Fall 2015 Newsletter

The power of
Community
Service
They went to
Indianapolis!
SAC members give
back at Orientation
pp.6—7
Are YOU a Leader?
Wellness Workshop
poses question
for high school
students
p.11
Mass SAC members
attend NFHS
leadership event
p.5
Building the Future
the newsletter of MIAA Educational Athletics
Fall 2015
Inaugural Event Draws 134 Participants
Endowment Golf Tournament a Success
T
he Educational Athletics
Endowment Fund is a
relatively new initiative;
its aim is to raise funds to allow
full participation in Educational
Athletic programming offered by
the MIAA. On Monday, August
10, 134 golfers played in its first
event—the Endowment Celebrity Golf Tournament at Plymouth
Country Club.
“We exceeded our goal,” said
MIAA Assistant Director Phil
Vaccaro, who serves as Endowment Committee Liaison. “I
was ecstatic because of the result
and because of all the great peo-
This foursome, known as “Middlesex League,” consisted of, from left, Mike
Boyages, former AD at Wakefield Memorial High School; Patricia Ruggiero,
AD at Melrose High School; Mike Lahiff, AD at Watertown High School/
MIAA Board of Directors, and Jim Davis, AD at Belmont High School
ple—tee sponsors, competition
sponsors, and companies that
donated shirts. Companies really
rallied around to help us exceed
our goal.
“We are hoping to start funding
some of our student athletes’ par-
ticipation in our education-based
programs by the first of the year.”
Vaccaro said to watch www.
miaa.net for posting on how
schools may apply for programming discounts or subsidies.
Celebrity golfers who added
continued on page 3
Educational Athletics Briefs
Essay Deadline
Approaches
The MIAA Sportsmanship
Summit November 20th will
once again feature an Essay/
Multimedia Contest. Deadline
for entries is October 16.
For more information about
the Summit, see page10.
Student-Athlete
of the Month Awards
The MIAA Student-Athlete
of the Month award is
their star luster to the event were:
Dante Scarnecchia, former Offensive Line Coach and Assistant
Head Coach, New England Patriots.
Andy Brickley, Boston Bruins
and NESN Color Commentator.
Peter Roby, Athletic Director
at Northeastern University.
Kathy Delaney-Smith, Head
Women’s Basketball Coach, Harvard University.
Bob Lobel, host of “Legends
with Bob Lobel,” and former
sportscaster for WBZ-TV.
Celebrity dinner guests were
former New England Patriots
Steve Nelson and Bill Johnson.
The foursome who took first
place consisted of Richard Pearson, Jim Harlon, Larry Sheehan,
and Shawn Tierney.
Second place honors went to
the team comprised of Brian Fly-
presented on a monthly basis
September through April to
one male and one female
student-athlete who display
excellence in the areas of
academics, athletics and
community service. Students
in grades 9-12 who attend
MIAA member schools
are eligible to receive the
award. Monthly award
recipients will receive a
certificate of recognition,
continued on page 2
be featured on www.miaa.
net, and be honored at the
annual MIAA Coach of the
Year and Student-Athlete
of the Month Recognition
Banquet. Nominations may
be submitted by principals,
athletic directors, teachers,
coaches, guidance
counselors or other
school administrators.
Nominations must be
received by the last day
of each month and will
remain in consideration
for each month that the
award is presented.
Educational Athletics Endowment Fund
plans “Legends” Evening in June
T
he MIAA Endowment
Fund Committee is planning a gala evening event
at Gillette Stadium on June 16,
2015. The evening will celebrate
several figures from the world of
sports in the Commonwealth, and
hopes to raise funds for student
for the American Football League
and then the Boston Patriots. He
served 28 years in the Navy and
Naval Reserve, retiring with a rank
of Captain. He was the first inductee into the Winchester Sports
Foundation Hall of Fame.
Doug Flutie, of Natick is fa-
Educational Athletics
Achievement Award
The MIAA Educational
Athletics Achievement
Award allows coaches,
athletic directors, other
school staff and game
officials to recognize
student-athletes, coaches,
or teams for outstanding
acts in relation to one or
more of the five pillars
of Educational Athletics.
Nominations may be
submitted anytime to
Assistant Director Rich
Riley at [email protected].
Look for photos of previous
recipeints in this issue.
MIAA Educational Athletics
Endowment Fund “Legends” Night
When:
June 16, 2016
Where:
Gillette Stadium
SAVE THE DATE!
Student Broadcast
Program Workshop
October 21
A Student Broadcast
Program morning
workshop will be held at
the MIAA on Wednesday,
October 21. Watch
www.miaa.net for more
information and a flyer/
registration opportunity.
The MIAA will be creating a
Student Broadcast Program
Advisory Committee;
students and advisors
wishing to participate are
asked to email Associate
Director Sherry Bryant
at [email protected].
What:
athletes and Educational Athletics adult leaders to subsidize their
attendance at MIAA Educational
Athletics programs where necessary.
According to MIAA Assistant
Director and Endowment Fund
Liaison Phil Vaccaro, the list of
Massachusetts sports world luminaries to be honored includes:
Harry Agganis (1929—1955,
posthumously), known as the
“Golden Greek,” was a bright star
on the sports scene before his untimely death due to a pulmonary
embolism. He was a baseball and
football star at Boston University,
and later served in the Marines,
playing those sports at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina. He is
in the College Football Hall of
Fame, and Agganis Arena at Boston University is named in his
honor. The Agganis Foundation
also honors his memory with
college scholarships to deserving
student-athletes.
