An athletic director has a lot of responsibilities, and all of the teams put in plenty of work to compete throughout their respective seasons.

Behind the success of Newtown High School’s Nighthawk squads and the department as a whole, led by AD Matt Memoli, is new Assistant to the Athletic Director Stacey Nasser, who is wrapping up her first fall campaign with the Hawks.

“It’s been great. Everybody has been really nice,” said Nasser, adding that she enjoys the community/small-town feel in Newtown and at NHS.

From making sure student-athletes are eligible to play to scheduling responsibilities, being sure buses and game officials are lined up, and much more, Nasser pulls many of the behind-the-scenes strings to keep things moving so the coaches can coach and the players can play.

Nasser came to NHS with a wealth of experience in a variety of school sports areas, including at the collegiate level.

A former Trumbull basketball player, Nasser went on to serve as a student manager with the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team; she was there for a trip to the Final Four in 2008. Nasser also did game day operations for other sports at UConn while earning her Kinesiology, Coaching, and Administration degree in ‘08.

Nasser continued her education and hands-on work in the sports field at Temple University in Philadelphia where she attended graduate school, earning her master’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management. Nasser was the video coordinator and graduate assistant with the Temple women’s basketball program and served as director of basketball operations for six of her eight years with the Pennsylvania school.

After that came a role with St Joseph High in Trumbull, where Nasser was the associate athletic director for six years before shifting gears and working as the school registrar for three years. During that time, Nasser stayed on court, coaching at Greens Farms Academy.

She continues to coach, working as an assistant with Head Coach and former Husky Maria Conlon at Western Connecticut State University. She is the director and owner of the BattleCon Basketball AAU program.

“I feel very lucky to have her,” said Memoli, adding that the department hasn’t missed a beat since Debi Modzelewski retired following nine years in this position. Memoli said Nasser continues to help keep the day to day operations of NHS athletics running smoothly.

Sports, especially basketball — Nasser also played soccer and softball, and competed in dance growing up — have been an integral part of Nasser’s life. She pointed out that athletics provides many things for students, from the social aspect to learning life skills that will benefit them for decades to come. Playing a role in making these experiences possible for Newtown students is greatly rewarding for Nasser.

“It’s really fast-paced. Students look forward to it,” she said of school sports. “It builds a lot of character and helps with accountability, moving forward in life, and becoming a productive adult.”

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.