FARMINGTON -- Greg Pair won't wear quite as many caps coaching Farmington athletic teams next season, but he didn't mind serving where needed during the 2020-2021 school year.
This past school year, Pair served in a variety of capacities. He started out the fall as head volleyball coach after working the football program in previous years. In the spring, Pair took over the head coaching position for both boys and girls track and field while also working on Jay Harper's staff as an assistant baseball coach.
In decades past that was quite common. Farmington had seven coaches in 1996, a group which swelled to five times that number 25 years later.
The whirlwind of changes to the Cardinal track and field program began last August with the revelation of criminal charges filed in southwest Arkansas against Si Hornbeck leading to his resignation just before the start of the school year.
In the wake of that, the district needed an interim head coach for the girls track and field program and Pair made himself available.
In December boys assistant track and field coach and former head coach Mike Adams, who was also head football coach, announced his retirement at the end of the semester in January. On March 18, boys track and field head coach Spencer Adams was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Barton.
Spencer Adams was allowed out of his contract and resigned to conduct Barton's spring football practices -- leaving another vacancy, which Pair, who began the spring sports season as an assistant baseball coach and head varsity girls track and field coach, was also asked to fill.
Pair, who worked nearly six years as a youth pastor, said that background, specifically a passage from 2 Timothy 4:2, which exhorts people of faith to "be instant in season, out of season," factored into his decisions to wear several hats simultaneously during the 2021 spring sports season.
"It always does. I left ministry seven years ago, as far as occupational, to teach and coach, follow the dream; but the reality is I have so much more of a ministry every day with these kids and whatever admin asks me to do, that's what I'm going to do because every opportunity the Lord puts me there to give me a chance for me to work with kids and inspire them. Hopefully, make them better people, but just to care about them, to love them, and let them know they're important," Pair said.
Pair didn't mind doing triple duty this past season. He was part of a successful run by the baseball team to the Class 4A State semifinals while serving as both head coach for the Farmington boys and girls varsity track and field teams and took four athletes to state. Jarrod Mattingly served as junior high boys head track and field coach while Anna Johnson served as head junior high coach for the girls track and field team.
"They asked me to be a track coach this year and still do volleyball and baseball and I'm, 'hey, I'll do what you need me to do because that's what it's about,'" Pair said.
During it's April 26 meeting, the Farmington School Board hired several coaches in various sports. Johnson steps up as varsity head girls track and field coach, while Austin Lewis moves into the head junior high girls track and field coach position. Georgeio Milam, Payton Covington and Josh Fonville joined the football staff.
Pair will stay on as head coach for the Farmington boys track and field team, and head volleyball coach. He has experience as an assistant football coach. Before coming to Farmington Pair served as head volleyball coach at Lavaca where he was also assistant basketball coach.
Now that Pair's freed up to concentrate on the volleyball program. He's conducting Summer Academy sessions this summer. Sessions were held in June with more scheduled for July 13, 15, 20, 22 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Randall G. Lynch Middle School gym. Costs is $25 per session. Campers must wear tennis shoes, shorts and a t-shirt and bring their own water bottle. Knee pads are recommended but not required. A medical waiver and payment must be completed in order for campers to attend. Cash or check will be accepted. Make checks payable to Farmington Volleyball.
Incoming fourth-sixth graders and transfers may access these documents at https://5il.co/sxkd or for more information contact Pair at [email protected] or Kylie Moad at [email protected].
