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“We are pleased to have an
enthusiastic and knowledgeable individual like Mike join our organization,” Miller
said in making the announcement a few days after the WADA Executive Board’s
March meeting, which was held in Madison in conjunction with the
recently-concluded WIAA boys state basketball tournament. “Mike’s passion for high school sports
is particularly impressive, and he is very organized,” said Miller. “We are confident that his expertise
and his background in media relations and communications will be especially
helpful. One of our goals is to
improve communications with high school athletic directors around the state,
and our Executive Board agreed that Mike is, without a doubt, the right
person to assist us with that endeavor.” The WADA
Board has hired Bates to begin immediately in the newly created role. As Information Coordinator, one of the
first tasks for the 50-year-old Bates will be to help the WADA improve the
current status of the organization’s web site – which can be found at www.wadawi.org. He also will assist the WADA regarding
its Annual Workshop each fall, provide items regarding the WADA for
publication in the WIAA Bulletin, produce the WADA Workshop Program plus the
WADA Workshop Awards Program, and, he will provide the minutes of WADA Board
Meetings and the WADA Annual Meetings.
The Information Coordinator is a non-voting member of the WADA
Executive Board. “It is a great honor to be chosen by
the WADA Board,” said Bates. “My
goal is to be instrumental in continuing the bright future of Wisconsin prep
sports. There is a special place
in my heart for high school sports, because they can create a positive
atmosphere for the schools and because of the educational values they instill
in young men and women. “I am eager to work with the WADA
Board,” added Bates. “It will be
a pleasure to assist them, and to work with the athletic directors throughout
Wisconsin, plus the many other people who will be positively affected by this
new position.” Bates, a resident of Appleton, has
worked in the Fox Valley Area for He also worked in La Crosse for 3
years as an Assistant Director with For 8 years, he was an Assistant Area
Director with Special Olympics of Wisconsin, working in their Fox Valley Area
office in Appleton. That
organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to
individuals with cognitive disabilities. With those latest two positions, Bates played an
extensive and key role “Mike has been involved with sports
and communications his entire life, and we want to utilize his experience,”
Miller added. “Also, he already knows and has worked with many high school
athletic directors around the state, so we expect that he will be an
effective addition to the WADA. “We look forward to working with
Mike. He definitely will be a
tremendous asset to us and to athletic directors statewide,” Miller
continued. “Our Board has
confidence that he will help us provide information in a quality, timely and
effective manner.” Bates was graduated in 1979 from the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, with a B.S. degree in journalism and a minor in
communications. He also has been
involved at Xavier High School in Appleton for about 30 years, mainly as an
assistant coach in boys basketball and football. His wife, Kathy, is currently the athletic director and
dean of students at Xavier. She
has been at that school for almost 30 years. They have one child, Formed in 1971, WADA consists of
individuals associated with interscholastic athletics within public and
private schools in Wisconsin. WADA is eager to provide an organization
willing and capable of solving problems common to all members. xxx END xxx
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WADA PR-401 To
return to the WADA home page, click here
To contact Mike Bates via e-mail, click here 3-23-2004 – B 62305 |
