Archive: Sports

Diane Hicks-Hughes, Aquatics Director for the Lansing Central School District in New York, has been appointed as the new Chairperson for the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) Swimming & Diving Rules Committee for a four year term beginning July 14th, 2010. Diane is the second female to chair the committee.

The rules committee is comprised of eleven members, the chair, one from each of the 8 sections in the country (Sect. 1 - Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont; Sect. 2 - Mideast: Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; Sect. 3 - South: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee; Sect. 4 - Central: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin; Sect. 5 - Midwest: Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; Sect. 6 - Southwest: Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas; Sect. 7 - West: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah; Sect. 8 - Northwest: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming) , one from the NFHS Coaches Association, one from NFHS Officials Association. In April, 2004 she served a four year term on the National Federation Swimming and Diving Rules Committee representing Section 1.

Each rules committee oversees the rules for the sport under its jurisdiction, and shall promulgate rule changes from time to time as it deems would: (a) maintain the sound traditions of its sport, (b) encourage sportsmanship, and (c) minimize the inherent risk of injury. Each rules committee shall submit any recommended rules changes to a Rules Review Committee consisting of staff persons serving as rules interpreters. The Rules Review Committee shall review the proposed rule for substantive soundness, for budgetary impact on high schools and state associations, and for consistency with NFHS policy and publishing style. The Rules Review Committee shall forward its consent or other comments, in writing, to the Board of Directors.

Diane has coached at Lansing 30 years, 29 years as Head coach of the Girls' Varsity Swimming & Diving team. She has a league record of 292 wins 34 losses for Girls' Varsity Swimming & Diving. The team has won the IAC Dual Meet Championship 18 years, IAC Swimming Championship Meet 16 years, IAC Diving Championship 6 years and they have been Class C Sectional Champions 12 years. The Girls' Varsity Swimming & Diving team has been ranked in the state and nationally for 21 years.

In 1999 she was appointed by New York State Public High School Association as the Girls' Swimming & Diving Coordinator and re-appointed in 2009 for another 5 year term. She attends the New York State Certified Swimming Officials Association Executive Meeting as a representative of NYSPHSAA. She serves as an official rules interpreter for New York State Swimming & Diving. She is responsible to conduct meetings of the state sport committee; prepare proposals for presentation to the Championship Advisory Committee; administer the regulations in the NYSPHSAA constitution, and assist the NYSPHSAA staff in rules interpretation, formation of standards and enforcement of championship policies. She is also in charge of regional, semi-final, and state championship competitions including the setting up of committees that plan the competitions. She also makes final decisions at the championship tournament with assistance from the state sport committee and NYSPHSAA staff. She researched information from 1974 and wrote "The History of Girls' Swimming & Diving in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Policies and Procedures." She wrote "New York State Girls' Swimming & Diving 1st Handbook," completed in May of 2003. She chaired and organized New York State Public High School Athletic Associations 1st and 2nd State Swimming & Diving Clinics held at Syracuse and Mohonasen. She has been Section IV New York State Girls' Swimming & Diving Coordinator since 1988. She wrote "The Handbook for Girls' Swimming & Diving for Section IV Athletics" which the boys have now adopted. She was the I.A.C. Interscholastic Athletic Conference Coordinator for Girls' Swimming & Diving from 1983-90. She was the first female to receive the Robert Springer Coach of the Year award, 1995. In 1994 she received the New York State Sportswriters' Coach of the Year. She is a certified New York State Swimming & Diving official for 34 years and; and an NCAA certified official.

She served on the National Advisory Committee for the Council in Aquatics (CNCA) and assisted in writing the revision and clarification of the CNCA statement on preschool aquatics in 1986. She co-authored an article "Aquatics for the Young Child" which was published in the "National Aquatics Journal", 1986.

She is the Aquatic Director for the Lansing Central School District. In this position she teaches Kindergarten through 12th grade in aquatics. She has taught all phases of the American Red Cross Water Safety Courses and has been recognized by the National American Red Cross organization for her contributions to aquatics.