May 2025 Newsletter
Almost to the Finish Line!
Mark Armstrong, CMAA - NSIAAA Executive Director
5-4-3-2-1, it’s countdown time. You’ve almost reached the end of another busy-filled school year!
How do you feel you did this year as you led your athletics and activities departments? Did you feel like you were able to stay a step or two ahead of things? Were you prepared for what came your way and were you able to handle situations effectively and efficiently?
Or:
Do you feel you were never able to quite catch up? Things came your way that you may have expected, as well as, things that seemed to come up out of nowhere, catching you off-guard and sometimes reeling?
As you approach this summer, when things slow down and you are able to reflect, recharge, and relax, I would encourage you to take time to unwind, get away from the building, reconnect with loved ones, and simply recover from a busy year. As you reflect on things and look for new opportunities to improve, know that the NSIAAA is here to support and provide guidance when needed.
As we conclude the school year, I would once again like to commend the membership for another great year in the NSIAAA & NIAAA. Our membership this year continued to grow and this includes a record 314 athletic administrators! This is a fantastic number that will be recognized once again at the upcoming national conference in Tampa.
I would also like to take a moment and recognize now Past President Dr. JJ Toczek on a tremendous job serving our organization as President this year. JJ has a tremendous gift for professional development and he brought insights to how we can best pass along these growth opportunities to you, our members. Whether it was ideas for workshops at our Fall Conference, or ideas for reaching out to new athletic administrators, he provided direction for our efforts. Thank you JJ!
May, June, and July may be the summer months, but there are still plenty of opportunities for NSIAAA members' involvement. To list a few:
Tuesday, June 3: NSIAAA Golf Tournament at Woodland Hills GC in Eagle. 11:00 am check-in with a 12:00 pm shotgun start to a great day of golf, prizes, and a meal to follow. We are excited that this tournament is full already, so hopefully if you were interested, you were able to secure a spot!
June 9-11, 2025: NIAAA Section V Meeting in North Sioux City. This yearly meeting of representatives from our six state area and NIAAA staff heads to North Sioux City, SD. This is a great opportunity for those involved in committees and leadership to meet together to hear about what is going on at the NIAAA, and to provide feedback to our national organization. If you are interested in attending, please let Mark Armstrong know.
June 9-11, 2025 NIAAA Section V LTI Institute at the Section V Meeting. This is the 3rd LTI Institute held in conjunction with the Section V meetings, and a great opportunity to take LTI classes all in one location. Three different time slots will allow you to pick from class offerings, as well as a CAA Study session and an opportunity to take the CAA Exam (if registered) If interested, get in touch with LTI Coordinator Nate Larsen at natelarsen33@gmail.com .
July 22-23, 2025: NCA All Sport Clinic - This is THE Premier All Sport Clinics in our nation, and Nebraska is proud to be able to host it! It also provides numerous opportunities for Nebraska AD’s to learn and share during the conference at the AD sessions. Membership in the NCA is a requirement, but you get so much more than just a clinic. If you haven’t attended recently, you need to come and learn and enjoy the opportunities.
On Wednesday, July 23rd, the NCA has provided us the opportunity to have TWO sessions, in addition to his keynote address, with Stephen Mackey! Stephen Mackey was a keynote speaker at the NADC last December in Austin, and did an amazing job. We are so looking forward to being able to provide the opportunity to learn from him in a small group setting!
Leadership Training Institute (LTI) courses can always be taken on-line, but don’t forget to plan ahead to take a class in-person at the NSIAAA Fall Conference in Kearney, November 8-10, 2025. Get started toward that certification, or finish up what you have started. You will be a better AD because of it!
Membership 2025-2026. It has been a great year for the NSIAAA, and we look forward to serving our Nebraska AD’s. We look forward to your continued NSIAAA Membership in 2025-26!
This upcoming year, the NIAAA, after many years, is increasing membership dues to meet the demands of the organizations. The NSIAAA board also elected to raise our dues at this same time, again, something we have not done for many years. This upcoming year, the NIAAA/NSIAAA Dual membership will be $300 for active AD’s and $70 for Retired AD’s.
