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C oach Sheddrick "Spoon" Risper sits down to a nice meal with his family when suddenly, the phone rings. A team at his school has an out-of-town game — and the bus has broken down. For Risper, the question becomes: Do you stress about it and dodge the issue, or do you attack it head on? As he steps down from his position of athletic director, Risper advises his successor to handle issues decisively, while remembering to have fun and be there for the kids. In July, Coach Candice Roberson succeeded Risper as the athletic director at Westside High School, making her the first female athletic director in the Macon-Bibb school system. "I did not know that I was the first. I was thinking that Deb Baber, my predecessor, was actually the athletic director, but I think she was just helping Coach Spoon in that aspect. So, I guess there's a first for everything," Roberson said. An athletic director is someone who oversees a school's entire athletics program including coaches, equipment and finances. After 13 years of being COACH CANDICE ROBERSON BECOMES FIRST FEMALE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN MACON-BIBB SCHOOLS BY HANNAH ELMORE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT ODOM 'BEING IN THE POSITION, THE TITLE DOESN'T MAKE YOU A LEADER. IT'S HAVING THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOLLOWING YOU. IT'S YOUR VISION AND YOUR MISSION.' — CANDICE ROBERSON Westside's athletic director, Risper decided it was time to step down and focus on his own sport of football. "One of my fondest memories, as an assistant coach here, was making it to the semifinals and almost getting to the championship game in 2002," Risper said. In Risper's 24 years of coaching at Westside, the football team has come close, but they have never won a championship. Being the head football coach in addition to athletic director can be overwhelming, and by stepping down, he hopes to win a championship before retiring as coach. "It's just, it's a lot, and I feel like it's my time. It's just a gut feeling I have, that it's time to step down, and I know it'll be in safe hands with Coach Candice Roberson," Risper said. Risper confided his intentions of stepping down to Roberson three times before it was officially decided, and she accepted the responsibility. Neither Risper nor Roberson believe that being female holds any factor in the decision. "The main thing in my eyes is she's qualified, whether female or male. It's just coincidentally she's a female, and we've never had a female AD, and that is special. But in my book, she's just the right person for the job," Risper said. Ultimately, Roberson's warm and inviting personality fits the mold of athletic director, Risper said. "She's consistent. She's loyal. She's genuine. Whatever you see, that's what PASSING the TORCH 102 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021