As Winter Sports Begin Across the Country, Let’s All Take a Stand for Sportsmanship

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director

Periodically, The NFHS Voice will be presented in the form of video. This week, NFHS CEO Karissa Niehoff says as winter sports begin in schools across the country, it is time for coaches, administrators, captains and student leaders to take a stand for sportsmanship. She said we must exhibit and expect behavior that promotes respect for competition and authority figures, and athletes should be more focused on supporting their own team than antagonizing their opponent. Finally, she says we must take ownership of youth and high school sports and champion the formative nature of these programs while continuing to make sportsmanship the top priority.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her sixth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.