After more than a decade coaching college lacrosse and working in athletic administration, Dawn Sachs is bringing that experience to West Hempstead as the school district’s new director of physical education, health and athletics.
Sachs comes to West Hempstead after spending over the past 13 years, spanning 14 seasons, as the head lacrosse coach at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry. Her career there extended beyond coaching, with Sachs also taking on responsibilities involving athletic administration, academics and student-athlete development.
“I took this job because there is a real understanding about what our children need, and I really felt that through my interview process,” Sachs said.
While at Mercy, Sachs served as senior associate athletic director for compliance and academics and as the athletic department’s senior woman administrator. The positions gave her experience overseeing areas of college athletics beyond competition, including compliance requirements, academic success and support for student-athletes.
Sachs said she wants students to see that athletics is about more than simply participating in after-school programs, it can also be about creating relationships, having fun and developing a genuine love for sports and physical activity.
“I have a lot of energy in me,” she said, “and I want to really show them that it’s not just about making sure they have everything they need to run athletics after school, but I want to be in the trenches with them.”
Rather than simply watching from the sidelines, she wants to be actively involved and show students that support can come in many different forms. She hopes to contribute to a community where students feel supported and encouraged to become the best “all-around and holistic” students they can be.
Her move to West Hempstead represents a transition from collegiate athletics to a school district role overseeing physical education, health and athletics.
Sachs’s work with athletes also extends beyond Mercy University. She coaches with FLG Club Lacrosse, where she serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
Through her work at the collegiate and club levels, Sachs has spent years mentoring student-athletes and helping them pursue opportunities on and off the field. Her experience has included coaching athletes, working in athletic administration and helping students navigate academics and the recruiting process.
Sachs is a Massapequa resident and lives with her husband, Keith Sachs, their daughter, Shea, and their golden retriever, Coach.
Athletics are also part of the family outside Sachs’s own career. Her husband coaches football and baseball at Wantagh High School.
Sachs now brings her collegiate coaching, administrative and student-development experience to West Hempstead, where her new position expands her focus beyond competitive athletics to the district’s physical education and health programs as well.
“She understands that health and physical education are about building confidence, character, and lifelong habits, not just athletic skill,” Rehman wrote. “WHe are excited to see the impact she will have on our RamFam community.”
