2015 Marian Archer Award

Rebecca Genet, Perry Central High School

The Marian Archer Award is an award established by the Archer Family in 1979 to honor Marian Archer for outstanding work in promoting girls’ athletics. Marian Archer was the owner of Sports Togs in Carmel – a sporting goods business that dealt exclusively with uniforms for female athletes, and was one of our earliest exhibitors at our ICGSA spring conference. The recipient of this award should have been or is actively and positively involved in the promotion of girls’ athletics, and they may be in any field where he or she may promote girls’ athletics in Indiana.

Our 2015 Marian Archer Award winner is a graduate of Perry Central High School and upon graduation from the University of Evansville in 1978 she returned to her alma mater to begin a teaching and coaching career that extended over the next 37 years. She began her coaching career as the Varsity Volleyball Coach, JV Basketball Coach, and the Co-coach of Varsity Girls Track. Her teaching career was in Math and 7-9 Physical Education along with being the junior class sponsor and director of the prom. In addition to coaching she has organized Volleyball Club teams with local schools or with our7/8 grades at Perry Central, and served as the summer recreation director for AAU Track, T-ball, and Softball for several years. During her Volleyball career she has 628 victories, 9 sectional championships, and her team won the very first volleyball sectional championship at Perry Central. During track career her teams brought home another milestone with the first track Sectional championship for Perry Central and this past season her team won the first regional championship. As a member of the PLAC Conference her track teams have won 27 conference championships over the past 35 years. She was nominated 2012 and 2013 for track 2A Coach of the Year and in 2013 and 2014 she was honored as the Class 2A Volleyball Coach of the Year. She has been an active member of ICGSA and IATCCC and has attended the conferences regularly.

Even though she has retired from teaching she continues to coach both track and volleyball and has recently added a new title as the Wellness Director for Perry Central High School after securing a Wellness Grant to help upgrade the current weight room with new equipment, mats, and paint. Needless to say all the athletes are very happy about this – in particular the girls’ sports.

In 1996 she received a call from Patricia Roy urging her to run for their District’s IHSAA Board of Directors and with the support of her Athletic Director and Principal she was elected and was able to continue to teach and coach two varsity sports. She indicates that during her tenure on the IHSAA Board of Directors she really gained a new insight and knowledge as she looked at athletics involving all sports not just girls’ sports. Becky indicates that her Mother, who has since passed away, was her biggest supporter as she made many trips with her either leaving at 4am in the morning or the night before for the meetings in Indy. They would attend the meetings and then head back for practice or a game. Also during her tenure she gained great experience and insight working with Patricia Roy and Mildred Ball, two of the pioneers for girls’ sports in Indiana through the IHSAA and ICGSA. She also served on the IHSAA Board to elect Sandy Searcy as one our current assistant Commissioners.

She did add that she could not have kept teaching and coaching without the love and help that her husband did for her at home while she was away coaching or attending meetings in Indy.

The ICGSA Executive Board, also thanks him for supporting and giving Becky the opportunity to coach, teach, and make many contributions to girl’s athletics at Perry Central High as well as throughout the state of Indiana via many avenues. Please join us as Tom Rupert, our president, presents Rebecca Genet of Perry Central High School, with our 2015 Marian Archer Award plaque.