ISSUE #2 NOVEMBER 2007

The 2007 Fall Conference was a success! Thanks to all of the sponsors and workshop presenters for all their hard work and support. A special thanks to Crystal Szymanski for organizing such a great conference and to Zeecraft for donating a new buzzer system as one of the door prizes. Earl Dalke of Davis was the winner of the Zeecraft system.

2006-2007 OACA officers elected at the fall conference:

President Greg Oppel Edmond Memorial Greg.Oppel@edmondschools.net

1^st VP Crystal Szymanski Garber crystals@garber.k12.ok.us

2^nd VP Marla St. John Rock Creek mstjohn@rockcreekisd.net

Treasurer Patrick Phillips Stigler pphillips_warner@hotmail.com

Secretary Karen Jennings El Reno kjennings2@elreno.k12.ok.us

District Representatives

District 1 Gordon Bockus Wilburton gbockus@wilburton.k12.ok.us

District 2 Calvin Aldrich Byng aldrich@byngschools.com

District 3 Jack McNeely Purcell McNeely@purcellps.k12.ok.us

District 4 Jack Freeman Elgin freeman@elgin.k12.ok.us

District 5 Nancy Robeerts Yarbrough nroberts@yarbrough.k12.ok.us

District 6 Guy Cromwell Wakita gcromwell@wakita.k12.ok.us

District 7 Barbara Lovett Berryhill blovett@berryhill.k12.ok.us

District 8 OPEN

OSSAA board members

5A Greg Oppel (Edmond Memorial) Greg.Oppel@edmondschools.net

4A Karen Jennings (El Reno) kjennings2@elreno.k12.ok.us

3A Trudy Stumpff (Inola) tstumpff@inola.k12.ok.us

2A Susie Stevens (Latta) sustevens@latta.k12.ok.us

A Marla St. John (Rock Creek) mstjohn@rockcreekisd.net

B Roger Gossen (Kremlin-Hillsdale) gossenr@kremlin.k12.ok.us

Being a member of OACA benefits you and your students! The Oklahoma Coaches Association provides a great source of information and resources for all high school and even junior high academic coaches. If you are not already a member, you should join so that you have access to workshops, tournament schedules, All-State awards, and much more! Every year the OACA names thirty-six students with All-State recognition and four students with scholarship money. In order for seniors to be considered, membership to OACA must be paid by December 1. If you do not have any seniors this year, it is important to keep in mind that for every year that you are a member, your future nominees will receive points toward becoming an All-State winner (4 points maximum). Perhaps the most import reason to get involved is to gain access to tournament schedules and resources that can help your team become more successful! Join OACA today so that your students will enjoy consideration for this year’s All-State awards.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As President, I welcome you as a member of the Oklahoma Coaches Association and wish you a successful year of OSSAA competition.  Remember that you must be a member of the OACA to nominate up to two seniors for Academic Team All State, and you must join by December 1^st to make those nominations. 

In order to streamline the All State selection process, I encourage you to collect your senior players’ statistics from the recent OSSAA District Tournament and the upcoming OSSAA Regional Tournaments (for the small schools divisions).  Also, begin to think about possible nominees for the OACA Coach of the Year.  Nominations will be due in January.  Use the OACA <http://www.oaac.org/oaca.htm> and OSSAA <http://www.ossaa.com> websites for advance copies of the corresponding paperwork

Thanks to Crystal Szymanski and the OACA Board and officers for a well planned fall conference.  Again, Zee Craft donated a buzzer system as a door prize.  Mark your calendar now for next year’s conference on Saturday, September 6, at Redlands Community College in El Reno.  This meeting is well worth your time, and it is the easiest way to get the obligatory OSSAA Rules Meeting out of the way.

I end with an exhortation to the membership to become active members of YOUR coaches association.  We need YOU to recruit every coach you know to join the OACA.  I would like to see every school that participates in the OSSAA State Academic Bowl Competition to join the OACA.  We need YOU to run for offices, serve on the OACA Board, and serve on the OSSAA Advisory Board.  We need YOU to host OSSAA District, Regional, and Area Tournaments.  We need YOU to mentor other coaches so that they will be willing to host OSSAA Tournaments, too.

Reminder: The OSSAA does not do mailings for the regional, area and state playoff brackets. You will find them on the website: www.ossaa.com and click on nonathletic.

