September 2024 Newsletter
2024-2025 NSIAAA Membership
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! As the beginning of the school year starts, there are many items to complete during our busy times. One of the most important items to give your full attention to is your Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association membership.
The 2024-2025 NSIAAA membership will allow you to be a dual member of the NSIAAA and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association (NIAAA). The cost of the dual membership is $250, which includes $2 million in liability insurance while on the job along with up to $7,500 in term life insurance coverage through the NSIAAA and NIAAA. It is also important to know that your dual membership will serve as your registration for the Fall Conference at Kearney on November 10-11, 2024, and the Spring Banquet on March 11, 2025, in Lincoln.
The membership of the NSIAAA continues to grow and has exceeded over 268 athletic administrators in recent years. Last year, we had a new record year of 306 members, which is a 10.1% increase from last year and 99% of High School AD’s, Assistant AD’s, and Middle School AD’s in Nebraska. Our membership goal as the NSIAAA Board of Directors is to exceed that number and strive to have a 100% enrollment rate for the 2024-2025 school year. We need your commitment to our state organization and highly encourage you to promote the NSIAAA to your colleagues who may not be aware of the association and the great benefits that are part of the annual membership. If you have not submitted your membership application, you can register on the NSIAAA website https://www.nsiaaa.org/ and click on “Not a Member Yet - Join Here”. Please make sure to electronically sign all your forms on the registration site. For payment, you are able to pay with a credit card or you can send a check made payable to the NSIAAA to Jenny Wagner at Centennial High School.
This year’s NIAAA National Convention will be held in Austin, Texas, from December 13-17, 2024. Registration for this convention is currently open through the NIAAA website https://www.adconference.org/. Current members of the NSIAAA and NIAAA are able to register using their current membership ID and information. If you are a new member this year to the NSIAAA and NIAAA and need assistance, please contact Marc Mroczek at marc.mroczek@goswedes.org.
If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact me. I look forward to receiving your membership and payment, and we will see you at the Fall Conference in November.
Marc Mroczek
Activities Director
Gothenburg High School
NSIAAA Membership Coordinator
WELCOME TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR!
Mark Armstrong, CMAA - NSIAAA Executive Director
Welcome to the new school year! It is my hope that you are off to a great start and things are going smoothly.
As you begin looking at your vision for this year, please be reminded about the impact that you have as the leader of your activities program on the lives of so many. This includes your coaches, students, fellow teachers and administrators, parents, and your community. Often your reach is much greater than you may realize. With that being said, it is imperative that you are able to develop solid, trusting relationships with these folks. They need to know that you care, and that you want nothing but the best experiences for them all.
In our education-based programs, we are presented with so many learning opportunities that can, and will, shape the future through the kids we work with. When presented with these opportunities, make sure to take the time necessary to help them develop and learn. This happens through the successes and the failures. Each offers a unique opportunity for growth and it’s important that we take advantage of these situations.
As we go through the year, remember that you are never alone in this job! Most of you are the only ones with your job title in the district and at times may feel like you are on an island by yourself. Never be afraid to reach out to other AD’s. We are all in this together and we all want to support each other whenever possible. If there is anything that the NSIAAA can do to help, just let us know.
Enjoy the year!
YOUR NSIAAA BOARD AT WORK
Since we last met, your NSIAAA board of directors have been very busy, attending and hosting conferences, membership drives, a golf tournament, the list goes on. Here are a few highlights:
The NSIAAA hosted the NIAAA Section 5 meeting in Omaha in early June. Leadership Training courses were taught, and we were updated on what’s happening nationally and in our 6 State section. Great job by Steve Throne, NIAAA board member and Section 5 Rep, as he led the meetings. Also great job by Nate Larsen for spearheading the Leadership Training Institute!
The NSIAAA Golf Tournament was a huge success! Under the direction of Ryan Hogue and help from others, a great day was had in Ashland. Look for information on next year’s golf tournament as we get closer to next June!
The NSIAAA provided professional development opportunities and leadership training courses during the Nebraska Coaches Clinic. In addition, Jack Tarr led the charge at our New AD’s Workshops, which were well attended.
The 2024-25 NSIAAA Leadership Cohort kicked off our new year in July. Our cohort focus this year is on our new AD’s and how we can learn, grow, and mentor those AD’s as they learn the ropes.
