NFHS Spirit Association Award Winners Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Susan Loomis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (March 3, 2006) - Donna McKay, cheerleading coach at Mason City (Iowa) High School, and Beverly Burnette, executive director of the North Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association (NCCCA), have been chosen as recipients of the 2006 national awards given by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Spirit Association.

McKay, cheerleading coach at Mason City for the past 20 years, is the recipient of the National Coach of the Year award, and Burnette, who has been executive director of the NCCCA since 1994, will receive the National Contributor of the Year award.

Individuals are nominated and approved through the respective state's high school association and approved by the NFHS Spirit Association Advisory Board. McKay and Burnette will receive their awards at events in their respective states. The National Coach of the Year award is presented to an active high school spirit coach, and the National Contributor of the Year award is given to someone who has contributed significantly to spirit activities in ways other than active coaching.

Donna McKay
National Coach of the Year

One of the founders of the Iowa Cheer Coaches Association (ICCA), no one has impacted cheerleading in Iowa more than Donna McKay. From her duties at the local level in Mason City, to her varied roles with the ICCA, to her involvement with the NFHS at the national level, McKay has given many hours to cheerleading activities.

McKay is responsible for 60 cheerleaders at Mason City. A teacher and part-time basketball coach for 27 years in the Mason City schools, McKay has guided her cheer teams to three state titles during her 20-year tenure. In addition, a total of 86 Mason City cheerleaders have been selected to the Iowa all-state team. In 2003, 11 Mason City cheerleaders were selected for the 32-member all-state squad.

Other team honors include the Sportsmanship Award at the 2001 Iowa State Boys Basketball Tournament, participation in the McDonald's All-American Basketball Game in 1999, recognition as one of the nation's top programs in 1998 by the National Cheerleading Association, as well as the Sportsmanship Award at the 1994, 1996 and 1997 Iowa State Boys Basketball Tournament.

In addition to awards, McKay's team members have been involved in numerous community service projects. One of the major team projects has been to mentor elementary students. Her teams have raised money for Juvenile Diabetes Research, Hospice of North Iowa, New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, Make a Wish Foundation and Walk/Run for the Cure. In 1994, the Mason City High School cheerleaders raised $15,870 for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

A charter member of the ICCA, McKay has served two terms as president (1992-94 and 1998-00) and currently serves as ICCA ethics director in charge of arranging all rules meetings and clinics. Since 1996, she has been coordinator of the NCA/NDA National Coaches and Directors Conference and is in her 13th year as a cheerleading judge at the state, regional and national levels. She also has written numerous articles for the ICCA newsletter and is co-author of a new book entitled Complete Cheerleading.

McKay has been a presenter at state cheerleading rules meetings since 1993 and has been one of the leaders in shaping a positive relationship between the ICCA and the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). She has authored a detailed cheer coaches manual that is made available to every IHSAA member school. In addition, McKay was instrumental in the planning of the cheer/spirit exhibit at the new Iowa Hall of Pride.

At the national level, McKay was a member of the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee from 1996 to 2000 and has written articles for Interscholastic Athletic Administration magazine. She has named NFHS Section 4 Spirit Coach of the Year in 1997.

"When I reflect on my 26 years with the Iowa High School Athletic Association and think of one individual who has impacted cheerleading in the state of Iowa more than anyone else, it would be Donna McKay," said Rick Wulkow, ISHAA executive director. "Besides all of her outside involvements, Donna still focuses on her students and the development of her cheer/spirit squads. The detail and organization of her team makes it stand out at every athletic event. You easily notice the Mason City cheerleaders being involved in the school spirit, sportsmanship and support of their teams. They are an integral part of each of the athletic events in which they participate."

Beverly Burnette
National Contributor of the Year

Beverly Burnette has been involved with the North Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association (NCCCA) for 18 years - six years as president and the past 12 years as executive director. In addition to these duties, Burnette was cheerleading coach at Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina, from 1974 to 2005. Currently, she is cheer coach at Wingate (North Carolina) University.

At Central Cabarrus, Burnette developed the coed program and coached 11 state coed champion teams in 17 years of competition. Her teams never finished lower than fourth place. She served as a mentor for new coaches and was the 1991 North Carolina cheerleading coach of the year.

Burnette chairs the North Carolina State Cheerleading Championship and was instrumental in developing the academic scholarship program for deserving cheerleaders. She also instituted the All-State Cheerleaders Program. Burnette is the cheer liaison to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and received an outstanding contribution award from the NCHSAA in 2004.

At the national level, Burnette served on the NFHS Spirit Association Advisory Board and received the NFHS Section 3 Spirit Coach of the Year award in 1998. She has taught the NFHS Spirit Association's Comprehensive Spirit Coaches Guide and is currently an instructor for the NFHS Spirit Program Management course. In addition, she has been a judge at the local, state and national levels for technical and performance execution.

Burnette has conducted a number of workshops for coaches, including the following: "I'm the New Cheerleading Coach – What Do I Do Now?"; "Working with a Coed Team - How to Recruit and Keep Male Cheerleaders"; "Making Fundraising Painless"; and "The Winning Edge."

Among her awards, Burnette has been selected Who's Who in High School Cheerleading and Who's Who in College Cheerleading by American Cheerleader magazine.