Page 10 - 2019 IHSAA Annual Report

A Letter from the Commissioner

Letter from the Commissioner

Dear Friends and Supporters of Education-Based Athletics,

A promise … a declaration of something that will be done or refrained from
doing. Merriam-Webster provides a simple yet daunting definition of a term
that may be overused and underachieved in today’s society. A promise … made
to 160,000 student-athletes that choose to participate in school-based sports
in the Hoosier state whereby their experiences while representing their high
schools shall be robust, enriching, rewarding, educational and most of all, fun.
A promise … to support the 410 member-schools of the Indiana High School
Athletic Association with resources to conduct interscholastic athletic experi-
ences that will transcend mere attendance in school, and rather create lifelong
memories, relationships and friendships. These oaths are humbly honored and
heightened annually by our member-schools and the Association on behalf of
our stakeholders. I am delighted to share that in our 116th year of existence, the
IHSAA accomplished great strides in the fulfilment of these assurances.

A chief internal project is nearing final completion with the total redesign
and enhanced functionality of our password-protected members’ website.
The new myIHSAA website is a powerful, encompassing administrative
tool providing services to literally thousands of users. Our sincere thanks
are extended to countless individuals and groups for their valuable feedback
throughout the process.

The promise of inclusion met another milestone during the most recently
completed school year as we introduced the 22nd IHSAA sport, Unified Flag
Football. Twenty-four schools participated in the inaugural tournament
series, providing yet another opportunity for our organization, along with our
partners at Special Olympics Indiana, to spread the true ideals of interscho-
lastic athletics to an even greater audience.

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