Above: Rob Wigod, the new CIF-SS Commissioner.

As part of the CIF-Southern Section’s continuing hope to communicate effectively with the public through media outlets, the CIF-Southern Section will hold a Q&A session with Rob Wigod, the new Commissioner of Athletics.

The session will take place Aug. 25 at the Southern Section office in Los Alamitos. All topics are on the table, unless otherwise precluded from doing so (i.e. pending legal issues).

If you have specific questions you would like me to ask, please leave a comment or email me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com.

Wigod, who officially took over the position today, succeeds the much-respected Jim Staunton.

For the last decade, Wigod served as assistant commissioner and he’s now the point-man who will oversees 581 member schools with approximately 800,000 student-athletes.

In an interview with our Doug Krikorian, Wigod explained what he thinks might be the most daunting challenge:

“Trying to keep the focus on what high school athletics is all about – and what they’re all about is for student-athletes to gain life lessons through athletic competition,” he said. “There’s a peripheral segment that hangs around and cares only about star athletes getting pro contracts, or college scholarships.

“Obviously, we’re proud of our student-athletes who get scholarships, or who are good enough to sign pro contracts. But only a small number of them wind up with full rides to colleges, or play professional athletics.”

I seldom interacted with Wigod during my four years at the Orange County Register (working a lot more closely with the now-retired Paul Castillo since he was the assistant commissioner in charge of the sports I covered at the Register). But over the last four years since my arrival here at the Star-News I’ve worked closely with Wigod, and he’s proven to be a man of integrity. I look forward to working with Wigod and his staff.