CHERRY TWP — His office is in a small room with barely enough space for his desk. Forget about an assistant.

But Jim Metz does not work alone.

Now in his 20th year as athletic director at Moniteau High School, Metz, 56, admits he couldn't handle the position “without all of the people who have my back.”

When you're a history teacher for the first half of the day and an athletic director from noon on, you're bound to miss a few things.

Details and sudden scheduling changes can turn a small-school athletic director's world upside down at times.

“Troy Hull with the Campbell Bus Company ... There's been times I've failed to schedule a bus for an away game. I'll call him that same day and he'll have a bus for me,” Metz said.

“If a game gets postponed and my ticket-taker can't be there the next night, she'll make sure someone else is. If I need an official on the spur of the moment, Art Monteleone will find me one. There are lots of people like that who make my job easier.”

Metz has no athletic secretary. He has no assistant or game manager. He has to be versatile.

“At a school this size, you have to be prepared to step in for any coach or do any job at any time,” he said.

While serving as athletic director, Metz has coached cross country for 10 years, was assistant boys track coach for a year, was head junior high football coach for eight seasons and was an assistant varsity football coach for two.

He had to fill in asJim Metz golf coach for a match when a new coach couldn't begin at that point “and I use two clubs when I play.”

Metz has officiated a junior high basketball scrimmage, been the p.a. announcer at football games, sold tickets, taken tickets and operated the time clock.

He leaves for work at 7 a.m. After teaching his classes and breaking for lunch, he shifts into athletic director mode.

“Right after lunch, I'll check e-mails, phone messages and return them,” Metz said. “I meet with coaches to discuss their needs and go over the budget.”

Metz doesn't go home at the end of the school day. If a Moniteau team is playing a home or away game, he's there.

An avid runner, he does 20 miles per week — usually at the school.

“Before I report to the game site, I get my running in around the school,” he said. “Depending on weather and conditions, I'll run along the road, circle the school, go down on the track or do our cross country trail.

“I shower here, change, and get to the game.”

At times, his wife Donna, who has been a teacher at Dassa Elementary in the Moniteau district for 34 years, will send his dinner over to the school.

Most of the time, he dines at home at 9:30 or 10 p.m.

“If she waited for me to have dinner with her, she'd probably starve,” Metz said. laughing. “But my wife always has a snack or something to nibble on with me so I don't eat alone.

“Our time to converse and catch up with each other is between 5 and 6 in the morning each day. I'm usually too tired when I get home at night to do much talking.”

Metz oversees 12 sports at Moniteau, including cheerleading.

His favorite part of the job is working with dedicated people.

“If not for those people, I wouldn't be doing this,” he said. “I'd have egg all over my face. Knowing so many people are standing behind you, covering your back side ... It motivates you to do well.

“When a game gets postponed, I need to arrange for security personnel, ticket people, a clock operator, trainer, officials, take care of the visiting team ... There's plenty of room for error there.”

Metz's least favorite part of the job is the time it takes.

“We have three kids and Donna picked up the pieces there while I was working,” he said. “I only hope, looking back, that I contributed enough to their lives.”

Their oldest daughter Cynthia is a school teacher in Virginia. Their other daughter, Alison, is studying chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania and their son, James Jr., is a sophomore majoring in business at Penn State.

“I can't complain,” Metz said. “I fell into the athletic director's job here and the district has worked with me over the years.

“I think every athletic director falls into that job. No one's quite sure what the job's about at first. There wouldn't be any athletic directors otherwise.”

<B>Age: </B>56<B>Address: </B>Concord Township<B>Family:</B> Wife, Donna; daughters, Cynthia and Alison; son, James Jr.<B>Education: </B>Moniteau High School, 1972; Davis & Elkins College, 1976<B>Occupation:</B> History teacher and athletic director, Moniteau High School<B>Hobbies:</B> Handyman around the house, fishing, running<B>Quote: </B>“At a school this size, you have to be prepared to step in for any coach or do any job at any time.”