Hall of Fame
Dr. Sandra Scott served the NYSPHSAA for more than 25 years, first as the Associate Executive Director, then as the Executive Director. She was the first woman in the country to ever lead a State Association and did so from 1990-2000 following her Associate Director position from 1975-1989.
Dr. Scott, a Delanson resident, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University and a Masters and Doctorate from Ohio State University. Following graduation, she served a Title IV three-year fellowship at Ohio State from 1969-71 which ignited her career in the area of education. In 1963, Dr. Scott was hired as a teacher at Willoughby-Eastlake Schools in Willoughby, Ohio and at Grandview Heights Public Schools in Columbus, Ohio. Her teaching career expanded to Bowling Green in 1970-71 before she moved to New York in 1971. That year her work with the NYSPHSAA began when she was appointed the Parliamentarian of the State Committee for Girls’, then as the Research Chair for Girls Athletics in 1972.
Following just two years of service to the NYSPHSAA, Dr. Scott was promoted to Associate Director in 1977.
Dr. Scott played a key role at the national level as well, serving on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Field Hockey Rules Committee (including a term as chairperson), the NFHS Awards Committee, and the NFHS Equity Committee. She also contributed 24 years to the New York State Federation of Secondary School Athletic Associations which included a term as president. Furthermore, Dr. Scott orchestrated the growth of athletics for high school boys and girls across New York State, including increasing the number of state championships that the NYSPHSAA offered. As she helped athletics grow during her tenure she also focused on key safety issues of student-athletes as the chair of the state safety and research committee. Dr. Scott also initiated the Female Athlete Triad to further evaluate and bring to the forefront health issues in female high school athletes.
Dr. Scott has received numerous awards for her work in education. She was recognized with the NYSAHPERD Capital District Zone Special Appreciation Award (1982) as well as the Merit Award from the Eastern District Association for AAHPERD (1990) and was most recently the Section 1 recipient of the NFHS Citation Award (2001).
Various committees and programs of today’s NYSPHSAA have been developed by Dr. Scott, who has also written several publications and fulfilled many speaking engagements during her career.