Once again, you will be provided the opportunity to renew your membership through the NSAA Activity Registration process, as we’ve done the past two years! This has been a great opportunity for our organization and we want to thank the NSAA for allowing us this opportunity! Members can also join through your FinalForms account. If you have questions, please contact Membership Coordinator Marc Mroczek at Gothenburg High School.
AD Spotlight
Bryan Fangmeyer - Eustis-Farnam
My wife Jessica and I have been married for 24 years. We have 2 sons, Jordan who works for the State of Nebraska Department of Roads and Tanner who is a junior at UNK majoring in Education. I attended SCC--Beatrice earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Education. I finished my Bachelors at the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Degree in K-12 Health and Physical Education and Driver Education. I completed my Masters in 7-12 Principalship in the fall of 2014. I have been involved in education/coaching for 28 years with 15 of those years as an athletic director. I have spent time at Lawrence Public Schools, Ansley Public Schools, Anselmo-Merna Public Schools and currently teach at Eustis-Farnam Public Schools. During my career I have taught Pre-K Health/Physical Education, 9-12 Weight lifting, 7-12 Social Studies, Anatomy/Physiology, and Bachelor Living. I have also coached Football, Volleyball, Girls and Boys Basketball and Track at the JH and HS level.
Sports in our educational systems are more than just wins and losses. Today more than ever our student athletes are learning more than just the game. Athletics offer student/athletes to develop skills that will be needed throughout their life. Team work, social skills, inclusion and handling diversity are all skills that are taught during participation in high school athletics. These will be used not only in their chosen career, but also in daily life. Lifelong friendships often develop because of athletics. Finally, a lifetime of activity. Sports whether for fun or competition can keep us active well into adulthood helping with our overall wellness and health, not only as a student athlete, but also as an adult. Lifelong learning isn't that the goal we have as educators, encouraging lifelong learning. Education based athletics is a great way to encourage lifelong learning and at the same time teach so many needed skills to succeed in life.
Currently, we have great community support here at Eustis/Farnam. Our school along with our community in the last 5-7 years have raised money to build an addition to our school that includes a community wellness center/school weight room, 2 new locker rooms, storage rooms and an athletic training room. This project was funded with grants and fundraisers done by our students and community. This project was furnished with all new weight equipment, treadmills, exercise bikes, stair steppers, rowers, etc. from donations. We are currently in our 5th year of our athletic co-op with Elwood Public School. (Hi-Line Bulls). This has been great for both of our schools and communities. It has given our students more opportunities to compete and compete at higher levels than they would have had without the coop.
The High School Transfer Portal
Dr. JJ Toczek, CAA - NSIAAA President
The increase in high school athletic and activity student-participants transferring presents complex issues for high school athletic and activity directors. These student-participant transfers, often motivated by extracurricular aspirations, can disrupt team dynamics, raise concerns about competitive balance and place additional burdens on fellow teammates, athletic and activity coaches, and school officials. Athletic and activity directors many times find themselves at the center of this issue, tasked with navigating the rules and emotional considerations surrounding student-participant transfers.
One of the primary concerns for athletic and activity directors is ensuring compliance with school district and state activity association regulations. Each school district and each state association has its own set of rules governing student-participant transfer eligibility and these rules can be complex and vary widely. Athletic and activity directors must cautiously verify the reasons for a transfer, which can range from legitimate family relocations to other reasons like seeking a better coaching environment or increased playing time. Determining the validity of a student-participant transfer can be time-consuming and may involve gathering documentation and communicating with multiple individuals.
Along with regulatory aspects, athletic and activity directors must also address the impact of student-participant transfers on team morale and dynamics. When a student-participant transfers to another school, it can create feelings of resentment or instability among the remaining players. When a student-participant transfer joins a new team, there may be challenges integrating them into the existing social and athletic and activity structure. Athletic and activity directors play a crucial role in fostering a positive and inclusive environment for all student-participants, regardless of their transfer status.
