The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) wants to create the best environment for its student-athletes by helping build top notch interscholastic athletic systems and state championships, providing passionate and knowledgeable administrators and coaches and providing academic support that’s beyond compare. In addition, the LHSAA seeks to provide strong community programs to teach coaches, officials and student-athletes while providing a first-class environment for the leaders of the future. To help in this mission, the association created the LHSAA Foundation with the hopes of providing grant funds to member institutions. The reason for the existence of the Foundation comes from monetary restrictions that now prevent the LHSAA’s ability to provide additional services or help fund certain programs. With a more stable…
Many of you probably know us as the people who host state tournaments, enforce rules and regulate education-based athletics. But do you truly know who the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) is and what our organization is about? The LHSAA was created in 1920 when a group of high school principals met in Baton Rouge to discuss ways to regulate and develop interscholastic high school sports. While the LHSAA is run by a full time staff, the association is comprised of the principals of the member schools. Those principals are the ones who create the rules and regulations that are then enforced by the LHSAA administration. The LHSAA has remained a voluntary organization that doesn’t receive government funding, but…
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) does its best to keep our student-athletes and parents informed and connected to our organization. In fact, our Student & Parents section of our website at http://www.lhsaa.org does just that! It’s a great tool for parents and children alike to keep abreast of the many programs available young athletes including scholarship opportunities, awards and more. Because parents are typically the most significant and encouraging support group for our student-athletes as they mature and develop, it’s important for them to stay informed of what’s available for their children so that they get the most out of their interscholastic athletic experiences. The Scholarships and Awards section of the website, which is located under Students &…
Can participating in extracurricular activities and athletics actually improve the educational experience and prepare students and student-athletes for the future? Extra curricular activities, including sports, have become an important aspect of the lives of so many high school students in the United States. In fact, most colleges and universities include extra curricular activities on their applications in hopes of attracting the most diverse and well-rounded individuals. With that in mind, higher education has seemingly declared extra curricular activities a necessity, but are they adding to the increasing workload of high school students? Or are they encouraging them to push themselves and become better students and attractive individuals for colleges and the future workforce? In a research study done by The…
When I was a kid, I had big plans to become a professional baseball player. In middle school, I changed my mind and decided to become a dentist. By high school, I had tossed my old plans aside and had decided to make a career out of education as a teacher/coach. Now as I sit at my desk writing this column, I realize just how different my career has ended up compared to my original plans. Rarely do we end up making a career out of what we dream of as children. Luckily for kids today, there are plenty of opportunities for them to get their feet wet in various careers before flying the coop: Externships. We’ve all heard of…
Last week’s column on bullying really resonated with me. Through the years, I’ve seen many aspects of bullying and hazing as a former athlete, and now as a sports administrator, I still come across the issue from time to time. It can be so tempting for young adults to give into peer pressure and become active participants, but in the end, no one wins. Being a friend and upbeat teammate has much better results for all involved. The LHSAA feels strongly about this issue, and has partnered with the Jason Foundation, a nationally recognized organization that provides educational tools and training for students and adults that work in youth related environments such as educators and coaches. The foundation’s mission is…
An ambassador is someone who represents an organization or movement; it is someone who is the face of a greater entity or thing. Athletes are their school’s ambassadors and arguably their institution’s greatest advocates. Even without their jerseys on, athletes are recognizable faces in their communities and are charged with setting good examples for their peers, fans and other on lookers. The life of an athlete may seem very glamorous to outsiders or to those interested in becoming athletes. Although there are various benefits gained through participating in athletics, sometimes making the team presents obstacles. Occasionally, athletes take their popular statuses too seriously, especially when new comers attempt to join their ranks. Unfortunately, there are times when the very students…
Last October, one of our blog topics on “The Huddle” was Athletes versus Non-Athletes. We discussed the perks that come with being a high school athlete and some of the differences participating athletes can make. We found that more than 90% of Fortune 500 Company executives participated in sports while in high school and that high school student-athletes are more likely to graduate from high school. Do athletics really make that big of a difference in the lives of student-athletes? At first thought, some might say yes because it keeps children active and in shape while others might say no because it fosters an idea of competition which can lead to unhealthy rivalries. Regardless of your position regarding athletics, there…
According to Sports Illustrated, Tiger Woods made approximately $127 million last year. LeBron James pulled in a little more than $40 million. Alex Rodriguez took home $35 million, and Peyton Manning made $30 million. It seems like professional athletes make big bucks to play games and work out all day. They get paid to drink Gatorade or to only wear Nike and are flown around the world in private jets. Their lavish lifestyles and fun jobs are attractive and are the dreams of many young athletes, but what are your chances of actually making it to the big leagues? When it comes to so many young adults’ dreams of becoming professional athletes, who really has a shot? According to a…
I get a variety of reports and articles that come across my desk on a daily basis, but one in particular on character building caught my eye most recently. Coaches and administrators often say that athletics build character and offer life lessons to student-athletes, but is that really true? Can kicking a soccer ball or running around a track really instill good morals and values in today’s generation? Personally, I think that it can and after reading the article from Character in Sports, I’m convinced even more so that sports in fact can build character if managed properly. There are many opportunities to teach life lessons to student-athletes through athletics. When approached in the appropriate fashion, the peaks and valleys…
