Kenny Barreras Takes the Lead
To many in the Albuquerque Academy community, the new athletic director is best known for his years of leadership with Think Summer. What few realize is that Kenny Barreras brings 35 years of public education experience to his new post — including 18 years as district athletic director for Albuquerque Public Schools, where he oversaw sports programs across 29 middle and high schools.
Reflecting on his career prior to joining the Academy, Kenny says, “I was born into it. It’s what I know.” After retiring from APS in 2022, he connected with Think Summer for what he expected to be a post-retirement role. But when circumstances opened the door to leading the athletic department, his deep background in New Mexico athletics made him a natural fit.
Supported by Assistant Directors Jordan Leake (high school) and Meghan Miller (middle school), Kenny oversees responsibilities spanning both middle and high school programs, including athletic training, budget management, and serving as a liaison to communications, human resources, and the business office. A central priority is supporting student-athlete performance. “Performance is all-encompassing,” Kenny explains. “It’s wellness, safety, strength and conditioning, training, nutrition, recovery, rest. How can we pull something together and develop our coaches and staff so we can continually improve our kids’ performance?”
Another key objective is strengthening connections between middle and high school sports. “We’re going to provide maximum opportunity for middle school kids… and we’re going to work very hard not to turn any of those 6th or 7th graders away,” Kenny says, emphasizing that athletic skills should develop systematically alongside academics.
Looking ahead, Kenny recognizes that navigating the changing landscape of sports requires long-term thinking. “Athletics is evolving — you’re trying to keep up with evolution while sustaining what you’ve already got,” he observes, focusing on decisions that keep programs strong for future generations.
Above all, his daily motivation centers on campus energy. When asked what excites him most about the role, Kenny’s answer was immediate: “Kids — the excitement of kids, the enthusiasm of kids, the energy of kids, all of it.”
