I was the head wrestling coach at a Division I university and had a son who participated in the sport of wrestling.

In the summer of 1989, my son was about to enter his senior year of high school. He distinguished himself by winning a state championship as a sophomore. His plans were to continue his wrestling career in college, so I began searching for a post season scholastic style wrestling competition that was national In scope and would serve as a preparation for the NCAA Championships. 

After exhausting all avenues, it was apparent that no such competition existed. It was obvious there was a need, so I decided to conduct such an event. I designed a championship event that would fit the profile of my son's credentials. The eligibility requirements were that you had to be a high school senior who won a state championship sometime during your high school career to qualify for this event. This insured that my son would quality for this event even If he did not repeat as a state champion In his senior year, which turned out not to be the case.

I began the search for a home for this event. I began to contact organizations to see if they had an interest in me volunteering my services to conduct such an event for their organization.  

The first organization that I approached was the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHSAA). I was Informed that this organization did not endorse national events and would not be interested. 

Next, I contacted USA Wrestling and I was informed that this organization was committed to Olympic style wrestling and would not be interested. I then contacted National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). I was informed this group was interested and that I should proceed with plans to conduct the event.

I immediately contacted an attorney friend and asked for his assistance In helping me with the legal aspects of this event. He agreed to help and I immediately got started. I named the event the National High School Wrestling Championship and developed all the marketing materials. I received an estimate from the university mailroom for the printing and postage and when I contacted the NWCA to inform them of the cost, I was told NWCA was not interested.

I approached the athletic director at the university and asked him for permission to have my wrestling booster dub to sponsor the event. He granted me permission and I immediately began to set up a national network of volunteers to help distribute the marketing materials to every state champion In the country who was a senior In high school.

My wife and children volunteered to stuff the packets of marketing materials. I named tournament directors three weeks prior to the event and the rest Is history. We had 262 state champions and more than 200 high school and college coaches representing 39 states invoked in the first event. We fed the coaches and volunteers in the hospitality room and everyone had a great experience.

I contacted ESPN and they Informed me that this was the first true national high school championship in any sport and agreed to air It on national television. They sent a full crew to Pittsburgh to film the event to be aired on Scholastic Sports America. 

At the event, It was apparent that there was a need for events like this and high school coaches were in need of leadership.

After all the Invoices were paid we ended up with approximately a $500 profit. The athletic director allowed us to use the funds to open a checking account for the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). At this moment, the NHSCA was born and we finally had an appropriate home for our wrestling event.

NHSCA Expands Commitment To Administrators, Coaches, Parents & Athletes
Develops a College Recruiting Service to Answer Huge Volume of Requests

Once again, the National High School Coaches Association has demonstrated that it will continue to be attuned to the needs and desires of athletes, parents and coaches.  By developing a college recruiting service in conjunction with The Media Factory, an Emmy winning multimedia production facility, the NHSCA intends to turn the confusing process of college recruitment into an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The primary goal is to offer the information and tools that will make the difference between getting lost in the shuffle and really getting noticed.

The NHSCA has always considered its mission to be providing leadership and support to coaches, their athletes and their programs.  The goal is to promote the highest level of competition by sponsoring comprehensive national championship programs and other positive activities designed to enhance and support coaching as a profession.

The association was established in 1989 as a 501c3 non-profit organization, governed by a board of directors.  At that time, the organizer of the "Senior Nationals" wrestling tournament was seeking a host for the event.  The National Federation of High Schools, USA Wrestling and the NWCA were all approached to get involved. All three turned down the request.  The founder of the NHSCA stepped in, formed the organization and provided a home for this important event. 

Since that time, the NHSCA has become a full service organization.  Every year, the "Senior Nationals" attracts more than 800 of the top high school wrestlers in the country, as well as more than 1000 of the leading high school coaches and nearly 200 college coaches.  Since more than 75% of the seniors competing in this event will go on to attend a college that does not offer a varsity or club wrestling program, the NHSCA has been instrumental in starting college club wrestling programs in order to give these talented athletes an opportunity to compete.  As an adjunct to this initiative, the NHSCA has added a college division to a number of its events to give these club wrestlers a place to showcase their talent before and after the season.

In 1997, NHSCA was approached by coaches in the Southeast asking for assistance in building wrestling awareness and participation in that part of the country.  Since then, the NHSCA has conducted national events in Chattanooga, TN, Birmingham, AL and Norfolk, VA and both Raleigh and Winston-Salem in North Carolina. The program was expanded to include state qualifiers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Texas. During this same period, more than 300 high school wrestling programs have been added in these southeastern states.  Many coaches and parents give the NHSCA much of the credit for this remarkable increase.

NHSCA events are routinely held in first class venues, assuring the participants, their families and their coaches a comfortable environment.   These events also provide coaches in attendance with clinics, socials, hospitality rooms and, in some cases, a banquet.

The NHSCA is the only organization in the nation to provide annual coach's insurance to its members.  For an extremely modest fee, this service eliminates risk and protects coaches and their families from potentially catastrophic litigation.

The NHSCA also makes a Coaches Certification Program available.  This service is designed to address the legitimate concerns of school administrators and parents.  It assures that certified coaches are properly informed about their responsibilities and overall duties to their athletes and the school community.  This NHSCA certification is the most comprehensive available anywhere and at the lowest cost of any program in the country.

The NHSCA also provides a number of free services to the high school community. The organization's website features a veritable honor roll of notable authorities who address questions concerning various aspects of the coaching profession.  This feature, "Ask the Experts", provides the kind of invaluable information that helps coaches keep up with the latest developments and trends and assures that they will remain better equipped to continue to handle their daunting responsibilities.  

In 2001, the NHSCA chose to proactively assist wrestling booster clubs by donating more than $100,000 to help them stage events all over the country.  Coaches Quarterly Magazine is sent, free of charge, to every high school and college wrestling and football coach in the country.  

The NHSCA also selects the National High School Coach and Senior Athlete of the Year in 20 different sports.  As an extension of this mission to recognize excellence in high school sports, the NHSCA has embarked upon a $20,000,000 project to build a National High School Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.  This magnificent, museum quality structure, designed by the world renowned architect responsible for the Gettysburg Museum, will be located in Northeast Pennsylvania.

In summary, the NHSCA, as an organization, is committed to sincerely listening to administrators, coaches, athletes, and parents and continuing to focus on anticipating and satisfying their requirements.  This dedication to meeting the needs of the people who make up the athletic community is what separates the NHSCA from other organizations.