Click HERE to get more information about a Free Pole Vault Skills Course through the NFHS Coaching Education Program.
Compassionate Coach Makes Difference in Life of High School Athlete
By Wilbur Braithwaite
In the winter of 1946-47, Weber Junior College (now Weber State University) of Ogden, Utah, played Snow Junior College at Ephraim, Utah, in an Intermountain Conference basketball game. Since Ephraim is only seven miles from my hometown of Manti, and being a member of the Weber Wildcats, this contest was a homecoming for me. My parents, who had never seen me play in college, along with other relatives, former high school teammates and friends, were in the stands. Being a non-starter at the time, it was a surprise to hear the announcer intone, “and starting tonight at forward is 6′ 3” Wilbur Braithwaite of Manti.”
Although more than 51 years have gone by since then, a poignant memory of that unexpected announcement remains vivid. Despite my coach’s calculated gamble of juggling the usual starting lineup and giving a reserve considerable playing time, the Wildcats, nonetheless, topped the Badgers, 61-45.
The Weber mentor, Reed K. Swenson, was a compassionate man who found little ways to bring the human touch to coaching and the teaching process. Like many of his former players, I found him to be not only a coach for two seasons, but a life-long friend and confidant.
In my retirement year of coaching basketball (1988), Manti High School participated in the Utah State 2-A High School Basketball Tournament held at Weber State University. Still living in Ogden, Coach Swenson remained mentally active 90-year-old optimist. Visiting at his home, I discovered that he not only knew all about the Manti Templars, but also shared coaching tips, gave encouragement, reminisced about the “good old days” and extolled the virtues of sending cassette-recorded “oral letters to children and grandchildren. Throughout the visit, he had a twinkle in his eye. He said he was busy writing a book to be titled, How To Raise Cain At One Hundred If You Are Able. READ MORE
Fall 2013 LTI Webinar Classes
We are pleased to announce that the NIAAA will be webinar teaching LTC 501, 502, 504, 506, 508, 630, 701 and 705 via the internet in the fall of 2013. The athletic administrator will be able to view the course from the convenience of their home or office. Administrators will also have the opportunity to pose live questions and the class can be divided into discussion groups with the capability of receiving reports from each groups. What better way to take a class? There will be no travel time and no travel costs (gas, meals or lodging).
Our suggestion would be to use the computer that is connected to the greatest bandwidth (DSL, Cable or T-1 line) which could be at your school if you do not have high speed internet connection at home. However you can get the broadcast with a 56K / dial up modem. The only issue here is that this type of internet connection will be slower since pictures/PowerPoint take longer to download. You will also need sound card, speakers and microphone on your computer in order to hear the instructor and participate in conversation and ask questions.
Click HERE for more details
O.I.A.A.A. Executive Committee May 2013 Meeting Minutes
Minutes – Executive Committee Meeting
May 19, 2013
State Conference Planning Committee:
- The Planning Committee led by Tim Erickson (President Elect) and members of the Northeast District State Conference Committee (Kent Smith and Greg Cooper) met from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to discuss the details of the 2013 OIAAA Athletic Directors Conference.
- The Conference will be held on November 17-19, 2013 at the Easton Hilton.
Called to Order:
- The meeting was called to order by Matt Shomper (President) at 10:00 a.m.
Attendance:
Executive Director: __x__ Bruce Brown (Northeast) District Rep. Central(VM): ___x__ Steve Conley
Past President / Program Chair(VM): __x__ Tom Farbizo (East) District Rep. East(VM): ___x__ Don Spinell
President(VM): __x__ Matt Shomper (Southwest) District Rep. Northeast(VM): _____ Paul Moses
President Elect(VM): __x__ Tim Erickson (Northwest) District Rep. Northwest(VM): __x___ Chris Fahim
__x____ Susie Felver
Secretary (VM): __x__ Paul Powers (Northeast) District Rep. Southwest(VM): __x___ Tim Cook
Treasurer: __x___ Randy King (Central) District Rep. Southeast(VM): ___x__ Bo Arnett
LTI / Newsletter Chair: __x___ Glen Gillespie (Northwest)
Awards Chair: __x__ Bill Schumacher (Northeast)
Exhibit Chair: __x__ Phil Poggi (Southwest)
Website Chair: ___x_ Erich Frombach (Northeast)
OHSAA: ____ Dr. Ross OHSAA: __x__ Jerry Snodgrass OASSA: ____ Jim Harbuck
Page 2 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
1. Action Items
A. Additions to the Agenda:
- none
B. Approval of Agenda:
- A motion was made by Tim Cook (Southwest ) and seconded by Bo Arnett (Southeast) to approve the agenda. The motion passed 9-0.
