HYDE PARK - February was Black History Month but the Cincinnati Public School District actually made some history this past January.
That's when former Withrow High School standout Regina Williams was named athletic director at her alma mater. The move made Williams the first Black female in Cincinnati Public School history to head up an athletic department.
"I practiced prayer, patience, perseverance and persistence," Williams said.
Those four Ps paid off as 2021 got underway with another P: promotion.
After 10 years as the assistant athletic director and in-school suspension coordinator at Withrow, Williams was bumped up to the top job when Jonas Smith moved from Withrow to become athletic director at Trotwood-Madison.
"For our kids to see someone that looks like them, used to be them, to give them hope; it gives me hope that they can make something of their lives," Williams said
Walking the walk
Monday, Williams was walking in the infield of Taft's Stargel Stadium in Tiger orange pants supervising her Withrow athletes gathered in a "Tiger Den" tent. She recalled running track and cross country and often finishing last, but the conditioning helped her basketball game so she never quit.
The 1984 Withrow grad is a member of the Withrow Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Cincinnati Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. After the career at Withrow, she played basketball at the University of Cincinnati from 1985-89. Her No. 20 Withrow jersey is retired unless she chooses to wear it to motivate future Tigers.
The last Cincinnati Public Schools female athletic director was Jolinda Lewis, also a former UC women's basketball player. Lewis was named Cincinnati Enquirer Athletic Director of the Year in 2017-18 before returning to UC in a fundraising position.
Some may wonder why it took so long for a Black woman to be elevated to such a position. Williams takes the high road.
"I'm not sure why it didn't happen. I guess God was just saving that spot for me," she said.
Added Withrow football coach Kali Jones, "We were all surprised that Cincinnati Public didn't have an African-American female as an AD. It's a beautiful time for Withrow. She's from Withrow, she graduated from Cincinnati. She came back and worked in the building. She's homegrown, so it's a natural fit. She's kind of like our auntie or big sister."
Tigers for life
The promotion of Williams was met with excitement among the staff and personnel at Withrow and also came with a proclamation from Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, also a Withrow grad, this past Friday.
"It was just amazing," Williams said of the honor. "We both come from the same breed. We're Withrow Tigers for life. That just meant the world to me."
Regina's daughter, Nia Williams-Jones, also attended Withrow as did Regina's sister, Angela Farris. Both are often found with the new Tigers' AD at events. A former member of the track team, Williams-Jones witnessed her mother at school patiently paying her dues, which led to her promotion.
"I remember when I was a freshman and she was the assistant athletic director and I saw her taking the ropes under the different athletic directors," Williams-Jones said. "I was always thinking, 'I think she's ready for this job!' It's great to see she finally accomplished this goal."
Said Farris of her sister's ground-breaking accomplishment, "I was impressed. I was very proud of her. I knew she was going to make it!"
Restore the roar
After a few years in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, Withrow is back in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference where Williams feels they'll be more competitive.
The only league championships the Tigers won in the ECC came in boys and girls track, where they were also dominant in the CMAC. But, their last championships came in 2017 in girls track and 2018 in boys track. Withrow's girls were Ohio Division I champions three consecutive years from 2015-2017. Their only other state title was a baseball crown won in 1950.
Williams hopes to bring the tradition back in all sports.
"Don't give up; don't get down when things aren't going your way," Williams advises her athletes. "That's only going to make you stronger. It's not going to knock you down. It's going to make you stronger to pursue whatever it is you want in life."
Withrow's facilities are far better than they were when Williams attended. The gym is larger and often utilized for OHSAA postseason games. The Reds Community Fund helped upgrade their baseball and softball facilities, which now have turf. The baseball field is named after former Cincinnati Red and Withrow great Ron Oester. On the horizon are improvements to the tennis courts and resurfacing the track that surrounds the football field.
The field itself is picturesque with the backdrop of the school, which was built in 1919. Withrow High School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and was modernized in 2000 thanks to gifts from alumni and the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's all about the kids
Withrow also has a woman leading the boys and girls track team for the first time with Michigan grad Charnee Lumbus prowling area tracks with a stopwatch and a team full of Tigers. When a boys coach stepped back, new AD Williams didn't hesitate to put Lumbus in charge, someone who has run at Ohio state championships in high school and in college as a Wolverine at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Obviously, Lumbus is a huge fan of Williams and vice-versa.
"It is a big deal and she was an amazing pick," Lumbus said. "She's Withrow alumni and has the best interest of our school and our student-athletes at hand. I really love the culture she's creating for the kids. It's all about the athletes at the end of the day with her."
Soon after speaking those words, Lumbus raced toward the track to cheer on a Withrow sprinter in the 100-meter dash. Near the finish line, Regina Williams joined her. As both witnessed the Withrow student win the heat, they slapped a high-five.
One race at a time. Building a winning culture. It's all about the kids.
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