C-EBHS Athletic Director named Native American Athletic Director of the Year

EAGLE BUTTE – Allen Benoist, Athletic/Activity Director at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School (C-EBHS) is the 2024 Native American Athletic Director of Year for the South Dakota Intercollegiate Athletic Administrators Association (SDIAAA). The award will be presented to Benoist at the SDIAAA annual conference in Sioux Falls on March 25 – 28th, 2024.

Chuck Wilson, the Athletic/Activity Director at Todd County High School on the Rosebud Lakota Reservation in Mission, SD, and in-coming President of SDIAAA, said, “One of the best qualities an AD (Athletic Director) needs is the ability to develop relationships with other ADs. Cooperation between each other is very important. Allen certainly has that type of relationship with others. He has always been very knowledgeable about what is happening with the SDIAAA and is certainly a great choice as AD of the Year. I want to congratulate Allen for this award, it is well deserved!”

One year ago, the new award category of “Native American AD of the Year” was created by the Association. Benoist has served on the Board of Directors of the SDIAAA since 2023 and will continue to serve. He is happy to see more Native American coaches taking more of a leadership role in the organization.

Benoist said the award is “quite an honor.” As a member of the Board and as Native American AD of the Year, he plans to encourage other Native American AD’s to get involved in SDIAAA and pursue certifications offered by SDIAAA.

Benoist is the first Native American coach in SD to earn the Certified Master Athletic Administrator Certification (CMAA) through SDIAAA. Earning the CMAA certification is a rigorous process requiring satisfactory completion of coursework, projects, and administrative involvement in association activities at all levels. One of the projects he completed in fulfillment of the certification involved exploring the 7 Lakota Values in relationship to sports.

Benoist says the things he learned in the process of earning his CMAA certification this year has helped to improve the sports programming at C-EBHS. He indicated that if other Lakota AD’s pursue their certifications, one positive result will be enhanced athletic programming in other schools.

Benoist said he knew he wanted to be a P.E. teacher from the time he was in elementary school in the Cherry Creek community. “In Cherry Creek, sports were everything.” Both his mother and father were employed in the local school and both stressed the value of education and team sports.

He names three educators who were influential in his development as a scholar/athlete: Fay Long Break, a Cherry Creek elementary school teacher; Faye Condon, his aunt; and Adele Little Dog, the principal at his school. He says they all encouraged him and helped him succeed.

Benoist graduated from C-EBHS in 1978 after competing in football, basketball, and track. In his senior year he sustained a serious knee injury, so was not able to participate in college sports when he attended Black Hills State University. He graduated from there in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education.

He worked at Crazy Horse School from 1985 – 87, then in 1988 joined the faculty of C-EBHS where he has served continuously ever since. He says he is now teaching two and three generations of students from the same family. He expressed gratitude for the strong tradition of athletic excellence in C-EB.

Before becoming AD, he served at various times as the Upper Elementary P.E. teacher, High School girls/boys basketball coach, High School volleyball head coach, and archery coach. He has won numerous awards and earned numerous certifications over the years.

Benoist also serves on the Lakota National Invitational (LNI) Board of Directors. He looks forward to a special student council Leadership Conference geared toward Native American students sponsored by LNI and scheduled for April 4 and 5 in Rapid City, SD.

Benoist gives generous credit for his success to his wife Lisa, saying that she has always been very willing to pitch in and help keep him organized. He met Lisa when she was in college at Black Hills State and he was teaching at Crazy Horse School. She works for the Cheyenne River Housing Authority. The couple have 3 grown daughters, 3 grandchildren, and a son who is now deceased.

Benoist said he plans to coach for about five more years before retiring to enjoy traveling and spending more time with the family.

According to Benoist, “Sportsmanship is a big component of sports.…We are constantly looking for ways to improve our messaging to our teams and our fans about the importance of good sportsmanship.”

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