Sommer takes reins at Estero

Estero High’s latest athletic director isn’t the type to stay still. He is a tornado of activity, a Mountain Dew-guzzling workaholic who doesn’t have time for a favorite TV show.

Wherever Jeff Sommer has gone, though, his path has always led him back. He has been a staple for the Wildcats since the school opened, running from place to place — literally, in some cases — but never running away.

So maybe this is his reward. As the replacement for former athletic director Carmine Petrizzo, Sommer will be the most influential presence in Estero’s athletic department.

And, to be sure, the busiest.

“I haven’t even had lunch today,” Sommer said Wednesday, his second day on the job. “I just ran right through it.”

Not that he was complaining. Those who know Sommer, the longtime cross country coach, know he likes to run. He does it with his team each morning at 5:30 a.m.

He does it everywhere.

Aside from raising three kids — including twin 10-year-olds — Sommer stays busy managing the 3D Running Club, a year-round outfit composed of children and adults. He also coaches the boys track team at Estero. Not so bad for a guy who had a heart attack six years ago and was told to slow down.

He didn’t.

Sommer’s favorite hobby, no doubt, is working, which might make him perfect for his next assignment. He has gotten a taste of the demands already, spending much of this week with a full plate: faxing out schedule contracts, visiting with coaches, and ordering new uniforms.

“The position has taken on a whole new life in the last five years,” said Estero principal George Clover. “We expect the athletic director to cover most evening events and to be here most parts of the day as well. It can become a 10- or 12-hour day real quick.”

Sommer craves the opportunity. He knows he will have to make sacrifices in his personal life — perhaps he’ll sleep a little less — but he would like to think he’s the right man for the job.

And Estero could use the stability. The school has had four athletic directors in the last four years, a far cry from the Ted Ferreira era. Ferreira lasted 13 years before retiring in 2001.

Petrizzo was the latest to go, but his dismissal had nothing to do with performance. Estero has struggled to maintain its faculty in recent years, in part because of dwindling enrollment.

Petrizzo, the offensive coordinator for the football team, got caught in a numbers crunch. He learned of his status more than a week before the spring game.

“I really think I’m going to like this,” said Sommer, who became the cross country coach in 1988, the year Estero opened. “I can see myself in this position for a long time. I’ve got a lot to learn, but it won’t be for a lack of effort.”

Or, he hopes, a lack of sleep.