September 2025 Newsletter

Sep 29

Written By Lance Smith

FALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

CLICK HERE

NOVEMBER 8-10
KEARNEY, NE HOLIDAY INN

AD Spotlight - Trevor Johnson, Lincoln Pius X

Trevor Johnson is a Lincoln native and a 2010 alum of Lincoln Pius X. He played collegiate basketball at Nebraska Wesleyan where he was a four-year starter and earned numerous honors as a player. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and later earned a master’s degree in management from Doane University in 2017. Following graduation, Johnson began his coaching career at his alma mater where he was a member of the 2018 National Championship team. He then moved on to Johns Hopkins University, and eventually to Buena Vista University, where he coached for six seasons, as well as serving as the Assistant Athletic Director and Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Education-based athletics in high school play a vital role in the development of students by fostering not only physical fitness and teamwork but also essential life skills such as discipline, time management, leadership, and resilience. Participation in these programs encourages students to balance schedules, set goals, and build a strong sense of community and school pride. Ultimately, high school athletics serve as an extension of the classroom, helping students grow into well-rounded individuals prepared for success beyond graduation.

Lincoln Pius X is currently in the middle of our first capital campaign in 20 years. The campaign will impact all areas of our activities & athletics department. The project will bring a state-of-the-art auditorium built for our music & theatre department to our campus. We will also be renovating our campus chapel and building a brand-new weight room and locker rooms for our athletes. This campaign will dramatically improve our campus facilities and provide our students with the tools they need to excel in academics, arts and athletics.

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATORS - OPPORTUNITY-MAKERS!

Mark Armstrong, CMAA - NSIAAA Executive Director

Have you ever stopped to really give thought to the concept of you, the Athletic Administrator, as an Opportunity-Maker?

Almost everything we do as Athletic Administrators is in an effort to provide new opportunities to those we serve. These are opportunities, not only for the students in our school, but also for our coaches, our school district, and our communities at large!

For our students, most of our work is aimed at providing the opportunity to play the game they love. We organize contests, ensure eligibility, provide and prepare the facilities they will practice and play in or on, provide health services through our certified athletic trainers and doctors, transportation to get them to contests…the list goes on! More importantly, we are providing the opportunities to learn all the life-lessons that come with participation in educational-based athletics and activities.

For our coaches, we are providing many of these same opportunities as the students, but these provide the opportunity to foster their passion for coaches and leading young people. We also provide professional development and growth opportunities for them as they progress through their coaching careers.

We also provide opportunities for our community by extending these opportunities that will positively shape and enhance a school and community’s culture. These events provide community engagement and create a sense of belonging and spirit to all who follow your teams.

As the school year goes on, never forget that what you do on a daily basis is incredibly important to many who are involved in your school. While at times it feels like this is just another night to have to be at school, please remember that this day is one of only a short few that our students get to experience in their high school careers. Make the best of each and every opportunity that you are providing these students.

Enjoy the year!

YOUR NSIAAA BOARD AT WORK

Since we last met, your NSIAAA board of directors have been very busy, attending and hosting conferences, membership drives, a golf tournament, the list goes on. Here are a few highlights:

The NSIAAA traveled to the NIAAA Section 5 meeting in North Sioux City in early June. Leadership Training courses were taught, and we were updated on what’s happening nationally and in our 6-State section. We enjoyed having current NIAAA President Steve Throne on hand to provide updates from the national office.
The NSIAAA Golf Tournament was a huge success! Under the direction of Ryan Hogue and help from others, a great day was had at Woodland Hills. Look for information on next year’s golf tournament as we get closer to next June!
The NSIAAA provided professional development opportunities and leadership training courses during the Nebraska Coaches Clinic. In addition, Jack Tarr led the charge at our New AD’s Workshops in North Platte and Lincoln, which were well attended.
The 2025-26 NSIAAA Leadership Cohort kicked off our new year in July. Our cohort will again focus this year on our 50+ new AD’s and how we can learn, grow, and mentor those AD’s as they learn the ropes.
Marc Mroczek and Jenny Wagner have been very busy handling what appears to be another record-breaking membership drive for this year! We broke our membership record this past year and are set to break that record once again this year!