Greg Oppel, President

MEMBERSHIP

Memberships have been received from the following schools: Adair, Aline-Cleo, Anadarko, Arapaho, Barnsdall (2), Berryhill, Big Pasture, Binger-Oney, Bishop Kelley, Bishop McGuinness, Blackwell, Bowlegs, Buffalo Valley, Burlington, Byng, Caddo, Calumet, Caney Valley, Canton, Carnegie (2), Central High, Chandler, Checotah, Cheyenne, Chisholm, Cimarron, Colbert, Collinsville, Copan, Covington-Douglas, Dale, Davis, Deer Creek-Lamont, Drummond (2), Durant (2), Eagletown, Edmond Memorial, El Reno, Elgin, Elk City, Elmore City-Pernell (2), Erick, Fairview, Fletcher, Garber, Geary, Goodwell, Grandfield, Granite, Guymon, Harrah, Haworth, Henryetta, Hilldale, Holdenville, Hollis, Indianola, Inola, Ketchum, Keyes, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Kremlin-Hillsdale, Latta, Lindsay, Lomega, Macomb, Mangum, Maud, Maysville, Meeker, Merritt, Mountain View-Gotebo, New Lima, Newkirk, Ninnekah, Noble, Okarche, Okeene, Okmulgee, Oktaha (2), Pauls Valley, Pocola, Prague, Pryor, Purcell, Quinton, Ringwood, Rock Creek, Roff, Sallisaw, Sayre, Sentinel, Sequoyah, Sharon-Mutual (2), Shattuck, Skiatook (2), Snyder, Sterling, Stigler, Stroud, Stuart, Talihina, Tecumseh (2), Thomas-Fay-Custer, Timberlake, Union City, Vanoss, Velma-Alma, Vici, Wagoner, Wakita, Warner, Washington, Waurika, Wayne, Western Heights, Wilburton (2), Woodward, Wynnewood, and Yarbrough.

Membership dues must be PAID by Dec. 1st.  I am still awaiting payment from:  Buffalo Valley, Byng, Collinsville, Copan, Covington-Douglas, Geary, Goodwell, Guymon, Henryetta, Kremlin-Hillsdale, Maud, Ninnekah, Sterling, Tecumseh, Timberlake, Warner, and Wayne.

Patrick Phillips

Treasurer

OACA SPONSORS

OACA thanks Zeecraft Technologies, OG&E, Redlands Community College, Redlands Community College Foundation, King Electric, Bank of Union, Oklahoma City Blazers, Rose Rock Bank, Oklahoma Redhawks, and Pioneer Telephone Cooperative for underwriting the All State Banquet. Their donations helped us with the expenses of the banquet and are greatly appreciated.

NEWS FROM THE OSSAA

Ed Sheakley wants to remind everyone that there will be no additional mailings from OSSAA. For information on the regional and area tournaments, please refer to the OSSAA website, www.ossaa.com, under Non-Athletic Activities. This is the last year for the Question Bank questions. If you have any comments on the questions, e-mail Ed. Also complete officials recommendation forms and send in to OSSAA if you have witnessed a good official. You can also write him concerning rules suggestions or problems encountered during the season. The advisory board will be meeting in April to evaluate the season.

SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2005-2006

November 3 Kremlin-Hillsdale Invitational (Contact gossenr@kremlin.k12.ok.us)

November 3 OQBA Challenge, Tulsa (Contact okquizbowl@yahoo.com)

November 10 OSSAA Regional Tournaments

November 10 UCO Fine Arts Bowl (Contact lnelson@edmondfinearts.com)

December 2 Edmond Memorial Tournament (Contact Greg.Oppel@edmondschools.net

January 5 Stigler Invitational (Contact pphillips_warner@hotmail.com)

January 12 OSSAA Area Tournaments

January 26 OQBA Challenge, Tulsa (Contact okquizbowl@yahoo.com)

January 31 Coach of the Year Nominations Due

February 2 OSSAA State Tournament, Redlands Community College, El Reno

February 13 Postmark Deadline for All State Nominations

April 5 All State Games and Banquet, RCC, El Reno

This is not a full listing of the events available to you. I you have an event you want listed in the April newsletter, e-mail the information to Karen Jennings at kjennings2@elreno.k12.ok.us. The OACA website is hosted by the Oklahoma Association for Academic Competition at www.oaac.org.

OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC COACHES ASSOCIATION

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

NAME ______________________________ SCHOOL _________________________

I am the: ___ Head Coach ___ Asst. Coach ___ Jr. High/Elementary Coach ___ Other

(Please make duplicates of this form if more than one coach is joining/registering.)

(Please note: All-State forms will be mailed to head coach only.)

I am a: _____ New Coach this year ______ Veteran Coach

SCHOOL ADDRESS ____________________________________________________

(Street, Rural Route, or P.O.Box) (City) (Zip)

SCHOOL PHONE ____________________________ FAX # ____________________

(Area Code) (Area Code)

E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________________ (Please note if school or home)

HOME ADDRESS _______________________________________________________

(Street, Rural Route, or P.O.Box) (City) (Zip)

HOME PHONE ________________________ MAIL TO: ____ HOME ____ SCHOOL

OACA DISTRICT ____ 1 ____ 2 ____ 3 ____ 4 ____ 5 ____ 6 ____ 7 ____ 8

(See map on back)

MEMBERSHIP FEE : $30.00

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC COACHES ASSOCIATION or “OACA”

PLEASE NOTE: Membership fee MUST be PAID by December 1, 2007, to be eligible to nominate a student for All-State.

This will be your only invoice. Please make a copy for your records.

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO:

Patrick Phillips

302 Northwest E Street

Stigler, OK 74462-1869

FAX: 918-967-8974

pphillips_warner@hotmail.com

OACA was started to formalize a network of academic coaches throughout the state. The Association will provide a newsletter, coaches conference, and All-State competition and recognition. Membership dues are $30.00, with $5.00 going to the OACA scholarship fund. Dues cover the year from September to September. High school academic team coaches are eligible for membership in OACA. Middle/junior high and elementary coaches are eligible for associate membership. They have all the privileges of the high school coaches, except for the privilege of nominating students for All-State recognition.