Mark Armstrong traveled to Hawaii in July to attend the National Executive Directors Conference. What a great learning experience as I had the opportunity to connect with others from almost every state in the country.
Marc Mroczek and Jenny Wagner have been very busy handling what appears to be another record-breaking membership drive for this year! We broke our membership record this past year with 309 members and were recognized at the National Conference with a Commendation. Great job!
Planning for the November Fall Convention is in full swing and a great schedule of events and speakers is in place. You will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best, as well as being able to network with your peers in our state. Remember to put November 9-11 in Kearney on your calendars!!
District I AD Spotlight
Matt Martin- Crete
North Platte High School in 1989, UNL in 1994 and 1999. Married to Michelle for 24 years and have 3 children- Jocelyn, Ari, and Elijah. 1993-2021 Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach for Nebraska Track and Field Program. 2021-present Director of Activities Crete High School.
To me high school athletics and activities are life changing experiences for all students. They are an essential part of the learning experience. I heard a fellow AD use the term co-curricular not extra-curricular this past Summer and that really resonated with me. These experiences provide a path for nearly every student to find a place to belong. They also teach valuable lessons of competition, reliability, resilience, teamwork, and work ethic. They opened up opportunities for me that I couldn't have dreamt of growing up in western Nebraska. Providing those experiences for today's generation of students is what motivates me every single day.
An exciting thing we have started in Crete Public Schools is called First Flight. It is school provided youth sports. The goal is to give our younger kids more opportunities to easily access sports with minimal expenses and burden on families. So far we have started volleyball, tennis, soccer, softball, and a few others. We also are partnering with some local youth programs in sports like football and basketball.
FALL CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 9-11
NIAAA National Athletic Directors Conference
Austin, TX - December 13-17, 2024
Mark Armstrong, CMAA - NSIAAA Executive Director
There has never been a better time to attend the NIAAA NADC (National Athletic Directors Conference), to be held December 13-17, 2024 in Austin, TX. The Austin Convention Center will be the host location for this year’s conference, and it is guaranteed not to disappoint!
There are many exciting things to do in Austin in December, but this conference provides yearly the best professional development opportunities for athletic administrators!
Every year, EVERY LTI Course is offered at the conference during different time periods. If you are working toward your RAA, CAA or CMAA certification, this is an ideal thing to do when attending!
The massive vendor hall is full of sporting goods and athletic-related dealers to gather information from as well as talk to about projects. If you are putting new facilities together, this is a great location to see who might be able to help you out.
Opening Session and Closing Session have excellent national speakers with great messages to inspire you to be your best. You don’t want to miss these if you are attending. This year Kenyon Salo will be opening the conference and Coach Stephen Mackey will close the conference.!
Six General Sessions are intermittent within the conference schedule, providing you topics of interest and opportunities to interact with other athletic directors from across the country. Oftentimes these conversations lead to great idea sharing and lifelong friendships being developed.
NIAAA Committees all meet during this conference, and a bulk of the business for those groups takes place during the committee's time together. The camaraderie in these groups can lead to great sharing opportunities and developing a network of resources from across the nation.
Section Meetings are a great chance to meet fellow AD’s from your region, and work together to develop opportunities for members. The idea of a Section V LTI Institute started with a conversation at one of these meetings, and it will become a reality again in June of 2025.
The NFHS Luncheon and NIAAA Awards Banquet offer you a meal at each and an opportunity to honor AD’s from across the nation for their service.
The NIAAA Delegate Assembly is the voting arm of the membership and will meet in Orlando. They will listen to business of the NIAAA, as well as vote on new agenda items in the NIAAA Constitution. Each state is allotted a certain number of delegates, based on membership, which is one of the reasons we strive to increase our membership to gain more delegates.
NATE LARSEN will be the Section 5 Representative in this year’s Region D election for the NIAAA Board of Director’s At-Large board position. It is important that we get the word out on what an amazing candidate he is and we need to Vote!
STEVE THRONE will be taking over after the conference as the new NIAAA President. Congratulations to Steve and we look forward to his leadership!
If you have never attended an NADC Conference, you should really try to do so. It will give you a broader perspective of the organization as well as how you can improve your skills in doing your work for your district!