C. Approval of Minutes:
- A motion was made by Bo Arnett (Southeast) and seconded by Steve Conley (Central) to approve the minutes from the 3/17/13 Executive Committee meeting. The motion passed 9-0.
D. Approval of Financial Report:
- A motion was made by Steve Conley (Central) and seconded by Chris Fahim (Northwest) to approve the financial report as of 4/30/13. The balance as of 4/30/13 was $39,025.02 (See attached for detail report). The motion passed 8-0.
- The 2013 – 2014 OIAAA Budget will be discussed at the Executive Committee Summer Work Session on July 26, 2013.
- Liability Insurance for all members costs $5,100.00 for 434 members
E. Constitution Update:
- The Constitution Committee of Matt Shomper, Bruce Brown and Paul Moses made suggestions regarding the OIAAA Constitution.
- OIAAA Membership will vote on changes at the State OIAAA Conference in November.
2. Information Items
A. Membership Report:
- Matt Shomper (President) reported the following information regarding membership:
- As of May 19, 2013 we have processed 51 new memberships for the 2013 – 2014 school year.
- Randy King is looking into buying membership cards
B. OASSA Report:
- No report
C. OHSAA Report:
- Jerry Snodgrass from the OHSAA reported on the following items:
- On-line ejection report, Foundation game and Pre-season manual on-line
Page 3 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
2. Information Items Continued
D. NIAAA Report:
- No report
E. Conference Report:
- Bruce Brown (Executive Director) discussed the following items regarding the 2013 State Conference:
- Agenda
- Vendors
- Program printing and program ads
- Registration and refund options
F. Website:
- Paul Powers (Secretary) made a motion to approve Erich Frombach as the Website Chair. Steve Conley seconded the motion. Motion passed 9-0.
- Erich Frombach (Website Chair) presented a preview of the new OIAAA Website
G. Awards Report:
- Bill Schumacher led a discussion on National and State Awards. It was decided that all the award proposals would be tabled until the Summer Planning Session with the officers of OIAAA.
H. Leadership Training Report:
- Glen Gillespie (LTI / Newsletter Chair) led a discussion about the following items:
- 2013 State Conference Classes
- Sunday: 501, 502 and 714
- Monday: 506 and 790
- Looking for teachers to teach LTI classes
- Southwest would like to host the summer Leadership Training Program in 2014
- 2013 State Conference Classes
Page 4 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
I. Newsletter E-Zine Report:
- Glen Gillespie (Newsletter Chair) reported the following information regarding the OIAAA Newsletter:
- Please send feedback on past issues.
J. Executive Directors Report:
- Bruce Brown (Executive Director) led a discussion regarding the following items:
- Gave an update on Business, Conference and MOU’s partnerships.
- Tim Erickson (Southwest) made a motion that we pay all associated costs for Bruce Brown to attend the NIAAA Executive Director Meeting in June. Paul Powers (Secretary) seconded the motion. Motion passed 7-0.
- Discussed the renewal of Liability Insurance for all members of OIAAA.
- A discussion was held regarding the reimbursements and stipends from the OIAAA. It will be taken to the OIAAA Summer meeting for further discussion.
- Compensation of the Executive Director position. Will look into how other states pay the position.
3. Discussion Items
A. NIAAA Section 2:
- Summer Conference in West Virginia in June
B. Correspondence from WBL:
- Received a correspondence from the WBL regarding surveying the OHSAA membership regarding all aspects of the OHSAA office. It was decided the feedback from the OIAAA has no effect on what the OHSAA does. Thus, the OIAAA will not look into sending this survey out.
Page 5 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
C. District Reports:
1. Central (Steve Conley)
- No Report
2. Northwest (Chris Fahim)
- Roundtable meeting, Wednesday, April 24, 2013
- Fall Conference, Wednesday, September 18, 2013
3. Northeast (Paul Moses)
- No Report
4. East (Don Spinell)
- None
5. Southeast (Bo Arnett)
- Fall Meeting in September
6. Southwest (Tim Cook)
- Monday, May 20, 2013, Spring Workshop and Golf Outing
Page 6 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
5/19/13
4. Adjournment
A. Next Meeting:
- Sunday, August 18, 2013
- The meeting will be held at the OHSAA Offices
- The Conference Planning Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m.
- The Executive Committee will meet at 10:00 a.m.
B. Move to Adjourn:
- A motion was made by Tim Cook (Southwest) and seconded by Tom Farbizo (Past President) to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed 7-0.