The rise in high school athletic and activity student-participant transfers also raises concerns about competitive equity. Some schools may be perceived as "collecting" talented student-participants, creating an uneven playing field and potentially discouraging participation in smaller or less successful programs. Athletic and activity directors must grapple with the ethical implications of these student-participant transfers and work to uphold the principles of fair play and sportsmanship. While they cannot prevent student-participants from transferring, athletic and activity directors can play a role in educating student-participants and their families about the potential outcomes of their decisions, both positive and negative.
In addition to the challenges previously shared, athletic and activity directors often find themselves mediating disputes between transferring students-participants, their former schools, and their new schools. They may also be called upon to handle appeals or requests for waivers in cases where transfer eligibility is in question. This requires a delicate balance of firmness, fairness, honesty, trust and compassion.
Student-participant transfers present a multifaceted challenge for high school athletic and activity directors in the 21st Century. They must navigate complex regulations, manage team dynamics, address concerns about competitive balance and mediate disputes. As the trend of transferring continues, athletic and activity directors will play an increasingly important role in ensuring that the focus remains on the educational and personal development of all athletic and activity student-participants (ChatGPT, GPT-4o, Apr. 2025, chat.openai.com/chat. Sondheimer, E. “High School Sports Transfers Reach Record Level.” The Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024. Porter, T. “Missouri Should Consider Changing Transfer Rule For High School Athletes.” The Kansas City Star, 8 October 2023.).
NIAAA Awards Presented at the 2025 NSIAAA Spring Awards Banquet
2025 NSIAAA Spring Awards Banquet - Award Recipients
Pictures can be found on the front page of nsiaaa.org
NSIAAA Outstanding Service Awards:
Clayton Heath - Lincoln Northeast
Scott and Cindy Spilinek - Weeping Water
Jennifer Little - Malcolm
Greg Rice - Omaha
Sheila Lemmert - Lincoln Northeast
Mike Christen - Wahoo
Tammy Myers - O’Neill
Brian Haas - Kearney
Janice Niemeyer & Sean Vonderfecht - Adams Central
Todd Goshorn - Grand Island
Scott Kratzer - Amherst
Jeff Rowan - Lexington
Doug Bergman - Arapahoe
Jeremy Shipe - Sandhills/Thedford
Carlos Flores - Sidney
Justin Rethorst - Sandhills/Thedford
Brenda Davies - Hemingford
NSIAAA Award of High Distinction: Darin Boysen - NCA Executive Director
NSIAAA Meritorious Service: Scott Anderson - Fremont - District 1 Representative, Les Roggenkamp, District 5 Representative
NSIAAA District Athletic Directors of the Year
District I AD of Year: Jay Staehr - Aurora HS
District II AD of Year: Scott Anderson - Fremont HS
District III AD of Year: Steve Neptune - West Holt HS
District IV AD of Year: Scott Rezac - Ogallala HS
District V AD of Year: Bryan Fangmeyer - Eustis-Farnam HS
District VI AD of Year: Bec Ray - Thedford HS
NSIAAA Assistant Athletic Director of Year: Jim Jacobsen - Lincoln Southeast HS
NSIAAA Middle School Athletic Director of Year: Jamie Stinson- Millard North MS
Mike Purdy / Mike McMahon NSIAAA Emerging AD Award(Given to an AD of 1 to 5 years experience): Sara Fjell - Elkhorn HS
NSIAAA President’s Award: Dr. JJ Toczek - Lincoln Public Schools
Retiring NSIAAA AD’s Members:
Tim Aylward - Lincoln Pius X
Gus Brown - Beatrice
Greg Conn - Wausa
David Davis - Fairbury
Darrell Howitt - Kimball
David Hoxworth - Scottsbluff
Merlin Lahm - Scotus Central Catholic
Jason Polk - Wisner-Pilger
Craig Schnitzler - Kenesaw
Jeremy Van Ackeren - Papillon-LaVista South
AD Spotlight
Dave Hoxworth - Scottsbluff
My name is Dave Hoxworth, I am currently in my 31st and last year at Scottsbluff Public Schools. I have decided to step down after this year and my last day on the job will be June 30th.
