"The tragedy of the tornadoes last week goes far beyond high school athletics, but perhaps this is an area where GHSA schools can begin to offer help to the folks in Ringgold. Please read the letter from Mr. Gann and respond as you are able." - Ralph Swearngin

Dear Coaches, Athletic Directors, and Principals,

Recently we have had a tragedy strike our community and our school here in Ringgold, Georgia. Last Wednesday night a devastating tornado struck our town and destroyed our businesses, school, athletic facilities, and took the lives of some of our students. We are handling this tragedy in the best way possible, and as a school and a coaching staff we feel that rebuilding is the best way to get our community back to normal. Athletics is a integral part of our community and town. This tornado destroyed our field house, weight room, football stadium, baseball stadium, cheerleading field house, wrestling building, storage buildings, and much our our equipment including atheltic equipment, video equipment, mowers, and field equipment. We all compete on the fields and sometimes have some great rivalries, but at this time we are in need of assistance from our fellow schools and fellow coaches. In addition, our Middle School, which is located directly adjacent to our campus was almost 100% destroyed. We must rebuild and replace the things that we have lost. I know this is a time of economic stress for many of our schools and athletic programs, but we are asking for any assistance you could give to help us in our rebuilding process.

We have set up a relief fund account for our High School and Middle School. You may send any assistance to:

RHS-RMS Athletic Relief Fund

c/o Northwest Georgia Bank

P.O. Box 789

Ringgold, GA 30736

Your generosity will always be remembered and our school community will be eternally grateful!

Ringgold High School and Middle School Administration and Coaches

Sharon Vaughn (High School Principal) 423-903-2847

Mike Sholl (Middle School Principal) 423-653-8342

Robert Akins (Head Coach/Athletic Director) 423-463-2977

David Gann (Football Coach) 706-581-1076

Dist. 87 candidates divided on stadium lights proposal

Candidates running for Glenbard High School District 87 School Board are divided on the issue of whether to install lights around Memorial Field in Glen Ellyn.

Incumbent candidates Tom Trefilek and Rose Malcolm, who also currently serves as board president, are both supporters of installing lights at the Glenbard West High School field. Both believe it would cut down on the number of athletes having to be bused off campus for games and allow for the full utilization of the field.

It would also help relieve some of the congested practice scheduling, and free up time for players to watch and support their peers during games, Malcolm said.

"To me, it builds a community of a school when the athletes are all right on campus," she said.

Still, Mary FitzGerald Ozog, the only non-incumbent in the four-way race for three seats, and current board member Steve Sebby believe the board is moving too quickly and should hold off voting on the plan for a year.

Read more... 

1. End of the school year coaches meeting
2. Coaches review changes and adjustments to student-athlete handbook
3. Pay all invoices
4. Pay all spring sports officials/umpires invoices
5. Attend region meeting for completion of business for current year, or to prepare for next year
6. Updated school athletic code of conduct
7. Weekly administrative meeting
8. Attend end of the year faculty meetings
9. Prepare for end of the year post planning meetings
10. Update school and/or sport specific websites with past results and future schedules and pertinent information
11. Complete/re-confirm contracts for fall and winter sports
12. Prepare for end of the year athletic awards banquets
13. Have completed all coaching staff hires
14. Have scheduled all lay/community coach GHSA mandated workshops
15. Address any immediate state tournament preparations.
16. Inform student body and community of all plans and procedures for state tournament games/matches, to include site, time and transportation.
17. Announce/post all sports summer plans, to include strength and conditioning, workouts, summer leagues and camps.
18. Confirm all summer maintenance repairs, or capital projects schedules.

Click HERE to download a print version.

"I can't discipline your child," said former Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville basketball coach Hugh Durham. "I can punish him, but I can't discipline him."

The audience at the eighth annual Sports Champions of Greater Atlanta awards banquet didn't know where Durham was going with his speech. But he did.

Durham, the featured speaker at the event, coached plenty of kids during his 37 years as a college hoops head coach. In fact, Durham is the only coach ever to have guided two programs (FSU and UGA) to their first and only Final Fours. Durham also defeated legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp is his final game during the 1972 NCAA Tournament.

Durham finished his story, which was a partial remembrance of his oft-used recruiting pitch from his coaching days. He finished by reminding parents it is their job to instill discipline in their children, not anyone else.

This year at the banquet, 18 high school athletes were honored for their achievements on and off the field, while four coaches were also recognized (see box). The athletes were honored based on selection by the SCOGA selection committee after the students had been nominated by their athletics directors. Encompassing the Great Atlanta area - Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett - the winners were chosen based on a combination of athletic ability, scholastic achievement and good character.

Camden County has been one of the most successful football programs in the state of Georgia for the last decade. But because the school is located on the border with Florida, the Wildcats have to travel long distances for away games which is not fun for coaches, players and fans.

Because Camden, along with other schools in the more remote parts of Georgia, the GHSA has two proposed plans to reclassify teams to make competition better and traveling easier. One plan is features six classifications while the other plan would feature more eight state champions per gender per sport. Here's a look at the proposed plans.

CHAMPIONSHIPS GALORE ...

Back in 2000, the GHSA realigned classes and added a 5A classification for schools with a large number of students. So schools such as Walton, Brookwood, Lowndes and Valdosta were in 5A due to the number of enrolled students, generally over 2,000. With the first proposed plan, 5A would be gone and there would only be four classifications. However, there would be more state champions crowned. Read more... 

April GHSA Newsletter

Utilizing Former Coaches

(Larry Payne, Assistant Principal, Ooltewah High School, Ooltewah, TN) - Increasing responsibilities for the athletic administrator requires more delegation of responsibilities. Do not overlook the experience of former coaches, now administrators, or retired coaches. Many still enjoy athletic events and are willing to to assist with special events. Experience is a valuable resource, and when utilized in the proper situation can be a tremendous asset.

If you have an article that you've written and would like to share it with the membership, please contact us by clicking HERE  

Visit www.NIAAA.org