Award Of Excellence

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association salutes the 27 schools that fulfilled criteria to be named recipients of the Award of Excellence in 2023-24.

The award promotes and recognizes the efforts and achievements of schools in the areas of sportsmanship, ethics, integrity, leadership, character and accomplishment.

Divine Savior Holy Angels and Fort Atkinson are being presented with the award for the sixth time in the eight years since the award’s inception. Germantown, Hilbert, Hortonville and Lake Mills are receiving the award for the fifth time. There are seven schools receiving the Award of Excellence for the first time, including Kiel, Omro, Owen-Withee, Poynette, Shiocton, Unity and Williams Bay.

Recipients will be presented the Award of Excellence at their respective district’s Area Meeting in September and will be recognized for the achievement on the WIAA website, in the WIAA Bulletin and at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

For the second year, the criteria applied toward the Award of Excellence in 2023-24 has included a number of deadline-specific items, including score and schedule verification, enrollment forms, participation forms and fan ejection forms. The following is the list of criteria for award consideration.

• Athletic director maintains and updates all information in the WIAA School Directory annually
• Athletic director does due diligence in striving to achieve staff compliance with all WIAA coaching requirements (i.e. rules video, exam, officials’ rankings)
• Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with a Captain’s Club/Team Leadership Council/etc. – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity was on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with coaches - sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity was on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director conducted at least one informational meeting with student-athletes and their parents – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity was on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director attended conference meetings – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity was on the agenda and discussed 
• Coaches and student-athletes attended a sportsmanship summit/leadership conference/etc.
• There was school representation at one of the seven WIAA Fall Area Meetings
• There was school representation at the WIAA Annual Meeting in April
• Athletic director made the student body aware of sportsmanship initiatives through school assemblies, announcements, posters, etc.
• Three or more athletic teams gave back to their school or community through volunteerism
• Athletic director has taken the free NFHS Sportsmanship course
• Three or more head coaches have taken the free NFHS Sportsmanship course
• Athletic program had no coach ejections at any level
• Athletic program had no coach or player assault of an official at any level
• Athletic director nominated/submitted a boy and/or a girl for WIAA Scholar Athlete recognition (either for local or state level recognition)
• Athletic director or designee submits the online season Schedule/Results Verification Form by the established deadlines for all bracketed team sports (baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball)
• Athletic director or designee completes and submits the accurate enrollment count on the Enrollment Form by the established deadline
• Athletic director or designee completes and submits the accurate data on the online Sports Participation Form by June 30
• Athletic director or designee submits the completed online Fan Ejection Form within three days following the event the ejection occurred, requiring a fan to miss the next competition

The WIAA, as defined by its Constitution, is a voluntary, unincorporated, and nonprofit organization. The membership oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 513 senior high schools and 36 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. The WIAA sponsors 30 State championship events for boys and girls. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.

The recipients of the Award of Excellence, presented to high schools that have verified they have met each of the award’s criteria are:

1. If your athletic program has met all the criteria outlined below during the school year which has just concluded, gather the required signatures at the bottom of this document and submit the completed form via the WIAA webpage under “School Directory – Forms Directory – Award of Excellence” prior to the deadline.

2. Your school will receive a certificate of recognition for the Award of Excellence at the WIAA Area Meeting

3. Your school will be recognized for this achievement on the WIAA website, social media and at the WIAA Area and Annual Meetings