Eric Thorp '01 Energized for First Year as Athletic Director
Christ School alumnus focused on continued success
Nearly 100 boys are already back for Early Sports. Lush grass fields are lined for practice and play. And the new Close-Krieger Athletic Center has been fully-operational for months now, offering indoor workout opportunities unlike any before at Christ School.
Yes, you could say it's a good time for Eric Thorp '01 to be taking over as Athletic Director for his alma mater. And you would get no argument from this Greenie.
"With so many kids giving up part of their summer to get ready for the fall athletic season, it shows that we not only have the facilities, we have the interest," Thorp said Wednesday. "I think we have some talented kids who will represent Christ School well. It's certainly gotten me energized and excited to see the start of the school year through this lens."
Thorp has been employed by Christ School for 11 years now, first as Director of Alumni Relations in Advancement and then as Assistant Director of Admission. He has also served as an 8th grade and Boy Scout Venture Crew advisor, as well as an adjunct houseparent in Cuningham and Gardner dorms. Coaching-wise, he has headed up Varsity Basketball and continues to helm the Greenie golf program.
Every day could be a history lesson for Thorp if he didn't already know the school so well – his new office is adjacent to the Athletic Hall of Fame. He walks by video and permanent displays chronicling Greenie achievements on a daily basis. There is even a glass case for the Fayssoux-Arbogast Trophy, a prize that Greenie football has won six straight years from Asheville School.
"From my time here as a student to my time working here – the late 1990s to now – has been an important time for the Athletic Department," Thorp said. "I'm aware of where we've come from and can relate to our alumni. Having that connection is important. The core is still there, it just looks different. That's why it is so very important that we represent Christ School the right way. The guys here now didn't build this, the guys before them did. And I want to constantly remind them of all the positive things that have come before them."
Christ School's athletic administration is rounded out by Associate Athletic Directors Bobby Long and Duncan Parham, who Thorp said will be essential to "the continuity of the trajectory we are on."
Varsity Soccer became the first Greenie sports team to win a game this school year on Monday, shutting out the Asheville Trailblazers, 8-0, here at Christ School. Varsity Football opens its season Friday at Christian Academy of Knoxville (Tenn.), and the first scheduled meet for Cross Country is Aug. 28 at Rabun Gap (Ga.).
