Monica Maxwell Named NFHS Director of Sports

Monica Maxwell, who has served as assistant executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) since 2022, will join the NFHS staff August 1 as director of sports.
 

Maxwell will serve as staff liaison, rules interpreter and editor of NFHS publications in the sports of basketball, field hockey and girls gymnastics.
 

Maxwell will return to the Indianapolis area where she previously worked as director of athletics for Arsenal Tech High School during the 2021-22 school year before joining the OSAA. At the OSAA, Maxwell is the compliance director for soccer, basketball, softball, tennis, band and orchestra. She also serves as site manager for state tournaments in football, volleyball, basketball and tennis.
 

In addition to her sports responsibilities, Maxwell is the OSAA staff liaison for its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, the Activities Committee, the Student Leadership Council and Title IX compliance.
 

“We are thrilled to have Monica joining our staff as director of sports,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “She has a rich background as an athlete, coach, athletic administrator and state association administrator. She also has an established familiarity with the NFHS, the NIAAA (National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association) and the NCAA, as well as the city of Indianapolis. Monica’s addition to the staff will allow us to shift some administrative responsibilities among other directors and to create a more equitable division of tasks.”
 

Maxwell is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University, where she played basketball. She was named Sun Best Conference Freshman of the Year in 1995-96 and earned All-Conference honors twice. After college, Maxwell played four seasons in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics.
 

After her playing career ended, Maxwell joined the coaching ranks as assistant women’s basketball coach at Tulane University, Pike High School in Indianapolis and California State University at Northridge.
 

Maxwell’s career in athletic administration began in 2007 when she returned to her hometown of East Chicago, Indiana, to serve as the district athletic director for the School City of East Chicago. During her three-year tenure there, Maxwell managed 25 athletic teams from grades 5 to 12 and a coaching staff of more than 100. During this time, she earned a master’s degree in science, physical education and athletic administration from Indiana University.
 

In 2010, she became athletic director of Guion Creek Middle School in Indianapolis, where she successfully coordinated a fundraising campaign that raised $25,000 for the athletic department.
 

After leaving Guion Creek in 2013, Maxwell worked outside of high school athletics until 2017 when she began a second stint as district athletic director for East Chicago schools. Her accomplishments include securing money for a new scoreboard, starting two Unified Sports teams and generating $30,000 in grants and donations in her first six months of employment.
 

During her time as a high school athletic administrator, Maxwell was active with the NIAAA and the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA). She received her Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) certification from the NIAAA in 2018.
 

"I am honored and excited to join the NFHS family, and I look forward to working with such a talented team and contributing to the continued success of the NFHS,” Maxwell said. “My goals will remain the same; and that’s to continue to grow professionally and have a meaningful impact on the holistic future of our high school students. I learned so much from the amazing staff at the OSAA, and I want to thank Peter Weber and the entire staff for welcoming me in. However, Indiana is home, so this opportunity for me is nothing short of a dream come true. I look forward to diving into the work.” 
 

Although new to the staff, Maxwell has been very involved with the NFHS for a number of years. She has been a member of its Basketball Rules Committee and Softball Rules Committee, as well as the NFHS Women’s Leadership Committee and the committee addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.