Fresh off NCHSAA board, Gainey reflects on modern sports landscape

ASHEBORO — Dr. Stephen Gainey has been involved in high school athletics and school administration his entire life. 

From a student-athlete at Havelock High School to coaching various sports at various levels to becoming an assistant principal and principal to being named the Superintendent of the Randolph County Schools System, he said he realizes the benefits high school athletics have on student-athletes.

And as another high school fall season begins around the state, Gainey, who is beginning his 14th year as the RCSS Superintendent, said he’s excited to see the number of options high school student-athletes have to become involved in a school sport.

“To me, it’s one of the best dropout prevention programs in America that people don’t talk about,” Gainey said during an interview before school began. “I still believe children are very committed to high school athletics. 

“I would take a high school athletic event any day of the week over a college or professional event to go see. I would rather see high school football over college or pro football. I just believe it is so genuine and real.”

Gainey is currently the Past President of the NCHSAA Board of Directors, having served as President from 2024-26. He is in his eighth year on the NCHSAA Board.

In his time leading the Randolph County Schools System, Gainey said he has learned something that he is very proud of.

“I don’t know if anybody anywhere can say they have a county as full of as many great kids as we have in Randolph County,” he said. “Whether it’s the Randolph County School System, the Asheboro School System, Uwharrie Charter Academy, homeschools or private schools, you see them all and there are great kids all over the county and we’re fortunate because I don’t think that’s the same way everywhere.

“I watch and see Asheboro High School make a run at this and that and it’s fun to watch because they have great kids and we have great kids and that makes a community stronger.”

As expected, there have been plenty of changes involving student-athletes over the many years Gainey has been involved with the NCHSAA.

“I do have a concern about fall sports, it’s not like in the ’80s, where everyone knew our summer was over on Aug. 1,” Gainey said. “There’s a lot of summer left, especially with the school calendar. When a child gets to the first of August and they still have a month of summer versus starting practice and summer being over, he or she has a different choice than maybe we did in the ’80s, with the start of school moving back to the end of August.” 

Now, high school football practice begins around Aug. 1 with games beginning the third week of August, well before the students return to their high schools for academics.

“The school calendar is hurting us,” Gainey said. “I still believe kids are tied into high school athletics. We are seeing interests changing. We also are seeing the sanctioning of new sports such as boys volleyball and girls flag football. 

“I worry about the numbers with high school football. I have seen in the last few weeks more schools playing just jayvee trying to build it back up. High school football is a big event that unifies communities. You have the football players, you have the student body, you have the community, you have the cheerleaders and you have the band. Five groups that come out to those events.” 

North Carolina has seen a number of different high schools cancel their 2026 varsity football seasons, instead electing to participate only at the jayvee level as they try to rebuild programs. Graham, Spring Creek and West Caldwell have dropped varsity programs this season.

“Not putting it higher than everything else athletically, but it’s a huge unifier for a community,” Gainey said of high school football. “I hope it does not continue the route it looks like it’s going because it’s also a revenue generator for high schools.”

Gainey said anyone who has ever been in teaching or administration knows how valuable a football program is to a high school. 

Perhaps Gainey’s love for athletics, academics and administration came honestly. His father was a principal and his mother a teacher and he said he learned at an early age coaches are role models. 

He said he was very fortunate to have three of the very best in the state in football coach Wilbur Sasser, basketball coach Shelly Marsh and baseball coach Charlie Smith guide him in his high school playing days.

“You get to meet role models if you are lucky,” Gainey said. “No high school athlete was more fortunate than I was. Wilbur Sasser. Shelly Marsh and Charlie Smith were role models for me, I looked up to them. I respected what they did to this day. I still have contact with the two who are living. I had the best of all worlds. What I got from all three of them was more than a lot of winning, I was able to be around three great role models that my parents trusted.”

There was little doubt who was in charge.

“My parents were adamant that my coaches were in charge, I was supposed to rise to their expectations, not push mine onto them,” Gainey said. “I am not a superintendent if not for the house I grew up in, the lady I married, my kids, my teammates and my coaches. I wouldn’t be sitting here. Those things all work together. They are paramount. I haven’t forgotten those coaches.”

Perhaps his parents taught him another very important lesson. He hasn’t forgotten how important it is for the superintendent to show support for not only high school athletics, but all the extra-curricular options available to high school students.

“Visibility is critical for any leadership role,” Gainey said. “Not just athletics, but also award ceremonies, band concerts and chorus concerts. Kids need to see you are interested in them beyond the classroom. You’ll be amazed how that helps over time. One of these days, when this is over, I will still be going to high school events. That’s been a part of my life.”

Gainey said one aspect that is becoming more and more prevalent among high school sports is transferring, student-athletes leaving one school for another.

“Overall, the changes in society have led to changes in high school athletics.” Gainey said. “Social media is so much more out there. People know about athletes they would never know about unless they met them in the playoffs from other parts of the state. All of the travel leagues also have contributed to these changes. They see people and build relationships.

“It hurts my heart because even if a kid doesn’t move but wishes he or she had moved, that’s not good for their team. I want that kid who wants to be with me. Late in the fourth quarter and we’re on the 2-yard line and there’s less than a minute left. I hope all 11 kids on that field want to be with me in that football game.”

Gainey said he does expect one major change over the next 10 years. While a few counties in North Carolina, including Forsyth and Union, allow for open enrollment, which allows students to register at a school outside of their residency, it’s a subject that will be discussed and debated in the coming years and could very easily be implemented throughout the state.

But just what type of open enrollment would have to be discussed by a number of governing bodies.

“I see open enrollment one way and I hope that’s the way we are going to talk about it. I see open enrollment within a school system,” Gainey said. “How that would play out here with Asheboro High School being the only high school in that system, I don’t know. So are we talking school systems or across county lines?”

Currently in Randolph County, a student can petition to transfer to another school either inside the Randolph County School System or the Asheboro City School System, but that student has to be approved by the system he or she is leaving.

Releases aren’t necessary to go to Charter schools, private schools or homeschools. “There will have to be some guardrails somehow,” Gainey said. “Do I think some kind of open enrollment will be here in the next 10 years? I would be surprised if it’s not in the state.”