For nearly three decades, Steve Farbstein has been a quiet presence at Terra Linda High School, helping shape the entire athletic experience for generations of students. Now 60 years old, Farbstein has spent 27 years as the school’s athletic director, overseeing everything from scheduling games, maintaining facilities, and supporting nervous freshmen.
Initially, Farbstein wasn’t planning on becoming an athletic director. However, when the previous one retired in 1999, the school was left without a replacement. Seeing an opportunity to help, Farbstein approached the principal with an offer to step in. The role started simple, but over the years, Farbstein has grown to handle its increased complexities and responsibilities.
Farbstein’s workday doesn’t follow the typical school bell schedule. “On non-busy days, which aren’t that common, I’m here until about five or a little after,” he explained. More often, for sports reasons, he remains at school until six in the evening, sometimes even later. It’s not the typical nine-to-five job. During football season, he works six days a week with night games and Saturday events. Volleyball, which can have up to 5 sets at times, extends even later. “I had a game this year where I didn’t get home until after 10 o’clock,” Farbstein said. Winter basketball also involves late nights. Dark hours or not, he isn’t complaining; the long hours grant him the ability to attend most of the school’s athletic events.
Administering the athletic programs at Terra Linda is a substantial job. Farbstein supervises more than 20 teams, supporting dozens of coaches. He also manages the athletic trainer and reports to the TL’s administrative team. His days are filled with observing practices, attending games, coordinating meetings, responding to emails, and handling paperwork. He tries not to bring work home, but occasionally finds himself checking his email preparing for the next day.
Beyond Terra Linda, Farbstein manages the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) programs in Marin County. During much of the year, especially as one season transitions into another, this secondary role keeps him quite busy. He noted, “We just finished volleyball and are about to roll into basketball, which is almost a seven-day-a-week endeavor.”
Regardless of the demands of the job, Farbstein truly enjoys his work. All his life, athletics have been his passion. However, what matters most for him is watching the growth of his athletes through their high school careers. “Watching teams grow from the beginning of a season to the end, seeing athletes come in as shy freshmen and leave as mature seniors ready for college, that’s the best part,” he said.
Farbstein oversees the entire athletic department at Terra Linda, from coaching staff and teams to event supervision and facilities management. Scheduling those facilities can be challenging when multiple teams wish to use the same space. He is involved in budgeting and collaborates with the school’s budget to allocate raised funds. Although the district sets the overall budget, Farbstein contributes to initial planning, and helps shape the athletic department’s financial strategy.
When asked about his plans in ten years, Farbstein laughed and said, “Retired.” Though he is unsure of his plans after TL, he remains proud of what he has accomplished, and the difference he has been able to make at Terra Linda.
