Lakes athletic director Scott Nordi to be honored by NFHS
Lakes High School athletic director Scott Nordi will be one of eight athletic administrators nationwide honored Monday by the National Federation of State High School Associations for his work, according to a release from the organization.
“NFHS Citations are presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels,” the release says.
Nordi, and the other recipients, will be recognized at a luncheon Monday in San Antonio, Texas, at the 49th annual National Athletic Directors Conference. The conference is sponsored by NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
“It’s really an honor,” Nordi said. “It’s a little bit humbling. While I’m the one standing up there getting recognized and getting the award, it’s really a team effort. ... My administration has been supportive, and I have great coaches to work with. It’s a team thing.”
Nordi has been the athletic director at Lakes since 2012, and said he has consistently worked with staff members who value shaping student athletes who excel in the classroom, and become model citizens, in addition to their athletic achievements.
“My coaches have always been the coaches that put the kids first and winning second,” Nordi said. “Really, at the end of the day, I’ve been fortunate to have coaches I work for and with who have a very similar mantra and view.
“The scoreboard isn’t what determines whether we were successful in any given year. Championships are great, but we want to build champions for life.”
Prior to arriving at Lakes, Nordi was the athletic director at Clover Park for nine years. He also previously taught at the elementary and middle school levels before moving to the high school ranks in 1994.
Nordi is currently the president of the Class 3A Pierce County League, which Lakes competes in, and was established during the reclassification cycle in 2016. He was previously the president of the 3A SPSL and 3A/2A SPSL before the leagues disbanded.
Nordi has also served as president of the Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association, and has worked with WIAA in several capacities. Nationally, he represents Section 8 on the NIAAA Board of Directors.
The other winners of this year’s NFHS awards include Anthony Amero (Maine), John Cann (South Carolina), Ray Moore (California), Michael Morris (Illinois), Cliff Odenwald (Texas), Joshua Scott (Missouri) and Robert Stratton (Virginia).
This story was originally published December 16, 2018 at 7:00 AM.