Over the past four decades, Sports Network International has experienced exponential growth in part due to the amazing feedback we receive annually from knowledgeable instructors. Our hallmark of pragmatic growth through the eyes of our attendees makes our teams feel as valuable as they are. Seeking to elevate our competitions to the highest possible levels of excellence, SNI believes a more formal group of advisors can assist us with insights and experience. With unparalleled drill pedigrees, their input comes from decades of wearing the uniform, both active duty and within JROTC.

The Nationals Advisory Board was created during Summer, 2023. This Board will be made up of a select group of individuals who have retired from their positions as JROTC instructors. The initial board members (listed alphabetically):
- MSG Larry Badia, USA (ret), formerly with Francis Lewis HS
- MGySgt Andrew Johnson, USMC (ret), former JROTC instructor & active NHSDTC Head Judge
- MSgt. Ken Madden, USAF (ret), formerly with Brandeis HS
- CDR Armando Solis, USN (ret), formerly with Flour Bluff HS
- 1SG James Tadayeski, USA (ret), formerly with Grant HS

This Board will primarily serve to provide a touchstone to the JROTC mindset as well as provide formalized guidance in the ongoing evolution of SNI’s event management. This focuses on the National High School Drill Team Championships, but of course filters down to all of the other Spring drill events where SNI controls the event SOP as well. Their input, along with post-event feedback from attending teams, will be integral going forward to continue to make the SNI Drill Universe the best it can possibly be!

They will have open lines of communication with many current and former JROTC instructors from all services so their input will help challenge every facet of the numerous drill competitions we are involved with. This will help to ensure our core drill principles remain soundly grounded in the common sense areas of the three primary drill regulation publications.

This board is frankly a more formalized versions of the dozens of phone calls SNI receives from drill & ceremony advocates from all services during the year, or even the informal conversations that are had during the Nationals Drill Camp in the Summer with instructors and even cadets! SNI often bounces ideas off of other JROTC instructors, service heads, etc. but this board will provide a more formal review process to give SNI a touchtone on the pulse of the drill & ceremony community.

The Board meets informally and will do much behind the scenes talking with other drill unit leaders.

On this website, we plan to post topics discussed from the board meetings, as well as provide those reading this an avenue to provide their own opinions and ideas. In this way, open communication can be had and the greater drill community can have an idea and input into the items discussed. With that, there is nothing these people would have any advanced notice or advanced information on any more than any instructor.

The first order of review for the Board was the move from THREE NHSDTC to TWO SOPs and the cleave to a COMPETITION BOOK and a ADMIN book. This full review put forth a solid number of changes implemented for the 2023-24 event. More weighty issues to be emphasized for competitive balance are on the horizon for change in the 2024-25 school year and are included for teams to begin to prepare. Competition Director Justin Gates has been evaluating all the advice and supervising the changes and believes these new SOPs posted reflect a GREAT BENEFIT and a far easier way for teams to prepare and perform with just a single competition SOP.

We are honored to also work with their suggestions regarding related areas such as ways to increase donations to the Jean Weil Scholarship Fund, ways to better publicize the Nationals Drill Camp and other ways that SNI can meet the competitive needs of the JROTC community.

Many thanks to not only this group of individuals, but to ALL the former (and current) instructors who keep us on our toes and have helped to make these events the greatest in Junior ROTC.