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Section XI - From The Editor's Desk

From the Executive Director's Desk


Don Webster, Executive Director, Section XI Don Webster, Executive Director, Section XI

From the Executive Director’s Desk

Published August 9, 2016

We have now entered the second half of the summer and are busy getting ready for the 2016 fall sports season which begins in a couple of short weeks. I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and that everyone has gotten in some quality relaxation and family time.

Section XI has been busy during the summer as it prepares for another exciting year in Suffolk County athletics. We have undergone some transition within our office and welcome Taryn Marshall to the Section XI family. Chris McKeveny has stepped into a new role and has taken on the responsibilities previously held by Dee Nebgen who has retired after 17 years at Section XI. We wish all three the best as they move on to new chapters in their professional and personal life. The remainder of the staff continues to be busy, scheduling, assigning officials, billing and putting in place everything that needs to be done to ensure a smooth start on August 15 when varsity and junior varsity football begins practicing.

We would also like to welcome back the athletic directors who tirelessly work to provide their student-athletes with enjoyable, positive and meaningful athletic experiences. We cannot thank you enough for your commitment and dedication to your profession. Special welcome to our new directors. We look forward to your insight, feedback and input. I hope you will find your new roles rewarding and enjoyable. Although you may not hear it as often as you should please know that the impact you will have on so many is appreciated. Without you it doesn’t happen.

Welcome back to all of our student-athletes, coaches and support staff. Please join us in our commitment to continue to make Section XI the best section in New York State.

Enjoy!

Don Webster
Executive Director
Section XI




From the Executive Director’s Desk

Published May 24, 2016

As the 2015-16 school year winds down it is time to look back, reflect on and congratulate the student-athletes from around Suffolk County who participated in interscholastic athletics this past year.

While we are all proud of the many honors, awards and championships that our member schools achieved I think the greatest achievement for Section XI was the small part it had in providing a positive, enjoyable and educational experience for the 85,000 student-athletes who participated in 2015-16. Each of you has represented your team, school and community with great dignity, pride and class. We hope you will look back fondly on your experiences and trust that the memories you have will last forever.

As the year comes to an end we say goodbye to our seniors and wish them good health and much success as they move on to the next chapter in their lives. To our returning and new student-athletes we hope you have an enjoyable and restful summer. We look forward with great anticipation to your continued involvement in athletics and cannot wait to see what new standards and memories 2016-17 will bring.

Our sincere thanks go out to all student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, sports chairs and fans for a memorable 2015-16.

Enjoy the summer!

Don Webster
Executive Director
Section XI




From the Executive Director’s Desk

Published April 14, 2016

Section XI is special is so many ways. One of the things which creates this special feeling is the variety within our member schools. Suffolk County measures 86 miles long and 26 miles wide making it the second largest in New York State. Our 61 member high schools vary in enrollment from Brentwood High School with 4,400-plus to the 35 students at Bridgehampton High School. With this variety comes a host of challenges.

Not the least is creating fair and equitable competition amongst the schools while being conscious of the geographic location and travel time for each. I find it hard to believe that there is another section in the state with such diversity. It is always a goal of our sports chairmen to develop leagues, conferences or divisions that best reflect the competitive balance for our student-athletes while still being sensitive to the amount of time that they spend on a bus getting to the sports venue. It is not an easy task. I can’t thank them enough for their efforts, vision and commitment.

Athletic directors spend a great deal of time weighing the options and trying to make decisions that they think are best for the entire section. It may not always be the best scenario for their own district but that is often put aside for the good of the order. The big picture becomes the focus for each of them. For this they are to be commended.

This is never more evident than it is during the playoffs. Big school, small school, north shore, south shore, Class AA or Class D, once the playoffs roll around we are all one and we go out of our way to cheer on and support our member schools and student-athletes as they pursue their goal of a New York State championship. It is a pleasure to observe and be a part of this special section.

After all we are the Section XI family.

Don Webster
Executive Director
Section XI




From the Executive Director’s Desk

Published, 3/24/16

I have just returned from Saratoga Springs where I had the opportunity and pleasure of attending the annual New York State Athletic Administrators Association Conference.

This year’s conference was especially gratifying and enjoyable due to the involvement of the athletic directors from Section XI. Dr. Jim Wright, Walt Whitman High School Director of Athletics, spent the past year serving the Association as its President providing the leadership needed to drive the goals, objectives and professional development of its members. The culmination of his year is the overseeing of the annual conference. This year Jim’s theme was “Produce great men and women…the rest follows- Walt Whitman”.

Once again Section XI athletic directors rose to the occasion and worked with Jim to put together a conference that I think really reflected the theme chosen. Special kudos go out to Tim Mullins, Georgia McCarthy, Joe Mercado, Deb Ferry, Lou Howard and Todd Gulluscio for their leadership and so many other athletic directors who served as presenters, presiders and volunteers. Their efforts provided a positive and enjoyable educational conference for the 500-plus athletic directors from around New York State. Their commitment and dedication to the student-athletes and athletic programs of our great state never ceases to amaze me.

Special congratulations go to Amy Agnesini, Rocky Point Director of Athletics for receiving the Chapter 11 Athletic Administrator Award and to Deb Ferry, Half Hollow Hills Director of Athletics, for being awarded the NYSAAA Apple Award. Both well deserved.

Once again congratulations and many thanks to the athletic directors of Section XI for stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run. It is my pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to work with you all on a daily basis. You are the ones that make Section XI so great.

Don Webster
Executive Director
Section XI



From the Executive Director’s Desk

Published, 3/8/16 (inaugural column)

As the Executive Director of Section XI it is my pleasure to add an occasional column to our website and social pages that I hope will not only share some of my thoughts but will give you greater insight into some of the great things happening in Suffolk County athletics.

We are extremely excited about the direction that our website is taking and I would like to thank Chris Vaccaro, our new communications coordinator, for his vision and expertise. It is our goal to highlight the accomplishments of the 83,000-plus student-athletes that represent our 62 member school districts. Through our website and social media pages we are able to better bring you news, insights and current events as soon as they happen. I hope you are enjoying our new endeavors and welcome your feedback.

Section XI has embarked on two major projects that will commence this spring and become part of our athletic fabric. One is the highlighting, promotion and implementation of programs that will reinforce our goal of appropriate sportsmanship at all levels in all of our sports. It would be our hope that we remind everyone that athletics is as much a part of the educational experience as is any other subject. Often times I think we let winning get in the way of the basic principles that we hope to have athletics accomplish. Our Sportsmanship Committee will be putting in place a program to better educate our schools about good sportsmanship and identify and reward those districts that have made it a priority. I encourage you to keep your eyes open as we roll these programs out.

The second program is the “Tommy Tough” Football Safety Standards. Working with the Cutinella family and supporting their vision of a safer game of football we will honor Tommy by implementing rules, regulations, programs and policies designed to protect the integrity of this great game. A series of meetings with all of the stakeholders, coaches, athletic directors, officials and parents have already taken place and we are in the process of making the vision a reality. I think this will be a huge step forward for the game of football.

These are merely two examples of some of the exciting things we have going on in Suffolk County athletics. I encourage you all to be a regular visitor to our website so that you too can be a part of the greatest section in New York State.

Don Webster
Executive Director
Section XI

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