by St. Paul, Minnesota- July, 2018 – The Association of Combative Sports Commission (ACSC) recently held their annual conference at the beautiful 5 Diamond InterContinental Hotel in down Saint Paul, Minnesota which is owned by The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The conference was attended by the general membership of the ACSC, which is comprised of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commissioners, Executive Directors, Inspectors, Judges, Referees and Ringside Physicians.
The ACSC was founded in 2015 after many of the top state and athletic commissions demanded truthfulness, transparency and fairness which was absent from other industry organizations. Since then, the vast majority of tribal athletic commissions have come into the fold as this tribal-centric organization takes off.
“The tremendous support that we have received from the tribal athletic commissions have not only ensured that we survived that first year but is the reason we continue to grow and will be here for a very long time. We are not going anywhere.” Stated ACSC President, Matt Roberson.
Athletic Regulation is a new area of sovereignty for many tribes. Tribal athletic commissions have not always been treated well in other organizations. This is one reason for the popularity of the ACSC among sovereign athletic commissions. Elections for the ACSC Executive Committee were held on Friday, July 13, 2018. The results reflected the diversity within the association.
The ACSC Secretary race resulted in Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tribal member Briana Michels coming out on top. Tim Lueckenhoff of the Missouri Office of Athletics was elected as ACSC Treasurer. Joe Miller, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission and a Member of The Citizen Potawatomie Nation was elected as Second Vice President and Washington State Athletic Commission Administrator, Susan Colard was Re-Elected as First Vice President. Wichita and Affiliated Tribes member Matt Roberson was Re-Elected as ACSC President.
“I think what you have seen today is historic! Never have we seen an international organization with so much Native American talent in it’s leadership. I am proud to cast my vote my friends in our tribal nations. It’s refreshing to see much class. A lot of people do not realize that Susan works with a lot of tribes in Washington and without guys Tim Lueckenhoff and Jim Erickson (Texas), We probably wouldn’t have as many tribal commissions.” Said Patrick Pannella, Executive Director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission.
The ACSC tribal commissions include every tribal athletic commission in Minnesota and all but 1 tribal commission in Oklahoma, The Chickasaw Nation Gaming Commission. The following tribal athletic commissions are members of the ACSC: Aaniiih Nakoda Athletic Commission, The Citizen Potawatomie Nation Boxing Commission, Comanche Nation Sports Commission, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa-Department of Athletic Regulation, The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe – Department of Athletic Regulation, The Muscogee Creek Nation Athletic Commission, The Pawnee Nation Sports Commission, The Red Lake Nation Boxing Commission, The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Boxing Commission, ant the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Sports Commission.
In addition to the tribal athletic commissions, ACSC Legal Counsel Elaine Smith is an enrolled member of the La Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and ACSC Medical Committee Member Dr. Bob Davison is a member of the Cherokee Nation. ACSC MMA Training Facilitator Rocky Demier is a member of the Quapaw Nation.
“When you look at the Seven Values that were gifted to the Anishinaabe People (Love, Respect, Truth, Honesty, Bravery, Humility and Wisdom), There is not a single value that is not present in our organization. We have managed to capture every single one. The great thing about this is, it’s not just our tribal commissions. The State Commissions, Medical Professionals and Officials all have those same qualities. Our future is bright.” Added Mille Lacs Commissioner Percy Benjamin.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Matt Roberson at 405-623-4191 or email at Matt.Roberson@millelacsband.com.