Joe Bellino, of Bedford, won
the Heisman Trophy in 1960
playing for the United States Naval Academy. He went on to play
2 Building the Future Fall 2015
mous for his “Hail Mary” pass
as Boston College quarterback
against Miami in November of
1984; he won the Heisman Trophy that year. He went on to play
for the NFL and several Canadian
League football teams. At Natick
High School, Flutie was an AllLeague athlete in football, basketball and baseball.
Tom Glavine, a Concord native, entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 after
23 years in Major League Baseball.
A lefty, Glavine pitched for the
New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, including two games
with the Braves during the 1995
World Series victory over the
Cleveland Indians. His careers
in both baseball and hockey at
Billerica Memorial High School
earned him a draft spot for both
at the professional level.
Rebecca Lobo was the state
scoring record-holder with 2,740
points in her high school career
for Southwick-Tolland Regional
High School. She was heavily recruited, and chose to attend the
University of Connecticut. Lobo
helped lead the Huskies to the
1995 National Championship
with an undefeated 35-0 record.
She was on the 1996 Olympic
gold-medal team and played in
the WNBA for seven years. Lobo
parlayed this stellar career into a
role as a basketball analyst and
motivational speaker. She retired
from the WNBA in 2003.
Dana Barros, from Boston,
was the Seattle Supersonics firstround draft pick out of Boston
College in 1989. During the years
1993—2002 he played with Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit, respectively. He joined the Celtics
a second time at the end of the
2003—2004 season and retired
at the end of that season with
8,901 points (an average of 10.5
points per game). Barros had been
a four-year starter in basketball at
Xaverian Brothers High School
in Westwood. He now works for
the Celtics in the Media Relations
Department and offers NBA analysis and insight on NESN Daily.
Also scheduled for the evening
is a presentation to former MIAA
Executive Director Dick Neal for
his lifetime commitment to Educational Athletics. Neal retired
in 2013 after 34 years of service.
For more information and registration details, keep watching www.
miaa.net.
Endowment Fund Golf Tourney
continued from page 1
nn, Robert Paul, Jack Pin and John Steacie.
For a list of tournament sponsors and additional information, please see the Education
Based Athletics Endowment Fund page on
the MIAA website.
Vaccaro said the Second Annual MIAA
Endowment Celebrity Golf Tournament is
scheduled for August 8, 2016. Please watch
www.miaa.net for details.
Sportsmanship:
The Only Way to Win
Awards for teams,
individuals
T
he MIAA Sportsmanship
Award “The Only Way to
Win,” allows coaches, athletic directors, game officials
or school administrators to nominate
individuals or teams to be recognized
for outstanding acts of sportsmanship.
Recipients of this award receive a letter
of recognition and a certificate from the
MIAA. Winners will also be featured in
Building the Future.
Nomination forms can be found on
the Sportsmanship Page at www.miaa.net.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Members of the North Middlesex Regional High School baseball team receive the
Sportsmanship Alliance of Massachusetts (SAM) Baseball Award at Fenway Park prior to the
Boston Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 23, 2015. The North Middlesex
team was honored for their season-long commitment to sportsmanship including initiatives
with the Jimmy Fund and Coaches vs. Cancer.
Collaborative workshop November 5th seeks
to help administrators in preventing youth suicide
M
IAA is teaming with the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association (MSSAA); Screening for Mental Health (SMH), Wellesley Hills;
Riverside Trauma Center, Needham, and the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (MDESE) to provide a
workshop at MIAA/MSSAA focusing on the
WELLNESS
Ethics
Integrity
Sportsmanship
The Only Way to Win!
administrator’s role in preventing youth suicide. The workshop is scheduled for November
5, 2015 from 8:30 am to 3:00pm.
Featured Presenter Scott Poland, EDd, is
a professor at the Center for Psychological
The Following dates for the “Fundamentals of Coaching” class have been scheduled:
October 24, 2015: Putnam VTHS, Springfield, 9am—1pm
November 7, 2015: Reading Memorial High School, 8am—noon
November 9, 2015: Norwell High School, 8am—noon
November 23, 2015: Andover High School, 4am—8pm
Anyone interested in attending these classes should sign up at http://www.miaa.net/
miaa/conferences. Classes are listed individually for registration. Please check frequently, as new classes will be added throughout the year.
Studies & Co-Director of the Suicide and
Prevention Center at Nova Southeastern University. He is an internationally recognized
expert on school crisis and youth suicide, and
has authored five books on the subject.
Additional presenters will include:
• Meghan Diamon, Youth Programs Manager, SMH,
• Joanna Bridger, Riverside Trauma Center,
• and Anne Gilligan, MDESE.
Participants will be able to:
• Identify protective factors & programs to
prevent youth suicide.
• Learn the legal lessons from cases where
schools were sued following a youth suicide
• Understand the relationship between
school shootings & suicide and the most common motivations for murder suicide
• Understand the complex relationships between bullying & other risk factors and suicide
• Develop a comprehensive best practices
model for prevention, intervention and postvention in schools
• Make the connection and alignment to
emergency management, to safe & supportive learning environments, legislation, policy,
protocol and practice.
