Montevallo’s Niven wins AHSAA award

Published 12:22 pm Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Montevallo High School’s Tena Niven has been nominated as the recipient of the AHSAA ‘Making A Difference’ award for the 4A classification. (File)

Montevallo High School’s Tena Niven has been nominated as the recipient of the AHSAA ‘Making A Difference’ award for the 4A classification. (File)

By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – When Tena Niven got the call on June 17 that she had won the 2016 ‘Making A Difference’ award from the AHSAA, she was slightly caught off guard. Niven, the head volleyball, girls’ basketball and most recently boys’ soccer coach at Montevallo High School, did not even know she had been nominated for the award, and still doesn’t know who nominated her.

“I really don’t even know who nominated me,” Niven said on June 27. “I have no idea. When I got the call it was out of the blue, it was a total shock. You’re talking about representing all the coaches in 4A. It’s a tremendous honor to represent the class.”

According to the AHSAA’s website, the Making A Difference award was established by the AHSAA and AHSADCA in 2011 to recognize individuals who go beyond their normal duties as a coach, teacher or administrator to make a positive impact in their schools and communities. One award is given per classification per year, and Niven is the 4A recipient for the 2015-16 school year.

“This award is the most important honor a professional educator in our state can receive,” AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese wrote in a press release on June 27. “Characteristics considered for this prestigious award include the recipient’s character, integrity and service, all of which have enabled these individuals to have a life-changing impact on the community or school where they serve.”

Niven is a native of Montevallo, having graduated from Montevallo High School herself in 1987. She returned to the school in 2000 and has served in various roles throughout the last 15 years. She has been the head volleyball coach, softball coach and girls’ basketball coach (and is the reigning Shelby County girls basketball Coach of the Year as well) and this past spring served as the head boys’ soccer coach to boot.

On the basketball floor, Niven’s teams have gone 275-135 in her 14 years as the head coach, and in volleyball she has fielded a consistently competitive team as well. But more importantly than her athletic success has been the impact she has had on students. However, according to Niven, she isn’t doing anything special.

“We have such a rich tradition at Montevallo of people going through the school system and then returning to the school system,” Niven said. “These people that I work with do what I do, I don’t do anything special. These kids are so important to us, we don’t feel like we’re going above and beyond, we just love our kids.”

Niven also mentioned names like Jimmy Jones and Susie DeMent as people who had an impact on her as a student, and said it was in part their positive impact that motivated her to come back to Montevallo.

“Those are the people who made a difference who taught me what it is all about,” Niven said. “This is our town, this is our school, these are our kids. You make an impact in these kids’ lives, positive or negative, and it’s the positive impact people left on me that made me want to come back and do that for others.”

Niven will be presented with the Making A Difference award at the Championship Coaches Banquet at the Renaissance Montgomery Convention Center on July 22. The 6 p.m. event will close out the 2016 AHSAA Summer Conference and All-Star Sports Week for member schools.