The New York State Sportswriters Association consists of much more than just members of the media. Although virtually every newspaper and many radio and TV stations in the state are among our more than 300 members, many other groups are represented:

• High school coaches, administrators and athletes.
  
• College coaches from all levels and from across the northeast.
  
• Parents of players and supporters of school sports programs

What does the NYSSWA do?
    The biggest undertaking is the eight-page newsletter that is published 50 times a year. These newsletters are crammed full of information that is available nowhere else:

• Rankings of top teams, broken down by playoff classification, in the major sports.
  
• Exclusive all-state teams in several major sports; when college media guides list all-state honors in biographies for players from New York, they're almost always referring to our lists.
  

    The NYSSWA also has been known to play another vital role at times -- the conscience for prep sports in New York. Beholden to no one because of its independent status and long reign as the definitive source of information, the NYSSWA has taken strong, influential stances over the years.

    Longtime newsletter editor Neil Kerr of The Post-Standard in Syracuse was long a proponent of adding state tournaments in several major sports. When the New York State Public High School Athletic Association stopped inviting New York City's public and Catholic schools to compete at season-ending championships last decade, NYSSWA members from across the state were quick to challenge the logic and helped pressure the NYSPHSAA to reconsider and then reverse itself.

    In October 1998, several NYSSWA members met with Lloyd Mott, assistant director of the NYSPHSAA, to discuss ways to speed up the flow of results and information from state championship events. With The Associated Press having abandoned coverage of N.Y. high school sports, this alliance was a valuable step toward cooperation in subsequent years. The NYSPHSAA has steadily improved the flow of news to the media, resulting in more information being available to the public. Several NYSSWA members serve on the media advisory committee that meets with the NYSPHSAA annually to discuss current issues,

How can I join?
    Membership costs $40 per year. For that, you'll receive a membership card and 50 issues of the newsletter. Send checks, payable to the New York State Sportswriters Association, to Neil Kerr, c/o Post-Standard sports dept., Syracuse, NY 13221.

Who's in charge?
    The Post-Standard's Neil Kerr (pictured, left), regarded by many as the dean of scholastic sports writers in New York, edits the weekly newsletter from his home in Syracuse and also serves as treasurer.

    The president is John Moriello, who covered high schools for Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle in the late 1980s, helped launch DemocrtandChronicle.com and now works for FoxSports.com.

    The vice presidents are Kevin Stevens of the Binghamton Press and Mary Jo Monnin (pictured, right) of The Buffalo News, both veterans of the scholastic sports scene in New York.

More about us
    Founded in 1967, the New York State Sportswriters Association has long been regarded as an authoritative voice and the leading source of information about scholastic athletics. Begun by sportswriters Larry Serrell of the Schenectady Gazette and Chuck Korbar of the Buffalo Evening News, NYSSWA membership grew from a mere 12 in 1967 to 246 in 1971. Larry died in 1983 and Chuck passed away in 1998, but they built the foundation of an organization that includes more than 300 reporters, coaches, administrators and assorted fanatics who receive 50 annual issues of the newsletter.

    Our membership includes prep writers and editors from virtually every newspaper in New York -- many of whom contribute countless hours compiling rankings information and statistics -- as well as a number of other media outlets and college coaches from across the country.

If you're not subscribing to the New York State Sportswriters Association newsletter, you're missing out on:

• Authoritative rankings by class in all the major team sports including cross country, football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, hockey, baseball, lacrosse and softball.
• Exclusive all-state teams in cross country, football, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball.
• The latest news clippings on rules changes, commentary about issues affecting scholastic sports and features on the youngsters who'll be our next generation of college and professional stars.

Updated Aug. 31, 2008