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Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and that your school year is off to a great start! Please mark your calendar for March 25-28, 2017 for the GADA Conference in Savannah. We will post details on the website as soon as possible. Also keep in mind the NIAAA national conference this December in Nashville. We would love to have a record number of AD's from Georgia attending.
As always, please let us know if we can provide any assistance or resources to help you!
Warmest Regards, Ruth K. Donahoo, CMAA
GADA President Director of Athletics Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
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| IMG Academy asks Georgia High School Association to strike down bylaw
By Jim Halley - USA Today
|  IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) is demanding the Georgia High School Association revise a GHSA bylaw intended to keep its schools from playing the Ascenders in football.
IMG, ranked No. 4 in the Super 25 football rankings, played No. 2 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
When the GHSA's executive committee adjusted bylaw 2.62-b this month, executive committee members said the change was made to prevent GHSA teams from playing IMG Academy in the future.
The change to the bylaw added that "member schools shall compete, practice or scrimmage only against other member schools, or against schools who are full members, with no restrictions of the State Association in their respective states."
Greg Phillips, the co-managing director of IMG Academy, sent a letter this week to the GHSA that says the intent of the changed bylaw is based on the incorrect statement that IMG is not a full member of the Florida High School Athletic Association. The letter also mentions that the GHSA's bylaw might be in violation of state or federal statutes because it restricts schools from playing IMG without any legally allowable justification.
Phillips said the bylaw would hurt Georgia student-athletes and deprive them of the chance to play a national-caliber team such as IMG.
"If it (the bylaw change) truly was intended for us at IMG ... it was ill-conceived," Phillips said. "The wording doesn't at all align with the stated intent. If you look at the background of what was stated, it certainly isn't best for student-athletes. And how the wording is interpreted, it could apply to a number of other schools around the country. Coaches could be prohibited from competing in national events ... across all sports. The hope is this would go away."
Reached by USA TODAY Sports, GHSA executive director Gary Phillips (no relation to Greg) said, "We have no comment at this time." Read more... |
GHSA: Deadline to set Riflery Schedules
October 1, 2016
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| GHSA's expansion, realignment makes for a different look for Gwinnett's football teams in 2016
By David Friedlander - Gwinnett Prep Sports
|  As is the case with their counterparts in other sports and other areas of Georgia, Gwinnett County's high school football coaches have gotten used to having take a little inventory every two years.
With the Georgia High School Association reclassifying teams and realigning regions every other year, that just comes with the territory.
But as the 2016 high school football season prepares to kick off this Friday, Gwinnett's coaches, players, students and fans are gearing up for what figures to be a radically different look across the board.
Few reclassification/realignment cycles have had the impact on programs across the state, and especially in Gwinnett, than the current one, which expanded the GHSA to seven different classifications, has.
Not even when the organization expanded to five classification in 2000 and six in 2012 were county teams so spread out across the GHSA landscape.
Gwinnett now has teams in five different classifications and eight different regions in those classification, including three different regions in the state's largest classification, Class AAAAAAA, for the first time.
"It says a lot that Gwinnett is so big it needs that many regions," Central Gwinnett head coach Todd Wofford said. "I think it's kind of cool to be in a new region and go against some different people. Sometimes I like to see new stadiums and see different teams."
Among the Gwinnett teams that will see a different set of opponents and stadiums this fall is Buford, which moves into Region 8-AAAAA this season.
Among their scheduled opponents for 2016, Loganville is the only one the Wolves have played before, though not since 2001, while Roswell is the only non-region foe they've played before, but not since 1983.
The schedule is just one of many changes the Buford program has seen in recent years.
In fact, it can be argued that few teams have seen so many and varied changes since the current wave of classification expansion and reshuffling began in 2000, though as coach Jess Simpson points out, that is as much a function as the growth around the Buford area as it is with the GHSA. Read more... |
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Changing job, school, retire? Help us keep our email list up to date.
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New school years bring new opportunities for our members. If you've changed school, job or know someone who has, email us the updated email address, contact information and title.
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| Coaches Using Technology to Simplify Scouting
San Angelo Standard-Times (Texas)
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"We're saving marriages," Germont Jackson said. "I'm not joking."
Jackson's claim might seem normal if he worked for a marriage counseling service, wellness company or spiritual organization. But Jackson is a territory manager for Hudl, a company that provides tools for coaches and athletes to review game videos of their team and opponents. Hudl is the service most West Texas high school football coaches use to video their games and exchange videos with upcoming opponents via the internet. With online technology, Hudl also allows coaches to easily break down video of their teams and scout opponents' tendencies.
Jackson's bold claim of "saving marriages" is based on the considerable time Hudl's internet technology saves coaches. On long road trips, coaches can begin breaking down their team's performance on video during the bus ride home Friday nights.
On Saturday mornings, an assistant coach used to have to drive and meet an assistant coach from the next opponent to trade film, VHS tapes and later DVDs. In West Texas, a round trip often added up to hundreds of miles.
