Since his days as a self-described big fish in a small pond as an all-state wide receiver for the football team at tiny Narragansett High School in Rhode Island, Vin Varrecchione hasn't been able to get enough exposure to athletics.

"As my wife always says, athletics is my wheelhouse," Varrecchione said.

And so the 57-year-old Varrecchione, currently the assistant principal at Cranston (R.I.) High School West, comes back to athletics for what he calls the "back nine of my career," hired as the next Fitch High School athletic director.

Varrecchione replaces former Fitch athletic director Marc Romano, who took over the reins as Montville High School AD earlier this year.

"I miss athletics. I wanted to get back into athletics," Varrecchione said in a telephone interview this week. "At this point, I want to do what I want to do. I want to do athletics. I talked to a few people I know from the area. My wife is from Connecticut, both my kids are out of college.

"A lot of people had a lot of really good things to say about (Fitch) ... it seemed like a really good fit. I like that it's a diverse community. I like the size of the school, the strong athletic tradition. What sold me in the end were just the people, the people I met. I think I'm going to enjoy working there. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to meet the coaches or the kids."

Prior to becoming assistant principal at Cranston West, Varrecchione served as director of physical education, health and athletics for Cranston Public Schools, supervising the athletic programs at Cranston East and Cranston West High Schools — both of which have student populations of more than 1,500 — as well as all the middle schools in town.

"I had a lot on my plate. It was challenging, but fun," he said.

He has also previously been athletic director in East Greenwich, R.I., and has served in education at both the elementary school and middle school levels. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he coached girls' basketball at Cranston East for nine years. He and his wife Heidi, a speech and language pathologist in Jamestown, R.I., live in nearby North Kingstown.

Varrecchione takes over in the midst of a challenging time for high school athletics.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Association canceled the winter season in the midst of the state tournament, following the games on Monday, March 9, and there have been no high school sporting events since due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring season was canceled in its entirety.

It is unknown whether fall sports will take place, but high school teams are currently permitted to condition outdoors three times per week in groups of fewer than 10 to allow "resocialization" and several teams have taken advantage.

"I watched what our school went through last spring. We had a playoff basketball game on March 12 and we shut the school on March 13," Varrecchione said.

"... I've had a couple conversations with Marc Romano and I'm meeting with him later in the week. I'm living in Rhode Island, about a 40-minute ride, which is not absurd, but I also realize I want to be visible and be in the (Fitch) community. I'm hoping to promote the athletic program and build off everything Marc has done.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

v.fulkerson@theday.com