In his 11th year as athletic director in the Springdale Public School District, Wayne Stehlik has overseen significant growth in athletic participation throughout the district.
Directing one of, if not the largest athletic departments in Arkansas, Stehlik has spearheaded the addition of seventh grade athletics, the construction of Wildcat Stadium and renovation of Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium, and the addition of baseball and softball fields on the Har-Ber and Springdale High School campuses.
During his tenure Har-Ber has added a track, tennis courts, locker rooms for male and female athletes and an indoor workout area. Springdale High has built a track and renovated its tennis facility.
Stehlik has an extensive athletic background, including serving 17 years on Nolan Richardson’s basketball staff at the University of Arkansas. He also served as an assistant coach when Richardson was head coach of the Tulsa Shock of the WNBA.
A native of Pleasant Dale, Nebraska where he was raised on a third-generation farm, Stehlik graduated from Crete High School. He earned his undergraduate degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. After completing his academic work, he became an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater.
Stehlik shifted his academic pursuits to a master’s degree at the University of Kansas, where he worked for legendary basketball coach Ted Owens. He then became head basketball and head golf coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas.
Richardson then lured him to Arkansas where he served on a staff that took three Razorback teams to the Final Four and earned a national championship in 1994. When Richardson departed the UA, Stehlik moved to the women’s athletic department where he served as director of development during the UA’s campaign for the 21st century. He also founded the Play 2 Win consulting company whose mission is to connect people and passion.
Stehlik joined the Springdale District in July, 2011. In addition to his athletic director duties, Stehlik is a member of the Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association Executive Committee.
Stehlik’s wife, Tracey, is an associate athletic director of compliance in the University of Arkansas athletic department. They have two daughters, Mollie, an assistant event manager for the Razorback athletic department, and Maggie, the social media producer for KNWA/Fox 24 television in Fayetteville.
wstehlik@sdale.org
After spending 10 years as a teacher and then 5 years as an assistant principal at George Junior High School, Betsy Barker was named Assistant Athletic Director for the Springdale School District in July 2019. Mrs. Barker was named the 2019 Arkansas Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. She had previous coaching and teaching experience in Arkansas at Pea Ridge School District and Lakeside School District (Lake Village). She received her undergraduate degree at Louisiana Tech University and her graduate degree at San Jose State University. While at San Jose State, Mrs. Barker served as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team for one year and assisted with various events for the athletic department. Coach Barker also received her Educational Leadership Degree from Harding University. Betsy has been married to her husband Greg for 15 years and they have a wonderful dog named Bailey.
ebarker@sdale.org
jcate@sdale.org
kwhaley@sdale.org