Marybell Avery, curriculum specialist for Health, Physical Education and Character Education for Lincoln Public Schools, has been honored with the Channing Mann Physical Education Administrator of the Year Award by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). The award will be presented in April during the national convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

Avery has served in her position at LPS for 17 years, and the award notes she is: “A tireless leader and worker at the local, state and national levels for quality physical education in schools, Avery embodies the Channing Mann Award criteria of leadership, service, advocacy and contributions to the curriculum.”

“This award honors an individual who exemplifies the highest standards in accomplishment and innovation, strong and vigorous leadership and significant scholarship within the field,” according to NASPE President Lynn Couturier of State University of New York at Cortland.

Throughout her career, Avery has held leadership positions on numerous projects, including NASPE’s Assessment Task Force, which developed PE Metrics, the national standards assessments; and the NASPE STARS National Recognition Program for Physical Education. She also served as a trainer for the Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a writer for the Nebraska Physical Education Essential Learnings (state standards) for the Nebraska Department of Education. At the state level Avery has been very active in the Nebraska Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NAHPERD), serving as president in 1988-89 and receiving its Honor Award on three occasions. She is also a past president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), American Association for Health Education (AAHE), American School Health Association, ASCD and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Avery has taught physical education at the preschool, elementary, high school, and university levels during her 35-year career.

NASPE: The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals.