As the new Athletic Specialist at RM, many who do not know Mr Daniel Whitlow view him as just that. Though, as staff and students continue to become acquainted with Mr Whitlow, it is clear that his passion and drive for this position is unlike any other. Whitlow was an athlete from the start, playing football, basketball and tennis in his youth, while simultaneously working as a tutor for kids in an afterschool program. He strives to make a similar mark on the RM community, while visiting  sports practices and games, whether in attendance to support the team, announce or assist coaches and athletes.

Whitlow knew from the start he wanted to work in a school system but his path to Athletic specialist took some time. “Initially when I went to college, I wanted to be an English teacher because that was my favorite subject in high school . But along the way, I started to get more and more involved in athletics,” Whitlow said. His passion for sports was unmatched and he ended up becoming a team manager for basketball, a sports information director intern, announcer and athletic department media point of contact at his university. “Working with coaches and athletes has been in my blood for a long time and seeing them become the best versions of themselves is what I aspire to do,” Whitlow said. 

After college, Mr. Whitlow became the assistant athletic director, PE teacher, Varsity girls basketball head coach and Varsity girls tennis head coach at Gaithersburg High School. At Gaithersburg, he learned the ropes to becoming a  director, teacher and coach, and gained experience in operating at a high level under stress, with several tasks to complete at once.

When Whitlow heard about the open position for Athletic Specialist at RM, he was quick to interview for it. “Great facilities, great location, great students, supportive administration,  supportive coaches, why would I not want to be here?” Whitlow said. Continuing the traditions of great athletics at the school, Mr. Whitlow feels a couple small implemented changes will improve the overall efficiency and balance of the program. “I want all coaches and athletes to have equal access to things they need to be successful,” Whitlow said. 

“If there was one thing I would say I really really want to change is our stadium scoreboard, gonna upgrade that bad boy as soon as possible,” Whitlow said. Yet, improving our scoreboard is just one action out of many he plans to  take in order to  revamp and upgrade RM athletics.