Alan Parish
Alan Parish has been an educator since 2003 at schools in three different countries: Zambia, Germany, and the United States. Alan is currently Dean of Students for Sora Schools and is especially passionate about the intersection of athletics with the arts and academics. Alan is committed to youth sports due to his belief and passion that athletics are for all; his drive is found in helping children experience a caring, supportive, and fun athletic environment.
After playing four high school sports (cross country, swimming, track & field, and basketball), he went on to run NCAA Division 1 cross country and track & field for Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Alan began his coaching career as a volunteer head basketball coach and assistant swim coach at the American International School of Lusaka, Zambia. After coaching in Africa for two years, Alan began working at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. For nearly a decade Alan was a teacher, dorm staff, and varsity head coach for swimming, track & field, and cross country. Under his leadership, the Darlington girls’ cross country team won the 2010 Georgia State Championship. In 2014 Alan moved to Germany where he served as athletic director for Black Forest Academy. Alan led the Black Forest boys’ cross country team to the 2017 European Championship, and the girls’ track & field team to three straight European Championships from 2015-2017. Alan returned to the United States in 2018 and has been living in Detroit ever since. Before his time at Sora he served as Director of Athletics at University Liggett School for four years.