CHSAANow

Category: Press Releases

  • Mile High Sports teams with IKEA for Olympiad

    DENVER — Last week, Mile High Sports announced a new partnership with IKEA; the two companies will host the first-ever Mile High Sports-IKEA Back-to-School Olympiad, benefiting high school athletics and activities programs. The Olympiad will take place on July 23, from 3-7 p.m.

    “We’re excited to partner in this capacity with IKEA, a company that clearly wants to support Colorado’s high school student-athletes,” said Doug Ottewill, publisher of Mile High Sports Magazine. “As a company, we’ve always held high school sports in the highest regard, and this is an extension of that philosophy. With IKEA’s help, this event truly benefits local programs.”

    The Back-to-School Olympiad will feature 10 teams — five boys’ teams and five girls’ teams — each from a different high school. Each team will compete in eight, skill-based events, with the winning schools (one boys team, and one girls team) each earning $500 toward their athletics or activities program. The remaining schools will receive additional prizes.

    “We’re excited to about this opportunity,” said Megan Thompson, the Local Market Specialist for IKEA in Centennial. “We strive to create a better everyday life for many people and high school sports and activities are an incredible tradition we truly value. The Olympiad partnership with Mile High Sports is a great way for us to further integrate our company into this great community.”

    Participating schools will be announced within the next week, and results will be reported following the Olympiad. Events will take place at IKEA’s southeast parking lot, and will begin at 3 p.m. Mile High Sports Radio will be conducting an on-location radio remote live from the Olympiad. Coaches, parents, friends and media are encouraged to attend.

  • Boston to host 95th annual NFHS summer meeting next week

    INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The 95th annual National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Summer Meeting will be held June 28-July 2 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. The NFHS is the national leadership organization for high school athletic and performing arts activities and is composed of state high school associations in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

    About 900 individuals are expected to attend the Summer Meeting, including staff members and board members from the 51 member associations.

    The 32nd annual induction ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame and discussion of several key issues affecting high school sports and performing arts highlight this year’s agenda.

    Five outstanding former high school athletes, including legendary Cleveland Browns’ tight end Ozzie Newsome from Alabama, pro basketball star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway from Tennessee, former Major League Baseball players Michael Devereaux (Wyoming) and Casey Blake (Iowa), and track and field star Suzy Powell (California) headline the 2014 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.

    Newsome was a three-sport standout at Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, before becoming one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Hardaway scored more than 3,000 points in his career at Memphis (Tennessee) Treadwell High School and later was an All-American at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) and a four-time all-star in the NBA. Blake was a four-sport athlete at Indianola (Iowa) High School and was named one of the top 10 athletes in Iowa history before enjoying a 13-year professional career. Devereaux was one of the greatest high school athletes in Wyoming history at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper. His 12-year professional baseball career included two World Series wins with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Powell set the national high school discus record at Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, California, which stood for 15 years. She later competed in three Olympics.

    Among the topics that will be discussed at the 45 workshops during the NFHS Summer Meeting are promoting positive academic impact of participation in activities, social media marketing, components of successful spirit programs, participation opportunities for students with disabilities, sportsmanship, branding, transgender policies, values of middle school interscholastic activities and legal issues.

    The Summer Meeting will kick off on June 29 with the Opening General Session featuring a “We Are High School®” student program. Along with the seventh annual National High School Spirit of Sport Award ceremony, the NFHS will present – for the first time – its performing arts counterpart – the National High School Heart of the Arts Award.

    Zach Pickett of Shingle Springs (California) Ponderosa High School will receive the National High School Spirit of Sport Award, and Leia Schwartz of Miami (Florida) Coral Reef High School will receive the National High School Heart of the Arts Award.

    The Second General Session on June 30 will feature NFHS President Harold Slemmer, NFHS Executive Director Bob Gardner and USA Paralympic Athlete Jerome Singleton, Jr. The Closing General Session on Wednesday, July 2, will feature best-selling author and humorist Ross Shafer.

