With the imminent retirement of Doug Gloyd and the introduction of Wendy Ahart as the next district director, Trigg County Athletics and its stakeholders are in a unique position to seize some momentum — and further improve the trajectory of Wildcat sports.
Such was the discussion during Tuesday’s Cadiz Rotary Club meeting, where both Gloyd and Ahart took a few moments to talk about where things have been and where things are going in Cadiz.
Student participation, coupled with the “specialization” and “sequestering” of players from becoming multi-sport talents, have been growing issues nationwide, and Trigg County is no exception.
Asked how both fronts could improve, Gloyd did not shy away from a passionate plea.
He noted cell phones and screen time have become “addicting” for both parents and students, creating lazy trends, and that a lack of accountability to “finish what one starts” has been absent in both children and adults in the district.
Meanwhile, Gloyd added that any coach not willing to spare athletes for other sports should be “fired on the spot” and “immediately.”
Over the last five years, renovations to the Trigg County Recreation Complex, Perdue Field and Wildcat Gymnasium — as well as the addition of a co-curricular facility — have put several programs back in strong standing up against the rest of the region.
However, Ahart said there is always room for growth, and she and Superintendent Rex Booth said there are two concepts and “wish list” items worth considering in the near future.
Gloyd and Ahart both noted that the Rotary’s, and the community’s, contributions for the 2025 “Day of Giving” changed the trajectory of attendance across all sports during the 2025-26 academic calendar. Not only did the youth and seniors of Trigg County get to attend events for free, but the bottom lines for several programs didn’t change, and in many cases simply improved — as families could turn their dollars elsewhere, like concessions and booster efforts.
Discussions, they said, are already underway for a similar program in 2026-27.
Gloyd did confirm that, with a coaching change, Ohio County football has decided to pay the $5,000 forfeit fee for the 2026 Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl, meaning returning Coach Curtis Higgins and the Wildcats now need a game for their upcoming schedule.
The timing, Gloyd added, isn’t great for seeking a new opponent, and it’s possible the slate is short a game.
In other notes: Gloyd said that district athletics requires a minimum $225,000-to-$250,000 annual budget in order to operate as it is now, while Ahart added that she was happy to be a part of a growing cadre of women nationwide serving as district athletic directors, and that in the last two weeks, she has moved several of the school’s trophies back into the renovated gymnasium lobby.
FULL DISCUSSION:
