The Annual NEOIAAA Spring Conference will be held on Monday April 28th, 2014 at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls. Conference registration, membership forms, and hotel information are listed below.
In accordance with National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s (NIAAA) purpose to promote, facilitate and increase the knowledge and understanding of the vital role of interscholastic athletics in the educational system, this scholarship program will foster and recognize the partnership between the NIAAA and secondary education. The scholarships will recognize the distinguished scholastic, leadership and sportsmanship attributes of high school student-athletes, and the importance of high school athletics in each student’s life. Download the NIAAA Student Athlete Scholarship Application (Fillable PDF). States are encouraged to recognize each studnet who applies by presenting them with a certificate of recognition. Download Certificate of Recognition.
Applicant must have achieved at least two (2) of the following: (a) minimum of B+ average; (b) ranked in the top 25% of class; (c) ACT score of 24 or an SAT score of 1100 (Verbal and Math only)
Applicant must have participated in two sports for at least two years in each sport
Applicant must have earned at least one varsity letter in each of two sports
Applicant must complete attached scholar application
Applicant must have a letter of recommendation from the high school athletic administrator/director
School athletic administrator/director must be an NIAAA member and a member of their respective state athletic administrators association
The principal or athletic administrator/director must sign the application to ensure that the academic information submitted is accurate
All materials must be postmarked to the NIAAA Liaison in your respective state (select your state below to see due date and liaison contact information) no later than your states due date
State Winners
One male and one female will each receive a plaque recognizing them as state winners.
Section Winners
One male and one female in each of the eight NIAAA sections will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and a certificate recognizing them as section winners.
National Winners
One male and one female will be selected form the eight section winners to each receive a $2,000 scholarship and a crystal recognizing them as national winners in addition to attending the National Conference for Athletic Administrators in December to present their essay. Download the list of the latest Section Scholarship Winners.
Scholarship Timeline
Applications postmarked to NIAAA liaison in respective state (see listing of liaisons below)
March : States select male and female winner
April-June: Sections selects male and female winner
July: NIAAA Board selects male and female national winner
August : National winners notified by NIAAA office
December: National winners and their parents attend national conference to be recognized and present their essay
In every profession, every walk of life, there are things that one must do and must avoid. With regard to philosophies of coaching, these five habits will certainly help coaches to build successful programs.
The first trait is to praise loudly and criticize softly. No one likes to be screamed and yelled at. Screaming and yelling at mistakes will only cause more mistakes. It also causes embarrassment for the athlete and makes the coach look childish. If mistakes are made, they need to be corrected and should be done so in an appropriate manner. It is always best to use the sandwich method. When criticizing mistakes, first point out something positive the athlete does, follow it with the critique and conclude with another positive remark. People are much more likely to respond to praise. In most cases, athletes will give you more when you are praising their efforts.
Ohio was extremely well-represented at this year’s NIAAA National Athletic Directors’ Conference in Anaheim, California on December 14-17, 2013.There were 34 athletic administrators from the Buckeye State along with Dr. Dan Ross and Jerry Snodgrass of the OHSAA in attendance during a beautiful (75+ degrees!) four days in the “Golden State”.
There were several of our Ohio people who were involved with national presentations of Leadership Training Courses in Anaheim. Teaching classes this year were Dave Bell, Ray Ebersole, Glen Gillespie, Jon Payne and Jeff Kurtz.National co-chair for LTC 723, Bruce Brown, also helped with that course’s presentation.
Many of our members are part of national committees and attended meetings for their group throughout the conference:Tom Barone (Avon Lake HS)—Credentials Committee, Bruce Brown (Uniontown Lake HS)—Certification Committee and Coaches Education Committee, Ray Ebersole (Hudson HS)—Sports Turf Committee, Tim Erickson (Ottawa Hills HS)—New LTC Course Development Committee, Glen Gillespie (ret, Sylvania Southview HS)—Publications Committee, Paul Moses (Strongsville HS)—Certification Committee, Tom Nerl (Mariemont HS)—Hall of Fame Committee, and Matt Shomper (Tippecanoe HS)—Certification Committee.
Additionally, three of our members presented national workshops to the 1,500 attendees at this year’s conference:Bruce Brown, Uniontown Lake HS (“Evaluating Coaches”), Phil Poggi, Kings HS (“Promoting Multi-sport Participation”) and Jeff Harrison, Medina HS (“Working with your Booster Club”).
Phil Poggi (Kings HS) presents at National Conference in AnaheimJeff Harrison (Medina HS) presents at National Conference in Anaheim
Paul Moses:2013 Recipient of the NIAAA “Distinguished Service Award”:
Paul Moses (Strongsville High School) receives NIAAA Distinguished Service Award from NIAAA President, Phil Rison (L) and NIAAA Executive Director, Bruce Whitehead
After graduating from Concordia (Illinois) College with dual teaching certifications in business education and physical education, Paul Moses, CMAA, began an influential career in education.Combined with teaching and coaching football and wrestling, Moses began his role as an athletic director 27 years ago, culminating with his current position as athletic director of Strongsville (Ohio) City Schools, where he oversees 55 athletic teams.
Moses is a member of the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA) and the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA), and has served as a representative and member of the executive committees for both groups. Moses is past president of the NEOIAAA and he has also been a member of the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators’ State Athletic Advisory Council.
Moses has served on the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s (OHSAA) Blue Ribbon “Length of Seasons” Committee as well as the State Soccer Advisory Committee. He has also been host to a number of OHSAA sub-state tournaments, including basketball, wrestling and track. Currently, he is a tournament manager in Northeast Ohio for volleyball and baseball.
In 2011, Moses was selected NEOIAAA Athletic Director of the Year, and he has been honored with the OIAAA/NEOIAAA Distinguished Service Award (2010) and Award of Merit (2005).
Through the NIAAA, Moses has taught several Leadership Training Institute courses, been a workshop speaker and served as a CAA exam administrator. He is a member of the NIAAA Certification Committee and was recently named as Ohio’s NIAAA State Certification Coordinator. Moses has also been an instructor for the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course.
Moses earned his master’s degrees from Cleveland (Ohio) State University and Ashland (Ohio) University. In 1995 and 1997, his school district received national interscholastic athletic recognition with the WAVE grant award.
Tim Flannery:2013 Inductee into NIAAA “Hall of Fame”:
Ohio contingent with national award winners: Tim Flannery (Hall of Fame inductee), Paul Moses (Distinguished Service Award
Even though he had enjoyed a highly successful career as a high school athletic administrator during his 30 years in Ohio, Tim Flannery’s, CMAA, career was only beginning when he joined the staff of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 1998. During his first nine years on the NFHS staff, Flannery was director of the NFHS Coaches Association and editor of the NFHS Soccer Rules Book. He also was in charge of the NFHS Officials Association for two years and editor of the NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Book for three years.
But in his remarkable career, Flannery saved the best for last. In 2007, he was responsible for starting the NFHS Coach Education Program – and six years later he has built one of the most successful programs in the 94-year history of the organization.
As a result of this professional development program for coaches featuring online courses, the profession of interscholastic coaching is being transformed. Starting with two core courses – Fundamentals of Coaching and First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches – Flannery has led the growth of the program that now features 34 courses.
In addition to the two core courses, 14 sport-specific courses have been created, along with 14 free courses and four elective courses. Almost two millions courses have been taken by coaches, administrators, parents and others, including about 1.2 million who have taken the free Concussion in Sports – What You Need to Know course. Many NFHS-member state associations require all new coaches to take the Fundamentals of Coaching course, and the majority require coaches to take the Concussion course.
In 2009, Flannery led the development of the NFHS Coach Certification Program to help coaches minimize the inherent risks faced by participating students, to improve the sport experience of participating students and develop a sense of personal and professional accomplishment. The NFHS Coach Education Program is the only training program specifically for interscholastic coaches.
Flannery was influential in forming the USA Coaching Coalition in 2001, which was started to promote coaching education as a means of improving the sport experience for participants. In addition to the NFHS, other members are the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).
Prior to joining the NFHS staff in 1998, Flannery was director of athletics of the North Olmsted (Ohio) City Schools for 15 years. He was responsible for 21 varsity sports at the high school level and 10 middle school sports.
Among his accomplishments at North Olmsted, Flannery formed an all-sports boosters club, established a new teacher mentoring program, developed a coaches in-service day, organized the building of an all-weather track with private money, and planned, organized and compiled a handbook for parents and athletes.
During his stint at North Olmsted, Flannery was president of the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA) and was elected to the NIAAA Board of Directors. In 1995, he was elected president of the NIAAA, during which time he started the development of Leadership Training Course 501, which was the foundation of the Leadership Training Program.
Flannery, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cleveland State University, has received countless honors, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration Distinguished Service Award in 1989, the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 1993, NFHS Citation in 1996 and the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 1998. He was inducted into the OIAAA Hall of Fame in 2001 and the NASPE Sport Hall of Fame in 2012.
In December of 2014, the NIAAA National Conference will be held in Washington, D.C. at the “National Harbor Conference Center”, literally a stone’s throw from the center of our nation’s capital.We hope to see many more Buckeyes in attendance at this conference where the “best of the best” go to become great athletic leaders!
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Steve Conley (Fairbanks HS, Paul Powers (Aurora HS), Jeff Kurtz and Ray Ebersole (Hudson HS) attending NIAAA workshops in AnaheimTom Barone (Avon Lake HS) and Jerry Snodgrass (OHSAA Assistant Commisoner)
ALL Pupil Activity Permit (PAP) applications must be submitted, reviewed and approved online.
You need to ensure that applicants have SAFE accounts
How do our coaches set up SAFE accounts?
Remind those who will apply for educator licensure or pupil activity permits that they also will need SAFE accounts. When setting up an account, the system will ask for date of birth and the last four numbers of the person’s Social Security number. It also will ask for an Ohio driver’s license or state of Ohio identification number (available from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles). Those who do not have one of these forms of identification should allow a bit more time. They will find instructions within the SAFE account creation menu about how to submit another form of identification.
Once the department validates the SAFE account, the user should log in to verify that his or her email address is entered correctly. They may do this by clicking on the “change email” link.
I have paper applications to submit. Will the department accept them?
Any paper applications must be received by Dec. 31 to be processed. Thereafter, applicants and authorized reviewers must complete the process online.
For more information:
Visit education.ohio.gov and search: educatorlicenses or click here. Or, contact the Office of Educator Licensure at: (877) 644-6338 or (614) 466-3593.
As high school sports around the area take a break over the Thanksgiving holiday, here is a look at what Fairfield football head coach Jason Krause and athletic directors from Lakota West, Lakota East and Colerain are thankful for in regard to high school athletics.
Fairfield football head coachJason Krause:
What are you thankful for in regard to high school athletics and how they impact the athletes, students and the community?
“What I’m thankful for is obviously the opportunity to be in the position that I’m in and deal with great high school kids on a daily basis and watch them grow and see all the positive things that they do to excite your community and, this year that we had, our community seemed to kind of grow and live through our guys on Friday nights and all the hard work they’ve put in to change the atmosphere at our high school as far as athletics goes.”
Are there any examples of the athletes at your school giving back to the community?
“Our kids do a great job of it… probably the biggest one for us this year [was] over an eight week period we went every Saturday morning to the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League… we were taking 20-25 players a day in their jerseys to assist the kids and playing in the games at Joe Nuxhall Miracle field and just to see our kids interact with some of those kids… it really put a different thought in my mind of what we’re all about and the impact we truly can have on families and the community.”
Lakota West Athletic DirectorScott Kaufman:
What are you thankful for in regard to high school athletics and how they impact the athletes and the community?
“I’ve always been very thankful for the individual skills and character development that sports provide to student athletes and the leadership qualities that take them far beyond what sports themselves have. It’s their experiences in sports that prepare them for everything that they’re going to do in the future.”
What are your thoughts when you see high school athletes take on leadership roles in the community or perform charitable work to help the less fortunate while they’re still in high school?
“I think that’s the most powerful component of what we deal with is, you know, the lessons that sport in itself teach kids with character and leadership and discipline and commitment… when you can see those carry over into non athletic venues, that’s the most rewarding thing that you can see. So when you see somebody step up in a leadership position whether it’s to run a coat drive or whether it’s to raise money for a specific charity or just to help somebody else on the street, to me that’s the biggest exclamation point you can put at the end of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Are there any examples of the athletes at your school giving back to the community?
“There’s too many to really count… there’s been coat drives, there’s been canned food drives, there’s been cancer awareness fundraisers; I hate to underplay it but it’s become common place in what we do every day of finding ways to give back and our kids really step up to it when they can.”
Colerain Athletic DirectorDan Bolden:
What are you thankful for in regard to high school athletics and how they impact the athletes and the community?
“I think what high school sports can do is bring a community together. You know, there’s nothing better than on a Friday night looking up into the stands and seeing the community up there cheering on the team or if it’s a basketball night and you look in the gym and the gym’s packed with fans from the community or people who just want to come see good basketball or people who want to see good football or people that want to come out and see a good softball team play on a March day when the suns out.”
What are your thoughts when you see high school athletes take on leadership roles in the community or perform charitable work for those less fortunate?
“That makes you feel good, as an athletic director, it makes you feel like the coaches you’ve hired are doing the right thing; they’re instilling a sense of pride, of community, of feeling, of leadership and of giving to those kids; and they’re watching it actually happen. I equate it sometimes to when you watch your kid take their first steps… a lot of people outside the education world don’t understand when teachers can see that kid who struggled in their grades or that coach can see a kid who as a freshman was awkward and uncoordinated and by the time they’re a junior they’ve become this aspiring athlete who leads and listens and has a heart the size of the room and when you see that happen as a coach, there’s nothing better than that, than to watch that actually happen.”
What’s it like to watch these kids develop and grow not just as athletes but also as people?
“That’s the great thing about coaching that’s outside of teaching… as a coach you’ve seen them as a freshman and you see them the next season and you see them all the time and you watch them grow and then that’s why I think people don’t understand when a season ends why kids and coaches are so emotional about it… those coaches have watched those kids grow for four years and they’ve worked together for a common goal and they’ve been through the highs and the lows together and when they get to that point when it’s all over, they’re emotional because they’ve formed a bond and an attachment that will last forever… that’s a lasting bond that never breaks.”
Lakota East Athletic Director Rich Bryant:
What are you thankful for in regard to high school athletics and how they impact the athletes, student, staff and the community?
“I believe that the court, the football field, the swimming pool or the cross country course are extensions of the academic classroom and the life lessons that our student athletes take from the experiences that they draw upon are invaluable.”
Starting January 1, 2014, all teaching and coaching licenses will be done online. For more information, click on the link below. View the 4 ODE Training Videos below. Share the information with your superintendent and board office.
A quick Internet search or trip to the local bookstore will uncover a surplus of information on how to be a head coach and run a successful program. Unfortunately, little has been written about how to be an effective assistant coach, even though the quality of assistants undoubtedly plays a critical role in the outcome of a team’s season.
The following six guidelines are by no means a comprehensive list, but will serve as a reliable starting point for new assistants. They may also serve as a refresher for more experienced assistants or as discussion points for an entire coaching staff prior to the start of the season.
1. Model effective habits
Players may not always remember what you teach them, but they will always remember what they see you do. Head coaches are not the only ones who are held to a higher standard; all coaches are expected to be leaders on the field, in the school and in the community. If you show up late or unprepared, use inappropriate language, consume tobacco products or generally prove that you can’t manage your personal habits, then you absolutely cannot expect your athletes to manage theirs. Nobody picks up on hypocritical actions faster than young people. If you have personal habits that you need to change, begin taking steps to change them.
2. Communicate expectations
Talk early and often with your head coach and have a clear understanding of what he or she expects of you. Be sure to discuss the following questions in detail:
What are your specific roles and duties on the coaching staff?
What do you feel most comfortable contributing to the team (position-specific knowledge, administrative talents, etc.)?
What are your head coach’s pet peeves?
Do you have a long-term goal of being a head coach?
Whenever possible, be available before and after practices and games to communicate regularly with your head coach. Some head coaches are going to stick to their own program and philosophy, and often will not seek input from assistant coaches. Other head coaches will regularly want to talk about what can be done better, what’s working well, what’s not, setting the lineup, etc. Understand what type of a head coach you’re working under, accept his coaching style and do your part to support him. If you find through your discussions that you don’t agree with his philosophy, your role, and/or your level of input on the staff, you may determine that it’s not a win-win situation (Covey, 2004, p. 207). The working relationship should be positive and rewarding for everyone involved.
3. Be a champion for your head coach
Nothing derails a program’s success faster than an assistant coach who whispers behind the head coach’s back or pushes his own agenda with players, parents or other coaches. Even if the assistant does not completely agree with the head coach’s decisions or philosophy, unless those differences are moral or ethical in nature the assistant has a responsibility to stand behind and support the head coach. Not only does it establish trust with the head coach and contribute to a positive working relationship, it reaffirms the strength and continuity of leadership on the coaching staff to the athletes and parents.
