Page 9 - 2014 IHSAA Annual Report

SECTION TWO A Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends:

As we look forward to the 2014-15 high school sports season in Indiana,
I would like to once again commend and thank the tens of thousands of
school administrators, coaches, officials and fans who make education-
based athletics in the Hoosier state possible.

Ours is a joint mission—to provide approximately 160,000 Indiana
teenagers the opportunity to learn essential life skills through
participation in one or more of the 21 sports administered by the Indiana
High School Athletic Association. While a handful of these talented
young people will go on to perform athletically at the collegiate and
professional level, virtually all of them will distinguish themselves as
productive members of society and leaders in our community.

Together, we are shaping and developing the next generation of citizens,
Phil Ford, principal at Jay County
High School, is Chairman of the Board. people who make our laws and, more significantly, those who will live by
them. By teaching and practicing sportsmanship, regard for authority,
selflessness and humility we are laying the groundwork for the
continuation of a society based on order and mutual respect. It is hard
to imagine a mission that is more worthwhile.

I particularly want to thank the principals of the IHSAA’s 412
member schools for their continued dedication and support, my 18
colleagues who have been elected by the membership to serve on the
IHSAA Board of Directors, Commissioner Bobby Cox and the entire
administrative staff of the IHSAA. Their commitment to provide a
level playing field for all participants of all sports is instrumental in
fulfilling the goals of our association.

I am sure the facts and figures presented in this report for the 2013-14 school
year will enlighten and impress you. But perhaps more significantly, the
photographs you’ll see illustrate just how important our work is. The
passion, thrills and excitement that help define the culture of our state
can be found at every high school in Indiana, nearly every weekend of the
school year.

Collectively, we are doing important, impactful work. On behalf of the
entire IHSAA Board of Directors, our sincere thanks to you and your
colleagues for all that you do to support it.

Phil Ford
Principal, Jay County High School
Chairman of the 2013-14 IHSAA Executive Committee

INDIA NA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION Annual Report 2014 7