Ruth Rehn - Inducted 2009

The Lyons High and 1966 South Dakota State grad was an assistant executive director for the S.D. High School Activities Association for 34 years, starting in 1974. During her tenure, South Dakota added basketball, volleyball, cross country, and competitive cheer and dance for high school girls, and she was the overseeing administrator for all the state's high school girls sports programs. Rehn helped lead South Dakota as the first state to advocate the use of a smaller basketball for girls as well as experimenting with the use of rally scoring and the libero player in volleyball. She was instrumental in developing officials' associations in the sports of gymnastics, basketball, football, wrestling and volleyball and assisted with the officials' training program. She assisted in the development of cheer safety guidelines and implemented the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors Safety Certification requirement for all stunting squad coaches. She has served as a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations Volleyball Rules Committee and the National Records Committee and as the state chair for National Girls and Women in Sport Day. Rehn taught and coached in Minnesota from 1966-74. At St. James, she started the gymnastics program. At Austin, she started interscholastic programs in gymnastics, volleyball and track. In 1974, she was one of the first two women to run in the Jackrabbit 15 road race. She is a member of the state halls of fame for volleyball and gymnastics. In 2009 she was named to the NFSHSA hall of fame. Rehn is the recipient of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport Pathfinder Award, the South Dakota Girls and Women in Sport Service Award and the South Dakota Girls and Women in Sport Leadership Award. She has been recognized for her service at the Lakota Nation Invitational basketball tournament on two separate occasions. The NFSHSA has awarded her their Citation Award, Officials Association Distinguished National Contributor Award and the National Spirit Contributor Award. She has received the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award.