56th National Athletic Directors Conference to be Held in Tampa, Florida

The 56^th National Athletic Directors Conference (NADC) will be held Friday through Tuesday (December 12-16) at the Tampa Convention Center – the first time the conference has been held in Tampa but the ninth time the meeting has been staged in the state of Florida.   

More than 2,500 high school athletic administrators, guests and exhibitors are expected to attend the 56^th annual conference co-sponsored by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

The NADC begins Friday with several NIAAA committee meetings, as well as registration at 2:30 p.m. In addition to networking opportunities, NIAAA Leadership Training Institute (LTI) courses will provide professional development opportunities for attendees. The first of 59 LTI courses will begin at 5:30 p.m. EST Friday, with the final session of classes set for 7:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, December 16.

Full conference festivities begin Saturday with registration at 8:30 a.m. EST at the Tampa Convention Center, followed by the first workshop session at 2:15 p.m. EST. A total of 48 workshops will be offered in six sessions during the five-day conference covering topics including Budgeting and Fundraising for Athletic Programs, The Hidden Risk of Gambling: Educating Students on Smart Choices, Ethical Concerns with AI Utilization, Hazing Prevention Starts with Leadership, Modern Marketing of Education-Based Athletic Programs, Preventing Burnout for Coaches and Athletes, The Role of Middle School Athletics in Preparation for High School, Unified Sports and Inclusion: Partnering with Special Olympics, NIL Updates and Impact to High School Athletics, Title IX Updates, and Creative Ways to Secure Funding and Financial Partnerships.  

The Opening General Session will be held at 5:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 13. In addition to opening remarks from Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS, and Phil Rison, NIAAA executive director, the opening session will feature keynote speaker Pandit Dasa, a former monk and workplace culture expert.   

The Closing General Session at 1:15 p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 16, features keynote speaker Nathan Whitaker, a motivational speaker and #1 New York Times best-selling author.  

The Conference Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. EST on Sunday, December 14, and the Conference Banquet at 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday, December 15, will be streamed live on the NFHS Network at no cost. Following are the links for each event:

              Luncheon – https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nfhs/evtd7e247883c

Banquet – https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nfhs/evta87c23c283

At the Conference Luncheon, eight athletic directors will be recognized with NFHS Citations for their contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels.

The 2025 Citation award recipients are Brian Avery, RAA, director of Champions Together program, Indiana High School Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana; Emily Barkley, CMAA, athletic director, Union Public Schools, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Dave Frazier, CMAA, athletic director, Rutherford (New Jersey)  High School; Lee Gillie, CMAA, athletic director, Salem Hills High School, Salem, Utah; Troy Rice, CMAA, activities and athletic director, Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian, Idaho; Dan Talbot, CMAA, senior director of athletics, Polk County Public Schools, Bartow, Florida; Jack Tarr, CMAA, retired athletic director, Malcolm (Nebraska) Public Schools; and Randy Tevepaugh, CMAA, athletic director, Streetsboro (Ohio) City Schools. 

Ten athletic administrators have earned NIAAA Distinguished Service Awards, which will be presented during the Conference Banquet on Monday, December 16. This year’s recipients include Larry Cochren, CMAA, athletic director, Washington (Indiana) High School; Deran Coe, CMAA, district athletic director, Wake County School District. Cary, North Carolina; Damian Frassinelli, CMAA, athletic director, Stafford High School, Stafford Springs, Connecticut; Kelli Hutcheson, CMAA, events coordinator, Georgia Independent Athletic Association, Thomaston, Georgia; Dwayne Johnson, CMAA, athletic director, Clallam Bay (Washington) High School; Lisa Langston, CMAA, district athletic director, Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District; Rick Lilly, CMAA, education specialist for student activities, Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico, Virginia; Ryan Miller, CMAA, assistant principal/athletic director, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains, New Jersey; Jenny Wagner, CAA, athletic director, Centennial Junior/Senior High School, Utica, Nebraska; and Greg Warren, CMAA, athletic director, Blind Brook High School, Rye Brook, New York.  

Three other individuals will receive NIAAA awards during Monday’s banquet. Jamie Sheetz,  CMAA, athletics and activities director, Park City (Utah) High School, is the recipient of the NIAAA Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award; Josh Scott, CMAA, district athletic director, Springfield (Missouri) Public Schools, is the recipient of the Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence; and Lanness Robinson, CMAA, district athletic director, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, Florida, is the recipient of the NIAAA Award of Merit.

The induction of seven athletic directors into the NIAAA Hall of Fame will conclude the banquet. Those being recognized this year include Tim Graham, CMAA, retired athletic director, Tumwater (Washington) High School; Lorell Jungling, CMAA, executive director, North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, Mandan, North Dakota; Cindy Riley, CAA, retired athletic director, Desert Christian High School, Tucson, Arizona; Jeff Sitz, CMAA, retired athletic director, Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and current executive director, Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association; Gary Stevens, CMAA, retired athletic director, Thornton Academy, Saco, Maine; Ralph Trigsted, retired athletic director, Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton, California; and Carter Wilson, CMAA, retired athletic director, Decatur (Georgia) High School.