NHSACA

MEMBERSHIP

       Nearly 30 years ago it became apparent to the nation’s high school coaches that they were not being represented as a profession by the various associations with which they were affiliated. During those years in the 50s and 60s, high school coaches and athletic directors from around the nation were invited to annual sessions of the Division of Men’s Athletics (DMA) of the NEA/AAPHER group. Occasionally, special conferences were scheduled for high school coaches in Washington, D.C., but only as an adjunct of the college physical educator-dominated DMA.
It became apparent the high school coaches needed recognition and a national direction. This was in 1964. A key group of high school coaches named a steering committee, with instructions to plan another meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in July, 1965.
The Atlanta meeting in 1965 was intense in discussion and design as to the feasibility of organizing the nation’s high school coaches. Thus, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association was formed.
The Primary Goals and Purposes of the NHSACA

1. To raise the quality and competence of High School Athletic Coaching and administration to the highest level possible through leadership development, educational programs, training sessions and informative publications.
2. To promote and publicize high school sports and its five million student/athletes through national, state and local award programs.
3. To foster amateur sports programs for boys and girls with national-class skills in a variety of sports which provide social, educational, and competitive opportunities for the students.
4. To promote Drug and Alcohol Prevention among high school students, teachers/coaches and parents in cooperation with the government, law enforcement agencies and educational groups.

Membership
When the NHSACA was formed in the 1960s, membership was about 5,000. From then to the present, membership is now more than 60,000 and continuing to rise. The NHSACA is a solid organization dedicated to the enhancement of the coaching profession.

DWIGHT T. KEITH AWARD

       The Dwight T. Keith Award is given to recognize and to honor a person who has made an outstanding contribution to high school interscholastic athletics and/or the high school coaching profession. This award was created expressly to honor persons in a non-coaching role. The recipient may be an active coach, but the work for which he or she is being honored must be of a non-coaching nature.
Dwight Keith was a founding member and guiding light of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association through its early years and served as its Executive Secretary from 1965 to 1973.
Past Connecticut recipients of this award are:

• 1978: Tom Monahan, Bristol
• 1982: Joseph J. Fontana, Southington
• 1986: Larry D. McHugh, Middletown
• 1996: John Fontana, Southington
• 2000: Nick Zeoli, Wilton
• 2008: Gary Makowicki, Norwich Free Academy
• 2011: Doug Sharples, St. Bernard

CT HALL OF FAME WINNERS

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL COACHES HALL OF FAME CONNECTICUT INDUCTEES
1996: Joseph Fontana
1997: Thomas Monahan, Larry McHugh
1998: Charles Sharos, Frank Crisafi
1999: Jerry McDougall, John Fontana
2000: Jean Hunt, Nick Zeoli
2001: Dan Sullivan, Whitey Piurek
2002: Lindy Remigino, Wally Camp
2003: Frank Robinson, Paul Kuczo
2004: Bob Saulsbury, Joe Folino
2005: Vito Montelli, Dot Johnson
2006: Arlene Salvati, Guy Whitten
2007: Bob Demayo, Ralph King
2008: Jim Penders, James Penders, Sr.
2009: Dave Strong, Irv Black
2010: Ken Kezer, John Hagen
2011: Linda Dirga, John Kuczo
2012: Jack Long, Ed Aston
2013: Bob Cecchini, Cookie Bromage
2014: James Buonocore, Edward Lynch
2015: Laddie Lawrence, Jake Salafia
2016: Tom Malin, Edward McCarthy
2017: Chris Webster, Marty Roos
2018: Gary Makowicki, Louis J. Milardo
2019: Babby Nuhn, Ricky Shook
2021: Leonard Corto, Mark Logan
2022: Deb Petruzzello, Charles Claffey
2023: Charles Farley Jr., Maribeth Sarwacki
2024: Joe Canzanella, Joe Madaffari 

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