We recently heard from the athletic director of Overlake School in Redmond, Washington, that Overlake had been named by Coach & Athletic Director magazine for their prestigious Interscholastic Sports Program of Excellence Award winner.
The annual award recognizes public and private high school athletic programs in the United States in four different enrollment categories. Overlake won the award for a private school with less than 500 students. Mary Institute Country Day (MO) won the award for private schools with 501 or more students. The public school winners were St. Anthony Village (MN) for schools with a student body of below a 1,000 and Vista Murrieta (CA) for schools of 1,000 or more.
The magazine looked at a variety of factors in choosing Overlake for this award. Here are some:
Participation Rate: 82%
Overlake has an inclusive, no-cut policy.
Scholar-Athletes: 3.63 was GPA of athletes in 2011-2012
In addition, Overlake has earned the state academic championship in seven sports since 2008.
Graduation Rate: 100%
Coaching Certification: All 80+ Overlake coaches are trained in First Aid, CPR, and Concussion Management.
Team Community Service: Teams host a variety of events for the American Cancer Society. Last year, the high school varsity baseball team went to the Dominican Republic and hosted baseball clinics, worked in orphanages, and distributed food to communities.
Sportsmanship: Overlake leads by example by earning six team sportsmanship awards in the Emerald City League last year, including one for the Overlake State Champion Boys’ Soccer team.
Performance on the Field: The Owls have won six state championships in a variety of sports since 2006. In addition, Overlake has reached the state finals in half of their sports offerings during the same period.
Congratulations, Overlake!
How does your school compare when you look at these areas? What area would be most important to emphasize now? Can you get other coaches to join your effort? What are some realistic goals you can set?
