Page 9 - 2024 Annual Report

Letter from the Commissioner

Commissioner
LET TER FROM THE

To All Hoosiers:

Allow me to take you back in time, to the very beginning, to 1903—the year
the Indiana High School Athletic Association was born. Across the state,
communities were abuzz with excitement as high school sports took center stage.

But beneath the surface of this fervor was a threat to the integrity of competition:
Teams, driven by the desire to win at any cost, were resorting to tactics that
go against the very essence of sportsmanship. Some went so far as to recruit
professional players from neighboring towns, seeking victory at the expense of
fair play and community pride.

It is in this backdrop of uncertainty and moral dilemma that the seeds of the
IHSAA were sown. Founded with a clear purpose in mind, our mission from the
outset has been unwavering—to safeguard the integrity of high school sports and
preserve the values they represent for the betterment of local communities and
the state of Indiana.

High school sports, we believe, should be more than just competitions on the
field or court between opposing school communities. They should impact school
communities in a positive way and serve as an extension of the classroom.
They should be viewed as education-based athletics, as a platform for character
development, teamwork, and the instillation of life lessons and values. These are
the ground rules all member schools agree to.

As the commissioner of the IHSAA, I stand before you with a solemn promise—
to always keep education at the forefront of athletics. It’s a promise rooted in the
belief that high school sports are not just about winning trophies or accolades,
but about shaping the next generation of leaders and instilling in them the
community values that define us as Hoosiers.

The tradition of education-based athletics is one that we are immensely proud
of—a tradition that has been passed down through generations, enriching
the lives of countless student-athletes along the way and bringing together
communities. And it’s a tradition that the next generation deserves to inherit— “Founded with a clear purpose in mind,
a legacy of integrity, sportsmanship, and community pride.
our mission from the outset has been
To community,
unwavering—to safeguard the integrity of

high school sports and preserve the values

Paul Neidig they represent for the betterment of local
Commissioner, IHSAA
#ThisIsYourIHSAA communities and the state of Indiana.”

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