Richard “Dick” Bader was one of the state’s most versatile individuals involved in high school athletics in New York State.
He started an athletic career as a physical education teacher in 1956 at his alma mater, North Syracuse High School following a three-sport career for the Northstars. In 1971, Dick was appointed as Director of Physical Education, Health, and Safety at both North Syracuse High School and Cicero High School. Ten years later, he supervised the athletic program merger between the two schools and served as Director of Physical Education, Health and Safety for the newly formed Cicero-North Syracuse School District until 1992. While at C-NS, Dick coached football, basketball and baseball, experiencing some steady success on the diamond. He coached several league and division champions in baseball and in 1967 his Northstars won the Section III title. Over the 1966 and 1967 seasons, Dick led C-NS to a 43-game win streak which still stands as a school baseball record today.
Along the way, Coach Bader served the Onondaga League as the League President and Baseball Chairman in addition to a two-year term as Section III President. In 1992, he was appointed Executive Director of the Section and provided stable administrative leadership until his retirement in 2006.
A graduate of Ithaca College, Dick has been recognized for his stellar 50-year administrative career with the New York State Athletics Director of the Year Award as well as the New York State Athletic Administrators Association Otis Sennett Award for Excellence. He was the North Syracuse Man of the Year in 1980 and was honored with the Section III Special Service Award in 1982. Dick has his Masters in physical education and health certification from Syracuse University.