    The Summer Meeting Luncheon will be held at 12 p.m. on July 1, and will feature the presentation of NFHS Citations to 12 individuals. State association honorees include Paul Hoey of Connecticut, Brad Cashman of Pennsylvania, Gary Phillips of Georgia, Sandy Searcy of Indiana, Debra Velder of Nebraska, Wadie Moore of Arkansas, Marie Ishida of California and Gary Matthews of Alaska.

    Other Citation recipients are Jeff Hilyer of Alabama (NFHS Officials Association), Tom Zimorski of Virginia (NFHS Coaches Association), Rosanne Malek of Iowa (NFHS Music Association) and Ken Pickering of South Dakota (NFHS Speech, Debate and Theatre Association).

    The Summer Meeting will conclude at 6 p.m., July 2 with the induction of the 2014 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.

    High school coaches slated for induction this year include Bob McDonald, basketball coach at Chisholm (Minnesota) High School who retired this year after a legendary 59-year coaching career; Morgan Gilbert, who retired last year from Tuckerman (Arkansas) High School after winning more than 1,000 games as both a basketball coach and baseball coach during a 48-year career; Katie Horstman, who started the girls sports program at Minster (Ohio) High School in 1972 and led the girls track team to eight state championships; and Frank Pecora, who becomes Vermont’s first inductee in the National High School Hall of Fame after leading Northfield (Vermont) High School to 15 state baseball championships.

    Other members of the 2014 induction class are George Demetriou, a football and baseball official from Colorado Springs, Colorado, who is a state and national officiating leader in both sports; Sheryl Solberg, a state and national leader in the development of girls athletics programs during her 34 years as assistant to the executive secretary of the North Dakota High School Activities Association; and Randy Pierce, a state and national debate leader who coached debate at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for almost 40 years before retiring in 2012.

  • NOCSAE warns football helmet rating system cannot predict ability to prevent concussions

    The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has released the following statement about football helmet rating systems:

    Rating system cannot predict helmets’ ability to prevent concussions

    Protecting against injury does not start or end with helmet purchase

    OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) applauds and encourages the growing research in the area of concussion protection for athletes, including the work released this month by Virginia Tech. Coaches, consumers and parents should be aware that while the STAR rating system suggests the purchase of specific football helmets, scientific evidence does not support the claim that a particular helmet brand or model is more effective in reducing the occurrence of concussive events.

    “Helmets which meet the NOCSAE standard are extremely effective at doing what they are designed to do, limiting linear accelerations that result from impacts to the head and helmet,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE executive director. “The STAR ratings are not standards. They are a theoretical method of comparing one helmet against another. Unfortunately many have misunderstood the purpose and limitations of the STAR ratings. A 5 STAR rating does not mean that the helmet is great at preventing concussions. It simply means that it might be better than another helmet with a lower rating. Because of this misunderstanding, the effectiveness of helmets in protecting against concussions has become exaggerated, taking focus away from steps known to have a more immediate and much greater effect on concussion reduction.”

    For concussion protection to be truly effective, actions must be taken on and off the field by student athletes, parents and coaches. According to the CDC Foundation’s Heads Up to Parents program, making sure equipment fits properly, ensuring young athletes are taught proper blocking and tackling techniques and demanding enforcement of rules that prohibit players from leading with their helmets to hit other players are important ways to reduce concussion risk.

    The University of Wisconsin recently completed the first large scale, prospective study in a field-based sports setting to examine if the rate of sport-related concussion is affected by the protective equipment that is worn by high school football players. The results show no difference in the rate of concussions or severity of concussions by helmet brand. The research concluded that well maintained and fitted football helmets remain important to reduce the risk of skull fracture and intracranial hemorrhage, but there is serious doubt to whether a helmet can ever be designed to prevent concussions. In addition, the research found a similar concussion risk regardless of the age of the helmet.

    Dr. Alison Brooks, assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, spearheaded the study with Dr. Tim McGuine. Dr. Brooks would prefer to see emphasis on rule enforcement and coaching education on tackling technique to limit or avoid contact to the head. She also called out the increased risk among previously injured athletes.