One of the highlights of my career would be that Scottsbluff was the first and only education job that I would ever apply for. Scottsbluff has been a wonderful place for me and my family. As a remarried father of five, my wife, Robin and I have had a wonderful place to raise our children. Our children excelled in our school system and all five have graduated from college and are currently employed. What a wonderful cause for celebration. We have 3 kids in eastern Nebraska, one in Nashville, TN and another in Macon, GA. Our latest blessings have been three grandchildren and another on the way.
My career in Scottsbluff started with 17 years teaching elementary physical education, 2 years of middle school physical education and the remainder of my time in administration. The last 10 years, I have been blessed to be the Activities Director at Scottsbluff High School.
As I have navigated through this latest journey, I cannot help but reflect on the number of people that have helped me along the way. Our family of activities directors across the state of Nebraska are truly the best of the best. My only advice to those that are desiring to establish themselves in this profession is to embrace the journey, and surround yourself with many close friends. You will need them and they will need you as you follow your passion to help those students that need you each and every day.
During my tenure as Activities Director, our teams have earned 61 district titles and 3 state championships, the Scottsbluff and Gering community has been awarded the Boys’ and Girls’ Class B State Golf Championships by the Nebraska School Activities Association, and probably one of the best accomplishments has been the inception of Scottsbluff High School Athletic Hall of Fame. With the financial support of the Scottsbluff Booster Club and funds generated through the Hall of Fame, a touchscreen monitor is now in the school commons area. It contains information about SHS both past and present. All school annuals have been archived and current photos are uploaded and added constantly. There is a special emphasis given to the Athletic Hall of Fame.
I have always given my best effort to be a tremendous advocate for western Nebraska activities at the state level, and I tried to lead the effort through my relationships with the activities directors from across the state. We did this by hosting the best events possible and welcoming those from the east with our warm Western Nebraska hospitality.
As I close, thank you to Scottsbluff Schools, my awesome wife and children, the NSIAAA Board and most of all, to my friends in the business that have helped me along the way.
NSIAAA / NIAAA Scholarships Awarded
Mark Armstrong, CMAA - NSIAAA Executive Director
The NSIAAA is happy to present numerous scholarships to seniors in Nebraska this year, as the NSIAAA Scholarship Committee has made their selections. The NSIAAA Board appreciates their time and energy in making these selections.
A good number of applicants filed for consideration for the Nebraska NIAAA Scholarship, which a male & female from each NSAA District are selected for $250 scholarships, and one a male and female selected from those district winners to represent Nebraska at the NIAAA Section V level in June - those two people also received an additional $500 each. If selected for Section V recognition, they will receive additional funding and move to the NIAAA National selection process.
Four senior sons or daughters of current NSIAAA members were chosen for the NSIAAA Gdowski Family Scholarship, which awards $500 to two males and The Larry King Scholarship to two female applicants.
Thank you to those AD’s, both working and retired, who helped make the selections for these scholarships. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated by the NSIAAA Board. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients!
NSIAAA State Scholarship - ($500) *Sponsored by the Gerry Gdowski Family
Gerry Gdowski Family Male NSIAAA Recipients:
Jordan Wagner - Centennial HS / Kevin Bantam - Medicine Valley HS
Larry King Female NSIAAA Recipients:
Addison Ellis - Broken Bow HS / Charlee Wegner - St. Paul HS
NIAAA National Scholarship
Male District Selections ($250 to each)
Male Name/School
District I - Mason Wisnieski - Malcolm
District II - Josh Jansen - Daniel Gross Catholic
District III - Pryor Mathews - O’Neill
District IV - Caden Neels - Gothenburg
District V - Kevin Bantam - Medicine Valley
District VI - John Maser - Gering
Nebraska Male Selection - Section V: Caden Neels - Gothenburg
NIAAA National Scholarship
Female District Selection ($250 to each)
Female Name/School
District I - Quincey Cotter - Raymond Central
District II - Charlotte Gregor - Omaha South
District III - Bridget Lewis - Rock County
District IV - Makenna Miller - Anselmo-Merna
District V - Briley Morgan - McCook
District VI - Jordan Novellis - Sidney
Nebraska Female Selection - Section V: Makenna Miller - Anselmo-Merna
Past President – Nate Larsen, O’Neill High School
As we are all in the middle of a very busy time of year, I urge you to remember not to get lost in
the “busy”. Remember to enjoy the great things your kids and coaches have accomplished already this year and will accomplish in the weeks moving forward. Take the time to celebrate those moments and the people who made them possible. On that note, NIAAA President Steve Throne has a tremendous theme for this year, “Link It Up”. Remember that we are in the people business. Make those connections with the people you work with and let them know how much you appreciate them.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as part of the NSIAAA executive board these past 4 years. I look forward to seeing you at state track, our golf tournament in June and many more fall conferences!
