Derrick Kroll has been a big part of the Boys & Girls Club family for over 36 years, both as a member and as an employee. At the age of 10, Derrick began his involvement playing football, baseball, and basketball. His years at the Club earned Derrick many honors, including being named Athlete of the Year in 1975. He was also a key player on the Club’s 1974 14 and under Stars of Tomorrow Championship Team. A 1979 Central High School graduate, Derrick was a three sport athlete playing football, basketball, and baseball. His athletic excellence and leadership earned him the 1979 Central High School Athlete of the Year Honor.

Derrick and his sister Kelly (Zmolek) were born and raised in the La Crosse area under the loving guidance of their parents, John and Nancy Kroll. Derrick attended UW-La Crosse earning a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1984. He graduated with a social studies broadfield major and a minor in sociology.

Derrick started his career with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse as the Program Director in 1985, when there was only one club in the La Crosse area. As the organization grew, he acquired additional responsibilities. In addition to Program Director, Derrick also served as the Clinton Street Club Site Director from 1995 through 2005. In September of 2005, he left the Clinton Street Club to become the Site Director of both the Hamilton School Club and the new Amie L. Mathy Boys and Girls Club on the Viterbo University Campus. In January of 2008, he was promoted to his current position as Director of Operations.

Derrick is passionate about everything he does, but his true passions are for young people and athletics. He is an avid runner, participating in marathons and ultra-marathons. Derrick also enjoyed coaching basketball at the Boys and Girls Club in the 1990’s while his son was a member. He led his son Dammon’s 8^th grade basketball team to the Badger State Games Basketball Championship in Madison in 2000. In 2002 he led basically that same team to the 16 and under Great American Shootout Championship in Minneapolis. Today he serves as the Assistant Coach for the Aquinas Girls Varsity Basketball Team.



Derrick lives in Onalaska, WI with his wife Debby, a 2^nd grade teacher at Northern Hills Elementary. They have one son, Dammon, a 2004 graduate of Aquinas High School and former Boys & Girls Club athlete and member. Dammon will be graduating from UW-La Crosse this spring.