Big State, Big Task

He has experience as a teacher, a coach, an official, a principal, a tournament director and as the superintendent of Allen East Local Schools in Northwest Ohio. And now Mike Richards has another title on his desk – Board President of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

In this, his 36th-year in Ohio public education, Richards took over the OHSAA Board presidency in August. He was first elected to the Northwest District Athletic Board in 1995 and is currently on the Board of Directors for the second time.

OHSAA.org caught up with Richards Thursday following the September Board of Directors meeting in Columbus.

Q: You bring many levels of experience to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. In what direction will your experiences take the OHSAA?

A: “The direction has to be to allow the organization to best serve its member schools and our student-athletes. I think that’s the foundation of everything we do – what’s best for kids, what’s best for the organization, what’s best for our member schools. I think that’s where we have to focus all of our energies. Certainly, we are a group that continually wants to make things better, but don’t change just for the sake of change.”

Q: This is your second stint on the OHSAA Board of Directors. Now as President, what do you bring with you from your years on the Board?

A: “You have to maintain respect for all the districts. I can’t go onto the state board and only represent Northwest Ohio. I’m one of nine voting members and I hope all the other board members and the district boards feel that way, too – that our strength is as a group, not as individuals. That’s important.

“And I think there are things we can look at to help the operations at the central office and in turn help the communications that will expand to the member schools. That is something we have to constantly be abreast of, to make sure they are getting the proper information and not experiencing frustration with the things they receive. That’s a big task because it’s a big state and there are a lot of schools. And there are a lot of interest groups and perceptions of what’s important to one group might not be conceived as being important to another group. It’s a tough task for the central office as well as for us on the Board of Directors and the commissioners, trying to please everyone yet still maintain structure and the direction we need to have.”

Q: You have been involved with high school athletics on many levels, including now as a school superintendent. I’m sure all those experiences have helped prepare you to be President.

A: “Yes they have and Dr. Ross has brought the superintendents back into the fold quite a bit and that’s very exciting. I know the superintendents appreciate that. It’s all about kids, so all the players at all levels have to get involved with that.”

Q: The state tournaments are a big part of the OHSAA. As we toured the new Huntington Park Wednesday in downtown Columbus, for example, were you reminded of the excitement of state tournaments and the impact they have on student-athletes, coaches and fans?

A: “When you look at all our tournament venues, and you can take it all the way to the sectional levels, there is a lot of construction going on in Ohio. There are facilities that are getting more fan friendly and I think those are all things that make our tournaments among the best in the nation. We have a great staff in the central office that works very hard on putting on a great show. It’s very satisfying to hear from someone who has had a team down at the state basketball tournament, for example, who comes up to you and says ‘you guys put on a great show.’ Well, it’s not us. At that point it’s the commissioners and the people in Columbus that make everything go. There are a lot of people who make things work and we’re always open to suggestions. We want to make things the best.”

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