- The meeting adjourned at 1:25 p.m.
C. Upcoming Dates of Note:
Future Meeting Dates:
- Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, October 20, 2013 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, November 17, 2013 9:00 a.m. Hilton Easton
- Sunday, January 26, 2014 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, March 16, 2014 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, May 18, 2014 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, August 17, 2014 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, October 19, 2014 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, November 16, 2014 9:00 a.m. Hilton Easton
- Sunday, January 25, 2015 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, March 15, 2015 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday, May 17, 2015 10:00 a.m. OHSAA Offices Conference Planning at 9:00 a.m.
Page 7 Minutes, Executive Committee Mtg.
5/19/13
NIAAA Section 2 Meeting Dates:
- June 20 – 22, 2013 Host State: West Virginia
- June 19 – 22, 2014 Host State: Delaware
- June 18 – 21, 2015 Host State: Kentucky
- June 16 – 18, 2016 Host State: Maryland
- June 15 – 17, 2017 Host State: Ohio
- June 14 – 16, 2018 Host State: Pennsylvania
- June 13 – 15, 2019 Host State: Virginia
Future OIAAA Conference Dates:
- November 17-19, 2013 Host Northeast Site: Hilton Easton
- November 16-18, 2014 Host Northwest Site Hilton Easton
- November 15-17, 2015 Host East Site
- November 13-15, 2016 Host Southeast Site
- November 12-14, 2017 Host Central Site
Future NIAAA Conference Dates:
- December 13-17, 2013 Place Anaheim, California
- December 12-16, 2014 Place National Harbor, Maryland
- December 11-15, 2015 Place Orlando, Florida
- December 9-15, 2016 Place Nashville, Tennessee
OIAAA Takes Steps to Help Families, Coaches, Counselors with NCAA/NAIA Eligibility and Recruiting
- § Three rules of being a parent
- § Scholarship myths and facts
- § NAIA and JUCO education
- § Scholarships, do they differ?
- § The Name Game
- § Negotiate/Cooperative Education
- § Dangers of social networking/cell phones/Saving for College
- § National Letter of Intent
- § NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Centers
- § Recruiting Services
- § NCAA core course requirements
Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association Inservices 25 New Athletic Directors
On Tuesdsay August 13th, the NEOIAAA hosted a new athletic director workshop at Hudson High School. 25 new athletic administrators attended the workshop. OHSAA Commissioner Dan Ross spoke to the new athletic directors as well as 10 area athletic directors from Northeast Ohio. Some of the topics included: parent-coach communication, round table discussion on topics in the field of athletics, coach education and the NFHS and the importance of joining the OIAAA and NIAAA.
NIAAA’s Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration
NIAAA’s Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration presents an overview of high school sport administration from experienced athletic administrators across the United States. This resource help readers
better understand the athletic director’s multifaceted role and confront several challenges they face:
- Providing comprehensive professional preparation for athletic director candidates and continuing education for today’s athletic directors
- Aligning the goals of athletic programs and the conduct of coaches, athletes, and parents engaged in the program to the educational mission of the school, district, state, and national governing organizations
- Ensuring ongoing education in vital areas including student budget preparation of all student-athletes
To order the book click HERE
To order the E-Book click HERE
NIAAA members receive a discounted price! Check your member newsletter for details.
Arrangements Completed to Officially Start NFHS Network
“Fundamentals of Coaching” Course – Saturday August 24th at Uniontown Lake High School
Welcome back to the start of another year. If you have any “newbie” coaches who will need to complete the required “Fundamentals of Coaching” course as partial fulfillment of their Pupil Activity Permit (PAP), we will be offering the course here at Uniontown Lake HS on SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th from 8:00 a.m.-Noon.
By taking the classroom version of the course (the content is identical to online) there is a $10 savings ($55 classroom vs. $65 online). Whether your district or the individual coach pays for the course, this is a significant savings to someone.
The registration link with OHSAA will be up later this week; however, if you have a new coach who has not taken the course before and you want to reserve them a spot in the class, simply forward this link to them or email me their contact information. I will connect with the coach to make arrangements for their registering in time.
Feel free to contact me at brownbruce@lakelocal.org or the office (330-877-4288) with any additional questions.
To learn more about what the “Fundamentals of Coaching” class is about Watch the video below.