    “Players in this study who had a history of previous concussion were at higher risk of sustaining another concussion, regardless of the helmet brand worn,” said Dr. Brooks. “Rather than focus on the belief that a specific helmet can ‘prevent’ concussions, which is not supported by the current scientific literature, our efforts may be better spent educating players, parents and coaches about the increased risk of concussion in these previously concussed young athletes.”

    A concussion in football is a very complex event involving different and changing forces, linear (straight motion or direct hit) and rotational (circular motion of head or torque) accelerations, helmet fit, player position, impact duration, player concussion history and overall health.

    Schutt Sports has the two highest 5 STAR helmets in 2014, yet they admit that the ratings do not support a conclusion that the helmets will limit or prevent concussions. “Schutt Sports would never represent to somebody that they’re not going to get a concussion if they wear one of our helmets,” said Robert Erb, CEO of Schutt Sports. “As a manufacturer of a helmet considered by this rating system to be the best available, I believe telling people that an athlete is less likely to get a concussion if they use a 5 STAR helmet is irresponsible. The best helmet is the one that carries NOCSAE certification, fits the player, fits the position, is configured with the proper mask and the player is comfortable in it.”

    Consumers should also know that the rating applies only to size large adult helmets. According to the Virginia Tech website, “It is possible that the same helmet models of different size may produce different results; however, we do not have any data on this, and we only tested large helmets as a first step.” No adult X-Large, Medium, Small, X-Small or any youth-size helmets were tested as part of this rating. Until other sizes are tested, the only helmet that can claim any STAR rating are adult large. The rating is based on a theoretical calculation from collegiate level data. When helmets receive a higher rating, it does not mean the helmet has met a safe level of concussion protection; instead it is an attempt to compare one helmet to another based on the results. According to an independent statistical review of the Virginia Tech test data there is no significant statistical difference between 5 STAR, 4 STAR and 3 STAR helmets.

    “The Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings™ system approaches the very broad and complex issue of concussion protection from a narrow vantage point of linear accelerations only and does not address other biomechanical variables such as rotational accelerations,” said Oliver. “Scientific experts agree that rotational accelerations are involved in most concussive events, but there is still no agreement on what level of rotational force can be considered safe or dangerous for athletes.”

  • Statement on 5A baseball playoffs

    A mistake in the MaxPreps Wild Card feed in 5A created a situation where a change in qualifiers was required.

    A discrepancy in the counting of a loss for an out of state opponent for Mullen was discovered after the bracket had been published. The loss occurred after the established May 3 cutoff date and the loss should not have factored in the final numbers for Mullen.

    In correcting those numbers, it was apparent that Mullen, not Douglas County had earned the final at-large playoff spot. Both schools had met all deadlines and did what was required. In staying true to the format as established by the membership, a change in qualifiers was made.

    This was a system issue that has now been corrected.

  • CHSAA Legislative Council meets April 17

    AURORA — The final of two Colorado High School Activities Association Legislative Council Meetings is slated for Thursday, April 17, at the Radisson Hotel/Red Lion Inn in Aurora, located at I-225 and Parker Road. The Meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. and will be aired live on CHSAA.tv. The CHSAA Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, April 16 in advance of the meeting.

    The CHSAA Legislative Council is the body that determines the rules for the student participants in the state of Colorado and its 73 members represent all the individual athletic conferences, along with representatives from the Colorado Association of School Boards, Colorado Athletic Directors Association and Colorado Association of Secondary School Administrators. They will be voting on three administrative proposals, three sports and one activities proposals, along with four administrative committee reports, two activities committee reports and eight sport committee reports. In addition, the Legislative Council will vote on nominations to replace members on the Board of Directors and for President of the Board of Directors.

