A State Coaching Organization that is intent on representing all coaches of the state of Illinois. Founded 1928; continuous service to date. National Affiliation - (NHSACA) National High School Athletic Coaches Assoc., (NOCAD) National Association of Coaches Association Directors.   

Welcome to the ICA Website!

Hello,

Welcome to another year with the Illinois Coaches Association. I hope your fall sports are all going great and hopefully soon you will be preparing for the IHSA State series in all sports. Good Luck to everyone! The fall sports season is such a great way to start the new school year. School spirit is running high and all of the athletes, coaches, parents and fans are excited. That excitement and school spirit transfers over to the classroom and the entire school atmosphere. Coaches, remember that what you teach your student-athletes every day has to carry over into the school classroom and into a healthy lifestyle. Our classrooms as coaches may not look like a traditional high school classroom, but it is a classroom all the same. Don’t miss a day with your athletes that you can be teaching them something more than just your sport. Coaching is not only a profession, but if you coach the right way, a calling!

  Sports programs in high school are facing more and more challenges every year. It is important that we as coaches do everything we can to help combat these challenges. As a theme for this year in partnership with the Jason Foundation, the ICA is attempting to increase the narrative of speaking about the “silent epidemic” of youth suicide. The theme of “I won’t be silent” has increased suicide awareness. Coaches- please visit iwontbesilent.com to enhance awareness and education of youth suicide.

We at the ICA are excited about the new year. Our membership keeps growing as do our benefits to our members.

Check out our ICA Scholarship winners, NHSACA Coach of the Year finalists, 40 Under 40 winners and NHSACA Hall of Fame inductees in this issue. One of our new benefits as of this August if you are a member of the Illinois Coaches Association is that your liability coverage increases from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000! This is a great benefit to our members. If you or anyone you know is not a member yet, enroll online at www.icacoach.org.

If the Athletic Director and/or Principal at your school is interested in getting memberships in the ICA for the entire coaching staff, we are waiving the school fee for the coming year and only charging $9 per coach to join the ICA. That includes all the membership benefits as well as the $2,000,000 liability coverage.

Good luck to everyone this fall and we hope to see you at the state finals! Remember, the Illinois Coaches

Association serves all coaches in all sports! If we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Enjoy this edition of the TORCH.

Drew Potthoff

Coaches, in the end, our career W/L record just won’t matter. 
It won’t be what we will want others to remember us by. 
All that will matter will be who we helped, how we went abou it
& the lasting impression we left on those who crossed our path.

Live each day with that in mind.

• Sponsorship of All Star Activities in Football and Baseball since 1975 
•  Newsletter 'TORCH' for Coaches at least 3 times annually 
  • Contains All-Star Nomination Forms and Clinic Registration Info 
  • Contains application form for ICA Scholarship 
• Clinics in Golf, Wrestling and Track 
• ICA Golf Hall of Fame 
• Awards to All State Championship Coaches 
• Meritorious Service Awards to retired coaches upon nomination and selection. 
• Serve the Illinois High School Association by helping in various activities. 
• Make nominations to the IHSA for participation on Sports Advisory Committees. 
• Offer Five $750 Scholarships Annually to High School Senior sons or daughters of members.

Rich Montgomery, Athletic Director, Rock Falls High School
Neil Alexander, Boys Basketball, Lincoln Community High School
LeRoy Milsap, Boys Track & Field, Cahokia High School
Dan Iverson, Girls Cross Country, Naperville North High School
Mike Bare, Soccer, Peoria Notre Dame High School
Donna Dulle, Volleyball, Mt. Pulaski High School
Mike Hahn, Wrestling, Glenbard North High School

 Eight finalists from across the nation, in nineteen recognized sports categories will be honored during the National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet which will take place at the NHSACA’s national convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on the evening of June 27, 2018. The highlight of the banquet will be the naming of the NHSACA national coach of the year in nineteen recognized sports categories.

All Illinois coaches were nominated for this national honor by the Illinois Coaches Association. The selection is based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and winning percentage. The nominees and finalists are evaluated by experts in the field of coaching using a sport-specific rubrics to assign points in each category.

 NHSACA is the oldest coaches association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978. 

West Team
Ken Leonard- HFC   Sacred Heart Griffin
Todd Chance              Sacred Heart Griffin
Todd Hollis                  Elmwood (Brimfield Coop)
Brian Melvin              Burlington Central
Jack Cornell               Quincy Notre Dame
Tim Heinz                    Illinois Valley Central-Chillicothe

East Team
Albert Cruse-HFC      Chicago Public League
Josh Jostes                      Maroa-Forsyth
Michael Harrison        Belleville East
Matt Music                     Olney Richland County
Dan Wetzel                    Herscher
Rich McMahon            Rochester (former PORTA HFC)

Wearable Technologies Playing an Increasing Role in Athlete Performance Assessment

Article submitted by:
Ken Jakalski, Boys Track Coach at Lisle High School. 

Resurection College Prep High School

Head Track Coach
Assistant Track Coach

Interested candidates can contact Athletic Director Mr. Eddie Kane at ekane@reshs.org

• To Expand All Star Competition to include other sports 
• Continue on-going professional relationship with existing coaches groups throughout the state and nation 
• Improve opportunities for all athletes and coaches throughout Illinois 
• Continue expansion of Awards Program to honor deserving coaches and athletes 

ILLINOIS COACHES ASSOCIATION

Serving All Coaches in All Sports

Email: soboad@yahoo.com

Twitter: ICA_Illinois

Caitlyn Walsh Chicago Taft High School

Ellen Fox Stockton High School

Erin Miller Saint-Joseph Ogden High School

Thomas Skahill Alleman High School

Hannah Tonsor Jersey Community High School

Paige Bennett Lewiston Community High School

For the twenty-third year that the ICA has scholarships available to a son or daughter of a member.  Students compete for one of five $750 scholarships every year.

Students application process includes an essay, academic standing and recommendations by school personnel. The screening process is handled by the ICA Board of Directors.

Application Deadline is April 5, 2019

Ken Leonard  Football (Sacred Heart -Griffin High School-Springfield)

Dan Sharp Football (Joliet Catholic High School) -Retired

Congratulations to the 2018 ICA Golf Coaches Hall of Fame!

Rich Gordon, Jack Halpin, John Hamann, Jess Kruger, Daniel Polites