BY DAVIS WHITFIELD
NFHS Executive Director
There is simply no time like high school, especially when it comes to involvement in sports, performing arts and other activity programs. In so many ways, that period of our lives is unmatched.
Many of the former high school athletes inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame who have excelled at the college and pro levels have pointed to their years in high school sports as the key to their eventual success. Why? Primarily because they had parents, coaches and administrators who intentionally created positive experiences during that time in their lives.
And in this ever-changing time in sports at other levels, the NFHS believes it is crucial to focus on making those short three or four years in high school as positive and meaningful as possible.
That is why yesterday we announced a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance to launch a national campaign entitled “Before It’s Over.” The goal is to reinforce the important role that parents, coaches and administrators play in creating positive experiences for students during their high school years.
We are pleased to be working with the Positive Coaching Alliance in this effort to make the four years of education-based sports and activities the most meaningful time in the lives of high school student-athletes and to prepare them for successful careers down the road. Our 51-member state high school associations will be involved as well by displaying banners at state championship events and in high school facilities nationwide.
We know from the recent National Parent Benchmark Study created by the NFHS that the majority of parents are supportive and believe that school-based athletics and activities are an important part of a student’s overall education, but the Before It’s Over campaign will help everyone – students, parents, coaches, administrators – focus on what’s really important and take time to smell the roses and enjoy the ride.
At times, in their quest to see athletes earn trophies, championships and scholarships, parents – and coaches – can lose focus and perspective. The goal is for parents to be supportive of coaches as coaches work with all student-athletes on the team.
There should be an appreciation for the specialness of high school sports as it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can positively impact students for the rest of their lives.
If that short three or four years of competition is going to be maximized for students, there must be more encouraging and less correcting, more watching your athlete and less focusing on officials, more postgame support and less postgame critiquing, more asking questions and less giving speeches, more learning from mistakes and less chasing perfection.
For parents and coaches, there should be more respecting officials and less arguing calls, more modeling composure and less sideline outbursts, more “I’m proud of you,” and less “you should have won that game,” more high-fives and less finger pointing, more “I love watching you play” and less “what were you doing out there?”
While most everyone involved in high school sports has a competitive nature and wants to win, that goal is sometimes over-emphasized by parents. Student-athletes? Surveys have shown that most say having fun and spending meaningful time with their friends is the biggest positive takeaway from involvement in high school sports.
As you move through the 2026-27 school year, we encourage MORE of those positive actions to benefit students, and LESS of those behaviors that are negative in nature.
During that short window of time in high school, we encourage everyone to focus on what matters most, with students using sports, performing arts and other activities to learn about teamwork and relationships, and to gain confidence, discipline and skills for a career after high school.