    All Proposals and Committee reports that will be voted on can be found on the CHSAA website (www.rcasey.wpengine.com) under School Info. The following are brief descriptions of the agenda items:

    Constitutional Proposals (requires 2/3 majority vote to pass)

    None Submitted

    Administrative Proposals (Requires majority vote to pass, unless otherwise noted)

    ADM 1 – Classification of Schools – This proposal, submitted by the Western Slope League, will require 60% approval to pass. The proposal recommends creating a second classification of Ice Hockey. Under this provision, all schools with an enrollment of more than 1410 would be a 5A school and all others 4A. This would create approximately classifications of 14-15 per class.

    ADM-2 – Transfer Rule – The CHSAA Board of Directors is recommending a change in wording in the Transfer Rule to say “when the definition of a hardship has been met” so that it requires the that all conditions of a hardship be met prior to a school submitting one for consideration by the Commissioner. The new wording clarifies the intent of the by-law and emphasizes that a waiver may be submitted only when the criteria has met the definition of a hardship.

    ADM-3 – Appeals Procedure – Submitted by the CHSAA Board of Directors, this proposal adds a sentence indicating that PER STATE LAW, arbitration can only take place after all the steps in the CHSAA appeals process have taken place. It is designed to clarify what already is require under state statute.

    Sports Proposals

    S-1 – Field Hockey Participation – Submitted by the Frontier and Metro Leagues, this proposal increases the number of halves a field hockey participant play may play from 30 to 36 halves during the season. It is designed to maximize participation and strengthen sub-varsity participation.

    S – 2 – Lacrosse Participation – Submitted by the Frontier and Metro Leagues, this proposal increases the individual participation for lacrosse players from 34 to 36 halves for girls and from 68 to 72 quarters for boys. It is another proposal that seeks to maximize and strengthen sub-varsity participation.

    S – 3 – Soccer Participation – The Frontier and Metro Leagues are proposing increasing the number of halves for soccer participants from 30 to 36 in an effort to maximize participation and strengthen sub-varsity programs.

    Activities Proposals

    A–1 – Speech Awards – The Metropolitan League is proposing an amendment that, if passed, would allow speech tournaments to declare a team champion and present a team award.

    Administrative Committees

    Budget/Property Administration (Final Reading) – The committee has proposed freezing participation fees for 2015-16 school year at the 2014-15 level.

    Classification and League Organization Committee (CLOC) – The Intermountain, Northern, CS Metro 4A and CS Metro 5A has submitted a proposal that would change the way wrestling was classified, but taking the total number of schools with wrestling programs, dividing by four to balance the number of schools in the classifications.

    Equity – No major changes have been proposed. Schools are reminded that the proportionality and participation surveys information has been sent out.

    Sportsmanship – The committee has recommended a continuation of the regional sportsmanship summits and is encouraging additional summits. The CHSAA has contracted with Positive Coaches Alliance and access to that program is available for leagues.

    Tournament and Playoff Finance – The committee is proposing a raise of $1 in adult ticket prices at the district and regional levels to help offset the costs of running those tournaments for schools.

    Activities Committees

    Music – No major changes have been proposed.

    Speech – A number of proposed changes have been made to specific events, along with several administrative items.

    Sports Committees

    Basketball – The committee made adjustments in all classifications to reflect changes in enrollments. The regional format in 2A was changed to reflect a desire by the membership to have boys’ and girls’ teams at the same regional sites. The 3A format was adjusted to reflect the addition of the Confluence League, while the 4A format was changed to from 48 qualifiers to 32. Also, Class 4A will play its Great 8 games at home sites. All changes reflect information gathered from school administrators in a survey last fall.

    There is an amendment from the Jefferson County League to maintain the 4A qualifiers at 48 teams due to the large number of schools in the classification.

    The Lower Platte League is amending the 2A regional portion of the report to create a regional format that would create three regions (northeast, southeast, western), putting three districts in the NE and SE and giving three state qualifiers to those regionals, while limiting the state qualifiers from the W region to two.

    The Southwestern League is amending the 5A portion of the report to create a one-day seeding window for the selection/seeding committees, rather than two days. All other classifications seed over a one-day period, as well.

