NIAAA AWARDS CRITERIA

NIAAA Certificate of Appreciation
Presented to active athletic directors who have served 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years and are members of NIAAA and their state organization. The nomination form will be submitted by the Executive Director/NIAAA State Liaison one month before the State Conference.

State Award of Merit
Presented to a deserving NIAAA member in each state in an effort to bring national recognition, the NIAAA expanded the awards program to include a State Award of Merit. Each state’s athletic director’s association determines its own selection process as well as the time and place of presentation. The recipient must be a member of NIAAA and their state organization and who has performed meritorious service to interscholastic athletics at both the local and state levels.
 

Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award
Presented annually to individuals from within the NIAAA membership in recognition of their length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. Nominations are submitted by state athletic director associations, screened by the NIAAA Awards Committee, and selected by the NIAAA Board of Directors.

Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award
Presented to an NIAAA member who has contributed to the vision of professional development through such areas as instruction, writing, presenting and service. The recipient has made significant contributions in these areas and demonstrated excellence at the local, state and national levels. The board selects a recipient from among the eight section nominees each year.

Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence
Presented to an NIAAA member who has provided strong leadership to education-based athletics, loyalty to the association and contributions to the profession of athletic administration. The award is named for the late Thomas Frederick, who served as an assistant director of the NFHS until 1989. Frederick was largely responsible for facilitating the start of the NIAAA in 1977. By nomination of and at the recommendation of the NIAAA Past Presidents, the board annually selects one individual to receive the Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence.

Award of Merit
Presented by the NIAAA to an individual in recognition of outstanding leadership and personal commitment to the values of interscholastic athletics. The NIAAA Board of Directors selects this recipient and the award is given only in those years when the board deems there is a candidate worthy of this honor. It is the NIAAA's highest individual award.

Hall of Fame
The NIAAA Hall of Fame was created to honor retired Athletic Administrators who had exemplary careers in athletic administration both prior to as well as after the formation of the NIAAA. Selection to the NIAAA Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame is a four-step process including nomination, screened by the Hall of Fame Screening Committee, rated by the NIAAA Selection Committee and finally, the NIAAA Board of Directors selects those individuals to be inducted.