Mike Bromley and staff were recently updating their sectional banners when the numbers held a new significance: of the 66 total sectional titles, it was a fairly even split of 34 for males and 32 for females.
That was over the course of Bromley’s 24 years at Batavia City School District.
Prior to 1999, they won 17 sectional titles, and only four of those were for girls' sports.
“I’m proud of that,” he said during an interview Monday with The Batavian, just a few hours before the school board announced his retirement as director of physical education, health and athletics
Not only does he believe that “our job is to teach life skills,” but also to be an equal opportunity sports advocate. And achieving those across the board sectionals titles goes a long way in demonstrating his commitment toward that end
Bromley said his career began when he was just 22, teaching girls' varsity track while “sending out a billion” resumes during a time when there weren’t many physical education jobs to be had.
He remembers after having an interview in Genesee County, the principal in Cattaraugus called him into her office to tell him, “They want you at Elba.”
For the next 11 years, from 1988 to 1999, he was the physical ed teacher there.
Why phys ed and coaching?
"So my role models in high school were my physical education teachers and coaches. They were people that I looked up to and spent a lot of time with, and that were great influences on me," Bromley said. "When I had the ability to do the same thing, that's what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, I wanted to be a coach. You know, I didn't know that I was going to be an administrator at that point. But, you know, they were just my role models in life. They were really good people that took me in and did a lot of extra things with me. And when you see that, and you get that much out of it, it's great to be able to go into a career that you can give back."
In 1999, he was hired by Batavia City Schools as the athletic director. Early on, he established not a Blue Devil but the Blue Devil. There had been different versions, varying looks and feels for the symbols — some not so appealing or at all friendly.
“That was a big thing, we were trying to unify the Blue Devil,” he said.
Another notch in his achievement belt has been building wellness centers, he said, that include strength and conditioning systems that run right on through the summer at Van Detta Stadium, of which he was part of every step of the way. A structure that became a Title IX issue for girls due to its unequal amenities, and old, rundown training facilities, bathrooms, locker rooms, concession stand and well-worn track, the stadium went through a major overhaul that has since become a facility that’s used nearly every day, he said.
“If you remember, you know, even during COVID, we would turn the lights on, and kids were able to go outside, you know, be part of something. There's probably something at the stadium four or five times out of six days a week,” he said. “There's something there every night and on Saturdays. So it should be the jewel of the community. And I truly believe it is. We host a lot of good events.
“And I think with the stadium, the success that our teams have gotten, they bought in. You know, you think about our football team and think about our track and field teams, you have to think about our soccer teams, they have gotten better and better," he said. "So you know, I think it just was, you build it, they will come, and the kids and coaches have bought in. So I think that was a great addition to our community.”
What was a major challenge -- in dealing with kids, discipline, and their behaviors -- during your time at Batavia?
“I’m obviously a kid advocate, but you have to hold people accountable. And sometimes, when you hold people accountable, it's not the most popular thing. That's always a challenge. I thought about this, if you asked me what my biggest challenge is right now, or anybody’s, I’d say social media. I want to say this very politely. It's not used to potentially lift people up a lot of times. And unfortunately, it tears people down," he said. "And people could do that in multiple ways on social media. So that's a challenge for some of our athletes. It's a challenge for our coaches. It was a challenge for myself as an athletic director with some of the stuff that goes on in that. So I think that's going to be something that hopefully society figures out.”
He hasn’t fully considered what he will do once his retirement kicks in, but traveling with his wife Tanni and hitting some “bigtime football games” are on the list, plus perhaps a return to coaching, working as a consultant for the district, and substitute teaching, he said.
“I love working with kids. When you see their success, that’s a high you can’t get anywhere else,” he said.
He'll be walking away from his full-time gig with a lot of pride for the coaching staff of about 80 positions -- all "dedicated, motivated" people teaching those life skills that are important on and off the field, he said.
"You're gonna learn how to be on time, you're gonna learn how to work with others ... so all the life skills that you learn, I believe that we teach in athletic. And I think our coaches do a really good job of that," he said. And, you know, I'm very proud of my kids and their successes, and I think a lot of has to deal with coaches from Batavia, holding them accountable and teaching them how to work hard. How to be a good person. So I'm most proud of that."
Looking back, “You hope you left it better than when you found it, and I hope I did that,” he said.
The school board officially accepted his letter of retirement, which included the following comments:
“I would like to thank the Batavia Board of Education and all of the superintendents that have helped support our Health, Physical Education, and Interscholastic Athletics programs over the past 24 years,” Bromley. “I feel very fortunate to have worked with many talented and dedicated individuals who have supported our programs. We’ve hired many remarkable and devoted teachers, nurses, buildings and grounds staff, and coaches who always go above and beyond for our students and student-athletes. I would like to thank the Batavia community, parents, and students that I have been able to work within our mission to develop outstanding and very competitive programs. Lastly, I would like to recognize my wife and children, who are my biggest supporters, as it was not always easy to be the AD's family. My plan in retirement is to attend many athletic contests in support of our student-athletes. Once a Blue Devil, always a Blue Devil."
Board member John Reigle congratulated Bromley during the board meeting, acknowledging that he’s “done a lot for this district” and has put in long hours, especially when traveling for away games. Superintendent Jason Smith called the retirement of Bromley and colleague Scott Rozanski “bittersweet” in a press release sent out Monday evening.
“They have both been tremendous colleagues who have grown into good friends. They were supportive of me from day one, and I’m confident I can say the same for the other superintendents they’ve worked with during their many years in our district,” Smith said. “I wish them both the best for the future, and I truly hope they enjoy retirement—they’ve certainly earned it. On behalf of the faculty, staff, students, and Batavia community, I thank them both for their service and commitment to BCSD.”
The board approved acting director Timm Slade to take over for Bromley when he leaves on Aug. 14 for knee surgery. Slade will be paid $500 per day. Bromley will then help with “transition assistance” for the yet-to-be-hired new athletic director from Oct. 2 to Dec. 31, 2023, at a rate of $62.50 per hour, up to 150 hours.
The BCSD administration team is currently in the process of hiring a new athletic director.
