Dear NHSSCA Members,
We hope you had a happy holiday season and a great 2023 and are ready for 2024! The NHSSCA Executive Council wanted to take this opportunity to present a review of 2023 within the NHSSCA and offer some insight into our current status.
Executive Council Acknowledgement
First, I want to thank fellow Executive Council Members – Rich Gray, Amanda Berg, Garrett Keith, Ryan Johnson, and Kevin O’Neill – for their commitment and support to the NHSSCA over the last year. Their support, feedback, and guidance have been immeasurable. There have been countless hours through ZOOM meetings, phone calls, and text messages, all to support high school coaches and grow the NHSSCA.
Member-Driven Focus
I want to assure every member and prospective member that there is a consistent unified voice from the Executive Council – the NHSSCA is a member-driven organization, and we strive to reinforce that in decisions we make to grow the NHSSCA further to impact the field of high school strength & conditioning. I am truly grateful and hope our members appreciate the commitment and service of all members of the Executive Council.
HSSCC: A Milestone Achievement
I also want to thank Dr. Mike Martino and Mike Bewley for editing and delivering the HSSCC after a long and much-anticipated wait! Mike Bewley is an ambassador for the HSSCC and has been influential in its growth. After only 6 months, the HSSCC is already instrumentally impacting coaches – over 500 coaches enrolled. Even in its beta version, with enhancements scheduled for early 2024, school districts are purchasing certification and membership combinations for multiple coaches within their districts. College programs are beginning to include the HSSCC as part of courses in their Exercise Science and/or Physical Education programs. Further thanks are needed to Region Directors and State Directors. Region and State Directors are often the first point of contact for members. The Executive Council is asking more of our RDs and SDs to serve our members better, and they are doing a phenomenal job!
Regional and State Directors’ Contributions
Overall, this past year was a great success as we took steps to grow the NHSSCA and expand our footprint with high school coaches. Outside of the HSSCC launch, this past year saw another successful NatCon at Homewood-Floosmoor and our best State Clinic season. Our committees revitalized and launched the NHSSCA Podcast and NHSSCA Roundtable and rewrote the bylaws and leadership manual. I was encouraged by the Executive Council’s unified voice as we worked through several infrastructure items over the past year. The Executive Council worked to ensure our bylaws and leadership manual were a reflection of our members-driven approach. The Executive Council, Regional Directors, State Directors, and Committees are here to serve high school coaches and better the field of high school strength and conditioning; our bylaws and leadership manual reflect that.
Looking Forward to 2024
As we move forward into 2024, the Executive Council will continue to lead through a member-driven lens as we continue to grow the NHSSCA. We will continue to drive the HSSCC as the certification is specifically designed for high school coaches. Numerous meetings are planned for the spring with athletic directors who have expressed interest in the HSSCC for coaches in their schools and districts. We will also begin defining our recertification process for the HSSCC. There will be an increase in professional development content for our current, past, and prospective members. A key advantage to the NHSSCA professional membership is professional development content. We want to ensure we deliver content – podcasts, roundtables, family day videos, state clinic videos, presentations, etc.
Closing Remarks and Invitation for Engagement
Thank you, members of the NHSSCA, for your belief and continued support in what the NHSSCA can do for high school coaches. As coaches, we are all in this to better serve our athletes. The NHSSCA Leadership is here to serve you as coaches better. We will continue to work and solidify the NHSSCA as the organization for coaches working in the high school strength and conditioning setting. Don’t hesitate to contact me at 864-804-8389 if I can help you or answer any questions about the NHSSCA.
Yours In Strength & Service,
Eric Cash
President, NHSSCA