"There's not much sleep when we got in from a road game at Monahans at 3 in the morning and a coach had to be in Abilene by 8 to trade film," Wall coach Houston Guy said. Now, coaches from different schools can trade videos without leaving their offices by simply hitting a few keystrokes on their laptop computers or iPads. "It's like sending an email," Brady coach Chuck Lipsey said. "I wish I had invented it." Hudl also has reduced the need for sending coaches to scout upcoming opponents. "We don't send scouts out anymore. Our district (2-6A) doesn't send scouts. It saves a ton of money and time," Central coach Brent Davis said. Read more...
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| Become a Certified Athletic Administrator | 
The NIAAA Certification Program is a voluntary professional service to athletic administrators and is based on the premises of continuing education, professional growth and program development in the vocation of interscholastic athletic administration. It recognizes and incorporates the professional development opportunities provided by the Leadership Training Institute. The attainment of professional certification demonstrates the completion of a comprehensive plan for self-improvement that will enhance the ability of the athletic administrator to better serve the school, community and profession.
The NIAAA became a member of the National Certification Commission in October 1995 in an effort to stay abreast of information pertinent to the Certification Program on a national scope.
On October 26, 2001, the NIAAA Certification Program was granted "full registration" by the National Certification Commission recognizing the NIAAA Certification Program as one meeting the commissions rigid standards of excellence.
Certification Benefits
- Develops a sense of personal and professional satisfaction
- Demonstrates a commitment to excellence in the profession
- Provides growth of professional knowledge and expertise
- Enhances the perception of the profession
- Increases the potential for employment opportunities or incentives
- Participation in a nationally registered certification program
Certification Program Objectives
- To promote the professional standards, practices and ethics of athletic administration
- To encourage administrator self-assessment by offering guidelines for achievement
- To improve administrator performance by encouraging participation in a continuing program of professional growth and development
- To identify levels of educational training essential for effective athletic administration
- To foster professional contributions to the field
- To maximize the benefits received by the school community from the leadership provided by certified athletic administrators
Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree, or higher, from an accredited institution
- Approval of Personal Data Form (PDF) - Click here to view sample CAA Personal Data Form
- Two (2) or more years of experience as an athletic administrator
- Employed by (or retired from) a school, school district or state high school athletic/activities association in such capacity that the administration of interscholastic athletics is (was) among job responsibilities
- Completion of LTC 501, LTC 502, LTC 504 and LTC 506
- Successful completion of the CAA examination
If you're an Athletic Director and don't have your CAA yet, what are you waiting for?
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| Opinion: Open School Facilities Lead to Healthier Public
Charleston Gazette-Mail
|  West Virginia is in the midst of a health crisis like nothing this state has ever seen. We lead the nation in the incidence of multiple devastating illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, COPD and diabetes.
Even our children are at greater risk here than elsewhere: it is estimated that as many as one in five West Virginia fifth graders has hypertension, one in four fifth graders has high cholesterol and one in six kindergartners is obese.
This is unacceptable. And while we want all our citizens to be in better health for the simple reason of reducing their suffering, statistics such as these have far-reaching effects.
Given this health crisis, the cost of providing health insurance to West Virginia workers is so high it becomes prohibitive. This discourages our own people from opening new businesses and out-of-state companies from coming here. In turn, the lack of new job opportunities only furthers our state's decline, both physically and financially.
We do need to put a greater emphasis on educating our children to make healthy choices, but when children are being raised in the very homes where these diseases and associated behaviors abound, lessons in school can have only a limited impact.
One of the most affecting things we can do, however, is to encourage fun physical activity for all West Virginians, young and old alike. Physical activity provides numerous benefits.
Along with dietary improvement, physical fitness reduces not only obesity, but also stress. It keeps diseases like diabetes in check, enhances self-esteem and increases longevity. On a statewide basis, it can improve our productivity and reduce everyone's health care costs.
While many of our communities lack public gyms, private health clubs or even specified walking trails, every community has schools and every school has some level of athletic facilities. Over the years, access to these facilities for unorganized public recreation has been hampered by liability lawsuits and increased regulation.
To remove some of these barriers, the West Virginia Legislature passed a Shared Use Limited Liability Protection bill.
This new law, reducing liability for local schools that want to open their tracks, gyms, fields and other facilities, went into effect last year. Read more... |
| September is GHSA Cancer Awareness Month |  The Georgia High School Association is designating the month of September as it's official fall sports "Cancer Awareness Month" to advance the awareness of and help fight several types of this dreaded disease. In observance of Breast Cancer awareness, the GHSA will allow member schools to wear "Pink" uniforms and/or pink socks, wristbands, etc., at their HOME events during the week of September 5-10 for all fall sports (football, cheerleading, cross country, softball and volleyball). There will be additional weeks designated as "Pink Weeks" for winter and spring sports.
September 12-17 will be the second annual GHSA "Gold Week" to help raise the awareness of Childhood Cancer. The GHSA is proud to partner with Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research to encourage Georgia high schools to "Go Gold" during this week. Again, this is for all fall sports.
Football teams can wear gold jerseys, socks and wristbands at home games, while cross country, volleyball and softball teams can wear matching gold headbands and wristbands at home events. To learn about even more ways to get involved, view the Rally media release by clicking here or visit RallyFoundation.org.
