming weekend. The Saturday (Nov. 1) kicks off with a Hall of Fame breakfast, celebrating some of the top student-athletes to have come through St. John’s Prep. The festivities culminate with a football game against Catholic Memorial – a matchup Pelkey anticipates will be both competitive and exciting.
“It’s later in the season with what should be two good teams, so it’s exciting,” he said.
Throughout the year, Pelkey also seeks to enrich the student-athlete experience by inviting guest speakers to share insights and inspiration, reinforcing the school’s commitment to growth in and out of competition.
With his dedication to detailed planning, strong community ties, and well-being of athletes and coaches, Pelkey continues to guide St. John’s Prep toward another successful campaign.
