2016 Marian Archer Award

Sandy Searcy

IHSAA/NFHS

The Marian Archer Award is an award established by the Archer Family in 1979 to honor Marian Archer for outstanding work in promoting girls’ athletics. Marian Archer was the owner of Sports Togs in Carmel – a sporting goods business that dealt exclusively with uniforms for female athletes, and was one of our earliest exhibitors at our ICGSA spring conference. The recipient of this award should have been or is actively and positively involved in the promotion of girls’ athletics, and they may be in any field where he or she may promote girls’ athletics in Indiana

Our recipient this year is certainly no stranger to ICGSA and girls athletics in the state of Indiana and now on the National level. Sandy was an Executive Board member of the ICGSA for two terms beginning in 1992 and served as the secretary, 2^nd Vice President, and 1^st Vice President before assuming the President’s position in 1997-98. She served as the IHSAA liaison to our organization for 16 years, and was a vital communication link for ICGSA back to the IHSAA. Each year Sandy took part in the ICGSA conference along with the other commissioners in the Issues and Answers session, met with some individual sports for questions and answers sessions, and was an integral part of the ICGSA awards banquet with her presentations of the State Championship coaches. We valued her thoughts and input as we made decisions that effected not only coaches, but the female athletes in the state of Indiana as well.

Sandy’s administrative career began in 1988 when she was named the girls’ athletic director at Bloomington North and she held that position until 1999, when at that time she joined the IHSAA staff as an Assistant Commissioner. During her 16 years as an IHSAA assistant commissioner, she was responsible for the sports of softball, boys and girls swimming, volleyball, and had also been responsible for gymnastics and boys and girls track during her tenure. She organized the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee and the IHSAA Student Leadership Conference. While at the IHSAA, she served on the NFHS National Student Leadership Planning Committee, NFHS Gymnastics and Softball Rules Committees, and was a member of the NFHS Spirit of Sport Committee.

Last August Sandy left the IHSAA to join the National Federation of High Schools executive staff as Director of Sports and is responsible for swimming and diving, water polo, and softball and will assist in planning workshops for the NFHS Summer Meeting and National Athletic Directors Conference.

The ICGSA Executive Board would like to recognize her many contributions to girl’s athletics throughout the state of Indiana via many avenues and now has stepped up to the national level. Please join us as Bruce Fleming, our president, presents Sandy Searcy, with our 2016 Marian Archer Award plaque.