Curt Wilson, president of the CHSAA board of directors, speaks at the All-School Summit on Friday. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
LONE TREE — Curt Wilson gave an impassioned speech to athletic directors gathered here Friday in which he urged unity across the state.
Wilson, the president of the CHSAA board of directors, opened up the second day of the All-School Summit as the keynote speaker.
“Please don’t use ‘they’ when referencing CHSAA,” Wilson said. “There is no ‘they.’ That is ‘we.’ That’s all of us.”
Entering his second year as the board president, and fifth as a sitting member of the board, Wilson is the reigning national principal of the year from Centauri who has since become the superintendent of North Conejos School District.
Friday, Wilson applauded the athletic directors for simply doing what they do.
“I strongly believe in, one, what this group does and, two, anybody that believes that one person can’t make a difference is wrong,” Wilson said.
“I would like to thank the ADs in this room,” Wilson added later. “I have met some super high-caliber people in this room. … I emulate so much of what you do. When floods came, ADs stepped up. When cancer struck, ADs stepped up.”
He also hoped they would focus on the positives.
“It is said that if you would be a leader, be ready to assume a lot of responsibility and receive a lot of unjust criticism,” Wilson said. “But don’t let critics lead your course.
“You’re sitting in those chairs because you know what’s going on in your schools is good. So promote that.”
When dealing with situations involving violations, he told the ADs to “stand your ground.”
“We have rules and bylaws. Each of you have copies. They’re thick,” Wilson said. “Stand your ground. Stand with your ethics because there are probably things that are legal, but they’re still not right.”
Finally, Wilson closed with a message of not fearing failure.
“Let’s let our kids not fear failure — appropriate failure,” Wilson said. “I love watching little league … and watching when a ball comes in and it’s twelve feet over (a batter’s) head and they swing anyway. We know what’s coming, we know the over-intense coach: ‘You can’t hit that! That’s way over your head!’
“But I like that coach that says, ‘Next time, swing higher, because you may hit it.’ “