MIAA partnered with MSSAA last spring
to offer a comprehensive Teen Mental Health
Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford which was well attended and well received.
For registration for the November 5th Conference, please visit www.miaa.net/conferences
Building the Future
Fall 2015
3
Voices of Young Leaders
Voices of Young Leaders
SAC members reflect on their experiences at NESLC,
the National Student Leadership Summit, and life
by Kyle Morris,
Senior Returning SAC member
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School
N
ESLC in my opinion is one of the
most important events that the
MIAA puts on. Attending it as a
student delegate back in 2014, I had no idea
what to expect—like most students who attend
NESLC for the first time—but nevertheless I
was still excited and a little nervous for what
was to come. Although I find it hard to put
into words, NESLC was and still is one of the
favorite things I have ever done. The people,
the environment, the knowledge you obtain
is something that most people will never experience, and you experience all three of those
things in such a short amount of time. Most
friends with so many students from across ining of the MIAA Student Ambassador prothe country—students from Kentucky, South gram. I believe the Ambassador program can
Dakota, and even Hawaii. What connected be a great tool for not just the MIAA but for
us was playing sports and showing leadership each individual school as well, enabling the
within our schools, towns, and communities. MIAA to have representation in every school
One of the main courses taught at the na- and allow for a more direct contact between
tional conference was the use of social media student athletes and athletic directors, as well
and how it could either greatly enhance us as as student athletes, to the MIAA.
athletes and soon-to-be college students or
greatly destroy us and create an image that by Matt LaBranche
overcasts who we truly are as individuals. SAC Vice Chair; Senior Returning SAC member
Considering almost everyone in the country Minnechaug Regional High School
has at least one or more social media pages
or accounts, they have become a virtual repo start off the summer with the comresentation of ourselves. Learning and unmittee I served as a volunteer at New
derstanding how I could use social media to
England Student Leadership Conferhelp present myself in a more positive way and ence (NESLC) 2015. This was an experience
even help me obtain certain jobs and get into I had been excited about since I first found
different colleges definitely made me more out I would be a part of the Student Advisory
self-conscious and aware of how Committee. For me, NESLC was where my
important and dangerous social SAC journey began. After attending the MIAA
media can be. Although there are Sportsmanship Summit, my AD suggested
countless other things that I could talk about attending the conference if I enjoyed the day’s
this subject impacted me the most and the Stu- program. I did, so I decided to take a chance
dent Advisory Committee is even talking about on NESLC. That decision changed my life.
adding this subject to the classroom sessions The people you meet and the lessons you learn
for future New England Student Leadership are second to none.
Conferences.
After serving on the committee, I was ecDuring the last week of August we had static to be able to help bring the same expethe first meeting of the
rience to a new crop of
2015-2016 Student Once you become a captain of a
student leaders and it
Advisory Committee. sports team, you are given a lot of
was everything I hoped
This first meeting is responsibility and are expected to do
it would be. Being able
an orientation for all more than your other fellow teamto sit in on workshops
returning and all new mates. NESLC gives you the tools and
and talk with kids
members, where we all skill sets to not only easily accept that about their experience
meet each other and get responsibility and excel with it, but
brought me back to
connected. The whole to be able to be a true leader, a true
when I was a student
day revolves around captain.
and motivated me to
team bonding, and
—Kyle Morris improve what was alsetting forth goals and
ready going on. After a
ambitions for the year. Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical week at Stonehill, I was
High School excited to be a student
This day is important
because this commitagain in Indianapolis
tee—this team—will help usher in a new wave at the NFHS National Student Leadership
of captains and help out at some of the more Summit.
major events that the MIAA puts on like the
I knew the event would be great and that the
Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium NFHS would be able to teach me new things
and, of course, NESLC.
NESLC hadn’t yet taught me, but I was blown
Coming back for my second year on the away by the event. In less than three days,
Advisory Committee, my main goal for the
continued on page 5
year is to complete the Committees’ re-imag-
LEADERSHIP
people become captains without any kind of
skill-sets or knowledge that are needed and
they can be bad, mediocre or even sometimes
good captains. What NESLC does is give you
those skill sets and knowledge so you have the
upper hand in dealing with any and everything that comes along with having the title
of captain, ensuring that you do not have a
bad or mediocre captain, but a good or even
great captain. Once you become a captain of
a sports team, you are given a lot of responsibility and are expected to do more than your
other fellow teammates. NESLC gives you the
tools and skill sets to not only easily accept that
responsibility and excel with it, but to be able
to be a true leader, a true captain.
NFHS National Student Leadership Summit is another experience that I will never forget and most people will never have the chance
to experience. Fresh out of helping out with
NESLC 15 and being a volunteer counselor, I
had the chance to attend the National Student
Leadership Summit. Knowing that NESLC
was a smaller New England version of the
national student leadership conference and
was a state action plan that the Student Advisory Committee made during the last NFHS
meeting about eight years ago, I had a good
idea about what the conference was about.
However, it blew my mind that I became
4 Building the Future Fall 2015
T
continued from page 4
everything I thought I knew about leadership
had been expanded upon. The chance to have
new speakers from all over the country was
incredible and some of their messages were
things I had never heard before.
