Page 5 - 2017 IHSAA Annual Report

A Letter from the Chairwoman of the Executive Committee

Debb Stevens is the
Chairwoman of the IHSAA
Executive Committee.
Debb has served on the
IHSAA Board of Directors
for five terms.

It’s been said, “it takes a village to raise a and unconditional respect for opponents,
family.” True enough. coaches and officials. Principals and
athletic administrators set the tone at their
It might also be said, “it takes a team of people respective schools, and they handle that
to sustain a successful high school athletic responsibility admirably.
program.” And that’s the core message of this
year’s annual report. The teachers who sell tickets, the parents who
manage concession stands, the trainers, ball
Successful programs at high schools boys and equipment managers, the mascots
in Indiana begin with the participants and cheerleaders, the marching bands and
themselves, the 160,000 student-athletes flag bearers, the shop owners who decorate
who are learning important life lessons by their store windows, the bus drivers and
participating in a sport. The word learning custodians, the community leaders who never
is italicized because the number one goal of miss a home game—like we said, it takes an
education-based athletics is to teach. entire community for a high school to have a
successful athletic program.
Of course, you can’t have education-based
athletics without the educators themselves, One could argue that no activity in Indiana
the thousands of high school coaches who touches as many people or has as much
not only teach “the x’s and o’s” of the 21 impact as high school sports. They continue
sports the IHSAA sanctions, but also serve to shape our culture and prepare future
as role models for the players on their generations like nothing else. And they
teams. Many of them make just a few cents wouldn’t be possible without people like you.
an hour while performing their coaching
duties, and yet their commitment to their Point in fact, you—all of you—are the IHSAA.
student-athletes, their high schools and We’re proud to have you on our team.
their communities is unwavering.
Sincerely,
The student bodies who comprise the fan
base for the IHSAA’s 409 member schools Debb Stevens
do an outstanding job of supporting their Logansport High School
teams, and the overwhelming majority
do it with loyalty, unbridled enthusiasm

INDIANA HIGH S CHOOL A THLE TIC ASS OCIA TION Annual Report 2017 5