Dr. Kelly (O’Neil) Childs, Oak Knoll’s Athletic Director, was inducted into White Plains High School’s prestigious Athletic Hall of Fame during an evening ceremony on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. The Hall of Fame was initiated in 2015, and other inductees over the years include professional athletes and Olympic Gold and Silver Medalists.

“White Plains is a special community, and White Plains High School, in particular, played
an instrumental role in my development as a student-athlete and leader. In these hallways, I found my love of leadership and service,” Childs noted in her remarks at the induction ceremony.

As a standout 2004 high school graduate, Dr. Childs made her mark in basketball and softball. She led as a four-year starter in varsity basketball and softball and served as captain of both teams for two years. Her legacy includes All-League and All-Section honors for multiple years in both sports.

Playing first base, she led the varsity team for three seasons in home runs, runs batted in, and extra-base hits. She holds the White Plains Tigers record for single season and career home runs and ended her junior season with zero errors.

As an NCAA Division 1 athlete in college, she was a four-year starter at first base for The College of the Holy Cross, where she also served two seasons as captain. She was selected to the First Team in the All-Patriot League in 2008 with a near-perfect fielding percentage in 41 games. She led the Crusaders in hits, doubles, home runs, runs, and runs batted in. 

Before becoming Oak Knoll’s athletic director in 2016, Childs was Assistant Commissioner for the Big East Conference. She also worked as an assistant athletic director and associate director at Seton Hall University.

She earned a bachelor’s in English from the College of the Holy Cross, a Master’s in Business Administration from Iona College, and a doctorate in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University.

Dr. Childs’ contributions to the school culture at Oak Knoll far exceed the playing field. She established the Junior Royals Program, an innovative youth sports program for boys and girls in grades three to six that focuses on enjoying physical activity and skill development rather than a strictly playing-to-win mentality.

She has also prioritized infusing Oak Knoll’s commitment to service in every athlete during every season, including events that focus on breast cancer awareness, collaborative service outreach with Bridges Outreach, sponsoring an injured athlete for a season through the Casey Powell Foundation, and establishing the annual Women in Sports Leadership Panel, now in its sixth year. Dr. Childs has also spearheaded presentations and talks for the Oak Knoll community on pressing issues such as concussions, sports specialization, and other concerns for athletes and their families.  

Dr. Childs’ achievements in sports are matched only by her dedication to primarily developing people of promise, who are also students first, then athletes. She inspires coaches, students, faculty, and staff at Oak Knoll, and we are so proud to have such a dedicated leader. 

Go Royals!

(Photo courtesy of College of the Holy Cross)