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NFHS's Gardner Announces Retirement
January 9, 2018
Special from NFHS
Bob Gardner, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) since May 2010, has announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1, 2018. Gardner notified the NFHS Board of Directors of his retirement plans at the NFHS Winter Meeting on Jan. 3 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Gardner is the fifth full-time executive director of the NFHS, following H.V. Porter (1940-58), Cliff Fagan (1958-77), Brice Durbin (1977-93) and Bob Kanaby (1993-2010).
Gardner’s eight-year run as head of the national organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities will conclude a 48-year career in secondary education, including the final 18 years on the NFHS staff in Indianapolis.
Since assuming duties as NFHS executive director in 2010, Gardner has vigorously promoted the values of high school activity programs and expanded opportunities for participation by boys and girls nationwide. During his eight years as executive director, participation in high school sports has increased by almost 400,000, including the expanded opportunity for students with disabilities in high school sports.
Gardner has led the organization’s focus on risk minimization in high school sports, with particular emphasis on concussion awareness, and has brought a heightened national presence to the work of the NFHS and its member state associations. In addition to the continual expansion of the NFHS Learning Center during his tenure, Gardner is credited with starting the NFHS Network, the first-of-its-kind digital coverage of high school sports with more than 25,000 events covered during the 2016-17 school year.
In addition, during his eight years as chief executive of the organization, operating revenue for the NFHS increased by $4 million.
Ironically, Gardner’s entire 48-year career was spent in the state of Indiana. He was a teacher and coach at three schools for eight years and also served as an athletic director for a period of time. In 1978, Gardner became principal of Milan Junior-Senior High School, followed by a stint as superintendent of the Milan Community Schools.
After serving on the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Board of Directors during his time at Milan, Gardner joined the IHSAA staff in 1985 as assistant commissioner. He served 10 years in that role prior to becoming commissioner in 1995.
During his five years as IHSAA commissioner, Gardner led the change in the IHSAA football playoffs to permit participation by all schools, negotiated the association’s largest corporate sponsorship agreement in history with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and led the transition to multiple classes in team sports.
Gardner joined the NFHS staff in 2000 as chief operating officer and served in that position for 10 years prior to becoming executive director. During this time, he chaired the NFHS Rules Review Committee and was responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization.
Gardner earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Evansville (Indiana) and his master’s and education specialist degrees from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He has served on the Board of Directors for USA Football, USA Basketball and the Indiana Sports Corporation. He is a member of the Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Following the March 1 application deadline, finalists for the position will be interviewed by the NFHS Board of Directors April 17-18 in Indianapolis, with the new executive director expected to begin duties Aug. 1.
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MHSAA Announces Golf Finals Format
September 18, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Executive Committee of the Michigan High School Athletic Association has approved an adjusted format for this fall’s Lower Peninsula girls golf postseason to reduce the opportunity for spread of COVID-19 while still awarding championships to top teams and individuals in four divisions.
The Executive Committee – comprised of officers of the larger Representative Council – approved a one-season switch in postseason format that keeps the numbers of Regionals and Finals intact for this season. However, the size of the championship tournament fields will be reduced to fall in line with regular-season tournament reductions currently in place to limit the number of teams mixing per event. The Finals also will be played as one single 18-hole round, instead of the traditional two 18-hole rounds on back-to-back days, to eliminate teams needing to stay overnight.
The tournament will begin with six Regionals in each Division played between Oct. 5-10, with 10-13 teams at each Regional – falling in line with the traditional format and schedule while keeping the field for Regionals at 72 golfers or fewer. However, the top two teams and top two individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the Finals in each Division – one fewer team and fewer individual than the traditional format, but necessary to keep the Finals fields also at 72 golfers.
The following week, all four Lower Peninsula Finals will be played at Michigan State University. On Friday, Oct. 16, Division 1 will play an 18-hole championship round at Forest Akers East and Division 2 will play at Forest Akers West. On Saturday, Oct. 17, Division 3 will play its Final at Forest Akers East and Division 4 will conclude at Forest Akers West.
Further details will be provided soon on the Girls Golf page of the MHSAA Website.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.