Postiff finishes inaugural year

As Costa Mesa High’s Aquatic Director, Tim Postiff had plenty to be

pleased with during the 2004-05 season. The boys swim team finished

fourth in the CIF Southern Section Division III team standings, the

boys water polo team went undefeated in the Golden West League and

advanced to the CIF Division II quarterfinals, plus, the girls water

polo team advanced to the CIF Division IV quarterfinals.

But Postiff also basked in the accomplishments of the boys

basketball team -- which finished second in league and advanced to

the CIF Division III-A second round -- as well as the boys volleyball

team -- which reached the CIF Division III playoffs for the first

time in three years -- and all of the successes of the other boys

athletic programs.

Postiff was able to double-dip, as it were, in other programs

because he was in the middle of his inaugural season as the Mustangs’

boys athletic director.

“I wasn’t expecting there to be any challenges right off [as the

athletic director],” Postiff said. “I just wanted something different

for myself. I wanted to go to all of the games in the different

sports and I wanted to see all of the kids more than just in the

classroom.”

Postiff has been an English teacher at Costa Mesa as long as he

has been the swim and water polo coach -- for three years. He was

hired as the athletic director last summer and had to deal with what

can best be described as a “rocky” transition.

Dave Perkins, who was the athletic director prior to Postiff,

stepped down from that post as well as his football head coaching

duties last July six weeks before the season opener and forcing the

cancellation of a summer scrimmage.

The athletic department also was reeling from the resignations of

three other head coaches in baseball, basketball and track and field.

But Costa Mesa and Postiff weathered the storm and instated Tom

Baldwin as football coach, Ryan Schachter as basketball coach, Nicole

Price as track and field coach, as well as Dave Austin as baseball

coach.

Postiff believes his background with the aquatic program helped

him in his duties as athletic director.

“I learned how to deal with parents and administration [as aquatic

director],” Postiff said.

He also learned by discussing situations with girls athletic

director Sharon Uhl.

“I have a great partner in Sharon Uhl,” Postiff said. “We deal

with problems the same way and we are able to consult one another on

how to handle things.”

Still, his first dip into the AD’s role was less-than-smooth.

“I really wanted to help people out, but I’ll be honest, it was

very hectic,” he said. “My goal was to not make myself look silly.”

Postiff accomplished that goal with flying colors given the

success of the various programs. The boys golf team was 12-5 and the

cross country as well as the track and field teams had members

contending for league titles.

“I’m happy that we have a group of solid coaches who make the kids

successful,” Postiff said. “It was nice to see the expression on the

basketball and volleyball kids’ faces after their great seasons.”

The Mustangs are in the process of selecting a new boys volleyball

coach, and Postiff said he knows what type of coach he is looking to

hire.

“We are looking for quality coaches who have a lot of knowledge

and a lot of experience,” he said. “We want someone who is used to

dealing with fundraising and with parents. A big key is to get

someone on campus [as a teacher] because then if there are any

discipline problems -- not that we’ve had any -- but if there were

any problems, the athlete’s coach is right on campus and it can be

dealt with right there.”

The positions of AD (Aquatic’s Director) and AD (Athletic

Director) do not present any conflict of interest in terms of

favoritism or pushing athletes into swimming and/or water polo.

“I wish we had 15 more Jeff Waldrons [who was a star in football,

basketball and baseball for the Mustangs before graduating in the

spring],” Postiff said. “If a kid wants to play two or three sports,

that’s great. Our school is so small, you can’t steal athletes [from

one program to another]. If a kid plays water polo with me in the

fall, I think it’s great if he plays something else in the winter

before he comes back to me in the spring [for the swimming season].”

Postiff graduated from La Serna High in Whittier in 1993 and was a

member of the Lancer water polo teams that reached the CIF final

twice. He went on to play for two years at Citrus College before

transferring to Southeast Missouri State University, where he

received his bachelor’s in English. Postiff also holds a master’s in

physical education.