Southampton athletics director earns Judith Ann Knight Positive Change Award

Southampton School District’s Director of Athletics Darren Phillips has been awarded the New York State Athletic Administrators Association’s Judith Ann Knight Positive Change Award. He will be formally presented with the award at a ceremony on March 19.

The award is bestowed to one athletic director each year who has demonstrated strong leadership skills, the ability to mentor and a passion to enhance positive change.
“I am truly honored to receive this award, as Judith Knight was an amazing administrator who received many awards during her career,” said Phillips. “Knowing that this award is only given to one athletic director in New York State makes this very special. It is always great to be recognized for what I have been able to accomplish in my 25 years at Southampton.”
The Judith Knight award is just one of several awards that Phillips has earned during his career. Most recently, he was honored with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Outstanding Community Cooperative-Community Education Award for demonstrating CCE’s mission by volunteering and participating in programs that benefit youth and adults along with the district’s Director of Food Services Regan Kiembock. He earned the Suffolk Zone award for Director of the Year and has been recognized as the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Director of the Year. In 2025, he was named president of NYS AHPERD’s Council of Administrators, and he has served as Suffolk Zone president for the Council of Administrators and co-chair of the Southampton School District Wellness Committee. He has also spoken at the NYS AHPERD conference multiple times.
Phillips has worked in the Southampton School District for the past 25 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s from the University of Richmond.
The Southampton School District congratulates him on earning the Judith Ann Knight Positive Change Award.