One speaker in particular was really important to me. Speaker and former college basketball player Omari Pearson led small group
sessions on the importance of being aware on
social media and how you can use it to help
you reach your career goals, not hinder them.
No one had ever wanted to educate me or any
other student leader on such an important
and relevant topic so it really stood out to me.
Unfortunately, the conference ended all too
soon, but SAC orientation was right around
the corner. SAC orientation, Round 2, was
exciting for me because I knew what we would
be doing and I knew I would be able to help
the new members get the most out of the day.
Going to the farm at Stonehill is always one
of my favorite projects but I really enjoyed
going through the day’s workshops and seeing
everyone’s personalities come out as we got to
know each other and learn the skills we would
need for the year.
Going forward, this committee has a lot of
potential. The group is big and has the ability
to reach a large number of students in Massachusetts. But, we also have a lot of great ideas
for projects to work on in Franklin as well. I
am really excited to hopefully fine-tune our
work on the Student Ambassador program
and also start a Special Olympics event for
Massachusetts High Schools. I have high goals
for this year and no doubt that this group can
reach them.
the distance I’ve come since my time a year
before, and the growth from the relative shell
of a person I was then to who I am now.
The NFHS Summit summarized in one
word would be surreal. Coming straight off
of NESLC, the summit felt really short, and
fun-packed. It also felt good to be a delegate
again; to go through the two-hour swing that
starts in the slightly awkward stage of walking in with your luggage and waiting with
anticipation, to walking out of the opening
session, new friend from a different state on
either side, laughing at some joke or the way
I use “wicked” to describe nearly anything
worth experiencing.
People, again, made my experience memorable. I had a first serendipitous dinner with
the members of the Kentucky Student Advisory Committee—even now I still keep in touch
with many of them weekly. The leaders of each
session were gregarious and down-to-earth, but
also focused on the implicit opportunity to
impact the common good—that each leader
there was going to go home to their teams,
schools, and states and make a difference. Isn’t
that the essence of educational athletics: kids
taking the initiative to use their athletic connections and abilities to build community and
make a positive change?
All in all, the summit flew by so quickly, and
was packed with so many phenomenal leaders
and role models, it would be easy to think it
was all just a marvelous dream.
The Student Advisory Committee Orientation was a blast. I unfortunately had to miss the
orientation last year, so this was technically my
first run through. (I don’t think Facetiming in
from Florida counts as attending). The group
trip to Stonehill Farm broke any awkwardness
that existed in the group. As members worked
alongside one another, the team-building had
already begun. Back at the office, the cooperative and communication activities were fun,
active, and mentally stimulating; all elements
that allow athletes like ourselves to thrive.
This year, I am most excited for a Special
Olympics Massachusetts Initiative. At the
NFHS Summit, the group participated in Special Olympics Indiana at a high school not far
from the summit hotel. Using this well-constructed, enjoyable, and rewarding event as a
framework, the returning members and I all
hoped that the Student Advisory Committee
would take this event idea as a major goal for
this year. With the new members on board and
equipped with lots of experience in Unified
Athletics, we are excited and motivated to
make this event a success for the MIAA.
by Tyler Keohan
SAC Chair; Senior Returning SAC member
Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
N
ESLC started it all for me. It has,
without a doubt, changed my path
and shaped so much of who I am.
I’d like to imagine that I could have “turned
out” as well without its influence, but I’m
thoroughly convinced now that there is no
combination of education, experience or atmosphere like you’ll find at NESLC. I’m such
a people person, and the relationships I’ve
formed from that bond are some of the most
genuine, heartfelt, and supportive ones in my
life. While this year I entertained a different
capacity at NESLC, seeing the whole operation
with a new class of leaders made me appreciate
The Massachusetts Delegation to the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Student Leadership
Summit July 20-22 in Indianapolis was, from left: Brett Mazur, King Philip RHS; Kyle Morris,
Montachusett RVTHS; Stephany Rodriguez, Charlestown HS; Tyler Keohan, Acton-Boxboro RHS, and
Matt LaBranche, Minnechaug RHS.
Building the Future
Fall 2015
5
Student Advisory Committee for 2015-16 poised
for adventure and service
T
he Student Advisory Committee (SAC) met for the first time as a group on
August 20, 2015 for their orientation session. They gathered at the MIAA Office
and took a bus to Stonehill Farm in Easton for a morning of service. Service
that day took the form of weeding and harvesting squash, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers,
and the mini-pumpkins
known as “hooligans.”
They returned to the
office for a pizza lunch followed by workshops on team building, goal setting and
communication.
“They really worked hard,” said Peter Smith, MIAA Associate Director and Coordinator of the SAC, referring to both the morning service project and the afternoon
workshop sessions. Smith facilitated the afternoon sessions along with Naomi Martin,
Athletic Director at Lexington High School and a member of the MIAA Educational
Athletics Committee.