    Football – The Colorado Springs Metro 5A, Continental and Jefferson County leagues have submitted a proposal to change the seeding process for 5A football. The proposal is a collaborative effort of 5A leagues to allow for more flexibility in seeding the 32 teams that qualify for the bracket through Wild Card Points. The bracket will be seeded in quadrants and each quadrant will have eight seeds. Conference champions will be guaranteed of a first round home game by being seeded in the top 16. Additional seeding criteria will include an RPI ranking system developed by RockyPreps. The proposed seeding will provide flexibility in avoiding conference match-ups, yet maintaining appropriate seeding within the quadrants.

    Ice Hockey: The committee has recommended semifinal and championships dates of March 5 and 6, but the dates could change depending on rink availability.

    Lacrosse – The major changes recommended by committee include changes in automatic qualifiers for the girls’ tournament. On the boys’ side, the committee made the necessary adjustments to 4A conferences to account for new programs. Additionally, the committee is recommending keeping the 4A quarterfinals and semifinals at home sites.

    Skiing – No major changes were recommended.

    Spirit – The lone major change deals with outdoor competitions where two varsity teams (co-ed, cheer, poms) are allowed to be on the sidelines if mutually agreed upon by both schools. During indoor competitions, one varsity team will be allowed on the sidelines/court if mutually agreed upon by both schools.

    Swimming and Diving – The new state qualifying times were created in an attempt to create 4-5 heats in each event. Additionally, because of housing issues in Fort Collins during the spring, the committee is recommending a three-day meet at Thornton’s VMAC to accommodate the two classifications.

    The Pikes Peak League will attempt to amend the report to go back to a two-day meet for each classification. The Air Force Academy has agreed to be the second site for the championship meets and will host 5A.

    Track and Field – No major changes were recommended by the committee.

    The Frontier League has submitted an amendment to the track report that would free up the 12th week of the season for a state qualifying meet. Currently the 12th week is limed to league championship meets.

    Wrestling – The committee made its recommendations for regional teams, assigning the top 16 (5A) and top 12 (4A0 teams to regions based on returning regional and state meet points. In Class 3A, the committee is recommending utilizing the 4A/5A models, but only using the top 8 teams. All others will be assigned geographically. In 2A, the committee assigned teams based on geography, moving teams only to balance the regions. Other items from the committee include the dates when information must be put into the TrackWrestling System.

    The Legislative Council will start at 8:30 a.m. with its traditional Speak Out session where members of the public may ask to speak to the Legislative Council on pertinent issues. Speakers are limited to five minutes and may gain access to the podium by contacting CHSAA’s Bethany Brookens (303) 344-5050 by Friday, April 11 at 4:00 p.m.

  • Statement on Regis Jesuit girls basketball

    The following is a statement in regard to an invitation Regis Jesuit girls basketball received to play in a postseason tournament:

    “Under the Colorado High School Activities Association bylaws, playing in a tournament outside the sport’s season is not allowed. Regis Jesuit was provided with the option of competing as a club team at the event. But, under CHSAA bylaws, they would be prohibited from competition as a high school team after this Saturday’s state championship game. The bylaws do not provide an option for a waiver of that rule.”

  • CHSAA says vote early, vote often for You Can Play, Colorado! student videos

    AURORA — The Colorado High School Activities Association today released 13 student-produced videos from every region across Colorado as part of its “You Can Play, Colorado!” contest—a program focused on stopping bullying and delivering messages of inclusion and acceptance for all students participating in high school activities such as sports, speech, music and student leadership.

    To learn more about the “You Can Play, Colorado!” contest and to view the videos and vote, please visit YouCanPlayColorado.com.

