LATHAM – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc. (NYSPHSAA) is proud to announce its first ever Coaches Appreciation Day on Wednesday May 16th, a day student-athletes are encouraged to thank school approved coaches who have had an impact in their life or high school athletic career.

Coaches Appreciation Day was established to recognize all coaches at every level, including Modified, who have coached Fall, Winter or Spring sports within a NYSPHSAA member school. The concept was initiated by the NYSPHSAA Sportsmanship Committee over a year ago and chose the Wednesday of Week #46 on NYSPHSAA’s Standard Athletic Calendar to celebrate coaches around the state. In 2019, Coaches Appreciation Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 15th.

“We are elated to finally establish an opportunity to recognize coaches. They are the individuals who impact high school student-athletes on a daily basis during a sports season and contribute a significant number of hours toward a team’s success,” said Executive Director Robert Zayas. “We encourage student-athletes, school districts and fans to take a moment on May 16th to thank coaches in their schools even if its a simple gesture like a phone call, text message or email.”

NYSPHSAA has offered student-athletes, school districts and fans several ideas to encourage participation in the 2018 NYSPHSAA Coaches Appreciation Day including:

•Like and follow NYSPHSAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tag your photos, videos and messages with #NYSPHSAACoachesDay.