News
A Foundation for the 21st Century
Letter From Commissioner Bobby Cox
In June of 2015, the IHSAA Executive Committee approved the creation and formation of an allied organization to the Association that will promote and reward the values of education-based athletics in Indiana. The IHSAA Foundation continues to organize and prepare for growth on behalf of our 410 member-schools and the 160,000 student athletes we serve.
Currently, the IHSAA awards 13 scholarships to deserving seniors in our state through the C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship Program. These one-time $2,500 awards provide some assistance to those student-athletes that demonstrate excellence in the classroom, in the athletic arena, and within their communities. Additionally, the Association continues to provide a $1,000 award to 42 Mental Attitude Award winners throughout the school year across 20 IHSAA sports. It is an honor for the Association to grant these awards, and there continues to be a strong desire from the Executive Committee to continue these offerings.
One of the goals of the Association is to move these programs to the IHSAA Foundation with a potential eye to perhaps increase the values of these distributions. This and other philanthropic measures can be achieved through a strong foundation.
Additionally, a second worthy pursuit of the Foundation will be to begin a member-schools grant program. Frequently, a member-school or collection of schools wish to provide character programming, yet funds to secure top speakers and/or facilitators are scarce. With a strong foundation in place, a goal of designating funds to be awarded to member schools through a grant writing request process is reachable. In other applications, a school may wish to start a student athletic board but may need financial assistance to begin that opportunity. It is these, along with other student leadership initiatives, where the Foundation could become a valuable resource.
Our newly-appointed Board of Directors convened this past June at the baseball state finals. Great strides were made in our initial gathering, and we have only just begun. Additionally, the Foundation conducted its first golf outing, and while the weather was less than cooperative, the Foundation experienced a very successful inaugural event. Finally, as we continue to build the Foundation, we are actively pursuing an Executive Director to continue to build the infrastructure, design annual giving programs, and expand opportunities for our member-schools.
The American entrepreneur and philanthropist Eli Broad once stated, “Charity is just writing checks and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven't been done before.” Collectively, we now have an opportunity to become engaged in a pursuit that will benefit our member-schools and students for years to come. I invite you to join the quest.
Cordially,
Bobby Cox
Commissioner
Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.
Introducing the IHSAA Foundation Board of Directors
The IHSAA is privileged to welcome these ardent supporters of education-based athletics as charter board members of the newly-formed IHSAA Foundation, created to assure the continuation of high school sports in Indiana for decades to come.
Pictured from left to right are: Bobby Cox, Milton O. Thompson, Blake Ress, James T. Morris, Dr. Phil N. Eskew Jr., Patrick Shoulders, Jennifer K. Wilfong, and J. Terry Clapacs. Pete Ward is not pictured.
A Look at This Year’s Sportsmanship Social Media Campaign
Along with a new year comes another strong push for good sportsmanship among our member schools. While the IHSAA extended its annual Sportsmanship Campaign to include Twitter last year, we have stepped it up even more this year with a comprehensive campaign that includes Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even social media’s newest star, Snapchat. The IHSAA will promote a monthly word associated with the concept of sportsmanship, along with expressive and fun definitions for each, across all of these channels. The intended purpose is to eliminate the “institutional” and “formal” context of the word "sportsmanship" and, instead, make it a relatable topic that students are excited to engage with and share.
The campaign will also be supplemented with a social media component to “laser target” parents and students throughout Indiana. This will ensure that our message is seen regardless of whether or not they follow IHSAA social media channels. An additional feature of the sportsmanship social media campaign includes the presence of a street team at select IHSAA State Finals events to further promote the conversation of sportsmanship online.
You can see the conversation happening live on our website. We encourage you to join in the fun by posting instances of outstanding sportsmanship that you see throughout your own schools and communities while using the hashtag #FaceOfSportsmanship.
The IHSAA Champions Radio Network
Each year, during football, boys and girls basketball, and baseball seasons, the IHSAA Champions Radio Network provides Indiana communities with the opportunity to listen to high-quality, local high school sports programming. This robust, statewide network, presented by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, is one of the largest high school radio broadcast networks in the United States. The IHSAA Champions Radio Network also brings listeners an exclusive look at pre-tournament pairings shows, expert predictions and analyses, and exclusive interviews. With more than 40 stations on this year’s network, our affiliates make sure everyone can catch the big game!
