New athletic director ready to build on East Juniata’s tradition of success
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COCOLAMUS -- For much of his life, sports have been more than games for Tyler Inch. They have been classrooms, proving grounds and opportunities for growth that extend far beyond the scoreboard.
Now, the 32-year-old East Juniata High School graduate hopes to help provide those same opportunities to the next generation of Tigers as the school’s new athletic director.
Inch officially stepped into the role this year, bringing with him firsthand experience as a student-athlete, coach and educator. While the title may be new, his connection to East Juniata is anything but.
“I’ve always believed sports can provide great opportunities that you can’t find in other places,” Inch said. “I applied because I’m hoping to make a positive impact on our athletic programs. I’m hopeful that I can use my role as the athletic director to help provide additional positive opportunities and experiences for our student-athletes and teams.”
For Inch, those opportunities helped shape his own path.
As a student at East Juniata, he competed in soccer, basketball and baseball, becoming a three-sport athlete before continuing his soccer career at Houghton College -- now Houghton University. His competitive days eventually transitioned into coaching, and he has remained involved in athletics ever since. He has coached soccer in various capacities since 2017 and is currently in his fourth season as East Juniata’s head boys soccer coach. That background gives him a unique perspective as he works alongside coaches throughout the district.
“As a coach, I know how I would like an AD to support me,” Inch said. “I can apply that perspective to supporting the other coaches that I work with.”
That understanding has proven valuable as he balances the dual responsibilities of leading an athletic department while continuing to guide a varsity program.
“It isn’t always easy, but I’ve been able to balance things fairly well so far,” Inch said. “As the AD, my goal is to support our teams, athletes and coaches as well as I can.”
The role of athletic director often extends far beyond game day. While fans see packed gymnasiums, Friday night lights and championship pursuits, much of the work happens behind the scenes.
For Inch, one of the biggest challenges has been coordinating schedules.
“The most challenging part of the job so far has been coordinating schedules,” he said. “While there have only been a handful of games that we have needed to reschedule this year, it can sometimes take a lot of work to figure out what works best for everyone involved.”
Rescheduling contests requires cooperation among multiple schools, athletic departments and officials, creating a puzzle that sometimes has limited solutions.
“Since we need to coordinate with our own teams, the other schools’ teams and officials, the options for game days can get limited fairly quickly,” Inch added.
Inch also works closely with Juniata High School Athletic Director Tyler Clark as the neighboring districts continue their athletic cooperative programs. Communication between the two schools is a regular part of the job, helping ensure programs operate smoothly and consistently.
“We communicate on a regular basis,” Inch said. “Most of our communication is focused on ensuring consistency between our athletics departments at each school.”
As he settles into his new position, Inch inherits an athletic department with a proud history and a strong foundation already in place.
“I think EJ has a strong tradition in athletics,” he said. “We have a solid group of coaches who are committed to their programs and their student-athletes.”
He also points to improvements that have enhanced the experience for athletes and fans alike in recent years. New gymnasium bleachers and the installation of an irrigation system for the soccer field represent investments that continue to benefit East Juniata’s programs. Those upgrades, Inch noted, have been possible because of support from both the school board and the community.
“We’ve been fortunate to be able to make some improvements to our facilities in the past few years with the support of our school board and community,” he said.
While he appreciates the school’s accomplishments and traditions, Inch’s focus remains centered on the future. His vision is not simply about wins and losses, but about creating positive experiences that help student-athletes learn, grow and succeed. That philosophy reflects the lessons he learned as a young athlete and continues to carry as a coach and administrator.
Whether it’s helping schedule contests, supporting a coach, improving facilities or celebrating student-athlete achievements, Inch sees the athletic director’s office as an opportunity to make a difference. And for someone whose own life was shaped by athletics, the chance to guide East Juniata’s programs is a responsibility he embraces.
“I’m looking forward to supporting our athletics programs as we continue to make progress moving forward,” Inch said.
For East Juniata athletes, coaches and fans, that progress now comes under the leadership of one of their own, a former Tiger who understands the value of school pride, the importance of athletic opportunities and the impact sports can have on young lives.