Dec 14, 2012
More than 1,500 high school athletic directors will be attending the 43rd annual National Athletic Directors Conference Saturday through Tuesday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.
The largest gathering of high school athletic directors in the country is co-sponsored by the Indianapolis-based National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
The conference officially gets underway at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with the Opening General Session. Judge Glenda Hatchett, a respected television judge, author and parent advocate, will be the keynote speaker.
Some of the key topics to be discussed at the 42 scheduled workshops include concussion management, multi-sport participation, use of social media, hazing, energy drinks, booster clubs, legal issues, values of education-based activity programs, preseason meetings, dealing with tragedy in a school and preparing for a Title IX audit.
Greg Dale, Ph.D., a sport psychologist from Duke University, will deliver the Closing General Session speech at 1p.m. Tuesday.
Awards will be presented to 30 athletic directors during the four-day conference. Eight administrators will receive NFHS Citations at 12 p.m. Monday during the conference luncheon. Awards will be presented by Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director.
Athletic directors who will be presented NFHS Citations are Andy Chiles, CMAA, Orlando, Florida; Carol Chory, CMAA, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Tim Graham, CMAA, Tumwater, Washington; Dennis Kiah, CAA, Brewer, Maine; Larry Moklestad, CAA, Boone, Iowa; Michael Purdy, CAA, Bellevue, Nebraska; Cindy Riley, CAA, Tucson, Arizona; and Diane Shuck, CMAA, Colorado Springs, Colorado. NIAAA awards will be presented by Bruce Whitehead, NIAAA executive director.
The NIAAA will present Distinguished Service Awards to nine athletic directors during the conference banquet at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Athletic administrators receiving awards are Jim Brown, CAA, Fishers, Indiana; Ted D'Alessio, CMAA, Short Hills, New Jersey; Michael Hart, CAA, Wilmington, Delaware; Cliff Hill, CAA, Gillette, Wyoming; Karen Higel, CAA, Denver, Colorado; Tommy Marshall, CMAA, Atlanta, Georgia; Bob Reznicek, CMAA, La Vista, Nebraska; Susan Robbins, CMAA, Yarmouth, Maine, and Kendra Tomsic, CAA, Midvale, Utah.
Other award winners to be honored at the banquet include Fred Smith, CMAA, director of athletics, Buchanan (Michigan) Community Schools, NIAAA Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award; Scott Lindgren, CMAA, retired coordinator of athletics, Kenosha (Wisconsin) Unified School District, NIAAA Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence; and Dennis Fries, CMAA, retired district athletic director, West Irondequoit (New York) School District, NIAAA Award of Merit.
Highlighting the awards ceremony at the banquet will be the induction of 10 athletic directors into the NIAAA Hall of Fame. This year's honorees include Jeff Dietze, CMAA, Virginia; Gerry Durgin, CMAA, Maine; Robert Hopek, CMAA, New Jersey; Bill Mayo, Arkansas, Marquis Ross, CMAA, Idaho; Ken Shultz, CMAA, Illinois; Wayne Taylor (deceased), Florida; Thomas Hallstrom, Nebraska; Virgil Sasso (deceased), New Jersey; and Otis Sennett, New York.
Many of the athletic directors in attendance will be involved in NIAAA Leadership Training Institute classes. A total of 37 sessions of Leadership Training classes will be held providing numerous professional development opportunities.
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