Planning for the November Fall Convention is in full swing and a great schedule of events and speakers is in place. You will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best, as well as being able to network with your peers in our state. Remember to put November 8-10 in Kearney on your calendars!!

NIAAA National Athletic Directors Conference

Tampa, FL - December 12-16, 2025

There has never been a better time to attend the NIAAA NADC (National Athletic Directors Conference), to be held December 12-16, 2024 in Tampa, FL. The Tampa Convention Center will be the host location for this year’s conference, and it is guaranteed not to disappoint!

There are many exciting things to do in Tampa in December, but this conference provides yearly the best professional development opportunities for athletic administrators!

Every year, EVERY LTI Course is offered at the conference during different time periods. If you are working toward your RAA, CAA or CMAA certification, this is an ideal thing to do when attending!
The massive vendor hall is full of sporting goods and athletic-related dealers to gather information from as well as talk to about projects. If you are putting new facilities together, this is a great location to see who might be able to help you out.
Opening Session and Closing Session have excellent national speakers with great messages to inspire you to be your best. You don’t want to miss these if you are attending.
Six General Sessions are intermittent within the conference schedule, providing you topics of interest and opportunities to interact with other athletic directors from across the country. Oftentimes these conversations lead to great idea sharing and lifelong friendships being developed.
NIAAA Committees all meet during this conference, and a bulk of the business for those groups takes place during the committee's time together. The camaraderie in these groups can lead to great sharing opportunities and developing a network of resources from across the nation.
Section Meetings are a great chance to meet fellow AD’s from your region, and work together to develop opportunities for members. The idea of a Section V LTI Institute started with a conversation at one of these meetings, and it will become a reality again in June of 2026.
The NFHS Luncheon and NIAAA Awards Banquet offer you a meal at each and an opportunity to honor AD’s from across the nation for their service.
The NIAAA Delegate Assembly is the voting arm of the membership and will meet in Orlando. They will listen to business of the NIAAA, as well as vote on new agenda items in the NIAAA Constitution. Each state is allotted a certain number of delegates, based on membership, which is one of the reasons we strive to increase our membership to gain more delegates.
STEVE THRONE will be leading the conference as the NIAAA President. Congratulations to Steve and we look forward to his leadership!
Nebraska will be represented in the awards ceremonies once again this year! JENNY WAGNER has been selected to receive the Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Awards, and JACK TARR has been selected to receive the NFHS Citation Award. Congratulations and we look forward to celebrating you in Tampa!

If you have never attended an NADC Conference, you should really try to do so. It will give you a broader perspective of the organization as well as how you can improve your skills in doing your work for your district!

AD Spotlight - Eric Johnson, Omaha North

I have worked in the Omaha Public Schools for 30 years. My current position is Assistant Principal /Athletic Director at Omaha North. I have held an Assistant Principal position at Nathan Hale Middle and served as Dean of Students at Omaha North. Prior to serving in administrative roles, I taught Physical Education at Omaha North and coached girls and boys track and freshman football. I have two children that graduated from Omaha North. My son Camden graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha's Kiewit program and is currently an architectural engineer at Engineering Technologies Inc. My daughter Jaeden just graduated May of 2025 from the University of Missouri Kansas City.

Education based athletics is important for a variety of reasons. Athletics plays a role in teaching life skills through teamwork, discipline, resilience and accountability. These skills are also vital for the classroom and help build professional success. Additionally, engaging in sports at a young age promotes a healthy lifestyle and physical well-being.

We are extremely excited about our new stadium project. Project GameOn, which includes a game-changing stadium for Omaha North High and a brand-new Butler-Gast YMCA building, is a milestone for our athletic program and our entire community. The project represents years of hard work, vision, and collaboration to support our student athletes. It’s more than just a stadium—it’s a symbol of our future. Our staff and students can’t wait to fill it with unforgettable moments, roaring crowds, and championship energy.

