Networking is important to every profession.
Iola High girls’s head basketball coach Becky Carlson knows that. So when she was asked to serve on the board of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association she was ready.
Carlson was inducted into the NHSACA Hall of Fame in 2009. Since 2005 Carlson has been the Fillies’ head coach after a 20-year coaching career at Hillsboro High School.
“This organization focuses on honoring coaches and giving coaches another network,” Carlson said following her first NHSACA national convention as its Region 5 board of director. “It is an advocate for coaches.”
Carlson said Region 5 includes Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas. She learned her responsibility is to represent coaches from these states, even Louisiana and Texas which don’t belong to the NHSACA.
“Coaches can join the NHSACA as individuals. We’d really like to reach the Louisiana and Texas state organizations and have them join. I’m here to help coaches in my region know what the association can do for them,” Carlson said.
The NHSACA national convention was held in July in North Dakota in conjunction with the North Dakota Coaches state meeting. Carlson led a session at the convention for Region 5.
“We brainstormed about how we can get more coaches to join. We discussed ideas and what the NHSACA provides for members. They have professional services to support coaches,” Carlson said.
Carlson said she was proud to represent Iola and Kansas at a national level. She also appreciates the opportunity to serve on the board and that the Iola school district helped fund her trip to the national convention.
“I learned a great deal which I plan to pass on to other coaches,” Carlson said.