Much will be expected from this group of 17 dedicated student leaders. They will
assist at large-scale MIAA events, such as the MIAA Wellness Summit October 23 at
the Doubletree Hotel (Westborough); the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit, November
20 at Gillette Stadium; the Massachusetts Celebration of National Girls and Women
in Sport Day, February 5, 2016 at Faneuil Hall in Boston, and Massachusetts Citizenship Days at various locations in April. They will run a workshop at MIAA during
the Leadership Training Institute in January 2016, assist at Captains Workshops in
December and March, attend their own Committee meetings and Educational Athletics
Committee meetings, in addition to other duties.
SAC students are chosen from the ranks of Massachusetts student representatives
who attend the New England Student Leadership Conference (NESLC) each July.
The application process includes a personal interview. The interview committee, which
is comprised of MIAA Staff, Educational Athletics Committee representation and
LEADERSHIP
The 2015—2016 Student Advisory Committee will have a variety of responsibilities at MIAA
over the course of the school year. The group met for an orientation session August 20. The
session began with a morning service project at Stonehill Farm in Easton and continued with
afternoon workshops at the MIAA Office in Franklin.
STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2015-16
Tyler Keohan, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
Mikayla Porcaro, Bishop Fenwick High School
Stephany Rodriguez, Charlestown High School
Brett Mazur, King Philip Regional High School
Chad Hult, Lowell Catholic High School
Trevor Hult, Lowell Catholic High School
Caroline Grutchfield, Mahar Regional School
DJ Exilhomme, Malden High School
Ryan Gray, Milford High School
Matthew LaBranche, Minnechaug Regional High School
Kyle Morris, Montachusett Reg. Voc/Tech High School
Nathan Rasch, Narragansett Regional High School
Danielle Scafidi, Nashoba Regional High School
Nick Morrison, North Attleboro High School
Victoria Kako, Salem High School
Amanda Baptiste, Taunton High School
Shannon Lyons, Triton Regional High School
6 Building the Future Fall 2015
SAC Committee members weeded and harvested all morning
at Stonehill Farm in Easton and enjoyed a pizza lunch at the
MIAA Office in Franklin before afternoon workshops
continued on page 11
Wellness news, highlights and previews
Wellness Summit at DoubleTree Hotel, Westborough, Oct. 23
O
nce again, the signature initiative of the MIAA Wellness Program, the MIAA Wellness
Summit, is scheduled for early fall. The summit will be held Friday, October 23 from 8:00
am to 1:30 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough.
Who should attend? The Conference is designed for Team Captains, Student Ambassadors,
Student Leaders, Activity Group Officers, School Administrators, Coaches, Nurses, Wellness Coordinators, Athletic Directors, Guidance Counselors, Wellness Educators, Club Advisors, School
Resource Officers, and PTOs.
The 2015 Wellness Summit features 12 concurrent workshops, more than 30 resource exhibits,
and an awards luncheon celebrating those who exemplify healthy life choices.
Workshop Topics Include: Substance Abuse Prevention, Healthy Relationships and Teen Sexuality, Team Building and Leadership, Healthy Life
Choices, Teen Mental Health, CPR Anytime Practice,
and Stress Relief.
The summit registration fee of $225.00 is designed for a group of five (5) representatives from
one school or agency. Groups may register less than five individuals or add additional members
to their five-person team at a cost of $50 per person. The registration fee includes workshops,
resource exhibits, continental breakfast, luncheon and materials. Space fills quickly– don’t be left
out! Reserve your school’s place today.
WELLNESS
Wellness Workshops
I
n addition to its regular lineup of Wellness Workshops, MIAA’s Wellness Department offered
So You’re a Leader...Now What?! Leadership 101 and Beyond! September 25th at the MIAA
Office in Franklin. It was the first of five dates on which this high school workshop will be
offered this year. The program is created for Captains, Student-Athletes, Class and Activity Group
Officers, Educators, Advisors, Activity Group Leaders, Coaches, Athletic Directors, and anyone
interested in learning more about effective model programs, best practices, and prevention strategies. The sessions offer presentations and breakout sessions touching on Leadership Development;
Team-Building; Communication; Effective Meetings/Activities; Fundraising; Community Service;
Problem Solving; Substance Abuse and Teen Dating Violence Prevention; Networking/Sharing;
Best Practices, and Action Planning.
Upcoming dates for the program are Friday October 30, Friday January 15, Friday April 29,
and Monday May 16.
YOU LEAD
Y
OU LEAD is a program created to support, connect and develop resources for middle school
youth who have chosen a lifestyle free of alcohol, tobacco or other drug use—substance free
youth. As part of its full range of wellness programming, the MIAA is proud to support the
positive choices that many young people make in abstaining from the use of alcohol, tobacco or
other drugs. We believe this is a population that has often been ignored in a culture that reflects use
of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by adolescents as the norm. Through the YOU LEAD program,
the MIAA embraces the role of advocate for the substance-free youth population.
YOU LEAD sessions for Middle School Students are planned for Friday, December 18, Friday,
January 8, Friday, March 18, and Wednesday, April 6. The March session will be held at Lasell
College in Newton; all the others will be at the MIAA Office in Franklin.
