OIAAA Executive Director, Bruce Brown

    “As the ‘caretakers’ of interscholastic athletic programs, our Ohio athletic administrators have the challenge of continually educating their respective stakeholders of the intrinsic value of education-based athletics.  We, along with the OHSAA, have had on-going dialogue over the past four years of how we might be able to address this need.

    The InsideOut Coaching Initiative is a grass-roots approach to re-focusing the mission of interscholastic athletics and provide the training and support for all audiences who are impacted by school-based sport programs.  With the InsideOut Initiative, and the clear support of the NFL Foundation, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals, we are excited to partner with our Ohio school administrative leaders to reclaim the space that education-based athletics is meant to hold within our schools.”

    InSideOut Initiative Resources

    About the InSideOut Initiative

    The InSideOut Initiative focused on transforming the culture of the high school “win-at-all-costs” mentality is launching in Ohio with the support of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, National Football League Foundation and other local and national organizations. The initiative takes a critical look at interscholastic athletics by encouraging a system that focuses on the development of the educational, social and emotional well-being of each student-athlete.

    First piloted by the NFL in Colorado and Texas in 2015, the InSideOut Initiative encourages educational leaders, state athletic associations and local NFL teams to partner together to address the brokenness of the sports culture. The initiative is engaging stakeholders in strategic conversation to re-define the role of interscholastic sports in the lives of students and communities.

    Ohio is the next state to launch this Initiative, thanks to comprehensive funding from the National Football League Foundation.

    The ”InsideOut Coaching Initiative” is being supported by the OIAAA, the OHSAA and all of our educational administrative groups of Ohio.  The focus of this initiative is to reclaim the space for education-based athletics within our schools and communities.  Below are links to two very powerful videos which highlight the true purpose and mission of athletics within our school districts.

    Why We Play