Page 11 - 2020 IHSAA Annual Report

Letter From the Commissioner-Elect

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As we complete what surely has been the most unpredictable and difficult year in the IHSAA’s
117-year history, as your commissioner-elect, I have two thoughts to share:

First, thank you, Commissioner Cox, for your exceptional leadership. While your nine years
at the helm have been marked by extraordinary accomplishments, it’s the steady hand you
provided during your last six months that provided our membership with the wisdom, resilience
and guidance that was so badly needed.

The IHSAA is not the same organization it was when you became commissioner in 2011, as the
story on page 18 points out. But leading our Association through the uncertainty created by the
coronavirus pandemic is especially appreciated.

Second, the overriding point that became clear when I served on the IHSAA Executive
Committee and was reinforced during my three years as an assistant commissioner is this:
WE ARE A TEAM. It starts with the 160,000 student-athletes we serve, and includes our
412 member-schools, parents, coaches and officials, our corporate partners and friends and
everyone in Indiana who cares about high school sports.

Although it is our pleasure to serve, my colleagues and I with offices at 9150 North Meridian
Street in Indianapolis are not the IHSAA. All of you are, and we need every one of you. We need
your dedication and support. We need your presence at our events. We need your cooperation,
patience and flexibility as the world of high school sports continues to evolve. In other words,
high school sports needs the best from each of us—now more than ever.

One of my favorite cheers, and I hear it hundreds of times every year, is “I believe that we will
win.” It’s fast, full-bodied and filled with optimism. That’s how I feel about high school sports
in Indiana right now. I believe that we will win and, in fact, emerge from these difficult times
stronger than ever. But it’s going to take all of us ... working ... supporting ... believing in our
mission ... and believing in each other. It’s going to take our whole team. Everyone needs to be all
in, all the time.

This is your IHSAA!

Cordially,

Paul Neidig
Commissioner-Elect
Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

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