It adopts rules and regulations that affect high school sports in West Virginia, yet the average fan probably knows little about the inner workings of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission or its staff.
It adopts rules and regulations that affect high school sports in West Virginia, yet the average fan probably knows little about the inner workings of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission or its staff.
The only time most take notice of the non-profit organization is when high-profile rulings on student-athletes end up in court. But the SSAC provides much more support for student-athletes throughout the state than just interpreting rules.
The SSAC was created to govern and supervise middle school and high school athletics and band in West Virginia. It also administers and coordinates state championship events at the high school level and implements academic and coaching programs.
"I'm excited about what we've got going,'' said SSAC executive director Gary Ray, who succeeded Mike Hayden in August 2007. "As long as we stay focused on the student-athletes we'll do a good job. My main focus is to make sure we provide the best opportunity [and] to promote our kids.''
The SSAC executive director and his assistant executive directors report to a 10-member Board of Directors, which consists of five principals from each of the state's five districts and five appointed members (one each from the athletics directors association, school board association, superintendents association, state Board of Education and the state superintendent of schools).
An independent seven-member Board of Review hears appeals of decisions handed down by the SSAC and its Board of Directors.
"If we get something in writing from a parent or school official, we're going to investigate to the best of our ability,'' said Ray, who served as an assistant executive director from 2001 to last August.
"If the complaint is a violation of the rules, we're going to look into it. Sometimes we'll get complaints that are legitimate and sometimes that are not legitimate. The result sometimes doesn't always please those individuals.''
The next important task of the SSAC is administering and coordinating state championship events. That's where the assistant executive directors Kelly Geddis, Ray Londeree and Butch Powell lend a hand.
Geddis, who was appointed to her position in 2002, handles volleyball, cheerleading and swimming state championships in the fall and softball and tennis (sharing duties with Londeree) in the spring. The former Morgantown High athletic director is also in charge of the coach's education and coach-of-the-year programs and is the editor of The Interscholastic, the SSAC's in-house rules and news publication published three times each school year.
Londeree, who came aboard last March, is in charge of golf and football state championships in the fall, wrestling in the winter and tennis and track in the spring. The former Valley High principal also coordinates travel for teams and officials and the distribution of tickets for regional and state events. He also heads the SSAC's Academic Achievement Program.
Powell, who was appointed to his position in 1997, is responsible for state championships in soccer and cross country in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. The former athletic director, teacher and boys basketball coach at Nicholas County High also oversees the printing of all championship programs and corporate partnership and development and the SSAC's Web site.
The assistant executive directors also conduct rules clinics across the state and coordinate regional and state events. The assistants also help the executive director interpret rules and regulations on student and school eligibility issues.
It adopts rules and regulations that affect high school sports in West Virginia, yet the average fan probably knows little about the inner workings of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission or its staff.
The only time most take notice of the non-profit organization is when high-profile rulings on student-athletes end up in court. But the SSAC provides much more support for student-athletes throughout the state than just interpreting rules.
The SSAC was created to govern and supervise middle school and high school athletics and band in West Virginia. It also administers and coordinates state championship events at the high school level and implements academic and coaching programs.
"I'm excited about what we've got going,'' said SSAC executive director Gary Ray, who succeeded Mike Hayden in August 2007. "As long as we stay focused on the student-athletes we'll do a good job. My main focus is to make sure we provide the best opportunity [and] to promote our kids.''
The SSAC executive director and his assistant executive directors report to a 10-member Board of Directors, which consists of five principals from each of the state's five districts and five appointed members (one each from the athletics directors association, school board association, superintendents association, state Board of Education and the state superintendent of schools).
An independent seven-member Board of Review hears appeals of decisions handed down by the SSAC and its Board of Directors.
"If we get something in writing from a parent or school official, we're going to investigate to the best of our ability,'' said Ray, who served as an assistant executive director from 2001 to last August.
"If the complaint is a violation of the rules, we're going to look into it. Sometimes we'll get complaints that are legitimate and sometimes that are not legitimate. The result sometimes doesn't always please those individuals.''
The next important task of the SSAC is administering and coordinating state championship events. That's where the assistant executive directors Kelly Geddis, Ray Londeree and Butch Powell lend a hand.
Geddis, who was appointed to her position in 2002, handles volleyball, cheerleading and swimming state championships in the fall and softball and tennis (sharing duties with Londeree) in the spring. The former Morgantown High athletic director is also in charge of the coach's education and coach-of-the-year programs and is the editor of The Interscholastic, the SSAC's in-house rules and news publication published three times each school year.
Londeree, who came aboard last March, is in charge of golf and football state championships in the fall, wrestling in the winter and tennis and track in the spring. The former Valley High principal also coordinates travel for teams and officials and the distribution of tickets for regional and state events. He also heads the SSAC's Academic Achievement Program.
Powell, who was appointed to his position in 1997, is responsible for state championships in soccer and cross country in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. The former athletic director, teacher and boys basketball coach at Nicholas County High also oversees the printing of all championship programs and corporate partnership and development and the SSAC's Web site.
The assistant executive directors also conduct rules clinics across the state and coordinate regional and state events. The assistants also help the executive director interpret rules and regulations on student and school eligibility issues.
"We have people in the field [and] tournament directors that do an outstanding job for us,'' said Ray.
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Ray's first year in the hot seat as executive director has already ushered in a new era.
The SSAC's Board of Directors adopted a proposal Wednesday to revamp the boys and girls sectional and regional tournaments beginning with the 2008-09 season, something coaches have been seeking for years.
"I've never been opposed to change,'' said Ray. "We are always looking to the future.''
Ray said the SSAC also hopes to tackle several issues that have become relevant of late.
"Gas prices and transportation is going to become an even bigger problem,'' he said. "We're going to have to sit down with our board and come up with some ways to save our schools some money.
"[The] shortage of officials is going to be a big one pretty soon. Our ongoing goal is the recruiting and retention of officials. We've got to do something to get young people involved. We've got to train them well and mentor them along.''
Ray said the SSAC is also continuing to find better ways to serve its member schools.
"We're trying to do a better job with using the Internet as a communication tool with ourselves and the schools,'' he said. "We now have e-mail access to all of our schools.
"We've just been able to complete our special reports online for our officials. We've got a long way to go yet. We've got a wish list. We feel that this is going to be a more efficient way.''
To contact staff writer Tommy R. Atkinson, use e-mail or call 348-4811.
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