LTI & Certification
I’m excited to announce that we will be hosting a Section V Summer Leadership Training Institute again this June! This year the institute will be in North Sioux City, SD along with the Section V Meetings. The courses offered will be as follows:
We will also be offering courses in July at the NCA Clinic. 501 & 502 will be offered for free again this year for new ADs. Experienced ADs are also welcome to register for the courses for the usual $100 fee. We will also be offering 504 and 506 at the NCA Clinic as well. Thosecourses will have the $100 registration fee as well.
Tuesday, 7/22 – LTC 501 (Room A104) & LTC 504 (Library) from 1:00PM – 5:00PM.
Wednesday, 7/23 – LTC 502 (Room A104) & LTC 506 (Library) from 11:45AM – 4:30PM.
**Lunch will be provided for those taking classes on Wednesday, 7/23.
If you haven’t been able to take advantage of the in-person course offerings as often as you would like, the NIAAA offers courses in an online pre-recorded format as well as via webinar, which adds an interactive component. You can find the schedule for those courses using the link below.
https://niaaa.org/how-to-take-courses
As always, if you have a particular course that you are interested in just let me know & I will find a way to get it offered. The courses available are listed on the NIAAA website at the link below.
President-Elect Message
Dear Friends of the NSIAAA,
I hope this message finds you well and that you are enjoying the remaining weeks of the Spring Semester. I am always amazed at how quickly the Academic Years come and go. I am humbled to serve the Nebraska membership on a four-year Executive Leadership Journey, this year as the NSIAAA’s President-Elect. I am looking forward to serving as the Association’s President next year.
The NSIAAA Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team have already begun preparations for the 2025-2026 Academic Year. The June Board Retreat is scheduled for June 2, with the annual and always popular NSIAAA Golf tournament on June 3 at Woodland Hills just outside of Lincoln. Thank you to Ryan Hogue for his leadership in making this golf event a great experience for all attendees. Members of the NSIAAA Executive Board will also attend the Section V Meetings in North Sioux City, South Dakota, June 9-11.
The NSIAAA Board will discuss and consider many initiatives at the June Retreat. Among the proposed discussion topics include:
2025 NSIAAA Fall Conference Planning
2025-2026 Leadership Training Professional Development Schedule
2025-2026 Membership Registration Protocols, including Membership Rates
NSIAAA’s 5-year Strategic Planning Process
Review Year-End Financial Reports & 2025-2026 Budget Planning
The NSIAAA Board will have three new members who were voted onto the Board by the membership at last year’s Fall Conference. On behalf of the Board, we are honored to welcome these talented Education-Based Athletic Administrators:
Mr. Nathan Dietz, Amherst Public Schools, Vice-President
Dr. John Krogstrand, Omaha Public Schools, NSIAAA District II
Mr. Craig Newcomb, Bertrand Community Schools, NSIAAA District V
Thank you to Mr. Nate Larsen (Past-President), Mr. Scott Anderson (District II), and Mr. Les Roggenkamp (District V) for their service to the NSIAAA Board.
I wish you a wonderful conclusion to the 2024-2025 Academic Year and a safe and relaxing summer spent with family and friends. If I can be of service in any way, please let me know.
Dr. Mitchell Stine, CMAA
NSIAAA President-Elect
