By BEN MCCARTY
News staff writer
 

Oscar Stenberg sits alone in a conference room at Horizon Christian School.

Even though he is the only one in the room, the Horizon athletic director has managed to occupy nearly the entire sizeable table with papers to be graded, Oregon School Activities Association paperwork, final details for the basketball state playoff game the school will be hosting today and a sack lunch.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My wife tells me that if they give me a desk large enough, I’ll find a way to fill it,” he says.

It’s understandable that a man who has filled so many roles for so many years at the small private school might need a little bit of space to finish all of his work.

Stenberg founded the school in 1977 when he and his wife, Helen, were recalled from the Philippines by James Gentry, who was then the pastor at First Baptist Church.

Stenberg was 26, and had only been teaching for three years.

What followed was a crash course in running a school and then both Stenbergs and one other teacher were off and running with an opening class of about 35 students.

From the start it was decided that athletics would be a key component of the school’s mission. In the first year Stenberg took student Dean Cox to the national track championships in Indiana. To get there, they drove the whole way — 66 hours one way — by bus.

That kind of bootstrapping has become a hallmark of Horizon athletic teams over the years. At various times the school has fielded teams for track, volleyball, baseball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls golf and boys and girls basketball.

When the school doesn’t have the numbers to compete in one sport, it tries another.

The basketball program started for a few years, then stopped because of lack of numbers. When it started again, the boys team suffered through years of losing records and blowout losses before qualifying for the state playoffs the last two years.

Through thick and thin, Stenberg has never doubted the decision to field teams that are sometimes outnumbered three to one by their opponents.

“The kids are playing with a bigger purpose in mind,” he said. “They want to honor God.”

All nine of the Stenberg children have gone through Horizon Christian, the majority of which attended the school when it held classes at various area churches. The final two, Philip, a junior, and Andrew, a freshman, will graduate from the new campus that the school opened last year.

The name Stenberg seems to be permanently attached to Horizon athletics.

At one point the school’s now-defunct baseball team fielded three Stenberg children in the outfield, and Philip and Andrew both play on the soccer and basketball teams.

Once Andrew graduates, it will be the last time rival coaches see a Stenberg on the field, court or pitch competing against them.

“One coach asked me about Andrew ‘Is he the last one?’” Stenberg said. “I told him yes, and he said, ‘Finally!’”

Oscar grew up in Hood River, moved away at age 11, then returned to teach at an area public school after college. Other than his year-long stint in the Philippines, he has been here ever since.

“The community of Hood River has been such a wonderful place to raise a family,” he said.

Over the years he credits the outpouring of support from the community for helping keep the athletic programs going.

All of the varsity coaches volunteer, local businesses donate equipment, and the two area golf courses allow the schools golf teams to practice for free.

“It’s just amazing,” Stenberg said. “It’s a blessing to be a part of this community.”

Even 30 years after starting the school, to say that Stenberg is still heavily involved would be an understatement. In addition to working as the athletic director, he also teaches and helps out with other administrative duties, such as monitoring the cafeteria during lunch.

It’s all enough to keep him a busy man, and he’s not planning on slowing down or calling it quits yet. He’ll leave that decision up to his boss.

“I just leave that up to God,” he said. “As long as he wants me to be involved, I will be.”