Over the last several decades, the Western Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) has developed
into one of the largest and finest scholastic leagues in the nation.
Mike Arbutina of Freedom was a keg cog on the development of the
league as it is known today. It takes a great deal of administrative
work and leadership to run such a large and diverse organization.
Mike was just that person for more than twenty years, serving the
majority of that time as the president of the league from 1972 to
1992. Mike played football and basketball at Freedom High
School, graduating in 1943. After 2˝ years in the Navy, he
returned to Beaver County and attended Geneva College, graduating in
1950. In 1952, he accepted a teaching position at Freedom and also
coached football and basketball there. In 1960, Mike became the
assistant principal at Freedom High School and in 1962 was appointed
the first principal at Western Beaver. It was during his tenure at
Western that he began his involvement in the WPIAL on the basketball
steering committee. When he first became president, the WPIAL had no
full time employees, but with the emergence of girls’ sports and the
incorporation of the private and parochial schools into the WPIAL,
Mike developed a full time staff. Mike’s experience in legalities
was invaluable as the WPIAL encountered between 25 and 30 lawsuits
during his tenure but lost just once. Mike was also active on the
state level, serving as vice president of the Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) for two years and its
president for three years.
Over the last several decades, the Western Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) has developed
into one of the largest and finest scholastic leagues in the nation.
Mike Arbutina of Freedom was a keg cog on the development of the
league as it is known today. It takes a great deal of administrative
work and leadership to run such a large and diverse organization.
Mike was just that person for more than twenty years, serving the
majority of that time as the president of the league from 1972 to
1992. Mike played football and basketball at Freedom High
School, graduating in 1943. After 2˝ years in the Navy, he
returned to Beaver County and attended Geneva College, graduating in
1950. In 1952, he accepted a teaching position at Freedom and also
coached football and basketball there. In 1960, Mike became the
assistant principal at Freedom High School and in 1962 was appointed
the first principal at Western Beaver. It was during his tenure at
Western that he began his involvement in the WPIAL on the basketball
steering committee. When he first became president, the WPIAL had no
full time employees, but with the emergence of girls’ sports and the
incorporation of the private and parochial schools into the WPIAL,
Mike developed a full time staff. Mike’s experience in legalities
was invaluable as the WPIAL encountered between 25 and 30 lawsuits
during his tenure but lost just once. Mike was also active on the
state level, serving as vice president of the Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) for two years and its
president for three years.