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| District Athletic Director Don Dalziel with Vicki Klein |
By Frank Workman
There are those people who crave the spotlight, live for it, are even willing to loudly hog it and demand attention, whether they deserve it or not.
Then there are the quiet ones who want nothing to do with being the center of attention, even when the length and the quality of their work calls for it.
Look up the term ‘unsung hero’ in the dictionary (the Shoreline School District version) and you’ll see a picture of Vicki Klein.
Vicki is retiring on October 2, 2026.
For over thirty years she has worked for the District, first in the main office at Parkwood Elementary, and, for the last 19 years, in the District’s Athletic Department as ‘Technician’.
That word ‘technician’ does some seriously heavy lifting.
In addition to handling the administrative details of the District’s Athletic Department during the day, the duties have also included extra work, serving as Events Manager for Shorecrest and Shorewood athletic events at Shoreline Stadium.
In the course of a typical school year, this involves about 30 girls soccer games and 10 football games in the fall. In the spring, there are another 30 boys soccer games and 10 track meets, including the massive production of the Shoreline Invitational Track Meet, held annually on a Saturday in late April/early May, which features close to a thousand athletes from nearly 80+ schools.
Over 19 years, she has witnessed upward of 1,500 games and track meets, and thousands of athletes. Since most games are played in the evening, that’s a lot of nights having dinner at work, usually while standing up and eating with her hands.
District Athletic Director Don Dalziel sings her praises. “Vicki has gone above and beyond in service to the District, and has been an invaluable member of the athletic department. She has been a team player and a true professional.”
Shorecrest Athletic Director and Baseball Coach Alan Bruns cites “her ability to know the many personality types that make up our collection of coaches and she is able to communicate with all of us effectively.”
Vicki says “It’s hard to leave something that you love doing, and working with Don has been amazing. But it’s time to let someone younger take the reins.”
Yet for all the admirable qualities she has brought to her position, what stands out most is the patience, kindness, and grace she carries with her on a daily basis.
She’s quick to laugh out loud and has the brightest smile, plus she has that rare ability to make each person she encounters feel like they’ve been seen, heard, understood, and cared for.
If you’ve attended sporting events at Shoreline Stadium in the last 19 years, chances are they came off without a hitch, and yet you neither saw or noticed Vicki.
That’s how unsung heroes are.
You don’t even notice them.
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