(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jean LaClair for some of the information in this story.)
Michigan’s professional organization of school athletic directors, the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA), has selected Jason Morris of Beach Middle School as Regional Athletic Director of the Year.
One of only 14 administrators state-wide to be honored by the MIAAA, Morris will be presented with the award in Traverse City on March 19 at the Annual Mid-Winter Conference in which over 500 athletic directors participate.
Morris came to Chelsea Schools in 1999 as a Student Teacher. He has spent all of the past 21 years in education at Chelsea Schools. He taught social studies at both the middle school and high school while also coaching the middle school football team, 8th grade basketball team, and the freshmen and JV baseball teams.
Brad Bush, assistant principal and athletic director at Chelsea High School said,”Jason is a tremendous asset to our school, community, and league. He works very hard to provide the best experience possible for our students.”
Morris graduated from Ypsilanti High School and Eastern Michigan University. He earned his graduate degree from Marygrove College.
He served as middle school athletic director for the past 8 years. During five of those years, he also served as the assistant athletic director at Chelsea High School and has now since 2019 served as the Dean of Students at Chelsea High School.
“We appreciate Jason’s support of middle level programming and during the pandemic year this has never been more apparent and integral,” said Nick Angel, principal of Beach Middle School. “We have had many schedule renditions with the starts and stops that Mr. Morris was leading.”
Morris has been a member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the MIAAA for all of his 8 years in the athletic director role. A member of the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers (NASPAA), he has served as the public address announcer at many Chelsea athletic events as well as at University of Michigan Baseball and Men’s Gymnastic events.
In his role as an athletic director, Morris has provided the master schedule for middle school athletics for the Southeastern Conference while also serving on the high school scheduling committee. The Southeastern Conference has also benefited from Morris building a custom website that all communities can use to track schedules and standings.
He has also been honored by MAMSE in 2010 as a finalist for Educator of the Year and in 2002-2003 with the SEMMLAA Award for Outstanding Middle School Teacher.
Christopher Westfall, athletic director at Lincoln High School said, “Jason Morris is a tireless advocate for his student-athletes, and a tireless worker on their behalf. Additionally, he has become a vital part of the inner workings of making athletics possible in our area.”
The MIAAA is a 62-year old association with nearly 700 members serving as athletic administrators in numerous high schools and junior high/middle schools in Michigan. As partners with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the MIAAA works to promote the educational value of interscholastic athletics and the role and profession of athletic director. The MIAAA is very proud to spotlight the work of Jason Morris, a man whose work and values best mirror those of the association.
