New Beginnings
August 30, 2016
The Michigan High School Athletic Association office experienced an unusual amount of mobility this summer:
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Gina Mazzolini retired after nearly a quarter-century on the MHSAA staff, with special attention to skiing, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, international students and interstate sanctioning.
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Andi Osters was promoted to assistant director.
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Dan Hutcheson joined the staff as assistant director.
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Jeremy Sampson joined the staff in a tournament promotion, ticketing and marketing capacity.
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We played musical chairs with offices: John Johnson, Andy Frushour, Andi Osters, Geoff Kimmerly, Kathy Westdorp and Cole Malatinsky all have a change of scenery or surroundings.
So we have some new faces, and some “old” faces in new places at the MHSAA office.
During all these transitions, I discovered I was less jealous of Gina’s retirement than I was of the new beginnings for Andi, Jeremy and Dan. Their new energy renews my own for so much that we hope to accomplish together in 2016-17.
Generation Next
January 31, 2014
Young women who are interested in leadership as well as men and women responsible for recruiting, hiring, training and retaining women as coaches, administrators and officials will be in attendance. Click here for program details.
I fully expect to see meeting rooms and hallways full of enthusiastic people with a “can-do” spirit. After all, that’s the type of person who takes the time and goes to the trouble to attend a conference like this and to encourage or even arrange for others to attend or even to lead sessions.
And they won’t be dodging tough topics. They will talk about significant health and safety issues. They will address problems caused by improper perspective. They will wonder about the future of education-based athletic programs in a world of decreasing funds for schools and increasing distractions from society.
But as sure as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow, I’m just as sure that this weekend’s crowd includes at least several individuals who will tackle today’s and tomorrow’s problems, and solve many of them. In this generation of women in sports leadership are the genuine leaders who will assure school sports is as alive and well for the next generation of girls and women as it has been for this current generation.