Brother Rice's Venos Honored by NFHS
January 12, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
One of the most successful boys swimming & diving coaches in MHSAA history was honored Thursday by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.
Birmingham Brother Rice’s Michael Venos was recognized as the National Coach of the Year in his sport after leading the Warriors to a fourth-straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship last winter.
The following brief bio includes Venos’ coaching philosophy, which he was asked to submit after being identified as a candidate for the award.
Mike Venos is in his 34th year coaching and 21st at Brother Rice, including his 20th as the head of the Warriors program. He has coached 12 individuals MHSAA Finals champions and 15 relay Finals champions, with a record 19 straight Detroit Catholic League team championships. He has been named Class A/Division 1 Swim Coach of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association four times. Venos also led the Farmington Hills Mercy girls swimming & diving team to the LPD1 championship in the fall.
“Very simply stated, it's never about winning. It's about being the best. I am fortunate enough to be able to coach young men and women who just happen to swim. My mission in life is for them to be able to take the lessons they learn from our sport and apply it to their lives. I understand that our parents have their children involved in swimming for more reasons than just to swim fast. I believe that no one person is more important than the team and I want my student-athletes to understand that they are part of something larger than themselves. I don't measure our success by wins and losses, but by how our young men and women go out into the world and represent their team by applying what they have gained from our sport in the daily aspects of their lives.”
The NFHS has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award.
Mattawan Commended Nationally for Athletic Program's Excellence
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 15, 2022
Mattawan’s athletic department has been selected for a Quality Program Award from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), becoming the second Michigan school to receive the exemplary-level honor since the QPA was introduced in 2009.
Programs were considered by the NIAAA based on 10 assessment categories that aspire to “encourage measurement, planning and goal setting aimed at continuous improvement of local school athletic programs.” Mattawan will be recognized for the achievement during December’s NIAAA/NFHS National Athletic Directors Conference in Nashville, Tenn.
Mattawan sponsors 23 sports, and 563 of the school’s 1,180 students during the 2021-22 school year participated on at least one team.
“Here at Mattawan, we take great pride in our athletics and activities. We are continuously trying to improve so that our student-athletes have the best experience possible,” athletic director Chad Yager said. “The NIAAA Quality Program Award model guided us through a complete evaluation of our athletic programs. In doing this, we were able to reaffirm what we know we do well, (with the program) also showing us areas that need improvement.
“We are extremely proud of this achievement and will continue to grow as a school and community through continuous evaluation of our programs.”
Mattawan previously received an Exemplary Athletic Program Award in 2005 from the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA).
PHOTO The Mattawan boys soccer team celebrates its Division 2 championship won in 2016.