The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) awarded NFHS Citations to eight high school athletic directors December 18 in Orlando, Florida, during luncheon festivities at the 54th annual National Athletic Directors Conference sponsored jointly by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
NFHS Citations were presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. State associations nominate athletic directors for NFHS Citations, and the NFHS Board of Directors approves recipients.
The 2023 award recipients are Jen Brooks, CMAA, athletic director, Ursuline Academy, St. Louis, Missouri; Lisa Corprew, CMAA, student activities coordinator, Bayside High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Steve Janski, CMAA, district director of athletics, Fayetteville (Arkansas) Public Schools; Todd Livingston, CMAA, athletic administrator, South Portland (Maine) High School; Jeff Lowell, CAA, athletics and activities director, Bellevue (Washington) School District: Lauren Otero, CMAA, project manager of athletic facilities, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, Florida; Pamela Sloan, CAA, athletics and activities director, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada; and Todd Sobrilsky, CMAA, retired athletic director, Waukesha (Wisconsin) South High School.
Steve Janski, CMAA Fayetteville, Arkansas
Steve Janski, CMAA, is currently serving as district director of athletics for the Fayetteville (Arkansas) Public Schools – a position he has held for the past nine years. During this time, he has become one of the most respected athletic directors in the state and has earned his CAA and CMAA certifications from the NIAAA.
After attending Little Rock (Arkansas) Central High School, where he competed in football and track and field, Janski attended the University of Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Janski later earned his master’s in educational leadership from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Under Janski’s leadership as district director of athletics since January 2014, Fayetteville High School teams have won more than 35 Arkansas Activities Association state championships, headed by three in boys golf, two in football, three in girls basketball and three in girls volleyball. In addition, more than 100 student-athletes have received scholarships.
While Fayetteville girls and boys teams have enjoyed tremendous success during Janski’s tenure, he pointed out that the school has a rich heritage dating to 1871, and he has continued the tradition of high achievement on a local, regional and national level in academics and athletics.
Within the Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association (AHSAAA), Janski recently completed a term as president after serving as secretary/treasurer and president-elect. He has also led the AHSAAA as co-state leadership coordinator and certified test administrator. Among his awards, Janski has been honored as AHSAAA Athletic Director of the Year on two occasions, Arkansas’ NIAAA Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award two times and coach of the year.
Prior to joining the Fayetteville staff in 2014, Janski was a volunteer assistant and graduate assistant football coach at the University of Arkansas, followed by four years as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at East Carolina University. Janski returned to Arkansas in 2005 and served as head football coach and athletic director at Heber Springs High School for eight years before assuming his current duties at Fayetteville.