Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, Fil Torres will become the new assistant principal of athletics at Riverside Brookfield High School after Brendan Curtin stepped down from the position in 2023. The title is currently held by two interim assistant principals of athletics, Tom Domin and Dan Jones.
Torres currently serves as the assistant principal of athletics at East Aurora High School, a position he has occupied for six years. He has many years of athletic experience, including playing Division I basketball at the University of Arizona for three years. Torres was selected through an interview process from a pool of 35 candidates that applied.
“We looked for people with admin experience, coaching experience, and athletic directing experience, because those were some of the things that our teachers and coaches asked for,” Principal Dr. Héctor Freytas said. “Our staff has high expectations for administrators, and I’m proud of that.”
Thirty-five people filled out the application for the position, 16 of which were invited to submit a video interview. Of the 13 people who submitted, eight were selected to come to RB for an interview. The candidates were interviewed by a committee consisting of teachers, student-athletes, coaches, the current interim assistant athletic directors, and administrators. The committee decided on three finalists for the position, and Torres was selected.
“I appreciated that they had so many stakeholders involved, including having students on the panel,” Torres said. “I think that’s awesome. Students should always be able to have a voice and have an opinion on things because that directly involves them.”
In his first year, Torres will be handling the conference change RB will undertake in fall 2024. The current Metro Suburban Conference (MSC) only houses four teams, including RB. Next school year RB will debut in the Upstate Eight Conference, which currently hosts ten teams, including East Aurora High School, Torres’ current school. Torres’ familiarity and experience with the conference will serve as an advantage to RB.
“He knows a lot of athletic directors and a lot of the principals, so it’s not a new face,” Freytas said. “He knows how people work. He knows their habits. He knows where they’re located. A lot of those big schools have an east gym or a small gym, so he’s going to get our athletes and coaches where they need to be. He’s familiar with the landscape of the conference: the schools, preparation, and distance.”
Additionally, Torres hopes to implement an open-door policy. He will be open to conversations about RB sports advice, help students continue with their sport at the next level, training, and everything else related to athletics.
“I want to hit the ground running and show them I’m available,” Torres said. “Being available and present are two huge key things, so students and coaches can come talk to me at any time. My door is always open.
Torres wants to represent RB athletes well, and that will be a point of focus next year and in the years to come. Arranging schedules and tournaments to meet the wants and needs of both athletes and the RB community is a challenge Torres is up for.
“I think he’ll have a huge role in setting up everything from the different programs and just being there for the athletes and getting to represent them,” junior Hailey Vlcek said. “I think he’ll have a big role in having representation for RB.”
The RB athletic teams draw the community together very well, so maximizing the efficiency of the athletic department is a must for any assistant principal of athletics.
“Outside of your principal, I believe an assistant principal of athletics is the second most important position in the school because you’re the face of the community,” Torres said. “Your teams are going out into the community in RB uniforms, clothing, and gear.”
The RB community will be positively impacted by having a full-time assistant principal of athletics. Torres’ experience in college athletics and at East Aurora High School will bring unique perspectives into the RB community.
“I hope that our students, staff, teachers, and coaches rally around Mr. Torres,” Freytas said. “He’s an experienced athletic director and a collaborative assistant principal of athletics. I truly hope that we support him and embrace him because he has the right experiences, the right skills to help us grow even more. When I met him, I knew he was a person of quality. He is someone that can do a good job.”