    Students, parents, school supports and, well, every Coloradan are welcomed to vote for their favorite. CHSAA encourages school communities to vote early and often for their hometown video candidate. Each school submitting a video is eligible to receive prize money, with the grand prize school receiving $2,500. One Fan Favorite from each CHSAA classification will receive a $500 prize. On-line voting begins Friday, March 7 and closes Wednesday, March 12. The winning student videos will be announced and highlighted at the March 15 state basketball championships at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

    Videos were submitted from the following schools:

    • Center High School, Center
    • CIVA Charter High School
    • D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School, Denver
    • Dolores High School, Dolores
    • Global Leadership Academy, Denver
    • Grandview High School, Aurora
    • Holyoke Senior High School, Holyoke
    • Liberty Junior/High School, Joes
    • Moffat County High School, Craig
    • Monarch High School, Louisville
    • Pagosa Springs High School, Pagosa Springs
    • ThunderRidge High School, Highlands Ranch
    • Jefferson County Schools

    “You Can Play, Colorado!” is part of the “We Are CHSAA” positive leadership campaign, an educational experience—in partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, You Can Play and the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado—dedicated to ensuring that all students are encouraged to participate and be accepted for what they bring to a team or activity, and not excluded for what some might see as differences.

  • Colorado’s George Demetriou to join National High School Hall of Fame

    INDIANAPOLIS — The National Federation of State High School Associations has announced its Hall of Fame Class of 2014 and that list includes Colorado Springs Official and CHSAA Hall of Fame member George Demetriou. Demetriou was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame in its Class of 2011. The Class of 2014 will be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame July 2 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. The 32nd Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of the 95th annual NFHS Summer Meeting.

    Demetriou is the 21st Coloradan inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame. Last summer, the 20th Colorado inductee, former George Washington basketball player and current NBA star Chauncey Billups, was inducted at  the 2012 ceremony in Denver.

    Demetriou joins five outstanding former high school athletes, including legendary Cleveland Browns’ tight end Ozzie Newsome from Alabama and pro basketball star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway from Tennessee, with the 2014 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.

    Joining Newsome and Hardaway as athletes in the 2014 class are Casey Blake, a four-sport star at Indianola (Iowa) High School, who had a 13-year professional baseball career; Michael Devereaux, a four-sport standout at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, who enjoyed an 12-year professional baseball career; and Suzy Powell, a basketball and track and field star at Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, California, who competed in three Olympic Games.

    High school coaches slated for induction this year include Bob McDonald, basketball coach at Chisholm (Minnesota) High School who is retiring this year after a legendary 59-year coaching career; Morgan Gilbert, who retired last year from Tuckerman (Arkansas) High School after winning more than 1,000 games as both a basketball coach and baseball coach during a 48-year career; Katie Horstman, who started the girls sports program at Minster (Ohio) High School in 1972 and led the girls track team to eight state championships; and Frank Pecora, who becomes Vermont’s first inductee in the National High School Hall of Fame after leading Northfield (Vermont) High School to 15 state baseball championships.

    Other members of the 2014 induction class are George Demetriou, a football and baseball official from Colorado Springs, Colorado, who is a state and national officiating leader in both sports; Sheryl Solberg, a state and national leader in the development of girls athletics programs during her 34 years as assistant to the executive secretary of the North Dakota High School Activities Association; and Randy Pierce, a state and national debate leader who coached debate at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for almost 40 years before retiring in 2012.

    OFFICIAL

    Demetriou GeorgeGeorge Demetriou has officiated high school baseball and football in Colorado for 25 years, including three championship games in baseball and two in football; however, his contributions to officiating in those sports go far beyond his on-the-field accomplishments. Demetriou has served as the Colorado High School Activities Association baseball and football rules interpreter and has authored widely distributed books in both sports. He has written more than 300 articles, many of which have appeared in Referee magazine, and he is the author of an annual football study guide for NFHS and NCAA rules.

    ATHLETES

    Ozzie Newsome was a three-sport standout (football, basketball, baseball) at Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, in the early 1970s. He helped Colbert County to state championships in football and basketball in 1972 and to the state finals in baseball in 1973. After four years at the University of Alabama, Newsome became one of the greatest tight ends in National Football League (NFL) history during his 13-year career with the Cleveland Browns. He has been general manager/executive vice president of the Baltimore Ravens since 1996 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

    Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway scored more than 3,000 points during his three-year basketball career at Treadwell High School in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1987 to 1990. As a senior, Hardaway averaged 36 points and 10 rebounds per game and was the Parade National Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball in Tennessee. Hardaway was an all-American at Memphis State University and a four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) all-star with the Orlando Magic. He played with three other NBA teams during his 15-year career and was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team that won a gold medal.