President’s Message

This year wasn’t just about playing and competing; it was about growing up a little more, learning how to be a good teammate, and showing up for something bigger than ourselves. And you all did that beautifully. We’ve watched 12 young girls grow into strong, fearless, kind young women,

Remember the skills you’ve built this season - confidence, resilience, communication, effort-go far beyond softball. These are things you’ll carry with you in everything you do. When you look back on this time together, we hope you don’t just remember the scoreboards. We hope you remember the dugout dances, the carpools, the parking lot parties, and the feeling of standing side by side with your team, knowing you weren’t alone.

Keep practicing, keep dreaming big, and most importantly, keep being the incredible young women you are. We can’t wait to see what you all do next.

Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator's Association Members,

I share this because my daughter Kendyll and her teammates received this message at the end of their summer softball season. It reminded me of the important mission we all carry as leaders in education-based activities. Over the years, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the lasting impact these activities have on young people. Beyond wins and losses, they teach perseverance, teamwork, integrity, and resilience.

Just like Kendyll’s Nebraska Storm Softball Family, we as educators strive to instill values that prepare our students for life beyond the field, court, or stage. It is my sincere hope that you always remember your “why”—and reflect on it often.

I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the NSIAAA Executive Leadership Team for their Commitment to Excellence:

Mrs. Sara Fjell, Elkhorn High School – President-Elect
Mr. Nathan Dietz, Amherst Public Schools – Vice President
Mrs. Jenny Wagner, CAA, Centennial Public Schools – Secretary and Treasurer
Mr. Mark Armstrong, CMAA, Retired (Lincoln Southwest) – Executive Director
Mr. JJ Toczek, CAA, Lincoln Public Schools – Past President

The Executive Team, along with the entire NSIAAA Board, continues to position our Association for long-term success. I am honored to serve the Nebraska membership on a four-year Executive Leadership Journey, this year as the Association’s President.

The NSIAAA Board recently concluded its summer activities. We began with a retreat at UNL Memorial Stadium, meeting with Nebraska Athletics Director Troy Dannen and his leadership team. Several Board members also attended the Section V Meetings in South Dakota, taught LTI courses at the NCA Coaches Clinic, and supported new athletic administrators entering the profession. Most recently, the Board gathered to continue planning for the 2025-2026 academic year—particularly the Annual Conference in November.

On behalf of the NSIAAA Board, I wish you a successful and fulfilling year ahead. I also extend my sincere wishes for your continued health and well-being. If I can be of service in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Dr. Mitchell Stine, CMAA

President, Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association

Nate Larsen – LTI & Certification Coordinator

2024 has been a busy year for leadership training courses in Nebraska. So far this year we have offered 501, 502, 504, 506, 616, 628, 700 & 718 between the Section V Summer Institute & NCA clinic. At our fall conference, we are offering 508 – Legal Issues III (Hazing, Constitutional Law, Disabilities Law, Employment Law & Labor Law), 700 – Principles & Philosophies of a Developmentally Appropriate Middle School, 704 – Recruit/Hire, Mentor & Retain Coaches, & 718 – Leading the Athletic Department Through Tragic Events. These 4 courses will be taught in 2 time slots (9am – 1pm & 2pm – 6pm) on Saturday & registration is available through Final Forms.

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

Fall webinars begin on October 20th & registration opens on September 15th. The list of courses being offered can be found using the link below.

https://niaaa.org/how-to-take-courses#webinars

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.

https://niaaa.org/course-descriptions

Lastly, we will be offering the CAA exam at the fall conference in Kearney & again at our Section V Summer Institute, which will be in Omaha in June of 2026. There are study materials available once you have completed your personal data form, paid the fee (both through your NIAAA portal) & been approved to take the exam. If you have any questions regarding certification, you can feel free to reach out to me or use the link below to find information on the NIAAA website.

https://niaaa.org/about-certification

I hope you have enjoyed a great start to your year & I look forward to seeing everyone at our fall conference in Kearney in November!

