Benedictine Administrator, Former Major Leaguer John Carter to Serve on OHSAA Board of Directors
Athletic Administrator at Benedictine and former Cleveland Indian to begin three-year term
COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Carter, Athletic Administrator at Benedictine High School and former Major League baseball player, will begin a three-year term on the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors when the OHSAA board gathers in Columbus for its first meeting of the 2025-26 school year on August 28. John will serve as the Ethnic Minority representative from the Northeast District.
The OHSAA is the governing body of high school and junior high sports in Ohio. It is a voluntary, non-profit organization that governs 815 high schools and 740 middle schools, which includes approximately 400,000 student-athletes.
As an education-focused athletic administrator, John is an executive board member of the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA) and was elected to the OHSAA’s Northeast District Athletic Board (NEDAB). He has dedicated over 15 years to athletic leadership, serving as the director of athletics at Fairview Park City Schools and Oberlin City Schools before assuming his current role at Cleveland Benedictine High School.
In recognition of his contributions, John has received numerous awards from the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA) and the NEOIAAA, including the prestigious Citation Award, the Bruce Brown Award of Excellence and the NEOIAAA Athletic Administrator of the Year in 2025. He will be awarded the Athletic Administrator of the Year Award in November 2025 by the OIAAA.
John’s journey in sports began as a professional baseball player, spending nine years with the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. After his playing career, he transitioned into the front office of the Cleveland Indians, where he served as manager of community relations for seven years. In this role, he worked closely with both the Cleveland community and the team’s players, fostering meaningful connections and impactful initiatives.
A passionate advocate for youth baseball, John has played a key role in growing the sport in Cleveland. He has organized major events such as the Hardball Classic at Progressive Field and the MLB Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) East Regional Tournament. Additionally, he contributed to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland, coordinating the Mastercard Starting Lineups’ pregame introductions.
Currently, John serves as president of the Cleveland Baseball Federation, a role he has held since October 2007. Founded as one of Cleveland’s oldest baseball organizations, the Federation is committed to its mission: “Providing kids the opportunity to play the game with no limits.”
John lives in North Ridgeville with his wife, Amy, and their children, Mary Grace, Jake (Anna), and Ellie, who is an eighth grader at Lakewood Catholic Academy.