    Casey Blake was named the Top Male High School Athlete in Iowa in 1992 at the conclusion of his four-sport, four-year career at Indianola High School. As the team’s quarterback, he led Indianola to the state football playoffs twice and was the leading scorer on the basketball team. He was the first freshman to play on the school’s baseball team and was named all-state two times, and he was a medal winner in the 400-meter hurdles in the state track meet. Blake was a three-time All-American at Wichita State University and retired in 2011 after a 13-year career in professional baseball with five teams, including the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers.

    Michael Devereaux was one of the greatest high school athletes in Wyoming history at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper (1979-81). He led the track team to the 1981 state championship while setting state records in four events (100, 200, 400 and high jump), helped the basketball team to back-to-back titles in 1980 and 1981, and was a member of the state football championship team in 1980. Though the Wyoming High School Activities Association does not sponsor baseball, Devereaux led his American Legion team to three state titles. The highlights of his 12-year professional baseball career were with the Baltimore Orioles in 1992, when he finished seventh in the MVP voting, and with the Atlanta Braves in 1995, when he was MVP of the National League Championship Series and helped the Braves to the World Series title.

    Suzy Powell was one of the top discus throwers at all levels of competition in this country – from her days at Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, California, until her retirement in 2012. Powell set the national high school girls discus record of 188-4 in 1994 and held the mark until 2009. She was three-time California state champion in the discus and was the California Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1994. Powell also played basketball and averaged 21.6 points per game as a senior. She was a member of three U.S. Olympic teams (1996, 2000 and 2008) and was ranked No. 1 in the United States in the discus as recently as 2007.

    COACHES

    After 59 years and at the age of 80, Bob McDonald concluded his amazing basketball coaching career this year. McDonald spent the final 53 years at Chisholm (Minnesota) High School and finished with an overall record of 1,012-428, which included three state championships and 11 state tournament appearances. He is one of only 13 coaches nationally to surpass 1,000 victories. McDonald also coached track and field at Chisholm for 50 years and won a state title in 2001.

    Morgan Gilbert is the only high school coach in history to surpass 1,000 victories in both basketball and baseball and ranks among the top 10 all-time leaders in both sports. After concluding his remarkable 48-year career last year, including the past 40 years at Tuckerman (Arkansas) High School, Gilbert ranked sixth all-time in baseball coaching victories with a 1,030-396 career mark and seventh all-time in basketball with a 1,077-593 career record. His teams competed in the state basketball playoffs 38 times and the state baseball playoffs 39 times.

    Katie Horstman was considered a pioneer in the area of girls athletics in the state of Ohio after starting the girls athletic program at her alma mater – Minster High School – in 1972. In her 25 years at Minster, Horstman coached volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, track and field, cross country and softball. Her track and field teams won eight state titles and finished second four other times, and she led the cross country team to one state title and three runner-up finishes. Prior to returning to Minster, Horstman played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1950s.

    The first person from Vermont to be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, Frank Pecora had an outstanding career as baseball coach at Northfield High School. In 38 years (1973, 1976-2012), Pecora’s teams won 15 state championships, including five in a row from 1997 to 2001, and finished second four other times. Pecora was the school’s athletic director as well during his career at Northfield. He was president of the Vermont State Athletic Directors Association and served on the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Board of Directors.

    ADMINISTRATOR

    Sheryl Solberg was one of the leaders in the development and growth of girls sports programs – in her state and across the nation – during her 34 years as assistant to the executive secretary of the North Dakota High School Activities Association (1978-2012). At the state level, she handled coaches and officials programs for most of the state’s sports, and was involved with several national rules experiments, including rally scoring and the libero position in volleyball and the smaller-size basketball for girls. She also led numerous officiating camps and clinics throughout the country.

