FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

National Physical Education Teachers of the Year and National Athletic Director of the Year Announced at Educators Convention

Honoring the elite of the physical activity, physical education and sport professions, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) today announced the National Physical Education Teachers of the Year (TOY) for Elementary, Middle School and High School levels as well as the National Athletic Director of the Year who were selected at its annual Hall of Fame Banquet in Ft. Worth, TX this past week. National award winners were:

• Elementary TOY Kathy Wagner, Wichita Collegiate School, KS
• Middle TOY Debbie C. Buenger, Northwest Middle School, MD 
• High School TOY Tracy Krause, Tahoma High School, WA
• Athletic Director Jeff Dietze, West Potomac High School, VA

The National Physical Educator of the Year Awards are given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance and the ability to motivate today's youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity. The purpose of the National Athletic Director of the Year Award is to give recognition to athletic administrators around the country who exemplify the highest standards of their profession.

Track and field Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, Dr. Daniel Landers, regents' professor, Arizona State University at Tempe, and Dr. David Gallahue, professor and dean emeritus, Indiana University, were inducted into the NASPE Hall of Fame. Gayle See of Walla Walla High School (WA) and Peter Werner, University of South Carolina, received the Joy of Effort award.  Kymm Ballard, K-12 Programs, Physical Education, Athletic and Sport Medicine Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, received the Channing Mann Outstanding Physical Education Administrator Award, and Thomas Sawyer, Indiana State University, received the Sport Management Outstanding Achievement Award.

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and youth physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE's 16,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high quality physical education, sport and youth physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information.  It is the largest of the five national associations that make the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD).  To assess whether your child is receiving a quality physical education program, visit www.naspeinfo.org/  for an observation assessment tool.

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Contact:
Paula Keyes Kun
pkun@aahperd.org 
(703) 476-3461

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

The vision of AAHPERD is "Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity, dance, school health and sport--all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.