STEVENS POINT — The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association salutes the 39 schools that fulfilled criteria to be named recipients of the Award of Excellence in 2021-22.
The award promotes and recognizes the efforts and achievements of schools in the areas of sportsmanship, ethics, integrity, leadership and character. The recipients of the Award of Excellence, presented to high schools that have verified they have met each of the award’s criteria, are:
One of the 38 schools, Baraboo, is receiving the honor for the sixth time in the six years since the award’s inception. Four of this year’s recipients are being presented with the award for the fifth time, including Brookwood, Kimberly, The Prairie School and Watertown. Six schools are receiving the recognition for the first time, including Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Little Chute, Monona Grove, New Lisbon, Port Washington and Sevastopol.
Recipients will be presented the Award of Excellence at their respective district’s Area Meeting in September and will be recognized for the achievement on the WIAA website, in the WIAA Bulletin and at the 2023 Annual Meeting.
The criteria applied toward the Award of Excellence in 2021-22 include:
● Athletic Director maintains and updates all information in the WIAA School Directory annually.
● Athletic Director does due diligence in striving to achieve staff compliance with all WIAA coaching requirements (i.e. rules video, exam, officials’ rankings)
● Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with a Captain’s Club/Team Leadership Council/Etc. — sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is on the agenda and is discussed
● Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with coaches — sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
● Athletic director conducted at least one informational meeting with student-athletes and their parents — sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
● Athletic director attended conference meetings — sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
● Coaches and student-athletes attended a sportsmanship summit/leadership conference/etc.
● There was school representation at one of the seven WIAA Fall Area Meetings
● There was school representation at WIAA Annual Meeting in April
● Athletic Director made the student body aware of sportsmanship initiatives through school assemblies, announcements, posters, etc.
● Three or more athletic teams gave back to their school or community through volunteerism
● Athletic director has taken the Free NFHS Sportsmanship course
● Three or more head coaches have taken the Free NFHS Sportsmanship course
● Athletic program had no coach ejections at any level
● Athletic program had no coach or player assault of an official at any level
● Athletic director nominated/submitted a boy and/or a girl for WIAA Scholar Athlete recognition (either for local or state level recognition)
In 2022-23, there will be four new criteria added to the Award of Excellence standards. To receive the award, schools will be responsible for these additional items:
● Athletic director or designee submits the online season Schedule/Results Verification Form by the established deadlines for all bracketed team sports (baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball)
● Athletic director or designee completes and submits the accurate enrollment count on the Enrollment Form by the established deadline
● Athletic director or designee completes and submits the accurate data on the online Sports Participation Form by June 30
● Athletic director or designee submits the completed online Fan Ejection Form within three days following the event the ejection occurred, requiring a fan to miss the next competition
The WIAA, as defined by its Constitution, is a voluntary, unincorporated, and nonprofit organization. The membership oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 516 senior high schools and 45 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.
