Hill Honored as Athletic Director of the Year

When Jon Hill was appointed Colorado Academy’s Athletic Director in 2023, after helping to steward his department’s growth and success as Assistant Director over the previous eight years, he promised to double down on CA’s emphasis on process and participation, core values that define the school’s physical education and sports programs.

It didn’t take long for the state’s athletics community to take notice: Just two years in, Hill has earned recognition from the Colorado Athletic Directors Association as the Class 3A Athletic Director of the Year. The honor is the third for Hill and the program he’s led for such a short time: Last summer, he was named Metro League Athletic Director of the Year, and earlier that spring, CA celebrated as his Mustangs were picked as Colorado’s top high school athletic program in the nationwide MaxPreps Cup, putting it above rivals including Valor Christian, Regis Jesuit, and Cherry Creek.

Hill, who accepted his most recent award at a banquet held April 28 at the Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, says it’s not just championships that have distinguished CA in recent years; it’s those core values, so close to his heart, that transcend any win-loss record.

“We love the wins,” Hill says, “but state titles are the byproduct of staying focused and working hard every day. For me, the goal today is for us to always get better as a Pre-K–12 program.”

A prime example: Hill and his coaches this year launched a three-season Lower School sports offering after school, allowing CA’s youngest Mustangs to start mastering the fundamentals of soccer, baseball, field hockey, and other sports they’ll be able to pursue in Middle and Upper School. “The focus on skill development is so important in the early years. It gives our student-athletes a leg up when sports get more competitive later on.”

Once they reach Sixth Grade, students have the opportunity to choose a sport every season, with some, like lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey, offering competition against other middle school teams in the region. That experience sets the stage for the Upper School, where a multi-year sports requirement and “no-cut” policy encourage everyone to participate.

“Whether they want to go on to play for a Division I team in college, or just enjoy their time with teammates, we’re here to provide as many opportunities to compete as possible,” says Hill.

The focus on wide participation comes with a side benefit, he notes: CA’s many multi-sport athletes tend to experience fewer of the overuse injuries that affect players who dedicate themselves to a single pursuit year round. “They’re using different muscles from sport to sport, and they’re also developing a better range of skills,” he explains.

Hill’s various recent honors stem not only from the work he and his Athletics Department have done within CA’s program; they also acknowledge his commitment to advancing sports and physical education across the state. Hill sits on numerous regional and statewide committees, both representing CA and advocating for athletes no matter what school they attend.

“I’m not the kind of Athletic Director to sit behind a desk—I’m out there on the field, meeting with players and families, and I’m in the community, building relationships. My colleagues at other schools know that if there’s something they need, my team and I are here to make it happen for the league or the school.”

Just as Hill’s big thinking has benefited CA and other programs around the state, so has it made the school’s Pre-K–12 program a study in constant improvement. Alongside the new Lower School sports offerings and Middle School competition, there’s a range of other additions Hill is proud to have helped bring to CA. 

Two new heads of program, in Boys Lacrosse and Boys Soccer, have come on board in the past two years, and Hill has helped to cultivate new outside partnerships, including a Sports Performance fellowship through the University of Denver and a sports nutrition education offering in collaboration with an NFL and MLB expert. A new Showdown Series with Kent Denver, now in its second year, has proven hugely popular with fans from both schools, he adds, and discussions with CA’s College Office have bolstered support for student-athletes looking to compete at the collegiate level. Important new social emotional training programs for CA coaches are in the works, too.

“Athletics never stops moving,” Hill acknowledges. “We are always adapting, improving, and searching for what’s next. We are involved in every division on campus, and just as committed to working beyond it. We have to be on top of what’s on the schedule today, and we have to be looking months in advance at next season and next year.”

If you’re not willing to stay in constant motion, seeing change and flexibility as virtues, he states, “Then this probably isn’t the position for you.” But Hill leaves no doubt: It is definitely the one for him.