Page 7 - 2020 IHSAA Annual Report

Letter From the Chairman

To the Friends, Fans and Followers of Indiana High School Sports,

“Celebrating Sport. Overcoming Adversity.” The title of this year’s annual report pretty much
says it all, doesn’t it?

On behalf of the 19-member IHSAA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, I’d like to
commend and thank Commissioner Bobby Cox and the entire IHSAA Executive Staff for the
exceptional leadership that was demonstrated throughout the last half of the 2019-20 school year.

It was an extraordinary period of time with unthinkable obstacles and unheard-of challenges—
and with the future of our 117-year-old state association and the health and safety of 160,000
student-athletes hanging in the balance. The stakes had never been higher. And yet our
leadership team provided the guidance that was needed to navigate a landscape that continued
to change, in some instances, hour-by-hour.

We often speak about the value of participating in education-based sports and the life lessons they
teach. During this past year, it has been enormously gratifying to see our board and executive staff
exemplify the kind of leadership that others can follow in tough times. And it reaffirms the mission
we all share, which is to better prepare the next generation for the challenges of the future.

We also have been reminded that we are the custodians of the purest form of sport there is. Our
games are not driven by the quest for fame, fortune or a college scholarship. The overwhelming
majority of student-athletes who participate in a sport here in Indiana—as well as those who
attend their events—do it because of their sheer love of the game. High school sports are a shared
experience, and it’s through the sharing with teammates, opponents, parents, officials, coaches
and fans that friendships are formed, lessons are learned and memories are made.

This has not been the kind of year we expected. There has never been one like it, and hopefully
there never will be again. At the same time, our Association has been tested and, by all estimates,
proved itself worthy. We look forward to returning to the task that brings us the most joy, and
that’s celebrating our 22 sanctioned high school sports and all those who participate in them.

Thank you for what each of you do to protect and promote high school sports in Indiana.

Sincerely,

Matt Martin
Athletic Director,
Knightstown High School
+
Chairman of the 2019-20
IHSAA Executive Committee

7