To learn more about the YOU LEAD program or any of the other MIAA Wellness programs, please contact Karen Nardone, MIAA Wellness Coordinator at 508-541-7997 or
by email at [email protected]. Please visit the Wellness section of our website regularly
for updates www.miaa.net
Building the Future
Fall 2015
7
INTERsections
Coaches’ Education
Leadership
Community Service
Wellness
Sportsmanship
constituents reflect
on the many intersecting facets
of MIAA educational athletics
by Jim Peters
MIAA Assistant Director
and Liaison to the Educational Athletics Committee
T
he 2015-16 school year marks the second year in the formal partnership
with the MIAA, the Massachusetts
Secondary Schools Administrators Association (MSSAA), and Special Olympics
Massachusetts (SOMA)—with the stated goal
“to encourage and develop Unified Sports
through MIAA school memberships.” For the
purpose of a quick definition, Unified Sports
is a Special Olympics initiative that brings
together equal numbers of Special Olympics
athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (partners) on sport teams for training
and competition.
In documenting and sharing the many success stories to date, along with articulating the
ongoing goals and initiatives, the partnership
leaders hope to spur a “Call to Action” across
our membership. The spring of 2015 saw an
expansion in Unified Track and Field competition, the sport designated as the partnership’s
area of focus during these building years. The
previously established Midland/Wachusett
League consisted of 12 teams (11 schools/
one cooperative team), with a regular season
schedule followed by their League Championship meet hosted by Nashoba Regional High
School. Our newly formed South League saw
an exciting number of 10 first year teams conduct a similar regular season schedule and
culminating championship meet at Sharon
High School.
As with all successful MIAA activities, committed and dedicated leadership makes all the
difference, and in the case of Unified Track
and Field we must recognize the respective
league coordinators and meet directors for
their service: Pete McCauliff (Lunenburg
High School) and Bill Martin (Sharon High
School). The overall enthusiasm and spirit
demonstrated by all our coaches and athletes
8 Building the Future Fall 2015
has been nothing short of remarkable.
Why should a school community consider a
Unified Sports Program? The general response
lies in the goal to help create a more inclusive,
supportive, and caring school environment.
While this powerful and impactful shift in
culture is the common denominator, a more
specific anecdotal reflection is in order. Karma
Tousignant, Lunenburg’s Unified Track and
Field Coach states, “Coaching our team has
been one of the greatest blessings of my career
as a teacher and athlete. Unified Sports has
provided an atmosphere and a learning experience that absolutely cannot be duplicated
within the four walls of the school.”
The partnership has outlined a number of
aggressive yet reachable benchmark goals for
the coming year. Most notably, May 2016 will
mark the first official MIAA Unified Sport
championship event, with the MIAA State
Unified Track and Field Championships to be
held at a site to be determined. Patti Doherty,
Youth Engagement and Schools Manager at
SOMA, continues as a driving force in training
and motivating schools to implement Unified Sport programming. She is seeing strong
interest in the development of a number of
new Track and Field leagues across the state,
along with pockets of interest in implementing
Unified Basketball.
In all cases, the partnership is committed
to offering continued professional development to individual schools and leagues
prepared to accept our “Call to Action.”
Please do not hesitate to reach out for advice and assistance as your school community
looks to take those all-important first steps.
For initial Unified Sports inquiries or to
plan a school or League meeting, contact
can be made with MIAA Assistant Directors
Jim Peters ([email protected]) and Rich Riley
([email protected]), or through the SOMA office
and Patti Doherty ([email protected]).
The Massachusetts Interscholastic
Athletic Association encourages its
member schools to teach Educational Athletics through the following
five pillars:
Wellness:
to empower students to
make healthy life choices
Sportsmanship:
to teach respect for self,
team, opponents, officials,
rules, and the game itself
Coaches’ Education:
to provide resources for
teacher-coaches who serve
as curriculum instructors of
educational athletics
Leadership:
to promote the power of
positive influence that
student athletes and
teacher-coaches share as
role models
Community Service:
to recognize the privilege of
athletic participation and
the responsibility of giving
back to the community
Building the Future is the Educational Athletics newsletter of the
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. It is published four
times per year.
Editorial Staff:
Peter Smith
MIAA Associate Director
Linda Taylor
MIAA Support Staff
NESLC 2015 draws student leaders
from New England and New York
S
tonehill College in Easton was once again
the venue for the Fifth Annual New England Student Leadership Conference,
held July 14—17. Student Leaders from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New
Hampshire, Maine and New York gathered
for the four-day event.
Featured speakers were Harvey Alston—
noted for his “high octane” style—on Tuesday,
July 14; Lieutenant Colonel Jason Oberton,
Commander, Massachusetts Army National
Guard, James Orrigo with “Lad in a Battle,”
and Stephen Bargatze with “The Magic of
Stephen,” on Wednesday, July 15; Michael
Burnham, President of Council
of New England Secondary
School Principals’ Association
(CNESSPA), on Thursday, July
16, and Eddie Slowikowski with “Going the
Extra Mile,” on Friday, July 17.
Around the speakers at general sessions,
delegates’ days were filled with icebreakers,
state meetings, breakout sessions, and community service projects. Breakout sessions
focused on the Citizenship Values of Positive
Values, Perspective, Sportsmanship, Respect,
Teamwork, Healthy Lifestyles, and Community Service. Delegates were provided with
Discussion Guides and Self-Evaluation/Action
Plans for each area.
