Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown and is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio –Ā Exciting changes are on the horizon for the Eastern Cincinnati Conference as they continue to rebrand and come up with fresh new ideas!

Just a few weeks ago, the ECC announced that they wanted to go through a league transformation which not only included adding three new schools to the conference (Little Miami, Winton Woods, and Lebanon) but also included coming up with a new conference slogan for the 2020-2021 sports season.

In order to properly decide on the new conference slogan, the ECC held a public vote, in which anyone could go onto the ECC website and select one of the top four pre-selected slogan ideas.

On June 15th the ECC announced the new slogan along with how many votes each slogan idea received. Below are the results from the vote!

#4 (18 Votes)
Excite.Ā  Challenge.Ā  Compete
#3 (30 Votes)
Easter Cincinnati Conference…top-level competition with community-based values
#2 (58 Votes)
Engage.Ā  Compete.Ā  Conquer
#1 (YOUR WINNER with 114 VOTES)
According to a news release by Forest Hills School District, Anderson High School will no longer be the Redskins! During a meeting on July 2nd, the Forest Hills Board of Education held a vote to retire the mascot, that was approved 4-1. The community has discussed this change for quite some time in order to support inclusivity and diversity within the district.
Bill Lyon, Forest Hills Board of Education President, spoke about the decision shortly after the meeting.

ā€œWe serve a passionate community and the Board of Education respects the many different voices invested in the future of the mascot,ā€ Lyons said, ā€œNow is the time to unite with the common goal of selecting a mascot that celebrates Andersonā€™s proud traditions of academic and athletic excellence.ā€

The selection of the new mascot and brand for Anderson will begin during the 2020-2021 academic year. The Forest Hills District says that the selection will include students, alumni, staff, and community participants.

Forest Hills Superintendant, Scot Prebles, explained in the Forest Hills District news release that the mascot selection and rebranding process would begin sometime in July.

ā€œNext steps in the process will begin in July and will include the creation of a timeline and the organization of a committee charged to lead the transition,ā€ said Scot Prebles, Superintendent, ā€œAs the careful allocation of fiscal resources is always top of mind, the school will also launch a fundraising committee to ensure this transition takes place in the most cost-effective manner and using private donations to the greatest extent possible.ā€

The Forest Hills School District said that additional information regarding the districtā€™s plans will be made available online at www.ForestHills.edu and on social media.

For more of your latest local sports news stay tuned to the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!