2017 Phyllis L. Tubbs Service Award

Bev Arnold

Jay County High School

In 1975-76 the ICGSA Executive Board established this award to be given to honor an ICGSA member who has served girls’ athletics for several years. The recipient should have been or is an active member of ICGSA, and has established longevity through several years of service to girls’ athletics and the association. In 2002-03 the Executive Board named this award the Phyllis L. Tubbs Service Award.

Our Service Award recipient retired from teaching physical education and math after 40 ½ years and a long coaching career – although she does substitute teaching now and says she enjoys teaching again – how can you enjoy substitute teaching?

As the organizer of the club swimming program in 1992 she still continues to coach in that program along with the summer league swimming program to keep her active in the swimming world. Her coaching career included swimming and diving for 35 years, gymnastics for 22 years, soccer for 10 years, volleyball and tennis for 2 years each, and even 3 years as an athletic administration. In addition, she was the Jay County Patriot Guard Director for 30 years. During her coaching career she has been honored as the ICGSA District Coach of the Year – 6 times, IHSSCA Sectional Coach of the Year – 5 times, ICGSA State Swimming Coach of the Year – 2 times, has coached 6 individual NISCA Academic All Americans, 3 NISCA Team Scholar Academic All Americans, and 24 out of 33 years has had state qualifiers in swimming and diving, she was also honored as the ICGSA District 4 Gymnastics Coach of the Year – 2 times and twice her teams were Sectional Champions, had several individual regional and state qualifiers along with one individual and one team All American. She was the first female in the nation to become a NFHS Level 1 Accredited Interscholastic Coach in 2009. She has been honored by the ICGSA with our Twenty, Thirty, and Forty Year Coaching Awards.

More importantly we are honoring our recipient because of her service to ICGSA in numerous roles since she was first a member in 1980 and continues as a Lifetime Member. She has served on our Executive Board since 1991 in these various positions of Gymnastics Committee, Swimming Committee, Swimming Committee Chairperson, IIAAA Swimming Liaison, IHSAA State Meet Liaison, Treasurer, Financial Advisor, Conference Hotel/Facilities Chairperson, Scholarship Chairperson, Academic All State Chairperson, 1^st Vice President, President for two terms, and Past President. She also developed our first website that has become our lifeline and current mode of communication. We were sad to see her retire, but at the same time we were happy so we could honor her for many years of service and contributions to ICGSA. There are not too many people that have served an organization is so many positions for so many years.

I know her family of her husband, Steve, of 46 ½ years and some of their 4 children, and 7 grandchildren are here to help celebrate this honor and I will let her share more about them in her response, and she is looking forward to doing more of her hobbies especially travelling and beaching walking in the years to come. Ladies and Gentlemen will you join the ICGSA Executive Board in honoring Bev Arnold, Jay County High School, as our 2017 Phyllis L. Tubbs Service Award winner. She will receive a plaque from our President-Elect, Jeff Theobald, as well as a gold ring from Gary Clark of Clark School Services of Herff Jones Cooperate Sponsor for this award.