And, finally, September 19-24 will be the third annual "Blue Week" in the sport of Football only to help fight Prostate Cancer. Special blue decals and blue wristbands can be worn this week, and the officials will have blue penalty flags to throw. Also the host school can stencil blue ribbons on the playing field for this special contest.
If a school does NOT have a home contest during one of the designated cancer awareness weeks, that school may request to wear or display the special cancer-awareness colors at a home contest during another week in September. Schools should contact the appropriate GHSA sports coordinator with this request. |
Sincerely,
Ruth Donahoo
President
Georgia Athletic Directors Association
www.gadaonline.net |
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| NIAAA's Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration
Featuring Decatur AD and past GADA President Carter Wilson
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 "It is an honor to have served as a contributor to Human Kinetics' NIAAA Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration. The goal of this publication is to serve as a comprehensive guide for athletic administrators in Georgia and throughout the country. I am proud to be a member of the GADA and the NIAAA and I hope that this publication will assist others in their service to young people." - Carter Wilson Click HERE to purchase the guide.
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GHSA 2016-2017 Football Schedule released
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| GADA Checklist for September
Helping you stay organized
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- Review w/coaches GHSA and local eligibility rules.
- Review coaches clock hours - Include those who attended August CPR/First aid classes
- Review "Out-of Season" regulations at first coaches meeting
- Pay bills
- Program
- Fall Sports Eligibility List on File
- Individual Practice Rules met prior to competition
- Review Fall Sports season guidelines, bulletins: Share information with administration and coaches, Note Deadlines
- Review eligibility clearance- ie: resident and academic rule PRIOR to first competition
- Finalize Fall sport team rosters, take team picture
- Schedule and plan events for National Activities Week.
- Send rosters to opponents
- Make sure visitor locker rooms are clean and ready for use
- Request gate money and police checks for home contests
- Write article for school newsletter or program
- Eligibility paperwork deadline
- Secure any off site gym space that might be needed for basketball practice for winter
- Weekly meeting with administrators
- Prepare JV and Freshman team roster and send with coach to contests to hand out to parents
- Confirm with transportation director all fall conflicts and departures
- Submit forms needed for co-op and combined programs
- Review school calendar and look for scheduling conflicts
- Selection of Qualifying play-off format, sites, managers and dates
- Review state tournament allocation and tournament pairings/draws
- State Amendment Process begins-check with your district secretary
- Complete GHSA membership forms Review Coaching Standards regulations
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| Schools Review Flag Policies After HS Football Incident
Post & Courier (Charleston, SC)
|  As a high school in Greenville County was fending off criticism on social media after students were barred from bringing American flags to a football game over the weekend, local school administrators were reviewing their policies about flags and sporting events.
Travelers Rest High School principal Lou Lavely banned students from bringing American flags to last Friday night s game between the Devildogs and Berea High School.
Unlike Travelers Rest High School, where nearly 80 percent of students are white and less than 5 percent of students are Hispanic, Berea High is fairly diverse with more than 27 percent of its students being Hispanic and 40 percent are white, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Education data available.
Lavely told WYFFNews4 that he banned American flags from games after they were used to taunt Berea students.
"Any decision to not allow the American flag to be used in an improper taunting, unsportsmanlike manner is first and foremost in the interests of promoting the safety and well-being of all in attendance at school events," Lavely said in a lengthy statement, released by Greenville County Schools.
"Just as importantly, using the American flag to display disrespect and unsportsmanlike behavior, is in itself improper and disrespectful to our flag." Read more... |
| Opinion: Safety Guidelines Needed to Prevent HS Deaths
By Dr. David Geier
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The death of 14-year-old Lewis Simpkins has once again raised questions about whether we are doing enough to prevent sudden deaths in sports.
The sophomore defensive tackle at River Bluff High School stumbled through the end of a 2-hour, 15-minute football practice before collapsing in the locker room on Aug. 10. Coaches gave him CPR and used a defibrillator. Paramedics took him to Lexington Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Over a recent 20-year period, 243 deaths occurred during high school and college football practices and games. That's about 12 per season.
The most common causes were heart failure, brain injury and heat illness. The cause of Simpkins death has not yet been determined.
A recent article in The State newspaper pointed out that South Carolina high schools show poor compliance with guidelines to prevent sudden death. These guidelines come from the Korey Stringer Institute, a leader in research and education to improve safety and prevent sudden deaths for athletes and the military.
In the article, South Carolina High School League commissioner Jerome Singleton noted that he wasn t familiar with the Institute or its guidelines. He did point out that coaches in this state must complete online courses regarding heat acclimatization and concussions. He also emphasized that the SCHSL reviews its medical policies annually.
Korey Stringer was an NFL offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings. He died from exertional heat stroke after an August practice in 2001. His wife Kelci partnered with heat stroke expert Dr. Douglas Casa at the University of Connecticut to create the Korey Stringer Institute. The NFL, Gatorade and other companies and organizations contribute to the Institute s efforts. Read more...
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