Waldport Middle/High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Steve Cooper recently earned the distinction as a Certified Athletic Administrator. Cooper is one of an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism. There have only been 87 athletic directors since 1997 in Oregon to earn this distinction, and only 9 since 2018. To earn this certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), Cooper demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field of interscholastic athletic administration.
The voluntary certification process included a thorough evaluation of the candidate's
educational background, experience, and professional contributions, as well as a rigorous, comprehensive written examination. The entire certification process took six years but Cooper said he is honored to receive this recognition. “I have benefited from an abundance of support by coaches, fellow Athletic Administrators, Lincoln County School District, WHS/MS Principal Amy Skirvin, the Waldport community, and my family,” Cooper said.
“To be part of a group that I have such respect for and continue to receive mentoring from is humbling. The first person to congratulate me was my high school coach and athletic director. That's a great feeling to be recognized by someone that has had a big influence on you. My goal is to continuously learn and improve through education and collaboration with others to help provide the highest quality educational athletic programs in Waldport.”
Cooper has been an educator for 36 years and been the Assistant Principal and AD at Waldport for five years.
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