Local Athletic Directors Honored

The Maine Interscholatic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) is the professional organization that serves Maine's High School and Middle School's Athletic Directors. If you have wondered where your Athletic Director has been the last few days, chances are that they were at the Samoset attending the yearly conference.

This year's conference was the 1st one that they have held in public in 3 years, as the previous 2 years were forced to be held virtually because of the pandemic. The conference is a time for professional development and to renew friendships.

Being an athletic director is a tough job. This year Mark White, the Athletic Director at Presque Isle High School  and Anthony Amero, the Athletic Director at Forest Hills gave a presentation on "Resilience and Reinvention". If you think about it, those 2 words, Resilience and Reinvention have totally described High School Athletics the last couple of years. Athletic Directors shepherded through all the changes to keep student-athletes safe, while still advocating for them to play. They have dealt with spur of the minute COVID cancellations, COVID safety requirements, the weather, bus transportation issues and parent's and spectator's concerns, all while working incredibly long hours and in most cases 6 days a week during the season.

At Thursday night's banquet, the following were honored

• David Utterback - Brewer High School was named the recipient of the Robert J. Lahey, MIAAA Athletic Administrator of the Year Award.
• Patty Newman  of the Maine Principal's Association was selected as the recipient of the Lawrence LaBrie, MIAAA Distinguished Service Award.
• Gordon Salls of Sanford High School was named as the recipient of the Martin E. Ryan CMAA Award of Excellence.
• Matt Lash of Medomak Valley High School was the recipient of the MIAAA Leadership Award
• Fred Lower of Hampden Academy was selected as the recipient of the MIAAA Past President's Rising Star Award.
• Tracie Martin of Narraguagus High School was named as the recipient of the Robert Boucher 7th Player Distinguished Service Award.
• Joe Schwartzman of Kennebunk High School was selected as the recipient of the Keith Lancaster, CAA Professional Development Award
• Jordan Ferreira of Scarborough was selected as the recipient of the Excellence in Middle Level Athletic Administration Award
• Mike Lowe of the Portland Newspapers received the MIAAA Media Award.
• Dennis Crowe was the recipient of the Lawrence LaBrie, MIAAA Distinguished Service Award at the Local Level.

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