A Parent’s Guide to Dealing with your High School Athlete
A Parent’s Guide to Dealing with your High School Athlete
BY: DARREN TRACY
It’s almost time for fall sports to begin again, where your son or daughter may be taking the field again as a high school athlete, or maybe even taking the field for the first time as a high school athlete. The transition from “rec” or travel sports to high school sports is a big one, and many an athlete find the transition tough to adjust to. There may be another group that may find it even harder:
I am sure we have all sat through games when our kids were younger, rooting them on, and hoping for our child’s personal and team successes. I have too. Through these many years of watching, there are 12 observations that I have come across that will make watching your child’s games more enjoyable, and allow your child to grow and develop.
1) Grades…. Remember these are “student-athletes” not “athlete-students”, and keeping ones’ grades high should be at the top of any list. The chances of getting a college scholarship through good grades is a 1000 times more likely to happen that through athletics. At least the same amount of time should be put into homework compared to training.
2) The days of “trophies for everyone” are over…. Your child may not get to play all the time, or even at all. Kids will learn from these disappointments, learn how to deal with them, and become better for it. They WILL make mistakes. Everybody does. That leads to the third observation I have seen:
3) Don’t be afraid of demanding coaches…. Quick question: In your mind, think of the three favorite teachers you have ever had. Done? Ok, think of the three most demanding teachers you have ever had. My bet is that at least two of the three favorites are the same. Coaches are going to be demanding. They should be. Coaches are going to yell and scream. It’s in a coaches demeanor to do that (within reason of course). Your kids can handle demanding coaches. They are stronger than you think.
4) The coach is the coach…. Too many parents think they are coaches. If an athlete is coached to do a certain skill by his or her coach, it’s the same way he or she should practice it at home. Find out how the coach is teaching a certain drill, and use THAT way to practice at home. In a kid’s mind, there may be a “Too many Chiefs, and not enough Indians” dynamic going on in his or her head. Be consistent when helping your child. Your first question you should ask as a parent when wanting to help your child is: How is coach teaching it?
5) High school sports are serious, but it isn’t the biggest deal in the world…. One of the worst offenses I have seen. Share in your child’s successes, both personal and team wise. Make sure they know how to handle defeat and disappointment. Don’t allow them to get too high after a win, or too low after a loss. Try to keep them as “flatlined” as possible. Remember, it is your CHILD’S dreams, not YOURS as a parent.
6) Keep your expectations realistic…. Don’t “set the bar” as far as what you expect from your child. There are many, many cases of star athletes in grade school and middle school that don’t get any better when they are in high school. There are just as many cases of athletes that all of a sudden have a growth spurt, or refine their skills and become great contributors to their high school teams. Just because a school may have a great freshman class, doesn’t mean they will all be stars in the next four years.
7) Be realistic about your child’s ability…. Not every child is going to go to Duke to play basketball, Michigan to play football, Stanford to play baseball, or UCLA or Penn State to play volleyball. Your child probably already knows what he or she did wrong (the coaches have already told them), so unless he or she asks, leave it alone. There is a huge difference between “discussing” with your child, and “pushing” your child. Learn to know the difference.
8) Stay out of the way, except for one situation…. Remember, it is what your child has chosen to do. It is THEIR dream, not YOURS. Let them choose how much they train, how much they lift, and how much they run. You can “encourage”, but the final decision should be the child’s. There is only one exception, and that is when the issue of quitting a team comes up. Quitting is not an option. Your child will be much better off learning how to overcome the adversity, than just throwing in the towel when things don’t go his or her way.
9) Don’t approach the coach with questions, have your child do it…. How many of you know of parents that call the coach when things aren’t going their child’s way? Ok, everyone put your hands down. We all know of someone. Your kids are at the age where they should be approaching the coach themselves. Always wait a day or two to talk to a coach and allow some time to calm down, so that there can be a clear discussion between player and coach. Your child with have to deal with talking to adults in life, weather it be a boss, teacher, or anyone else of authority. Why not start now?
10) Know the difference between pain and injury…. Everyone has heard the phrase “no pain, no gain”. Don’t believe it. There are always going to be bumps and bruises, that is a given, especially the day after a game. If a “pain” lingers on for more than a few days, go get your child checked out. He or she is not only hurting the team by playing injured, but also risking his or her future health.
11) Behave yourself during the game…. There is nothing more embarrassing than seeing a parent yelling and screaming, cheering for only his or her kid, and generally making a fool out of him or herself. Cheer for your TEAM, not just your child. Form relationships with the other parents. If you can’t act with some class and dignity, then stay home. Your child will appreciate you not being singled out for being a jerk.
12) Savor every moment…. Four years of high school sports go by quick. It’s the kind of thing that your child and you will enjoy sharing in the future. Make it enjoyable for both you and your child. Before you know it, he or she will be gone.