Austin ISD Athletics
The mission of the Austin ISD Athletic Program is to create an environment that fosters respect, leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship and a commitment to excellence. Competitive athletics instill in our student-athletes the lifelong values of accountability, integrity, structure and discipline. Our vision is to reinvent the urban school experience by providing opportunities for teaching, learning and growing in all student-athletes.
We believe that athletics is an integral piece of a student’s educational journey and that academics and athletics work together to develop the whole child. The field, the court and the swimming pool are the classrooms for the student-athlete.
Through athletics, our coaches help our student-athletes develop socially and emotionally, building the skills of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and responsible decision-making, all while building relationships with their teammates, opponents and community members.
The AISD Athletic program consists of 13 high schools and 19 middle schools that compete in 22 University Interscholastic League athletic activities. AISD hosts more than 1,700 events each year at our six major central athletics facilities—Toney Burger Activity Center and Stadium, House Park Field, Nelson Field, Noack Fields and the Delco Activity Center, and Yellow Jacket Stadium. Nearly 500 coaches serve, teach and mentor our 15,000 student athletes every day.
AISD Athletic Director Leal Anderson
Leal J. Anderson is a graduate of The University of Oklahoma, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. In addition, he received his master’s degree in Sports Management from The University of Texas at Austin.
Coach Anderson previously taught business and coached at Anderson High School for 10 seasons. During the 2012–13 season, he coached Anderson's Men’s Varsity Basketball Team to the Regional Finals (Elite Eight) which set the school record for number of wins as a 5A Program, the largest division at the time. Anderson was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 5A Outstanding Coach for the 2012-13 season.
In the Spring of 2014, Leal Anderson was named the Athletic Director for Austin ISD. In 2015, the Texas High School Athletic Director’s Association named Anderson the Regional Athletic Administrator of the Year. In 2016, Anderson was named the District Executive Committee Chair for 6A sports in the Austin area. In 2017, Anderson helped AISD promote and pass an over $1Billion bond to improve Campus and Central Athletic Facilities. In 2018, he was named to the University Interscholastic Leagues Waiver Review Board. In 2019, he helped pass a Districtwide Facility Master Plan which included project upgrades at High Schools, Middle Schools, and Central Facilities. In 2020, he helped launch a new school in AISD with all new athletic programs as well as helped navigate all high schools and middle schools through a worldwide pandemic. During Anderson’s time as Athletic Director, two schools have set the school record for number of wins in Football. In various other sports, four schools in Austin ISD have won State Championships.
Contact Us
- Leal J. Anderson , Athletic Director, 512-414-1050
- Lynn Pool, Assistant Athletic Director , 512-414-1044
- Odis Jones, Assistant Athletic Director , 512-414-1048
- Denise Vanlandingham , Athletic Trainer/Purchasing Coordinator , 512-414-1042
- Wade Johnston, Area Coordinator /Middle School Coordinator , 512-841-8331
- Demosesneeds "Demo" Odems, Facilities Coordinator, Delco Center, 512-841-8323
- Shalanda Byers , Special Olympics Coordinator , 512-841-8336
- Lesley Carter , Accounting, Tickets and Game Help , 512-414-1046
- Aaron Garcia, Security/Officials , 512-414-1045
- Kevin Hendrickson, Area Athletic Coordinator/ Facility Coordinator House Park, 512-414-0019
- Pat Blair, Athletic Events Scheduler, 512-414-7551