When Larry Wood walks through the halls of Cairo Junior-Senior High School, he's among students who have known him since they were in fourth and fifth grade. It's a connection that forms the foundation of his approach as the school's Athletic Director.

"People, when I was their age, poured into us," says Wood, a Cairo native who returned to his hometown after retiring from the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2010. "So you gotta pour back."

Wood oversees a diverse athletic program that includes high school and middle school volleyball, middle school softball, boys and girls basketball at both middle school and high school levels, and boys and girls track. He also supervises the school's cheerleading program, which has become an integral part of the basketball team's success.

This marks Wood's first year back as Athletic Director after a one-year absence. Previously, he had served in the position for six years before leaving to coach basketball at Carbondale Middle School—a position he still holds while simultaneously serving as Cairo's AD.

The dual role created an interesting connection during this year's middle school basketball season. Wood had been familiar with Cairo's championship-winning players for years. "I know them. But my grandson who plays for Carbondale is in the same grade. The Cairo boys and my grandson play AAU ball - sometimes together, sometimes against each other. So when the two schools played each other this year, Woods knew all the players on both teams.

Wood's responsibilities as Athletic Director are extensive. He handles scheduling for all sports, secures referees, arranges transportation, and ensures administrators are present at both home and away games. The job has no set hours, as scheduling conflicts and adjustments can arise at any time.

"Somebody from another school might contact you at 8 or 9 o'clock at night saying, ‘We need to move something around,’" Wood explains. That's why he emphasizes the importance of relationships with other schools and athletic directors.

These relationships are particularly crucial because Cairo is an independent school not affiliated with any athletic conference. "Most schools are not really totally obligated to continue to play us," Wood notes. "Building that relationship where people can trust that you're going to be there helps in keeping a strong competitive schedule."

Wood brings valuable experience to his role, having coached every sport the school offers at some point in his career. His coaching background came partly through his three daughters, who played softball and volleyball.

"I had to kind of learn," he laughs, recalling his early confusion about volleyball rules. "The first pass comes over the net, and my daughters were just standing there. I asked, 'Why y'all let that ball go?' 'Well, Dad, that's not our ball—that's the setter's ball.'"

His athletic legacy continues through his five grandchildren—four boys and one girl. Three of his grandsons play collegiate sports, with twins playing football at Lincoln University in Jefferson City and the oldest playing football at Pittsburgh State.

After graduating from Cairo, Wood left in 1987 when the local hospital closed. While working for the Illinois Department of Transportation, he spent 18 years in Murphysboro coaching softball and basketball, then moved to Bloomington for his IDOT career. Upon retirement, he returned to Cairo, where former coach and AD Ronnie Woods brought him into coaching, eventually leading to his current role.

Wood is exploring new opportunities for Cairo's student-athletes, including possibly adding esports. "It'd be nice because we have a lot of kids that are pretty good at it," he says. "You might run across some kids that don't really play the sports that we currently offer, and that will get them involved."

What drives Wood is his authentic connection with the students. "Kids nowadays know when you’re being sincere with them and when you're not," he says. "When they see that you are, you can build things with them. You can't fool these kids coming up nowadays."

It's this sincerity, combined with his commitment to "pouring back" into his hometown, that makes Wood a crucial nexus in Cairo's athletic accomplishments.