Schools

St. Joe's Athletic Director Bowing Out After 38 Years

Michaela Witcher has been at the school that long, 28 as athletic director.

Talk about a long run...

St. Joseph’s Academy has had just two athletic directors the past 60 years.

Rosemary Wellington was athletic director from the inception of the new campus on Lindbergh in 1954, and retired at the end of the 1985 season. The new athletic center is named in her honor.

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Michaela Witcher, who came to St. Joe in 1975 as a coach and health teacher has just announced her retirement after 38 years at the school. She took over AD duties from Wellington at the start of the 1986 season.

They ought to name the whole school after her.

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Witcher is the personification of what an athletic director ought to be.

What a coach has to say

“Michaela has been the heart and soul of the St. Joseph’s academic/athletic program for the past 38 years,” said her compatriot, soccer coach Maureen McVey.

“You can just walk into the gym and see the house Michaela built,” said McVey.

Witcher is the type of leader who truly wants to avoid the spotlight. She is the doer. She is the worker bee.

Many nights, Witcher might be working at the school well past midnight. Often, she is the last to turn out the lights. There are no books to record all the countless hours she dedicated to the academic and athletic programs at St. Joe. She will depart June 30 with her head held extremely high.

Her plans are not cast in stone. “Golf, more golf. I will finally have time to play more golf,” a sport she relishes with a passion now.

Her roots are in Kansas City

Witcher, 62, is a graduate of Southwest High School, Kansas City. She grew up in a family of 9 siblings; all who are living; 7 in  the Kansas City area.

“I missed so many family events. Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, the list goes on,” she said. There were always duties that kept her away from family gatherings. When she was in Kansas City, she was always looking at the clock, knowing it was time to get back to work.

Witcher is a graduate of Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg. She played field hockey for the Jennies in the pre-Title IX era. In high school, she played field hockey, basketball and softball.

Did she ever dream she would spend her entire professional career at just one school in St. Louis. “No way. I never thought it would happen that way,” said the Kansas City native.

Though Angel teams have reached the Final 4 of a wide variety of state championships and won 41 of those championships, and 117 district titles, her memories are fondest of the girls and the successes they have had in their lives.

“I’ve said over and over I’ve got the best coaching staff in the state. We are all very good friends. 

So many of our alum’s have come back to be on our coaching staff. This is a great school and tremendous young ladies have gone through here. Our motto is Values Driven Women Leaders. We expect these young ladies to go out and make a difference.  Whether it’s academics, athletics or the arts, these young ladies are tremendously dedicated and have a passion for what they do.”

Next up

Someone will take over the athletic director duties at St. Joseph’s Academy starting July 1.

But in reality, it just won’t be quite the same.


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