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Cardigan AthleticsLEADING (on)

National Award Recognizes Program

Excellence

THE FIELD

“Coach” would be proud. An indisputable leader in athletic

administration himself, as well as a man whose fine character permeated the overall

Cardigan culture, the late (“Coach”) Jim Marrion certainly left big shoes to fill. Current athletic director Ryan Frost had the privilege of overlapping with Coach for a few years—learning from and collaborating with him—and then carrying the program forward in a direction that certainly aligns with all of the values, both spoken and implied, that were espoused and modeled by Coach and that have been manifest in the athletic program for such

a long time. As well as adding several innovative facets to the program, Ryan has been able to identify, clarify, formalize, and put in writing the values—and best practices and policies—that have essentially made Cardigan’s athletic program top notch for so many years. And this December, Cardigan’s athletic program was recognized by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) with the Quality Program Award at the Exemplary Level, an honor bestowed upon just three schools in the nation this year. (The other two recipients were a school in Iowa and another in Pennsylvania.)

by Steff McCusker P’09,’10Free Safety

Coach Marrion continues to have a strong presence in

the Cardigan Athletic Department.

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36 Cardigan Chronicle Fall/Winter 2015-2016

To have one’s program even be considered for such

an honor, an athletic director must “apply” for consideration and fulfill certain requirements, including put-ting his or her program through an extensive assessment procedure, with guidelines provided by the NIAAA. (Ryan certainly has a number of thick notebooks to show for his department’s work in this regard!)

In the assessment, 10 broad categories are put under a microscope: Philosophy, Educational Compatibility, Mentoring Staffs and Student Leaders, Program Safety and Risk Management, Program Access and Equity, Budget and

Supplementary Fundraising, Personnel and Program Assessment, Technology, Sports Medicine, and Innovation and Creative Leadership Strategies. (To provide a better idea of the extensive nature of this audit, consider the fact that within each of these categories there were numerous sub-categories; “Educational Compatibility” alone, for example, had upwards of 40 sub-categories.) A participating athletic department must first do a thorough self-assessment of its program and submit verifying documentation, which is closely examined by the NIAAA, and point values are awarded and compared with those that the school has, as objectively as possible,

Standing, from left: Ben Adams, Athletic Equipment Manager; Ryan Frost, Director of Athletics; Kevin Drury, Assistant Athletic Equipment and Facilities Manager; and Allan Dunham, Athletic Facilities Manager.

Seated from left: Kristen Tobin Gordon, Assistant Director of Athletics, Director of the Johnson–Wakely Fitness Center, and Strength & Conditioning Coach; Len Angelli, Athletic Trainer; and Nancy Moye, Athletic Department Administrative Assistant.

The Cardigan Athletic Department Staff

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awarded itself. The NIAAA essentially determines whether a school is indeed providing the athletic program it claims it is (in relation to the established guidelines). The audit itself can also be viewed as a useful tool that, in addition to assessing the current program, can provide an athletic department with an understanding of program areas in

which there is room for improvement and strategic advancement.

Since the bestowing of this award began, only 24 schools in the country have successfully completed the program and been awarded the Quality Program Award Commendation. Of these 24 schools, Cardigan is only the second non-public school and the first school in New England to be recognized.

On top of it all, Cardigan’s innovative Captains’ Council curriculum was high-lighted during the December NIAAA gathering in Florida (where Ryan accepted the Quality Program Award), and he was asked to share a presentation there about this novel facet of our athletic program. (For context, the Captains’ Council program began in 2012 under

both Ryan and his then–assistant athletic director, Austen Hannis, and has served as a way to mentor our teams’

captains each season, providing the boys with a focus and a chance to share experiences and talk about what kinds of things are expected of them in these leadership roles. Their weekly meetings offer a mechanism for the boys to receive feedback; to self-reflect and partake in personal and team goal setting; to work with one another toward improvement of leadership tactics; and to share experiences and offer moral support to one another.) Incidentally, Austen was able to join Ryan in Florida for both

Cardigan is only the second non-public school and the first school in New England to be recognized [with the Quality Program Award Commendation].

the Captains’ Council seminar and the awards presentation.

When we consider the benefits of a Cardigan education, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the adults who are committed to carrying forth the School’s mission and to modeling its Core Values in the classroom are the very same grown-ups who are making this a top priority in the dormitories, the dining hall, the Chapel, the arts and invention spaces, and, quite noticeably, on the playing fields. Our “teacher/coaches” are responsible for implementing the program—boots on the ground, if you will—and certainly deserving of recognition for their significant hand in this Quality Program Award as well!

Kudos to Ryan and his Athletic Department for leading the way—for identifying and formalizing longtime program policies, practices, and features that embody our Core Values, and for innovating in ways that continue to put a spotlight on the things we care about in our Cardigan culture. Character education—an essential facet of teaching and nurturing the “whole boy”—is not a novel concept, but when it’s effective, it is worthy of highlighting.

Opposite, standing: A key member of the Cardigan Athletics team for many years, former Assistant Director of Athletics Austen Hannis was instrumental in preparing the necessary self-assessment documentation for the award.

CardiganChronicleTHE MAGAZINE OF CARDIGAN MOUNTAIN SCHOOL FALL/WINTER 2015-2016

Celebrating Leadership

Read the entire Fall/Winter edition online at:

www.cardigan.org/chronicle