New For New ADs in 2024
This year the NSAA and the NSIAAA went back together to help out new and slightly new ADs and it was/is a huge success. This year the NSAA and NSIAAA cooperated together and held 3 different meetings for the new ADs, one in Kearney and two in Lincoln and all three were a great success. In Kearney and at Lincoln's first meeting the NSAA staff and several NSIAAA board members met with the new ADs and went through a program answering questions and telling the new ADs things that were important about the NSAA and the NSIAAA. In Kearney, Nate Larsen, Kayla Fisher, Ryan Hogue and Jack Tarr put on a presentation for the new ADs talking about several different things the new ADs needed to know about their new job and the NSIAAA, then the NSAA did the same thing about their organization. A question and answer session followed and most new ADs left with a ton of knowledge for them to digest and put in practice. The first meeting in Lincoln with the NSAA and NSIAAA was much like the first in Kearney, with J J Toczek, Mitchell Stine and Jack Tarr doing the presentations about the NSIAAA and the NSAA staff following up with their information. I believe that this was super successful and we hope this can continue in the future as we have new ADs every year. A couple of weeks later, the NSAA and the NSIAAA, at the NCA Clinic, met with veterans as well as new ADs and went through the new rule changes of the NSAA and new information with the NSIAAA. Three different sessions were going on at the same time with the ADs rotating between the sessions and a lot of information was shared over the two hour meeting. Again, I believe this was a huge success, and many questions from all different ADs were answered and concerns made it a little less stressful. Each new AD was assigned a veteran AD as a mentor to work with them throughout the next year, and the NSAA assigned a mentor from their staff to be ready to answer questions that come up as they are doing their job. This is a great step in making the new ADs comfortable about not doing things incorrectly and knowing who and where to go to get questions answered.The classes that were offered, along with the three meetings that were held, is a giant step in making the jobs for all ADs easier and trying to take some pressure off the AD job As an organization, this is what we were looking for and hopefully the NSAA and ourselves will continue this in the future.
Continuing Education for ADs
This summer the NSIAAA continued to grow and develop ADs in Nebraska. The association offered four LTI classes for ADs to take during the conference. LTI 501 and 502 were offered to all new ADs for free and to any other AD who wanted to continue their education. These classes are LTI classes that are the intro to a CAA certification, a certification that educates ADs on all parts of their job and gives them ideas and information to help them with their jobs. By offering these to the new ADs for no cost it starts them on their way to becoming CAA certified and lets them find out about the NIAAA and what it takes to be successful in their work. Almost half of the new ADs attended these classes and are well on their way. The other two classes that were offered were LTI 504 and 506. These are two of the three classes needed to finish the classes for their CAA with 503 being offered during the fall clinic this fall. This was/is the start of the New AD Cohort, where the new ADs have an opportunity to work their way, within a group, to certification in a two year period and just as important develop a network of ADs to help them out as concerns come up in their jobs. This is a great group starting and we as a NSIAAA Board are looking forward to helping these ADs become the best they can become. We are looking forward to having sessions at the fall clinic to continue this cohort and development and professional growth. Several ADs who took 504 and 506 will be able to take their certification test in November and become certified in the summer as soon as they finish their second year. Congratulations on the progress you have made so far.
Retired ADs
As a retired AD, we would like you to join the NSIAAA. You can join for a total of $50, and that includes a $5000 life insurance policy. This joining allows you to attend the fall clinic, the spring banquet and help with other NSIAAA activities. We are looking for help in areas like teaching classes, helping with the fall clinic, being on the scholarship selection committee, and many other needs. You can join by getting on the website and go under membership and follow the directions. If you are a lifetime member you can join and it will only cost you $20 that is used for the life insurance and other administrative costs. It gives you a chance to visit with other veteran ADs, meet new ADs and just have a good time. We are looking forward to having you join and continue to be part of this organization.
District II AD Spotlight
Ryan Rischling- Logan View
Wife - Teresa, 3 sons with 2 daughters-in-law and 1 granddaughter. Graduate of Peru State College with Masters from Wayne State College and Doane University. My 31st year in education with stops in Wolbach, Logan View, Bishop Neumann, Bennington, and back to Logan View. I have coached football, basketball, and track and sponsored various school activities. My second year as AD/AP in Logan View.