The IHSAA Champions Radio Network, presented by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, is the best alternative to attending a game in person. Below is a list of participating football affiliate stations where fans can tune in to all the action:
|
Anderson |
WHBU |
1240 |
AM |
|
Attica |
WFWR |
91.5 |
FM |
|
Austin |
WXKU |
92.7 |
FM |
|
Batesville |
WRBI |
103.9 |
FM |
|
Baugh City |
WYIR |
96.9 |
FM |
|
Bedford |
WQRK |
105.5 |
FM |
|
Bedford |
WPHZ |
102.5 |
FM |
|
Bedford |
WBIW |
1340 |
AM |
|
Boonville |
WBNL |
1540 |
AM |
|
Boonville |
WBNL |
97.7 |
FM |
|
Brazil / Terre Haute |
WFWF |
99.5 |
FM |
|
Brazil / Terre Haute |
WFWF |
1130 |
AM |
|
Evansville |
WJLT |
105.3 |
FM |
|
Hammond |
WJOB |
1230 |
AM |
|
Hammond |
WJOB |
104.7 |
FM |
|
Hardinsburg |
WKLO |
96.9 |
FM |
|
Indianapolis |
WFNI |
107.5 |
FM |
|
Indianapolis |
WFNI |
1070 |
AM |
|
Indianapolis |
WIBC |
93.5 |
FM |
|
Jasper |
WITZ |
104.7 |
FM |
|
Jasper |
WQKZ |
98.5 |
FM |
|
Jeffersonville |
WXVW |
1450 |
AM |
|
Knox |
WKVI |
99.3 |
FM |
|
Knox |
WYMR |
98.3 |
FM |
|
Michigan City |
WEFM |
95.9 |
FM |
|
Muncie |
WXFN |
102.9 |
FM |
|
Muncie |
WXFN |
1340 |
AM |
|
New Castle |
WLTI |
1550 |
AM |
|
Paoli |
WUME |
95.3 |
FM |
|
Plymouth |
WTCA |
1050 |
AM |
|
Plymouth |
WTCA |
106.1 |
FM |
|
Richmond |
WKBV |
1490 |
AM |
|
Rockville |
WAXI |
104.9 |
FM |
|
Salem |
WSLM |
1220 |
AM |
|
Salem |
WSLM |
97.9 |
FM |
|
Seymour |
WZZB |
1390 |
AM |
|
Shelbyville |
WSVX |
1520 |
AM |
|
Shelbyville |
WSVX |
96.5 |
FM |
|
Sullivan |
WNDI |
95.3 |
FM |
|
Warsaw |
WRSW |
107.3 |
FM |
|
Warsaw |
WRSW |
1480 |
AM |
|
Washington |
WAMW |
1580 |
AM |
|
Washington |
WAMW |
95.9 |
FM |
|
Winchester |
WZZY |
98.3 |
FM |
IHSAA Hosts NFHS Section 4 Meeting
The IHSAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Our organization, along with 50 other state associations, comprise the membership of the NFHS. Annually, the NFHS conducts eight section meetings during the fall season across the country to examine current issues on both state and national levels. The IHSAA was honored to host the Section 4 meeting, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Our conversations this year comprised of the new baseball pitch count rule, the progress of the NFHS Network, the status of the NFHS Foundation, national events and championships, digital ticketing, concussion “gap” insurance, the implementations of student advisory committees, requirements for membership in state associations, and new sportsmanship initiatives. The IHSAA looks forward to convening with our colleagues in the future from Section 4 and abroad to continue the discussion of education-based athletics in our country.
IHSAA Staff Members Serving on NFHS Committees and Boards
As part of our participation within the NFHS family, IHSAA Executive Staff members serve on national committees and boards to shape rules and policies that guide high school athletics and activities across our country. Below is a listing of current positions held by IHSAA staff members:
|
Bobby Cox |
|
|
Robert Faulkens |
|
|
Kerrie Schludecker |
|
|
Sandra Walter |
|
2015-16 State Champions: Spring
Girls Track & Field
- Team: Warren Central
Boys Track & Field
- Team: Carmel
Unified Track & Field
- Team: Warsaw
Girls Tennis
- Team: Indianapolis Cathedral
- Singles: Maeve Koscielski, Indianapolis Cathedral
- Doubles: Autumn Clark / Caroline McAuley, North Central (Indianapolis)
Softball
- 1A: Borden
- 2A: Evansville Mater Dei
- 3A: Lebanon
- 4A: Avon
Boys Golf
- Team: Westfield
- Individual: Cedric McAree, Hamilton Southeastern
Baseball
- 1A: Daleville
- 2A: Providence
- 3A: Northview
- 4A: Roncalli
2015-16 Mental Attitude Award Recipients: Spring
Girls Track & Field
- Megan Grabowski, Bloomington South
Boys Track & Field
- Cooper Williams, West Lafayette
Girls Tennis
- Lauryn Padgett, Carmel
Softball
- 1A: Savanna Harrison, Frontier
- 2A: Sarah Brown, Boone Grove
- 3A: Laura Patterson, Lebanon
- 4A: Alyssa Grimm, Penn
Boys Golf
- Keegan Bronnenberg, Muncie Central
Baseball
- 1A: Brandon Vermillion, Daleville
- 2A: Tré Watson, Providence
- 3A: None
- 4A: Jacob Hurtubise, Zionsville
- October 29: Boys & Girls Cross Country State Finals
- October 29: Boys & Girls Soccer State Finals
- November 5: Volleyball State Finals
- November 25-26: Football State Finals