DAPHNE, Ala. – Highly regarded athletics administrator and United States Sports Academy alumnus Barry Haley has been named 2017-18 Athletic Director of the Year by the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association (MSSADA).
A Middleton, Mass., resident, Haley has more than 30 years of service as a high school athletic director and more than 40 years working in school sports programs. He has worked as the athletic director at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School in Concord, Mass., since 2006.
Haley earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management in 1988, while he worked as an athletic trainer and physical education teacher at Malden (Mass.) Catholic High School.
“The Academy provided the perfect blend of timing and the ability to work within my school district under supervision to prepare me for my career,” Haley said.
“The confidence I gained by getting top level instruction in a concentrated time gave me valuable experience,” he said.
“The greatest strength I gained came from being able to spend time with other working professionals from different backgrounds and areas who shared ideas and resources. I left the program with a true sense of my strengths and abilities and how I could apply them to my school and district.”
Haley was unanimously selected for the MSSADA Athletic Director of the Year award by a committee comprised of athletic directors from Massachusetts. He previously served on the MSSADA Executive Board from 1990-98 and was its president in 1997.
“Being a member of this organization for over 30 years, it is truly an honor to be recognized by my peers,” Haley said.
He will also soon be honored by two other athletics organizations in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Hockey Coaches Association has announced that it will give him the William Stewart Award for contributions to the sport in the state, while the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced it will present him its John Young Award for high school athletics leadership. He served as the MIAA president from 2008-10 and has been a member of its board of directors since 1997.
“I am humbled by receiving these recognitions,” Haley said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a long career and the ability – through my leadership role – to make a difference in the educational athletic experience of so many kids over the years.”
At Concord-Carlisle, Haley oversees a nearly $1 million athletics budget and 32 varsity sports with more than 70 teams that participate in traditional sports as well as fencing and Nordic and alpine skiing. He is responsible for all aspects of the program including game management, transportation, selection and evaluation of coaches.
“I get to deal with great kids and coaches every day, in a state-of-the-art facility in a community that truly supports educational athletics,” Haley said. “During my tenure we have built a new state-of-the-art high school building and a $6 million renovation of our athletic facilities.
Early on I developed an appreciation for the details of this work, juggling multiple tasks daily. Being in the world of high school athletics has been my dream job.”
Haley earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic administration from Boston State College.
The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.
The Academy is based in Daphne, Ala. For more information, call (251) 626-3303 or visit www.ussa.edu.