I believe the main goal of athletics is to prepare student-athletes for the rigors of adult life and to become better individuals. We should work to instill pride in our student-athletes, coaches, school, and community. As we work with student-athletes we should work for improvement, embrace competition, display sportsmanship and commitment, learn the sport and activity, and develop a collective talent for team success.
Logan View has rebuilt its bleachers, press box, and storage facilities at the stadium. We have installed two video boards in the Dome Gym and added two new scoreboards. We are also installing a small outdoor turf area for training during the offseason. Logan View is using a Turf Tank to line its athletic fields and is in the process of additional improvements to its athletic programs.
Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator's Association Members,
I hope this message finds you well and that your summer was spent with family and friends engaging in the activities most important to you. I trust that the beginning of the academic year has met your expectations and those of the community in which you serve. I am honored to serve the Nebraska membership on a four-year Executive Leadership Journey, this year as your President-Elect. Please join me in welcoming and supporting President Dr. JJ Toczek, CAA; Lincoln Public Public School District Athletic Administrator, as he leads the NSIAAA during the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
I want to take a few moments to publicly express my appreciation for the servant leadership qualities of the NSIAAA Executive Leadership Team. Mr. Mark Armstrong, CMAA, retired Athletic Administrator from Lincoln Southwest, is our Executive Director. Mrs. Jenny Wagner, CAA, Centennial Public Schools, is the Secretary and Treasurer. Mrs. Sara Fjell, Elkhorn High School serves as Vice-President, and Mr. Nate Larsen, CMAA, from O’Neill Public Schools is the Association’s Past President. Collectively, this talented group of Education-Based Leaders and the entire NSIAAA Board has positioned the Association for long-term success.
The NSIAAA Board recently concluded its summer activities. The Board began the summer celebrating a Membership Milestone with 306 members, the 3rd year in a row the NSIAAA has exceeded its membership record. The NIAAA(National Association) awarded the NSIAAA its Membership Commendation, the NSIAAA’s 8th Membership Commendation in 10 years. Board Members also conducted several outreach activities highlighted by welcoming and working with Administrative Assistants and Activity Administrators new to the Profession. The NSIAAA Board met in late August to continue preparations for the 2024-2025 Academic Year primarily focusing on the annual Conference in November in Kearney.
Throughout my years in Education, I have come to deeply appreciate the profound impact that Education-Based Activities can have on young individuals. Beyond the scoreboard, activities serve as a powerful vehicle for teaching life lessons in perseverance, teamwork, and resilience. As educators, we strive to instill those values of integrity and discipline that extend far beyond the playing field, preparing our students for success in all facets of life.
As sponsors and administrators, our role extends to ensuring equitable opportunities and fair competition for all. We uphold the standards of sportsmanship and ethical conduct that are central to the integrity of high school activities. Through our collective efforts, we try to create a nurturing environment where every student feels valued, respected, and encouraged to reach their full potential.
THANK YOU for choosing Education. THANK YOU for choosing to SERVE Students in Activities; Coaches and Sponsors; and our passionate communities.
Dr. Mitchell Stine, CMAA
NSIAAA President-Elect
NSIAAA President Message
President, Dr. JJ Toczek-Director of Athletics and Activities for Lincoln Public Schools
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year and athletics and activities season. As we continue to provide competitive education-based opportunities, while always keeping student-participants and coaches first, as servant leaders, may we use grit, gratitude and grace as our mantras for the new school year and extracurriculars season.
Grit is a key characteristic that athletic and activity administrators must strive to possess. By having a firmness of mind and spirit, and an unyielding courage to face the challenges and adversities that occur on a daily basis, extracurricular servant leaders are more apt to navigate situations in a firm, fair and productive manner. Through intentional planning, preparation and follow-through, grit becomes the driving force for athletic and activity servant leaders when adversity sets in. A passion to always do “whatever it takes,” coupled with a continual effort to do things with integrity and in a straightforward manner, empowers extracurricular administrators to keep moving themselves and their respective programs forward through the 21st Century. Grit is a critical characteristic that all athletic and activity servant leaders must strive to have in order to support those they lead.
Gratitude, whether internalized or shared, is a feeling that athletic and activity administrators must remember to be conscious of. By recognizing and acknowledging the good we see in ourselves, as well as in others, the more positive impacts we will have, and intern, the more positive outcomes that will be produced. Through daily observations and interactions with those we live, lead, work and play, we will begin to focus on the positives (that statistically outweigh the negatives) when it comes to our respective servant leadership roles. Gratitude, whether felt individually or shared with others, is a critical and positive component for athletic and activity administrators’ mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing as well as for the mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing of those we lead.
