National Alliance for Youth Sports

Twenty-two recreation professionals throughout South Carolina took advantage of a special Academy for Youth Sports Administrators that was held during the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association Conference (SCRPA) recently to begin the process of earning their coveted Certified Youth Sports Administrator (CYSA) credential.

The one-day Onsite Academy provided attendees with the opportunity to receive hands-on training from the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) Academy faculty, network with other recreation professionals and then have the opportunity to complete the Online Academy from home – at their own pace – to gain valuable knowledge in a number of key areas that affect the quality of their youth programs.

“SCRPA and NAYS firmly believe that every community should have at least one CYSA overseeing organized youth sports programs,” said Lisa Licata, director of NAYS’ Professional Administrator Programs. “Through this special event we were able to provide information that will help enhance the youth sports programming in communities throughout South Carolina.”

The NAYS Academy is a comprehensive certification program that offers cutting-edge information on everything from policies and procedures and child abuse prevention to including children with disabilities and risk management, among many other topics.

Through the NAYS Academy, which more than 2,000 recreation professionals have completed since its inception, administrators gain a strong foundation of knowledge that enables them to meet the many challenges that accompany overseeing youth sports programs in today’s ever-changing environment.

The attendees, representing parks and recreation departments statewide, found the NAYS Academy to be enlightening and useful.

“Overall, the class was great and provided each person with good information,” said one attendee. Another said: “I was very satisfied with the onsite training that I took and I’m looking forward to completing my exam and becoming part of the elite CYSA group.”

The following recreation professionals attended the NAYS Academy during the SCRPA Conference and are in the process of earning their CYSA credential:

Paul Atkerson, Fairfield County Parks and Recreation
Chris Barrineau, Fountain Inn Parks and Recreation
Cameron Campbell, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation
Pamela Davis, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation
Matt Decker, Horry County Parks and Recreation
Shane Duncan, Kershaw County Parks and Recreation
Carl Gore, Horry County Parks and Recreation
Russell Haltiwanger, Fountain Inn Parks and Recreation
Cory Holtzclaw, City of Greer Parks and Recreation
Susan Mangum, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
Joey Manigault, Georgetown County Parks and Recreation
Jimmy Millar, Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department
Justin Miller, City of Greer Parks and Recreation
Adam Payne, Georgetown County Parks and Recreation
Ronnie Pridgen, Florence County Recreation
Joe Razzano, Horry County Parks and Recreation
Brian Riddle, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
Kevin Schmidt, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation
Justin Steele, Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission
Allen Taylor, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
Randy Walker, Georgetown County Parks and Recreation
Ryan Wilson, Lancaster County Parks and Recreation Department

An on-site NAYS Academy will also be held later this year on Nov. 28-30 in New Orleans, La. in conjunction with the annual NAYS Youth Sports Congress and the Athletic Business Conference & Expo.

For more information email academy@nays.org or visit www.nays.org.