Troy Hendricks to retire as Bemidji High School activities director in December

Sep. 12—BEMIDJI — Troy Hendricks is a Lumberjack through and through.

A Bemidji native, standout athlete and 1982 graduate of Bemidji High School, Hendricks returned to BHS in 1995 as the football coach. Shortly after, he served as the activities director from 1999-2003, then returned for a second stint as AD starting in 2010.

But in December, at the end of the fall semester, he will hang it up for the final time and retire as the activities director after nearly two decades of service. Why now?

"Because I can," Hendricks quipped.

Seriously, though, Hendricks thinks now is simply the right time to let go of his post. After speaking to his son James, a financial advisor and former star athlete for BHS and North Dakota State, the pieces all seemed to fit together. Hendricks has other things he wants to do in his life, and he seeks the freedom to be able to pursue them.

"Bemidji has a lot to offer for me and the habits that I have," Hendricks said. "I love to golf. I love to hike and bike, and I'm on the mountain bike trail close to the country club (a lot). I love to snowmobile with my kids and my family, and we did that a ton this last year. So the things that I truly enjoy doing are here."

That being said, he won't mind the freedom to depart for a bit in the wintertime — especially when the chilly climate stretches into the spring months.

"Winter can get a little old," Hendricks admitted. "Especially in March and April, where I can get the heck out of here and go spend some time where it's sunny."

Though he'll enjoy exploring warmer environments, Hendricks will miss the daily interactions with BHS students, something he thrived on during his tenure as AD.

"I like to spend a lot of time visiting with them, giving kids a hard time," Hendricks said. "And at the same time,

understanding when they're going through difficult times that there is always an opportunity to pick them up."

He also credited his pupils with invigorating him as he went about his job each day.

"The kids will keep you feeling young," Hendricks said. "Just having that opportunity to go through the highs and the lows with them, hopefully lend an ear and provide them some kind of guidance along the way is something I've always enjoyed."

Hendricks served as Bemidji's football coach from 1995-2001, then again from 2009-19. Under his guidance, the program won section championships in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018.

In all, BHS sports have won 54 section titles during Hendricks' run as AD. Lumberjack athletes have also won seven individual state championships in that span.

For his part, Hendricks hoped to leave a legacy of an activities department that enriched the lives of those who passed through it. He wanted those who took part in extracurriculars at BHS to enjoy the time they spent in those endeavors, plus look back on them fondly after their time in high school came to an end.

"I wanted to create

an environment that people wanted to be a part of,"

Hendricks said. "There was a coach that I had coached with, and that was kind of his slogan every year. For me, I wanted to always create an environment — whether that be in my office or whether that be as a coach — that was enjoyable and that people liked being around."

But even though he's retiring, that doesn't mean he won't still be around. Asked whether he'd be back at Chet Anderson Stadium next fall, he didn't mince words.

"I would imagine I will be, yes," Hendricks said. "I'm not leaving."