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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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Participation Rises to 4-Year High
July 10, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
While enrollment in MHSAA member high schools saw another slight dip in 2017-18, participation in the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments rose to its highest point since 2013-14.
A total of 284,920 participants competed in MHSAA-sponsored sports this past school year, up 0.46 percent from 2016-17 – and despite a 1 percent drop in enrollment at member schools during that time. The overall MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once.
Girls participation rose for the third straight year to 121,349 participants, up 1.2 percent from 2016-17 and despite a 1.1 percent enrollment drop over the last year. Boys participation fell to 163,571 participants, a decrease of less than a tenth of a percent from the previous year – and much smaller than the boys enrollment decrease of nearly a full percent.
Girls lacrosse has set a participation record every season since becoming a sponsored tournament sport in 2005, and did so this spring with 2,900 participants – a 3.1 percent increase from a year ago. Boys lacrosse also set a record for the second year in a row, up 1.1 percent with 5,168 participants. Both boys and girls bowling broke records previously set in 2015-16 – boys bowling participation increased 8.4 percent over 2016-17 with 4,136 participants, while girls bowling was up 4.5 percent with 3,058 athletes. Also setting a record in 2017-18 was boys cross country, which saw record participation for the second straight season last fall with 9,656 runners (an increase of 2.6 percent).
The largest percentage increase in participation this school year came in girls gymnastics, which jumped 10.4 percent with 702 athletes – its most since 2011-12. Girls golf also enjoyed a notable increase, up 4.2 percent to 3,712 athletes – its highest participation total since 2007-08.
Six sports total saw increases in participation on both the girls and boys’ sides. In addition to bowling and lacrosse, girls cross country joined the record-setting boys with a 2.4 percent increase. Girls and boys swimming & diving both enjoyed increases for the second straight year, this time both by 2.4 percent. Girls tennis was up 2.3 percent to its highest total (9,123) since 2012-13, and boys tennis participation increased by one percent. Boys track & field (1.5 percent) increased for the third straight year, while girls track & field (1.6 percent) was up for the second consecutive.
Volleyball led participation among girls sports with 19,416 participants, up 1.8 percent from 2016-17. Other sports to see increases in 2017-18 were girls skiing, up 2.8 percent as participation increased for the second straight season; boys basketball, up a half percent; and girls soccer, which had four more athletes this spring than during the 2017 season.
Also of note in this year’s survey:
• The increase in participation for 18 sports during 2017-18 was compared to an increase in 16 sports for 2016-17 and 15 sports in 2015-16.
• Of 10 sports that saw decreases in participation in 2017-18, five were down less than a percent. Competitive cheer had five fewer athletes but 6,715 total, and there were three fewer boys golfers to take that total to 2,267. Boys skiing was down six athletes total to 831, while boys soccer was down 11 athletes and girls softball down 31 – both less than a quarter of a percent off their 2016-17 totals.
• Football experienced a much smaller decrease in participation last season than it had from 2015-16 to 2016-17, falling only 1.9 percent to 37,002 athletes – still the most participating in any sport by more than 13,000 athletes. The combined number of 11 and 8-player varsity teams sponsored by MHSAA schools last fall remained constant compared to recent seasons, although a shift of some programs from 11-player to 8-player continued.
The participation figures are gathered annually from MHSAA member schools to submit to the National Federation of State High School Associations for compiling of its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed by clicking here.
The following chart shows participation figures for the 2017-18 school year from MHSAA member schools for sports in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament:
BOYS |
GIRLS |
|||
Sport |
Schools (A) |
Participants |
Schools (A) |
Participants (B) |
Baseball |
642/655/5 |
17,668 |
- |
0/7 |
Basketball |
730/729/1 |
21,367 |
691/723 |
15,654/5 |
Bowling |
385/391/18 |
4,098 |
360/381 |
3,058/38 |
Competitive Cheer |
- |
- |
343/353 |
6,715 |
Cross Country |
640/651/4 |
9,650 |
620/650 |
8,696/6 |
Football - 11 player |
578/582/89 |
35,475 |
- |
0/108 |
8-player |
71/74/10 |
1,406 |
- |
0/13 |
Golf |
506/530/66 |
6,146 |
340/339 |
3,712/121 |
Gymnastics |
- |
- |
83/96 |
702 |
Ice Hockey |
240/269/9 |
3,353 |
- |
292/12 |
Lacrosse |
154/161/5 |
5,161 |
109/113 |
2,900/7 |
Skiing |
96/107/1 |
830 |
95/107 |
767/1 |
Soccer |
484/506/20 |
14,550 |
468/483 |
13,216/69 |
Softball |
- |
- |
624/643 |
13,610 |
Swimming & Diving |
246/274/14 |
5,020 |
261/280 |
5,732/78 |
Tennis |
295/309/12 |
6,134 |
332/340 |
9,123/31 |
Track & Field |
668/686/2 |
23,566 |
659/685 |
17,288/14 |
Volleyball |
- |
- |
715/717 |
19,416 |
Wrestling |
467/482/152 |
9,147 |
- |
126/250 |
(A) The first number is the number of schools reporting sponsorship on the Sports Participation Survey. The second number indicates schools sponsoring the sport including primary and secondary schools in cooperative programs as of May 14, 2018. The third number indicates the number of schools that had girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys.
(B) The second number indicates the number of additional girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys and entered in boys competition.
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, w