Wednesday’s service projects included assisting Special Olympic athletes at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover; performing
landscaping and cleaning projects at the Old
Colony YMCA in North Easton; sorting food
and stocking shelves at the Food for Friends
Pantry in Brockton; landscaping and cleaning for the Town of Norfolk; harvesting and
LEADERSHIP
“This is a four-day student leadership conference for student leaders, student activity
participants and student athletes from high
schools across New England and New York,”
said Peter Smith, MIAA Associate Director
and NESLC Coordinator.
“It’s an opportunity for them to step out of
their comfort zones and go through a curriculum that gets them looking at their role as
a leader within their school and community,
how they can be better role models, how they
can make a positive difference, what they can
do to bring back something to their teams,
their schools, their communities and ultimately, their state.”
In addition to the more than 225 student
delegates attending, the NESLC staff consisted
of adult delegates, adult and college facilitators,
Student Advisory Committee (SAC) volunteers and MIAA staff.
Starting off with a “group selfie,” the Fifth Annual New England Student Leadership
Conference was held July 14—17 at Stonehill College in Easton. The event draws
student leaders from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire,
Maine and New York.
NESLC 2015 delegates helped sort food and stock
shelves at the Food for Friends Pantry in Brockton,
one of seven Community Service opportunities the
students participated in during the conference.
weeding at the Farm at Stonehill College; trail
clearing for the Natural Resources Trust of
Easton, and sorting clothes and school supplies
for the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in
Brighton.
Smith said the delegates enthusiastically
embraced the social media component of the
conference, using a variety of hashtags on
several social media sites to keep each other
apprised of activity, areas of focus and spirit
levels. Some of the hashtags they used were:
#GiveToGet; #BeTheBest; #ChallengeYourLimits; #FindYourMontana; #FindTheMagicInYou; #MakeItHappen; #BelieveInYourself;
#MakeADifference; #BeAStar, and #ThankYOU.
When the students gathered with their
fellow state delegates, they worked on plans
to take back to their states. The idea is for
components of the leadership curriculum to
filter back to the states through initiatives,
Smith said. For example, Rhode Island recently
instituted a Student Advisory Committee.
To send delegates from your school to next
summer’s NESLC, please watch the Educational Athletics Leadership page at www.miaa.
net for registration details and opportunities.
Building the Future
Fall 2015
9
MIAA Interns reflect on their
service to Educational Athletics
Sportsmanship
Wellness Summit, October 23 at the DoubleTree Hotel, Milford
For details, see page 7.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Sportsmanship Summit November 20 at Gillette Stadium
miaa.net. Multimedia Entries should be emailed to the address above
or mailed to: MIAA Contest, 33 Forge Parkway, Franklin, MA 02038
First Place and Runner-Up multimedia entries will be available
through the MIAA website.
Contest winners will present their entries as honored guests during
the 22nd Annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium on Friday,
November 20, 2015. First Place and Runner-Up literary entries will
be published in a compilation entitled Sportsmanship: A Game Plan
For Life, Volume XV.
The Summit will feature guest speakers Mike Smith, creator of the
groundbreaking video series, “The Harbor,” and Boston-based improvisational comedy troupe Improv Asylum, offering “Training your Head
to Think on its Feet.” For a sample of one of Smith’s Harbor episodes,
visit https://www.jostensrenaissance.com/theharbortv/.
Registration for the Summit is now open at www.miaa.net.
LEADERSHIP
Captains Workshops December 11, 2015 and March 15, 2016
These one-day workshops involve students interacting with adult
participants to learn ways that they can make a significant difference in
their schools. Through small group activities, students discuss strategies
for influencing their peers and handling difficult situations.
In preparation for the upcoming season, high school sports captains
and coaches are invited to a preseason workshop that will address the
topics of leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship and respect. Schools can
register participants for the fee of $30.00 per person (includes training,
materials, continental breakfast and lunch). There is not a limit to the
number of registrants from one school. Keep watching www.miaa.net
for registration opportunities. These workshops fill quickly!
Girls and Women in Sport Day
February 5, 2016 at Faneuil Hall
At the Massachusetts Celebration of National Girls and Women in
Sport (GWS) Day, Massachusetts high schools are invited to send two
female athletes to represent their schools at a formal but fun ceremony
at Faneuil Hall, Boston.
The day features a keynote speaker, an essay contest, and the conferring of the Massachusetts Women in Sport Distinguished Service Award
(MWSDSA). Each honored athlete crosses the stage to be recognized
and receive a certificate. Long-sleeved commemorative t-shirts featuring
the honored athletes’ names are available for purchase.
This year’s celebration is scheduled for Friday, February 5 from
10:00 am to noon.
Look for essay contest entry, MWSDSA nomination forms and
GWS Day registrations this winter at www.miaa.net.
10 Building the Future Fall 2015
Community Service
Leadership
WELLNESS
This MIAA event annually draws throngs of students and their
adult leaders. Registration is open now, and the Sportsmanship Essay/
Multimedia Contest associated is also open, with a submission deadline
of Friday, October 16.
This year’s contest theme is “Paying forward...How an act of Sportsmanship made a difference in your life.” The contest is open to all
students in grades 9—12 at MIAA member schools.
