Fairfax County Supervisor Robert B. Dix Jr. (R-Hunter Mill), whowas defeated in his reelection bid in November, will become anexecutive with an Internet company that runs a Web-basedclearinghouse for youth sports information.
Dix, a longtime youth basketball and football coach, will quit hispart-time job as an aide to the House subcommittee on the Districtchaired by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), a position that criticssaid created a conflict of interest. His new job, as a senior vicepresident at SportsCombine.com will start immediately.
'I believe this is a company that will grow and grow rapidly,' Dixsaid yesterday. 'It allows me to utilize my business skills andcombine that with my passion for youth sports. It's a concept that wehave a great opportunity to take nationally.'
Dix has spent the last eight years representing the Reston andVienna areas on the Board of Supervisors. A sometimes controversialfigure who was known for his temper, Dix nonetheless had the supportof many of the high-technology business executives whose companieshave located in his district.
Last year, those executives and others contributed more than$200,000 to Dix's losing campaign. Dix lost to Democrat Catherine M.Hudgins, a Reston activist and former aide to Board of SupervisorsChairman Katherine K. Hanley (D).
Despite his recent loss, Dix said his experience as an electedofficial will serve him well in his new job.
'Certainly, the network of contacts both in the political arenaand the business arena will be an asset as we try and grow thiscompany,' Dix said. 'The opportunity to have kids get exposure isgoing to help revolutionize the way college recruitment works.'
SportsCombine.com, based in Vienna, allows youth and school sportsteams to report statistics and scores on individually designed Webpages. The company focuses mostly on Washington area teams, but Dixand Chief Executive Officer Casey Samson said the plan is to expandto metropolitan areas across the country.
'Fairfax County was our test market,' Samson said. 'We have aworking prototype that's expanding dramatically. We felt Bob couldreally help us along.'
Dix said he hopes to focus on helping inner-city high schoolathletes get more exposure by making it easier for college recruitersto find out about them through the SportsCombine Web site.
Hanley, a longtime Dix adversary, said she wishes him well in hisnew endeavor.
'It sounds interesting,' she said. 'It's certainly something Bobknows a great deal about. It could well be a perfect fit. I offer mycongratulations on an exciting opportunity.'
