[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 200 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC 
              ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION (NIAAA)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2017

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
40th anniversary of the National Interscholastic Athletic 
Administrators Association (NIAAA), headquartered in Indianapolis. The 
NIAAA is an organization founded in 1977 to preserve, enhance and 
promote the educational value of interscholastic athletics through the 
professional development of its member athletic administrators. 
Extracurricular activities, such as interscholastic athletics, emerged 
about a century ago as part of education reform with the idea to use 
extracurricular activities to help teach ``soft skills''--strong work 
habits, grit, self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, and a sense of 
civic engagement. The NIAAA champions the profession of athletic 
administration through educational opportunities, advocating ethics, 
developing leaders, and fostering community.
  The NIAAA, with its 11,000 individual members and athletic 
administrators nationwide, makes available the resources and support 
that our secondary school athletic administrators need to administer 
safe, high quality athletic programs that provide participation 
opportunities and positive experiences for students. The NIAAA became 
the first national association to be accredited by the North Central 
Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement in the 
post-secondary division. It has also developed and administers the only 
comprehensive Professional Education Program and Certification Program 
for secondary school Athletic Administrators.
  Involvement in interscholastic athletics has shown a strong 
association with a variety of positive outcomes during the school years 
and beyond, including higher grade-point averages, lower dropout rates, 
lower truancy, better work habits, higher educational aspirations, 
lower delinquency rates, greater self-esteem, more psychological 
resilience, less risky behavior, more civic engagement (like voting and 
volunteering), and higher future wages and occupational attainment.
  That is why the work of the NIAAA, and the school administrators and 
programs they recognize, including those in my district, deserve our 
recognition--for taking the steps to help ensure our secondary school 
athletic programs are the best they can be and students athletes have 
the opportunity to develop into the leaders our nation will depend on 
in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the NIAAA 
and the recognized exemplary programs and administrators for their 
commitment to America's future, its youth.

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