Page 5 - 2018 IHSAA Annual Report

A Letter from the Chairman of the Executive Committee

Dear Friends:

Generally speaking, annual reports are about numbers.
They’re intended to give shareholders information about
the organization’s financial status. They’re produced to
help stakeholders feel good about their investment in the
organization.

Make no mistake about it. The IHSAA has numbers to
share, and they’re impressive. Ours is a 115-year-old
organization; we’re comprised of 410-member schools; we
sanction 21 high school sports; we’re teaching about 160,000
student-athletes how to become more responsible young
adults every year; approximately 1,500,000 Hoosiers attend
our tournament events annually. And, yes, our finances are
efficiently managed as illustrated in the Financial Review
that begins on page 14 of this publication.

But this is one annual report that isn’t primarily about “the
numbers.” It’s about those 160,000 teenage boys and girls that
we serve. And because of the dedication and hard work of our
school administrators, athletic directors and coaches, the
evidence is clear that we’re getting the job done. Read on...

“Playing a sport is not about winning or being the best, it’s
about learning those skills that make us better people.”
Ed Gilliland, the athletic Indira Brown, Yorktown High School
director at LaPorte High
School, is Chairman of the
IHSAA Board of Directors. “The value of participating in your school’s athletic program
is priceless, as no other class or club can teach values like
hard work, dedication and teamwork like sports can.”
Alex Wolfe, White River Valley High School

As you thumb through the 2018 IHSAA Annual Report,
you’ll find—and be inspired by—lots of quotes like these,
statements made by student-athletes who are enrolled in an
Indiana high school. Every one represents tangible proof of
performance. They document the fact that education-based
high school sports are alive and well in Indiana, and that our
coaching faculty is, in fact, helping the next generation learn
the life skills it will need to be successful.

If you are one of those coaches, or a school administrator,
or an educator, or a corporate friend, thank you for all you
are doing to support high school sports in Indiana. As the
evidence documents, together we are doing an excellent job!

Sincerely,
Ed Gilliland
Chairman of the Board
LaPorte High School

INDIANA HIGH S CHOOL A THLE TIC ASS OCIATION Annual Report 2018 5