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After 20 years as a high school athletic director – the last 13 in Winchester – Marc Arria is leaving the world of academia, telling the Winchester News, “I decided after 20 years as an AD to go into real estate,” while adding, “I have two young kids at home and I need more flexibility.”
Arria was at Winchester High as its director of athletics the last 13 years, but before that he spent three years at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden. He was also at Matignon High School in Cambridge for four years.
It’s never easy to switch careers at any time, especially after being in one place for over a decade, and Arria reflects on those moments rather nostalgically.
“I think what I’ll miss the most is working with the kids, coaches, WHS staff and fellow (Middlesex League) ADs, and (other ADs from all over the state),” Arria said. “There have been so many great moments over the years. We’ve had a lot of state championship teams and league champions, which included so many tremendous student-athletes.”
Arria then went on to say, “Winchester has the best coaching staff across all sports in the state, and I have been very fortunate to work with such great people, who truly care about the kids.”
But like any job, it’s not the panacea those on the outside think it is.
“It’s a tough job,” he said, because everyone thinks they know what you do and how you do it. The expectation is that the department now runs like a Division 1 college, and (that being said) they can’t fund it or staff it as such. But I’m still going to miss it.”
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News in November 2024 and is currently its Sports Editor. He can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
