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The Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association (ESDAA) organization would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the amazing coaches from our ESDAA member schools as we celebrate 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 today! Your dedication, passion, and commitment play a vital role in shaping the character and success of our student-athletes. You are mentors, motivators, and role models who teach lessons far beyond the game—instilling teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and pride in every athlete. Thank you for the countless hours you devote to practices, games, travel, and supporting your teams. Your impact reaches far beyond the scoreboard, and today, we proudly recognize and celebrate you! #ESDAA #Deaf #DeafSports #Coaches #NationalCoachesDay #NIAAA #NDIAA #NFHS #ThankYou   Happy Athletic Administrators Week!
Did you know this week is Interscholastic Athletic Administration Week? That’s exactly why I want to pause and recognize each and every one of them in the ESDAA. This week, we celebrate the leaders who make education-based athletics possible. They are the ones scheduling games, supporting coaches, ensuring safety, and most importantly….creating opportunities for student-athletes to grow, compete, and succeed. Day after day, month after month, and year after year, the work of an Athletic Director often goes unseen. But I see them. I know the weight they carry. What they do could easily be the work of three or four people—and still, they show up for their school and community every single day. Their work matters. Their work for ESDAA matters. Their work for student-athletes matters. THEY matter. These ESDAA Athletic Directors are amazing people! If you see them, be sure to thank them for all they do! ESDAA Athletic Directors, Thank you for your dedication, your vision, and your commitment to building school pride and shaping the student-athlete experience—not only within your school but across the entire ESDAA community. I appreciate you—today and every day. Happy Interscholastic Athletic Administration Week! - ESDAA President Kallie Mendenhall  *** Press Release from Maryland School for the Deaf ***
Please join us in welcoming Elena Ciccarelli as the new Athletic Director at MSD. Elena has been a dedicated member of the MSD community since 2015, serving in a variety of roles that reflect her commitment to student development and well-being. She began her career as a Residential Child and Youth Care Practitioner in the Student Life department, then supported our younger learners as a teacher’s aide in the Elementary Department. She later taught Physical Education for four years. Her leadership in athletics began to take shape through her work as co-interim Assistant Athletic Director, a role she formally assumed full time in July 2022. Most recently, she served as interim Athletic Director during the 2024–2025 school year. Over the past decade, she has coached several high school and Special Olympics teams, including guiding the 2018 Special Olympics Unified Soccer team to a State Championship. She also served as assistant coach for the varsity girls’ basketball team during its back-to-back national championship seasons, later stepping into the head coach role. A standout student-athlete herself, Elena made history at Gallaudet University as the first to compete in three varsity sports—women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and softball—during all four years of her collegiate career. In recognition of her excellence in leadership, athletics, and service, she was named an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2015. Elena is also a gold medalist with the USA Deaf Women’s Basketball Team, having earned top honors at the 2014 U21 World Championship in Samsun, Turkey, and the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship in Taoyuan, Taiwan. We welcome her leadership in this new role.
🏅 New ESDAA Record Set in Girls 1600 Meters!🏃♀️
Congratulations to Leticia Detrow (Maryland) for setting a new ESDAA record in the Girls' 1600 Meters with an outstanding time of 5:48.85! She breaks the previous record of 5:50.49, set by Elissa Letendre (The Learning Center) back in 2010. |
