Someone familiar to the sports scene in Forest Lake has been named the high school’s next activities director.
Principal Steve Massey announced Friday that social studies teacher and hockey coach Aaron Forsythe replace take over July 1 for Joel Olson, who in January announced he will leave the post at the end of this school year to pursue other career opportunities.
Forsythe
Forsythe will oversee the athletics, arts and other extra-curricular programs available to all students in grades 7 through 12.
Forsythe, a 2000 Forest Lake graduate who prior to his teaching career played hockey at both the Division I college and professional levels, has been a social studies teacher and varsity boys’ hockey head coach at his alma mater since 2007. He began the 2013-2014 school working in the high school’s activities office as activities coordinator but finished the school year as an interim assistant principal.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with all of our outstanding activities,” Forsythe said about his new position. “We have a ton of great things happening in our community, and there is nowhere I would rather serve than the Forest Lake area. I am excited to hit the ground running with all of the coaches, students and support groups that make everything possible.”
In his seven years as Forest Lake’s head boys’ hockey coach, Forsythe has successfully turned a struggling team into a competitive force in the Suburban East Conference. His career coaching record is 91-80-13, and he remains the only boys’ hockey coach in school history to have a winning record after coaching more than two seasons.
As a player, Forsythe was a two-time All Suburban East Conference defenseman for the Rangers and was named to the St. Cloud Times and Varsity Online magazine All-State teams. In college, he was a four-year starter at Minnesota State University – Mankato, and after obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Social Studies he played one season in the ECHL professional hockey league.
He retired from hockey after the 2004-2005 ECHL season and went back to college to obtain his graduate teaching license from St. Scholastica. In 2011 he received his Masters of Science Degree in Education from the same school.
Forsythe, in addition to his other positions, has been the program director for the Ranger Hockey Summer Training Program, been site manager for both football and volleyball, and has coached both junior high golf and girls’ junior varsity golf.
“Aaron brings many skills and experiences to the position, not the least of which is his passion for youth activities,” Massey said. “He is committed to quality and excellence and will be determined to provide exceptional opportunities for students. “