SOCSD’s new part-time athletic director hopes to overcome recruitment challenges to add more students

Justin Behrman may be shooting for a decathlon’s worth of job titles in Sedona athletics.

The Sedona Charter School financial assistant and athletic director, Sedona Parks & Recreation Adult Softball League umpire and Sedona Red Rock High School varsity basketball program assistant coach will be adding “part-time athletic director for the Sedona-Oak Creek School District” to his list, following predecessor Peter Brock’s decision to relocate to Texas earlier this year.

“When I got here four years ago, I saw the magic of our youth in the community, and I have really just enjoyed being involved wherever I can be involved,” Behrman said. “I just look at this as another step in the direction of putting the spotlight on the magic of our youth.”

“He’s passionate about working with kids, all kids,” SOCSD Superintendent Tom Swaninger, Ed.D., said. “He’s very passionate about the idea that every student should have a place to belong, and sometimes that’s athletics.”

For Behrman, the “magic” is everything beyond the scoreboard.

“We all can acknowledge that sometimes the scoreboard of our athletic events doesn’t really tell the whole story,” Behrman said. “We don’t always come out on top, but just the attitude and the perseverance, the willingness to be positive influences in the community and just make right choices.”

He said the magic of youth sports comes from the older students being good role models for the younger.

“I think especially our varsity athletes have shown that they can be ambassadors for our programs, and it’s really a lot of fun to watch,” he said.

Among Behrman’s major goals coming into the role are to craft a defined mission for all the sports programs, and meeting with all the coaches at last on a weekly basis in part to better set up middle school student athletes for success in the high school programs.

“I have a commitment to growing, and knowing that for a varsity athlete, it’s a four-year journey, and there’s going to be some ups and downs along the way,” Behrman said. “But with the people we have in place, everyone from our middle school … to our varsity coaches to our teachers in the building and just adults in the community, as the kids stay committed and are committed to that growth … eventually I think that will start to tip the scoreboard in our favor in a lot of our sports.”

“Another goal would be to get our varsity athletes out in the community a little bit more and develop some type of mentor roles for the students at West Sedona [School] and Sedona Charter School, just to put them out there and have those young’ns have something to look up to,” he said.

Athletics recruitment has been an ongoing challenge for Scorpions sports, and Behrman said he hopes to get more kids on the field.

“What I’ve learned in general is just talking to kids at the middle school level, or freshmen and sophomores, and saying, ‘Hey, come give this a try, and give it a week. And if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.’ We don’t really make cuts in our programs, so we have that luxury.

“I’m trying to break them out of their comfort zone and give them something to be a part of, something bigger than being on these godforsaken screens.”

For Behrman, his community as he was growing up playing golf and hockey in high school he said are some of his most formative coaching experiences.

“Nobody really came to watch golf, but it was pretty cool because they would post our newspaper clippings at the local golf course,” Behrman said. “And it was cool to have some of those retired people in the community say, ‘Hey, I know who you are.’ As a 15-year-old kid, … looking back on it, it was a pretty awesome moment to be recognized and to know that I matter in that community.”

The fall varsity home game schedule is now available on the Scorpion Booster website with football kicking off on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m., volleyball on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m., with boys and girls soccer programs moving to the winter.

“I’m still pinching myself with the job title,” Behrman said. “I’m just really thrilled to still be a member of this community. It’s still kind of surreal to have the job title and be able to work in two different school environments and just see where we’re headed for the 2026-27 school year.”

Future in Sports

In other Scorpions sports news, the varsity swim team is tentatively on track to return with yet-to-be announced new head coach after the 2025 season was canceled because of an unfilled vacancy — John Parks will also be handing over the volleyball program to William Gross.

“I’ve had a lot of adult conversations with some of our kids,… and a lot of them thrive on the support of the community, and having their parents and some of their classmates in the stands is wonderful,” Behrman said. “But it’s super important as a Sedona community that the community is involved as much as possible, just coming, even if it’s just for a quarter and seeing the hard work the kids put in. They’re committed to representing their school and their community and the names on the front of their jerseys.”

Additionally, Tony Hauserman will be staying on as the head coach of the football program following his election to the Sedona City Council on July 21. Hauserman will be seated on council after the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election.

For more information about Scorpions Athletics, visit scorpionboosterclub.com.