2025-2026 NSIAAA Membership

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! As the beginning of the school year starts, there are many items to complete during our busy times. One of the most important items to give your full attention to is your Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association membership.

The 2025-2026 NSIAAA membership will allow you to be a dual member of the NSIAAA and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association (NIAAA). The cost of the dual membership is $300 for High School Athletic Directors and $150 for Middle School Athletic Directors, which includes $2 million in liability insurance while on the job along with up to $7,500 in term life insurance coverage through the NSIAAA and NIAAA. It is also important to know that your dual membership will serve as your registration for the Fall Conference at Kearney on November 8-10, 2025, and the Spring Banquet on March 10, 2026, in Lincoln.

The membership of the NSIAAA continues to grow and has exceeded over 300 athletic administrators in recent years. Last year, we had another new record year of 306 members, which is a 10.1% increase from last year and 99% of High School AD’s, Assistant AD’s, and Middle School AD’s in Nebraska. Our membership goal as the NSIAAA Board of Directors is to exceed that number and strive to have a 100% enrollment rate for the 2025-2026 school year. We need your commitment to our state organization and highly encourage you to promote the NSIAAA to your colleagues who may not be aware of the association and the great benefits that are part of the annual membership. If you have not submitted your membership application, you can register on the NSIAAA website https://www.nsiaaa.org/ and click on “Not a Member Yet - Join Here”. This will take you to the NSIAAA Final Forms site to complete your forms electronically for the 2025/2026 school year. For payment, you are able to pay with a credit card or you can send a check made payable to the NSIAAA to Jenny Wagner at Centennial High School.

This year’s NIAAA National Convention will be held in Tampa, Florida, from December 12-16, 2025. Registration for this convention is currently open through the NIAAA website https://www.adconference.org/. Current members of the NSIAAA and NIAAA are able to register using their current membership ID and information. If you are a new member this year to the NSIAAA and NIAAA and need assistance, please contact Marc Mroczek at marc.mroczek@goswedes.org.

If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact me. I look forward to receiving your membership and payment, and we will see you at the Fall Conference in November.

Marc Mroczek
Activities Director
Gothenburg High School
NSIAAA Membership Coordinator

President-Elect’s Message

To the Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator's Association Members,

I hope your school year and fall sports and activities are off and running smoothly! We all know that September begins a crazy month of hosting, organizing, and taking responsibility for a lot of academic tasks throughout the school day. I hope you were able to take some time this past summer to relax and unwind in order to get reenergized for another busy year of activities!

I am excited to serve this membership as your current President Elect for the NSIAAA. We have an outstanding executive team and it has been an honor serving alongside this year’s President Dr. Mitchell Stine, CAA: Norris Public School Assistant Principal/Activities Director, as he takes the lead over the NSIAAA for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.

I also want to take a few moments to express my appreciation for the leadership of our current NSIAAA Executive Leadership Team. Mr. Mark Armstrong, CMAA, retired Athletic Administrator from Lincoln Southwest, is our Executive Director. Mrs. Jenny Wagner, CAA, Centennial Public Schools, is the Secretary and Treasurer. Dr. JJ Toczek, CAA; Lincoln Public School District Athletic Administrator, Past-President, and Mr. Nathan Dietz, from Amherst Public Schools as our current Association’s Vice President. Collectively, this talented group of administrative leaders and our entire NSIAAA Board has positioned the Association for another great year.

The NSIAAA Board recently concluded its summer activities and met in late August to continue preparations for the 2025-2026 Academic Year primarily focusing on the annual November Fall Conference in Kearney. Board Members have also had a busy summer attending regional meetings, teaching and building leadership courses, planning upcoming events, and continuing to both conduct several outreach activities in helping the growth of our state’s representatives; through welcoming and working with state Administrative Assistants and Activity Administrators new to the Profession.

Throughout my years in educational leadership and athletic administration, I have come to understand the impact and influence that we can have towards the culture and operations of our buildings. Our guidance, decision making, and leadership can model what we expect the high school experience to be, for not only our students, but also our communities. I challenge you to continue to find ways to positively influence, help foster, and lead your school programs in a way that is character driven.

