After working 22 years as the athletic director, Tory Harvey, was used to walking out the door of Dallastown on Fridays eager for the weekend. But on November 30, 2018, Harvey walking out the doors was bittersweet. He was not just leaving for the weekend, he was leaving for retirement.

“It goes quick. It feels like not that many years ago I was walking those halls and to walk out on Friday, that was difficult,”

Being a Dallastown graduate made this job even more special for him.

After graduating from DHS in 1980, Harvey said, “I never set out to be an athletic director.” He went to York College to get his bachelor’s degree in business and later got his masters from Western Maryland College.

He started his career in banking with Farmers Bank and Trust in Hanover before he ever considered going into education.

“Through coaching and helping with events at various schools, I thought I had a nice talent in education,” Harvey said. He knew that being an athletic director was something he wanted to do.

Harvey’s goal was always to end up back at his alma mater. He worked for Solanco, Red Lion, and York Suburban before transitioning to Dallastown.

Throughout all the years Harvey spent at DHS, the part that he enjoyed the most was building relationships with athletes, coaches, and the staff at the school.

Girls basketball coach Jay Rexroth said, “I had a great experience with Mr. Harvey. He was a major asset to have in our athletic department. His professionalism and his attention to detail were the things that stood out to me.”

In Harvey’s time as the athletic director, he helped to start the junior high boys and girls soccer team, the varsity and junior varsity boys and girls lacrosse teams, and the competitive spirit team.

“It was a joy to watch everyone grow and compete over the years,” Harvey said.

Another notable highlight of Harvey’s career was when the boys tennis team won the PIAA State Championship in 2004.

His dedication and passion for his job was noticed by everyone in the community. On the day of his retirement, many tweets were shared honoring him. Even the Red Lion football account tweeted at Harvey, “Nothing but respect. Enjoy your retirement Coach Harvey!”

Although Harvey’s last day was November 30, the Dallastown community took the opportunity to honor Harvey at an early morning pep rally on September 28. ABC27 broadcast their weekly “Friday Morning Lights” segment from the DHS gym. Harvey had a segment dedicated to him and his school “family” presented him with a framed jersey signed by the staff.

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/friday-morning-lights-dallastown/1481214747

Harvey also interacted with DHS students in a variety of ways. He was in charge of the driver’s education program and taught an athletic administration class to students. Harvey worked with senior Piper Glattacker as she sang the National Anthem at countless Dallastown athletic events.

“Mr. Harvey was always so kind. He enjoyed working with all of the students, and left a giant impact on not only the school, but me as well,” Glattacker said.

After the countless hours that Harvey put into his job, he is now ready to focus on his health and family. “I look forward to increasing my relationship with my faith, family, and friends,” Harvey said. He also hopes to have a part-time job to keep himself busy.

Vincent Sortino will be taking Harvey’s place as the new athletic director. Sortino was the athletic director at his previous school district in Pittsburgh, Baldwin High School.

In deciding to come to DHS, Sortino said, “Dallastown has a great reputation as one of the states top school districts. We also have great coaches and athletic programs, so it was an easy choice for me to come here.”

For Sortino, working beside Mr. Harvey was a great experience and they worked very well together. There are many things that Sortino hopes to keep in place but also realizes that as individuals, everyone has their own leadership style.

“I hope that mine will help to better mold the athletic experiences for all of our coaches and athletes,” Sortino said.

Looking into the future of Dallastown athletics, Sortino plans to improve upon the already excellent programs that we have to offer here at Dallastown. “I would like to begin a student leadership mentoring program, sports hall of fame, and academic excellence programs for athletes,” Sortino said.

Harvey dedicated countless hours to make Dallastown athletics run smoothly, and now Sortino is ready to take on that responsibility.