• Literary entries must be typed, double-spaced, and contain no
more than 500 words
• Multimedia entries must be a video that is no longer than
three minutes
• Prizes are: First Place ($400) and Runner-Up ($200) for each
category (literary and multimedia)
All entries must be received by noon on Friday, October 16,
2015. Literary Entries should be emailed to educationalathletics@
Wellness
Coaches’ Education
by Nicholas Neu
MIAA Intern
I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University and hold a degree in Sport Management.
I have been with the MIAA since mid-summer,
and my experience thus far has been tremendous. I have not worked in an environment
like the MIAA before. I have had the security,
guidance, wisdom and power from executives
to full-time staff to have a meaningful impact
on the incredible initiatives this organization
supports. I have taken to heart that the MIAA
is much more than an athletic association;
what they really are is an educational vehicle
that seeks to inspire our youth to do much
more than participate in sport. I read that
every day in the mission statement that hangs
above my desk.
My end goal is to become a collegiate athletic director. Thankfully, as I had hoped, my
position within the MIAA has given me far
better perspective on what this position will
entail. I have seen firsthand the importance
of leadership and how it can translate into
effectiveness with people and efficiency in
producing meaningful results. I have seen
the work required to produce a promising
endowment fund, a successful board meeting,
and a valuable initiative. All these experiences,
and more that are sure to come, I look to take
with me into graduate school.
I look forward to the remaining days and
the challenges that are ahead.
INTERNinsights
will be graduating from the program in December 2015.
The MIAA is right in line with my values
and perspectives as a former high school and
collegiate athlete. The educational athletic
teachings that are provided, along with the
countless initiatives and workshops that are
being implemented through the MIAA, perfectly coincide with my life objective of being
able to manifest and instill the core values of
leadership through athletics. I am pleased to
be working with the MIAA through the Fall,
and look forward to all of the things I will
learn from each person in the office as well as
the unbelievable high school students and staff
that we encounter on a regular basis.
Olivia Rober, a cheerleader from Norwell
High School, participates in a group
leadership activity at the Wellness
Department’s workshop, “So You ‘re a
Leader...Now What?! “ held at MIAA on
September 25. More than 80 students and
adult leaders attended.
Student leaders chosen to represent their schools
on Student Advisory Committee 2015—2016
continued from page 7
SAC representation, chooses several juniors
and several seniors, so there is a carryover of
seasoned SAC members.
A select group of returning SAC members is
also chosen to represent Massachusetts at the
National Federation of High Schools (NFHS)
National Student Leadership Summit. This
year the NESLC concluded on Friday, July
17 and the Massachusetts representatives were
on an airplane to Indianapolis for the national
summit that Monday.
For additional informational about the
MIAA Student Advisory Committee please
see the student reflections on pages 4—5.
by Tess Weafer
MIAA Intern
Members of the Attleboro High School Girls Lacrosse Team pose with their
Div II Team Sportsmanship Award at the MIAA Girls Lacrosse State Finals
June 18th at the Harvard University Soldiers Field Lacrosse Stadium.
I hail from Scituate, Massachusetts where
I spent my high school career playing soccer
for the Sailors. I moved on to play soccer at
the University of Vermont and graduated in
2012. Throughout the next couple of years,
doing a variety of interesting things, I began
to know that my calling was in the sports
industry. With this notion in mind, I started
working on my Master’s Degree in Sports
Leadership from Northeastern University and
Larry Sasso, US Marine Corps veteran and Coach at Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton, is flanked
by his baseball players as he is awarded his MIAA Educational Athletics Award in Leadership on August
18 at his school. MIAA Assistant Director Rich Riley, far right, traveled to Nipmuc RHS to present the
award to Sasso to recognize his Leadership initiatives during the 2015 Spring Season.
Building the Future
Fall 2015
11
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
33 Forge Parkway
Franklin, MA 02038
Upcoming Events
All events are at the MIAA Office unless otherwise indicated.
October 7, 2015
Middle School Wellness: Best Practices,
New Initiatives and Programs
Wellness Workshop
October 23, 2015
19th Annual Wellness Summit
@DoubleTree Hotel, Milford
October 30, 2015
So You’re A Leader... Now What?!
Wellness Workshop
October 30, 2015
Learning to Lead
GWS Workshop
@ Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of
Fame, Springfield
November 18, 2015
Mike Smith Live
Inspirational Speaker, by the Harbor by Jostens,
MIAA and MSSAA
@Hanover Theater, Worcester
November 20, 2015
Sportsmanship Summit
@Gillette Stadium
December 11, 2015
High School Captains Workshop
December 18, 2015
YOU LEAD
Wellness Workshop for Middle School
November 4, 2015
Wellness Educator Showcase
January 8, 2016
YOU LEAD
Wellness Workshop for Middle School
@Lasell College, Newton
November 5, 2015
The School Administrator’s Role in Youth
Suicide Prevention
Joint MIAA/MSSAA Workshop
January 12, 2016
Nutrition, Fitness, Eating Disorders,
Body Image
Wellness Workshop
January 15, 2016
So You’re A Leader... Now What?!
Wellness Workshop
January 25—29, 2016
Leadership Training Institute
February 5, 2016
Teen Sexuality
Wellness Workshop
February 5, 2016
Girls and Women in Sport Day
@Faneuil Hall, Boston
Visit www.miaa.net/miaa/conferences for a complete listing of events.
12 Building the Future Fall 2015