A veteran head coach recently shared an unsettling story about one of her former assistants. Like most head coaches, she had a few players on her team who saw little (if any) playing time. Late in the season, one of the parents insisted on a meeting to discuss his daughter’s playing time. In the midst of this heated discussion, the parent revealed what no head coach wants to hear: that her assistant coach had been telling non-starters that they really deserved to be in the starting lineup. The parent also explained how the assistant coach held informal meetings with players to discuss unhappiness with the head coach, differences in coaching decisions, etc. Needless to say, this lack of trust caused a climate of tension from which the team never recovered.
4. Build positive relationships with your players
Habit No. 5 of Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People states, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” This habit speaks to the importance of listening with the intention of understanding. We cannot effectively influence anyone unless the person feels understood, and the same goes for our players. Teenagers, particularly, bring a mixed bag of self-consciousness, fear, anxiety and beliefs to a team. Dr. Covey (2004) states, “Unless you’re influenced by my uniqueness, I’m not going to be influenced by your advice” (p. 239). Coaches should not use the words, “Oh, I know how you feel,” or “I went through the same thing.” Even if you’ve been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt, assume that your players are different. Positive influence, learning and a contagious climate of success cannot exist without trust.
5. Take initiative
Legendary Coach John Wooden (2005) once said, “Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all. Use good judgment based on all available information, and then use initiative” (p. 36). Assistant coaches should make sure they understand what the head coach wants to accomplish and use their initiative and resources to help get things done. It might be something as simple as setting up practice stations, making sure students get water, etc. at the beginning of practice. If you believe your head coach has forgotten something important, e.g., administrative tasks, take a moment to remind him at an appropriate time.
6. Constantly seek to improve on technical and tactical knowledge, and improve the ability to teach.
A few years ago I attended a large baseball coaches’ clinic in Virginia. As I watched a college coach talk about infield skills and drills, I’m ashamed to admit that I started to feel that I knew everything he was talking about. I had heard it all before, I thought, and, in fact, I disagreed with a few things he was saying. In the midst of these thoughts, I recognized a very well-known, accomplished high school coach sitting nearby. He was not only listening intently, he was taking notes! What a humbling experience, and one that I will never forget. Before me was a coach who had won several state and regional titles and received numerous coaching awards during his 25-year career; he had coached countless college and professional players, yet he remained dedicated to learning and improving his technical and tactical knowledge.
If you feel that you’ve reached the point in your coaching career where there are few things you have left to learn about a particular aspect of your sport, please consider the following two questions:
Is there a different way to teach a skill, perform a drill or approach a team-oriented task?
Is there a different position or area of your sport in which you could become more proficient?
As assistant coaches we must challenge ourselves to be great technicians and tacticians. We improve by attending clinics, paying attention to other coaches, reading great books and articles, and of course through on-field experience. As we continue sharpening our skills, we must consider the process through which athletes learn.
According to Rainer Martens in his book Successful Coaching (2004), athletes “will move through three stages of learning – the mental stage, the practice stage and the automatic stage” – to achieve mastery of a skill (p. 195).
During the mental stage, athletes will cognitively develop a mental plan regarding what to do and how to get their bodies to do it. As players move on to the practice stage, the focus becomes refining technique and executing correct repetitions. Remember, it’s not the quantity of practice but the quality that will achieve better results. Finally, with the skill performed more automatically, the athlete has more mental capacity to focus elsewhere – on new skills, strategy, etc. Create a positive learning environment as you guide your players through the learning process. Balance the constructive criticism with plenty of encouragement, and do your best to mix some wholesome competition into your drill/practice sessions.
Maybe you have aspirations of being a head coach one day, or perhaps you have recognized that your talents are best utilized in the various roles of an assistant. Whatever your reasons are for accepting the responsibility of serving as an assistant coach, you have the capacity to powerfully impact your team.
About the Author: Ray Detwiler is a special education teacher and assistant baseball coach at Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia. He has coached junior varsity and varsity high school baseball for eight years and served as an assistant football coach for two. Ray played college baseball at Radford University (B.S. Communication), earned an M.S.Ed in Special Education at Old Dominion University, and plans to begin an Ed.D. in education leadership at Liberty University in the fall of 2011.
