Deep in the corner of the Glenbrook South field house, Athletic Director Steve Rockrohr leads a three seasons of  sports programs that span eight months. With multiple sports, schedules, meetings and IHSA procedurals, Rockrohr cites South athletics as a full time operation.

“After school is when my job really gets going,” Rockrohr said. “During the day I attend meetings [… ] it all depends on what is coming up and what the hot button issue is.”

Since taking the job in 2001, Rockrohr says he has tried to instill a work ethic in everyone at South to make the athletic program even better than before.

“I kind of just sat back for the first year […] I there were some changes that I thought would best serve the kids of [South],” Rockrohr said. “So I made some changes.”

Rockrohr cited multiple equipment upgrades and the acquisition of Coach Noll for the varsity football team as things that he has spearheaded to make the South athletic experience even better.

The transition process, Rockrohr said, was not only different, but allowed him to gain control of an operation all his own.

“We might have been getting a little complacent in some of the stuff that was going on with some of our athletic teams,” Rockhohr said. “I tried to raise the bar a little bit […] I think we have done a pretty good job in the last decade.”

Rockrohr admits there are a few disadvantages to his job such as conducting after school meetings but feels there is one very meaningful drawback.

“Time away from my family [is the biggest one],” Rockrohr said. “The worst part is not seeing them […] I literally [sometimes don’t] see my kids for three days.”

Despite the long hours, Rockrohr says he is committed to helping everyone at Glenbrook South grow through athletics. The process he cites as an important one includes wins and losses, but also allows athletes and coaches to see that high school athletics are a growing process to make better students, people and ultimately, adults.

“My goal is to give the student athletes of  [South the] positive experience that I have talked about,” Rockrohr said. “Anything we can add: learning, life lessons, [that is what] coaches [and myself talk about all the time].”

A regular day for Rockrohr involves meetings with parents, coaches and anyone who works within the South athletic program. After the school bell rings, Rockrohr says his job heats up and become more action packed as the day goes on.

To help him with the task of running South athletics, Rockrohr collaborates with Kay Sopocy and Mike Noll, both assistant athletic directors at South who appreciate what Rockrohr contributes to South athletics.

“He is active in the Illinois High School Sport Association (IHSA),” Sopocy said.  “He serves on a number of committees and also is active among the athletic directors. Last year he served as the head of [the athletic directors] and ran their yearly meeting.”

Noll also spoke to Rockrohr’s importance in the school and the process that Rockrohr uses to make South athletics run smoothly.

“[Rockrohr] is the coach of the coaches in the building,” Noll said. “He is pretty cooperative in getting what you need to have a successful program.”

Rockrohr also directs the entire Central Suburban League (CSL) soccer operations, as every athletic director has to preside over a specific sport.

“We [are given the responsibility of] going to pick all conference [players], guidelines and the schedule for the coming year,” Rockrohr said.

After starting at Crete-Monee High School and then transitioning to Homewood Flossmoor as assistant athletic director, Rockrohr says that Glenbrook South was the place that it all came together.

“I wanted to become an athletic director […] ever since I had gotten out of college,” Rockrohr said.

Before his current job at South, Rockrohr was a baseball and soccer coach at the varsity level. When the position of athletic director at Glenbrook South came up, Rockrohr applied and was successful in his bid for administrative duties.

Along with scheduling, attending practices and helping out with the IHSA responsibilities, Rockrohr is also the head of “Code of Conduct” violations and the disciplinary action that ensues.

“That [is] a bad part of the job,” Rockrohr said. “I get it, growing is a part of going to high school […] I tell kids all the time, the kids I know the best are the ones that I have had [disciplinary meetings] with.”

Focused on improving South athletics and student athletes alike, Rockrohr stressed how much he enjoys his job and the impact he hopes to have on people.

“I can’t imagine doing any other job,” Rockrohr said. “I miss coaching and teaching to a certain degree, but this is a different way I think I [can] have a bigger impact on more kids. [I want the athletes to be] successful more [than just on the field].”