Page 38 - 2016 IHSAA Annual Report

s e c t i o n 3 2015-16 Championships and Awards

Individual Effort and

Achievement Recognized

While only a small percentage of the IHSAA’s IHSAA Mental Attitude Awards are named
160,000 student-athletes win individual after retired commissioners, men and women
awards at the statewide level, many are who have dedicated their entire careers to the
deserving of them. Education-based athletics advancement of Indiana high school sports,
teach life lessons that most high school first as educators and ultimately as coaches
athletes in Indiana diligently put into prac- and administrators.
tice. In a very real sense, they all have earned
the recognition that only a select few receive. IHSAA corporate partners award $1,000
scholarships to the schools of every winner.
IHSAA Mental Attitude Awards The Indianapolis Colts present six mental
attitude awards in football, the Indiana
The most prestigious award that the Associa- Pacers and Indiana Fever present eight
tion presents every year is the IHSAA Mental awards in basketball, and Indiana Farm
Attitude Award. Bureau Insurance presents the remaining 28
awards.
The presentation of the mental attitude
award immediately at the conclusion of The IHSAA salutes all those student-athletes
every state championship event illustrates who made the choice to support their school
the importance that the IHSAA places on and their community by participating in
the complete student-athlete, teenagers who education-based athletics. They have learned
not only excel in their chosen sport, but also important lessons that will benefit them for
distinguish themselves as excellent students the rest of their lives.
and exemplary citizens.

Commissioner Blake

Ress Honored

The Mental Attitude Award for
Class 1A, 2A and 3A football have
been named after the seventh
Commissioner of the IHSAA, Blake
Ress. Commissioner Ress was an
educator, coach, official and high
school principal prior to joining
the IHSAA in 1995 as an Assistant
Commissioner. He served as
Commissioner from July 2000 to
February 2011.

38 INDIANA HIGH S CHOOL A THLE TIC ASS OCIA TION Annual Report 2016