New athletic director Ferry to lead SWR wildcat pack

There’s a new athletics director on the block this year at Shoreham-Wading River Central School District. Deb Ferry leads the Wildcats starting Aug. 13. 

Ms. Ferry was appointed Shoreham-Wading River’s new director of health, physical education and athletics and plans to have a “boots on the ground approach” in the schools. She will replace former athletics director Eric Bramoff, who joined the district in July 2024. 

Ms. Ferry spent the last nine years as athletics director at Half Hollow Hills Central School District. There, she led athletic programs across four schools with more than 125 teams. She developed and mentored over 190 coaches while introducing new programs including unified sports, boys and girls bowling, and flag football. Her creation of a mandatory “Code of Conduct Night” promoted responsibility and community partnerships.

In her new role, student interest would dictate the development of new athletic programs. “When you talk about creating new opportunities for kids, you want to ensure that you’re providing as much opportunity with the knowledge that you don’t want to reduce participation in other athletics events,” she said. 

“For instance, if there is an opportunity to bring on flag football, we have to really look at the data of how many students want to participate, [and] how many are currently, especially on the girls’ side, participating in spring sports,” Ms. Ferry continued.

A survey to compile student interest in different new sports would help Ms. Ferry and district leadership decide whether to introduce new programs in the future. 

Before Half Hollow Hills, Ms. Ferry worked as director of health, physical education, nursing and athletics in the Port Jefferson School District from 2007 to 2016. She created a high school wellness physical education course in the district that incorporated modern fitness trends, and successfully built a lacrosse program from the community level to middle school and junior varsity teams.

“I feel like every program that you are part of in a school district that you’re creating is specific for that school district … the kids, instructional leaders and teachers,” Ms. Ferry said. Deciphering how best to utilize staff strengths is something she plans to continue at Shoreham-Wading River. 

Her coaching background includes head girls varsity field hockey coach from 2002 to 2007 and head junior varsity girls lacrosse coach from 1999 to 2006 at Northport High School. She also held collegiate coaching positions at SUNY Cortland and roles with the Long Island Region of the Empire State Games and the United States Field Hockey Association.

“Success is not about wins and losses,” Ms. Ferry said. What she finds most important is that students are in a healthy, safe environment where they can learn to be competitive and how to lose with dignity when the occasions arise. 

The athletic field and physical education courses are places where students develop their social skills and learn things about themselves, Ms. Ferry said. 

“Part of my biggest responsibility is to ensure that … we’re hiring good coaches, great coaches, who are creating those values in their own program,” she said. “And it’s up to me to provide them the resources they need to move forward with those values.”

Ms. Ferry also currently serves as second vice president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), an eight-year term that will run through 2032. She previously held the position of Section XI female representative to NYSPHSAA from 2015 to 2023 and served as president of Section XI, where she helped shape state athletic policy. 

She earned a master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Touro College in 2006 and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education K-12 from SUNY Cortland in 1993 and 1995, respectively. She holds school district administrator and school administrator/supervisor certifications, in addition to an athletic administrator certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, which she received in 2010.

“We are pleased to welcome Ms. Ferry to the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District,” superintendent of schools Gerard Poole said in a press release. “With her combination of administrative expertise, teaching background and hands-on athletic experience, she is positioned to enhance our district’s integrated approach to student health, physical education and athletics.”

Shoreham-Wading River’s involved school community is something Ms. Ferry is eager to become acquainted with in her new role. 

“I have no desire to go outside of my world of phys ed, health and athletics,” she said. “I think that it’s a good fit for me. It’s my passion and it’s my love. And I love to be able to provide kids the opportunity to do something that they love and it’s very rewarding to be part of that.”