    PERFORMING ARTS

    Randy Pierce was a leader in high school debate at all levels – from almost 40 years at Pattonville High School to his work with the Missouri State High School Activities Association to his work with the NFHS and the National Debate Topic Selection Committee. Pierce coached the Pattonville High School mock trial team to six state championships and qualified students to MSHSAA state championships for 37 consecutive years. In 2010, Pierce received his seventh diamond award from the National Forensic League.

    The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials, administrators, performing arts coaches/directors and others for their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school sports and activity programs. This year’s class increases the number of people in the Hall of Fame to 423.

    The 12 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and educational leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations.

  • CHSAA begins 93rd year of spring sports

    Track boys pole vault
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    AURORA — The 93rd year of Colorado High School Activities Association practice for spring sports begins just as the basketball playoffs are gearing up and ice hockey moves into Frozen Four action. Official practice starts Monday, February 24 for baseball, girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’ soccer, boys’ swimming and diving, girls’ tennis and boys’ and girls’ track and field.

    Teams may begin interscholastic scrimmages on March 1 (February 27 for golf and tennis), while the first contests may begin on Thursday, March 6. Tennis and golf may begin contests on Thursday, February 27.

    In May, 1921, a group of superintendents and principals met in Boulder and organized the Colorado High School Athletic Conference. The purpose of this organization was to better regulate and develop the interscholastic school athletic program.

    There were nine leagues by the time the first constitution was published, including the Northern, North Central, Western Slope, Suburban, Southeastern, Arkansas Valley, South Central and San Juan Basin leagues.

    The first champions crowned that school year were Colorado Springs in football, Greeley in basketball, and Fort Collins in track and field.

    In 1924, the Colorado High School Athletic Conference joined the National Federation of State High School Associations and has remained an active member of that organization ever since.

    Loveland’s R.W. Truscott was the Association’s first president and Eaton’s J.C. Casey its first secretary (commissioner). Truscott replaced Casey as secretary in December, 1926 and held that post until July, 1948 when Glenn T. Wilson became commissioner. Ray C. Ball took over the commissioner’s post in 1966 and remained in the office until August, 1986 when Ray Plutko assumed the duties. Bob Ottewill became the Association’s sixth commissioner in July, 1990, followed by Bill Reader who served as Commissioner from 2002 until 2010. Angelico assumed the reins on July 1, 2010.

    The CHSAA has had 58 presidents dating back to 1921. Its current president, Centauri High School Principal Curt Wilson, is in the first year of a two-year term as president.

  • Mayor Hancock joins ‘You Can Play, Colorado!’ team

    Denver Mayor reminds all Colorado students: ‘We all have something to contribute’

    AURORA — The Colorado High School Activities Association today released a video from Denver Mayor Michael Hancock as part of its “You Can Play, Colorado!” contest—a program focused on stopping bullying and delivering messages of inclusion and acceptance for all students participating in high school activities such as sports, speech, music and student leadership.

    “You Can Play, Colorado!” is part of the “We Are CHSAA” positive leadership campaign, an educational experience—in partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, You Can Play and the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado—dedicated to ensuring that all students are encouraged to participate and be accepted for what they bring to a team or activity, and not excluded for what some might see as differences.

    “I know the importance of teamwork, both in and away from the game,” states Mayor Hancock, a former officer in the CHSAA’s student leadership program, in the video. “Accepting our differences is the right thing to do, and together, we’re all a better team,”

    The “You Can Play, Colorado!” contest is focused on student video contributions. The contest, which runs through February, challenges students, teams and groups to explain how and why they welcome everyone based on heart, talent and commitment without excluding students because of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other perceived differences.

    The top “You Can Play, Colorado!” videos will win cash prizes for the students’ school. And the winning videos will be shown at the State Basketball Championships on March 15. Denver East High School has already posted a video that demonstrates the power these visual messages can provide for a school.

    To learn more about the “You Can Play, Colorado!” contest and to view videos, including the recent Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche videos, please visit CHSAANow.com/leadership/youcanplay.

    Stay tuned for an upcoming “You Can Play Colorado!” videos submitted by students across Colorado.