A steadfast focus for the NSIAAA is a continuation of excellence, in not only our actions as members, but the influence we have in our communities. I encourage you to reach out to other state members in an effort of continued collaboration, with a hope of connection, and also as a support to those who may be new to this profession. Thank you for all the work that you do, both in front of your community, in your buildings, and behind the scenes! Have a great year and we hope to see you this fall!

Sara Fjell, Activities Director Elkhorn High School
NSIAAA President-Elect

Retired AD Report

Retired ADs, please consider this an invitation to be a part of the NSIAAA. The fee for being a retired AD is only $70 and that gives you an invitation to the fall clinic, spring banquet and best time to spend with ADs and retired ADs. The NSIAAA is looking for help for the fall clinic and if you would like to help please email Jack Tarr or Dr. Mitchell Stine at Norris. We can use help up front with registration, to introduce sessions, teach classes if you are qualified, to name a few. The price increase from last year was due the the NIAAA increase for their dues. We just went up the amount that would cover their increase, as we want as many of you retired ADs to come and join us and stay a member. We continue to grow in numbers and you can be part of this exciting growth.

Summer New AD Report and Cohort Report

The summer New AD summit was a huge success. The first two meetings were combined with the NSAA, one held in North Platte and one in Lincoln. The NSAA gave us over an hour to meet and greet the new ADs, Mark Armstrong and myself along with Scott Jorgunson and Dr. Stine explained to them what the NSIAAA was about, the benefits of joining and most important starting to build your network. We then met on Monday the 21st of July with a Q/A session and the start of the cohort with 10+ new ADs. Mark, Nate, Jack, Jenny and Mitchell were at this session and it was supposed to last about an hour but the discussion carried over to lasting over 2 hours. It was a great 1st cohort meeting with the new ADs. The next two days were a time for learning, with LTI 501 and 502 being taught for the new ADs for free and 504 and 506 being taught as part of the 24-25 cohort of those new ADs. We had around 15-20 new ADs attend 501and 502 and 8-10 first year ADs attend 504 and 506. The new ADs were asked to take 503 within 60 days (free) and then they will be invited to take 504 and 506 next summer to finish up the classes needed to get a CAA. All four classes went very well with Nate, Jack and Jenny teaching 501 and 502 and Mark, Jack, Jenny and Mitchell teaching 504 and 506. This cohort idea is going well, one of our strategic plans objectives to increase the number of ADs taking classes and getting certification. We hope many of the 8-10 ADs will take the CAA test within the next year as they have to be an AD for two years before they can be certified. We, the teaching staff hope that more ADs take this opportunity offered to them to become certified and make Nebraska a state that believes in and follows through with helping our newer ADs become the best they can. We, NSIAAA have some veteran ADs who are ready to start on their CMAA and as a NSIAAA board we want to encourage them to continue to get professional development through the LTIs and show their administration how they are continuing to grow in their expertise. For the new ADs we will again have a cohort meeting at the fall conference, so we will want to get as many of them there as possible, so we need to encourage them to get the PD time into their administration team. All the new ADs have been assigned mentors, with each new AD given a New AD Manual and then each mentor given a Mentor Handbook to give helpful suggestions on things to do as mentor/mentee. Hopefully for the ones who are mentors on the board you have started to do this with your mentee.

NIAN Report

The NIAAA/ NIAN committee has selected St. Judes as its sponsorship for this school year. We set a goal of $30,000 for this year, and with it being a charity that is trying to get rid of childhood cancer and other childhood diseases we are asking that each state step up and try to give as much as they can. Our charity for 25-26 is the Frank and Karen Broyles Foundation. It is an organization that sort of works differently from most Alzheimer's organizations. It is one who helps the caregivers of ADs with Dementia and Alzheimer's. Most caregivers never receive help and they need it as much as the ADs who have these terrible diseases. It is a tier two organization and one that benefits fellow ADs and their spouses.