MHSAA's Next Director Welcomes New ADs
July 26, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – The first new administrators to take part in the MHSAA's New Athletic Director Orientation Program for 2018-19 on Thursday received what's become an annual greeting by Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts – who then handed off for an introduction by Assistant Director Mark Uyl, who will take over for Roberts next month.
The AD orientation program is required for first-year athletic directors and athletic directors at new MHSAA member high schools, and more than 30 were in attendance for this first of three sessions at the MHSAA Office in East Lansing. MHSAA staff will provide this training, primarily on rules and regulations, to an expected 150 new athletic directors this fall, with sessions also Aug. 7 and then Sept. 11 for late hires.
Uyl has served as an Assistant Director at the MHSAA for nearly 15 years and previously was athletic director at Caledonia and Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg high schools. Roberts is retiring in August after serving as Executive Director for 32 years.
PHOTO: MHSAA Assistant Director Mark Uyl points out some of the tools new athletic directors will keep close at hand as they begin their work this school year.
Retired AD Smith to Receive NFHS Honor
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 26, 2019
Retired longtime athletic director Fred Smith has been selected to receive a Citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations during the 50th National Athletic Directors Conference sponsored by the NFHS and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) on Dec. 16 in National Harbor, Md.
NFHS Citations are presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. State associations nominate athletic directors for NFHS Citations, and the NFHS Board of Directors approves recipients.
A 1979 graduate of Western Michigan University, Smith began his career at St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic Schools, serving for 11 years. In 1991, he joined Comstock Public Schools, where he served for 16 years. Smith move to Buchanan Community Schools in 2007, where he remained until 2015 before departing for his final stop as athletic director at Benton Harbor for two years. He retired in 2017, serving 38 years total as a teacher, coach and administrator, and resides in Stevensville.
Among his accomplishments, Smith instituted awards programs to recognize three-sport (or more) student-athletes who participated for their full, four-year high school career. Additionally, he assisted with the development of an evaluation tool for coaches and helped provide funding for coaches to attend the MHSAA's Coaches Advancement Program.
Smith was a member of the MHSAA Representative Council from 2005 to 2017, including the final four years as vice president. He also served on several MHSAA committees, and he hosted countless MHSAA District and Regional tournaments. With the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA), he has served as chair of its Professional Development Committee as well as a member of its executive board from 1993 to 1998.
Smith was a member of the NIAAA Board of Directors (1996-98), Credentials Committee (1989-96) and Hall of Fame Screening Committee (2010-18). He has been heavily involved in the NIAAA’s Leadership Training Institute. He is national course chair for LTC 501, and he has presented Leadership Training Courses in 14 states. Smith also served on the NIAAA Executive Director Search Committee, and he has attended 34 National Athletic Directors Conferences.
Smith has been honored with numerous awards. He has previously received the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award, the NIAAA Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence, the NIAAA Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award, and the MHSAA Charles E. Forsythe Award.