Blanchard named new Clipper AD

By ALEX SPONSELLER
Posted 11/26/19

By ALEX SPONSELLER Former Pilgrim standout athlete and current RIC administrator Eric Blanchard was recently named the new athletic director of Cumberland High School, effective on Dec. 2nd. Blanchard was a goalie on the Pilgrim soccer team during his

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Blanchard named new Clipper AD

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Former Pilgrim standout athlete and current RIC administrator Eric Blanchard was recently named the new athletic director of Cumberland High School, effective on Dec. 2nd.

Blanchard was a goalie on the Pilgrim soccer team during his high school career, as well as the Pats’ third baseman and pitcher on the diamond.

He would then go to RIC, where he became one of the top hurlers in the program’s history. He ranks fifth all time in school history with 45 relief appearances for the Anchormen.

Blanchard would then begin working inside the athletics department from there, and is currently the Assistant to the Athletic Director.

After seven years, Blanchard decided that it was finally time to pursue an opportunity to lead an athletics department.

“I have been at RIC for the last seven years and I’m the Assistant to the Athletic Director. I assist the athletic director in all phases of the department, so my goal has always been to be an athletic director myself,” said Blanchard.

Blanchard is excited to engrain himself in the Cumberland sports scene, which he believes is already one of the best in the state.

“Cumberland is a great sports town. They already have a lot of support from the community and that championship culture built there. Transitioning from college to high school, at my current job I do a lot of work with recruitment but now to be on the other side of it working with high school athletes and coaches, I am looking forward to it,” said Blanchard. “I would like to build that student-athlete experience at the high school level in terms of the recruitment process so we can help kids move on the next level.”

Although Blanchard is excited to begin the next chapter in his career, he will miss RIC and the friends he made there.

“I came to RIC as a student right out of high school and never left, so RIC is very important to me, I met a lot of great people Here. I was talking to my AD the other day and thanking him for everything that he’s taught me during my time here. But the support staff here goes even beyond him, with the other administrators, coaches, I have learned so much. I am definitely going to miss it, but I am sure that I will be in touch,” said Blanchard.

More than anything, Blanchard is happy to remain in athletics, which have been such an important part of his life.

“Sports is one of the best professions there is. There is always so much excitement around it. As athletic director, you get to see the behind-the-scenes stuff, but there is so much work that is put into it and it is great to see the experience that the students have,” said Blanchard. “There is so much in life that can be taught with athletics. A lot of the lessons I have learned have come through athletics, with teaching dedication, commitment, being a good teammate. That’s what is exciting to me, being able to continue to carry that throughout my career.”

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