Grace, in simplest terms, is the invisible act of providing goodwill and compassion towards others. By extending grace, as athletic and activity administrators, especially after someone may have said or done something that affected us or those we lead in adverse ways, shows a great deal of professionalism and maturity. Displaying grace, especially towards our respective student-participants and their families, our coaches and fellow staff members, is critical as we must continually model forgiveness and understanding while always striving to bring reconciliation to disparaging situations at hand. Grace, from an athletics and activities servant leadership standpoint, can best be described as providing kindness, compassion, understanding and empathy to others while always working through the restorative justice process to make amends.
May grit, gratitude and grace be our catchwords as we continue in our respective servant leadership roles as athletic and activity administrators. Thank you everyone for all that you do for your respective schools’ education-based extracurricular programs and may everyone have a safe and successful 2024-2025 school year and athletics and activities season.
Nate Larsen – LTI & Certification Coordinator
2024 has been a busy year for leadership training courses in Nebraska. So far this year we have offered 501, 502, 503, 504, 506, 633 & 719 between our spring awards banquet, Section V Summer Institute & NCA clinic. At our fall conference, we are offering 503 & 724 for anyone interested. Both courses will be on Saturday evening & registration is available through Final Forms. For those who took 501 & 502 this July, 503 is the final course necessary to apply for your RAA certification & a necessary step on your way to being able to apply to take the CAA exam.
This year there are 3 new courses being taught for the first time at the national conference in Austin. 635 deals with the college bound athlete & the recruiting process (it is very possible that this course will only be taught at the national conference & maybe via webinar by the national faculty). 718 deals with leading your athletic department through tragic events (I am on the national faculty for this so we will offer it in Nebraska during the initial year moratorium). 727 deals with developing & maintaining a championship culture. I have not taken 635, but I did see the pilot for 727 & it is an outstanding new course. Demand in Austin will be high for all 3 as new courses, so register soon if you are interested in taking any of them.
If you haven’t been able to take advantage of the in-person course offerings as often as you would like, the NIAAA offers courses in an online pre-recorded format as well as via webinar, which adds an interactive component. You can find the schedule for those courses using the link below.
https://niaaa.org/how-to-take-courses
As always, if you have a particular course that you are interested in just let me know & I will find a way to get it offered. The courses available are listed on the NIAAA website at the link below.
https://niaaa.org/course-descriptions
Lastly, we will be offering the CAA exam at the fall conference in Kearney & again at our Section V Summer Institute, which will be in Sioux City in June of 2025. There are study materials available once you have completed your personal data form, paid the fee (both through your NIAAA portal) & been approved to take the exam.
District II AD Spotlight
Jason Palmer- Auburn
My name is Jason Palmer, and I am currently in my seventh year at Auburn Public Schools. My role in the district is as the 6-12 Assistant Principal and 7-12 Activities Director. Previously, I was the Principal and Activities Director at Parkview Christian. I have been married to my wife, Jessica, for 17 years. We have four children: Brayan (9th grade), Joselynne (2nd grade), Aubrey (kindergarten), and Uriah (preschool). I grew up about 25 miles southeast of Auburn, and my wife and I have many family members in the area.
I believe that education-based athletics are critical for those who participate and for our communities. There are numerous benefits for participants. These activities provide opportunities to learn many life lessons and to learn more about yourself in the process. Words like adversity, resilience, growth mindset, perseverance, work ethic, teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, discipline, and respect come to mind when considering what students learn about from education-based athletics. Additionally, students who participate often show improved academic performance in school. Beyond the life lessons and improved academic achievement, education-based athletics are in some cases the one thing that keeps some of our student-athletes connected to our schools and in regular attendance. They also may serve as an escape or an outlet from challenges students may face, whether with their peers or in their home lives.
Beyond the benefits for our student-athletes, education-based athletics serve as a bridge between our schools and our communities. They foster a connection by bringing patrons onto our campuses, where they can witness the many positive things happening in our schools. These activities are also a source of pride for our communities.
In summary, I believe it is difficult to overstate the importance of education-based athletics / activities.
