ALFCA Executive Director Jack Wood, President Jamie Riggs and Vice President Terry Curtis met Friday, April 8th at the Auburn University Coaching Clinic.  The trio met to discuss association business in between board meetings. The ALFCA Board of Directors meets at Super Six in December and at All Star Sports Week each year.  Wood updated Riggs and Curtis on sponsorships, noting that Hibbett Sports and DSV Video had come on board during March.  He also discussed other sponsor possibilities in the future.
Coach Wood also discussed next year's convention. The association signed on again with Embassy Suites in Montgomery, after negotiating with both Embassy and the Renaissance Hotel across the street. "Right now, the biggest difference is just the free food and drinks at the Embassy," Wood said.  "We know our coaches love that.  Embassy also has a such a large area for coaches to socialize and share ideas. But we will continue to look at the Renaissance.  I believe they have a desire to have our coaches meet at their hotel and may come up with some ideas to close that gap. " Wood also said it was time to start thinking about speakers for the convention.
Coach Riggs inquired about the final membership totals for this year and Wood said that the association ended up with over 1100 members. "We are still missing some schools and coaches that should become more involved and become members," Riggs said.  Coach Wood promised to send membership lists so that the two could make some contacts before the 2011 season.
Former AHSAA Director Dan Washburn is being inducted into the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame in July.  Coach Wood suggested that someone from our association should attend the ceremony in Philadelphia this summer. Coach Washburn was a long time football coach and principal before joining the AHSAA in 1990.
Wood also said that the board would meet at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery on Friday, July 15th during All Star Sports Week.  The Embassy would also be the spot for the ALFCA Coaches Social on Thursday, which has become a very popular event.
"We talk on a regular basis but it is always good to get the officers together and talk some things out," said Coach Curtis.  "We know there are some issues coming up in the 2011 season and we will be dealing with some of them at the summer meeting."

Alabama Football Coaches Association President Jamie Riggs traveled to Montgomery on Wednesday, March 2nd to speak to the Alabama State House Ways and Means Committee concerning the DROP program.  A legislative bill to eliminate the DROP program immediately brought a strong contingent of coaches to the public hearing to oppose the bill.  University of Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore and Auburn University High School Relations Director Wayne Bolt also spoke to the committee, as well as AHSAA Director Steve Savarese.  Riggs represented over a thousand football coaches throughout the state who had no idea that the bill to eliminate the program was to go into effect immediately. "We could only speak for two minutes," said Riggs. " I just tried to remind the committee that we had a lot of coaches who were eligible who had not joined the program.  I believe these coaches should have the right to join the program for all of the years they have dedicated to this profession.  We are all concerned that eliminating the DROP program will force some of our best coaches to retire from the state and seek employment in other states.  I also said I believed that it would lead to less men in our high schools, coaches and administrators."  Riggs said that he believed that the voice of the football coaches was heard and that if the DROP does not survive, that at least teachers who are presently eligible will get a chance to enroll.  "It is our hope that some changes can be made in DROP to help save some money and that the program could still survive," the ALFCA President said. "I was honored to represent the state's great football coaches.  Right now those coaches can help by contacting their legislators and encouraging them to find a way to save the DROP program."