For a guy who couldn’t walk until the sixth grade due to hip disease, Verde Valley School Athletic Director Matt Moran’s achievements in sports have come in leaps and bounds.

Entering his third full year at Verde Valley at the age of 42, Moran has quite the resume when it comes to athletics.

A 1985 graduate of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Moran played baseball in high school and eventually went to the University of Portland  in Oregon where he signed to play third base for the Pilots.

Moran also participated in the ski team at Portland, Ore.

After a few years in Oregon, Moran made his way to New York where he played club baseball for Buffalo State, where he eventually earned his degree in 1993.

Before earning his degree, Moran received a tryout in 1987 with the Chicago Cubs, a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds in 1988 and made the final cut in 1989 for the Pittsburgh Pirates before being let go.

“We’re talking about a slow white kid trying out with the pros,” Moran laughed. “I could field it pretty good and could hit a little bit.”

Moran’s parents, John and Fran, had more than one kid who could dominate their sport of choice.

Moran’s brother Tim was an All-State football player at Brophy before playing rugby for the U.S. National team. Pat played rugby at Santa Clara University while John Jr. was a professional volleyball player.

Moran’s sister Teresa wasn’t bad either, making the track and field team at Xavier University.

Robert, another brother of Moran’s, found his own way and is currently in Scotland as an actor.

“My dad made sure we were all involved in everything. He is the one that pushed us to succeed,” Moran said.
Now that his playing days are mostly over except for an occasional city softball league, Moran spends his time doing exactly what his dad did, helping push young student-athletes to be their best.

Although he doesn’t coach, Moran is a hands-on type of athletic director at Verde Valley, and the sports programs are better for it.

At Verde Valley, a small 1A conference private school located in the Village of Oak Creek, students are required to participate in some type of activity every day.

Verde Valley has a boys and girls soccer team, a boys and girls basketball team, archery and golf in which they compete at the high school level.

Interestingly enough, the students at Verde Valley are the ones who decide which sports they are going to have at Verde Valley.

According to Moran, a select group of students have decided that lacrosse is the next sport of choice at Verde Valley, and by the 2012-2013 school year, the Coyotes may be competing at a state level.

“Right now we’re starting at the club level within our own school, but in a year or two we may have a full team,” Moran said.

Moran believes his role as athletic director is important, and that he couldn’t have done it without the support of several other athletic directors in the area.

“I think the biggest help I’ve received has been from Mark Showers, the athletic director at Camp Verde. He’s shown me the ropes and been patient. It’s been great to work with him,” Moran said.

Moran also mentioned Mike Haddow at Chino Valley High School and Roland Medina at Mayer High School as being other influential athletic directors that have helped him find his way.

“I want to teach these kids at Verde Valley to do well and be good at whatever they choose. It was my dad’s way, and now I’m passing it on to them,” Moran said.