Ponaganset High School Athletic Hall of Fame
Induction Class of 2012
Allen Huestis
Athletic Director & Soccer Coach 1981-2003
An active member of the Rhode Island Interscholastic Administrators Association since 1981 and integral part of the Ponaganset School District in so many ways throughout his career, Allen C. Huestis CAA began his teaching career at Ponaganset Middle School in 1966.
Huestis moved up to the high school level in the mid-1980s and after becoming Ponaganset's athletic director at the onset of the decade. He would remain at PHS until retiring from a 31-year teaching career in 1997, but that didn't stop him from staying on board as the AD, continuing his distinguished career in athletics and education until 2003.
During his tenure as athletic director, Huestis added six varsity and three junior varsity sports to the Ponaganset roster, while the Chieftains enjoyed great athletic successes throughout the era, winning 77 division and class championships, an impressive 29 state titles and numerous state sportsmanship awards. Ponaganset teams produced 73 first team all-state selections under Huestis, who also served as a girls' and boys' soccer coach and volunteered with the boys' basketball program during his tenure.
Huestis has held numerous leadership positions with the Rhode Island Interscholastic Administrators Association throughout the years, including President, Vice President, National Liaison, Awards Chairperson, Banquet Chairperson, Recording and Corresponding Secretary and Representative to the RIIL Principals' Committee on Athletics. A member of the RIIAAA Executive Board for the past 28 years, he has twice received the State Award of Merit, has once been selected as the Athletic Director of the Year and was inducted into the RIIAAA Hall of Fame just last year.
At the national level, Huestis has served the State of Rhode Island in an outstanding way. An active member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for 28 years, he earned his Ceitified Athletic Administrator designation in 1997. He has been presented with both a National Citation and a Distinguished Service Award, being the only Rhode Islander to ever receive this honor.
Huestis has served on the NIAAA Board of Directors, has been the Vice Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Vice Chair and two-time Chairperson of the Membership Services Committee, and Vice Chair and Chair of the Mildred Hurt Jennings Endowment Committee. He has been on two Blue Ribbon panels, served as a workshop moderator four times, presented at the first-time committee member workshop for five years and has been a member of the State Door Prize Committee for 15 years. He has surely made Rhode Island proud on a national level.
Huestis has continuously shown outstanding leadership, service and unselfish devotion to Ponaganset, Rhode Island and national interscholastic athletics. He and his wife Rosemary have lived in Glocester for 43 years and have a daughter Kara, a special education teacher and a granddaughter Lily.