BIDDEFORD — Biddeford athletic director Dennis Walton was recently given the Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) special achievement award.

The award, selected among fellow athletic administrators, is presented to one athletic director in each conference in the state for achievements in the field at the local and state level.

“I was a little bit surprised, to be honest with you,” Walton said. “But I’m certainly appreciative of the fact that the athletic directors in the SMAA would think enough of what I do to nominate me for that. Certainly, it’s a very strong league with a lot of good athletic administrators. I think there’s a lot of people in that room who are worthy of it.”

Walton certainly has the respect and admiration of Thornton Academy athletic director Gary Stevens.

“That’s always been the spirit here at Thornton Academy and at Biddeford, the athletic administrators have worked very collaboratively for the good of the schools and for the good of the rivalry,” Stevens said. “I think the world of Dennis.”

Walton has been a busy person as of late. He will have an article published in the national journal of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

The article, titled “Battling the decline of the three-sport athlete,” discusses the work Walton and members of the Biddeford athletic department have put forth in the creation of the “Iron Tiger” award, given to Biddeford athletes who play three sports per school year.

Walton created the award two years ago, giving an incentive to Biddeford students to stay active.

“The first year we did it, we had 91 [participants],” Walton said. “The second year, we had 108. So I said, ”˜Jeez, this might actually work’ ”¦ It really kind of took off, it was a fun thing. I was talking to Gary Stevens one day, and he said that would be a fantastic story to get out to other athletic directors.”

Walton is in his fifth year as the athletic director at Biddeford. A Biddeford resident all his life, Walton took over for Don Wilson, who was athletic director during Walton’s time at Biddeford High School in the 1980s, and to this day is still excited about his position of overseeing the athletics of his alma mater.

“It was fantastic,” Walton said. “To be coming in on the heels of Don Wilson, who was the athletic director when I was in school and who I looked up to, being the athletic director of Biddeford, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

While he’s only been an athletic administrator for a short time, Stevens said Walton has made an impact in the profession.

“Dennis is an athletic administrator who is still in the early stages of his career, but is making his mark in the [SMAA] and the state as a whole,” Stevens said.

While Walton doesn’t recall a particularly favorite moment out of his time as the head of Biddeford athletics, he said he always enjoys the true ins and outs of the job.

“What’s really nice about this job, is I’m involved in athletics on a daily basis,” Walton said. “This is just certainly a passion of mine, and not many people can say they have a career in athletics, unless you get beyond the high school level. I think the best thing is to see the finished product. Watching kids participating and competing in the various programs that we have, knowing behind the scenes all the things that go into it. Not just from my perspective, but from the coaches, the league and the state, and then just go and watch [the games]. Everyone’s effort, the work that you see go in on the court, on the ice or on the field, I think it’s a very rewarding career.”

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318.