Category: Press Releases

Inclusion program includes Positive Coaching Alliance, You Can Play, Colorado!, Valuable Resource Bank

In Colorado, there are differences in the students that make up our schools, just like there are differences that make each community different from the next.

The Colorado High School Activities Association recognizes that each school has a different culture, whether it’s a large metropolitan high school, a school in the mountains, or on the eastern plains.

What isn’t different are students. In light of the one similarity that all schools share — the natural leadership that participants in sports, music, speech and student leadership possess — the Association has developed a program to bring out those natural abilities in students and create a positive, inclusive school culture.

We Are CHSAA: Promoting Positive Leadership

This is an inclusion project for all students in Colorado’s 343 high schools. It requires empowering the natural leadership qualities of our student participants to be more inclusive of their classmates, regardless of social standing, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference that might make a student feel excluded.

The main focus of the We Are CHSAA campaign will be on an overall training for student leaders and coaches, alike, to help use the people that already are in leadership position to be more tolerant and accepting – in essence, to be role models. It looks to combat all hazing and bullying for any reason and replace that activity with a positive approach to getting all students invested in their high school.

Beyond Sportsmanship: Positive Coaching Alliance

The CHSAA Sportsmanship Program has joined with Positive Coaching Alliance to bring a comprehensive curriculum to schools to help work on positive leadership and sportsmanship not only within the team but the entire school culture. This program will provide tools and resources for student-athletes, coaches, parents, officials, and school communities alike to take the lead in making their school a positive, learning environment where all students are invested in the learning process.

The PCA partnership also allows for work with coaches and parents to help bring the entire fabric of a community together in support of all students.

You Can Play, Colorado!

This piece of the CHSAA campaign centers on a statewide focus on accepting all students, regardless of gender, where their family is from, their race or sexual orientation. The message here is that each student is unique and has something to offer. All students have heart, talent and skill. If a student can player, he/she can play. This segment of the CHSAA campaign empowers students to be inclusive of all their teammates.

You Can Play, Colorado! is planning a video and have participation commitments from the Nuggets, Avalanche and the Rapids. Other professional sports are likely to join because they know they can be role models for You Can Play, Colorado! and We Are CHSAA.

We Are CHSAA has been embraced by a number of education organizations, including:

• Colorado Association of School Boards
• Colorado Association of School Executives
• Colorado Education Association
• Colorado League of Charter Schools
• Charter School Institute
• Colorado School Safety Resource Center
• One Colorado Education Fund
• Colorado Rural Caucus
• Colorado BOCES Association
• Positive Coaching Alliance

“We Are CHSAA” begins promoting its positive leadership campaign on October 22 with the launch of a special You Can Play, Colorado! video contest for all CHSAA member schools.

Nathan Starks, a student at Cherry Creek High School, has been granted eligibility to play football immediately following a ruling by an arbitrator during a binding arbitration hearing.

Starks went through the three-step CHSAA Appeals process prior to arbitration. The appeal had been previously denied by the Commissioner, a three-person appeals panel and the CHSAA Board of Directors.

Starks is eligible to participate immediately

INDIANAPOLIS — Rules books and case books produced by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) are now available for purchase online in electronic-book format.

The NFHS, which has written and published playing rules for high school sports throughout most of its 94-year history, is offering its rules publications in e-book format through iTunes for Apple users. In addition, the Kindle version is being sold on Amazon.

All 2013-14 rules books and case books for fall sports are available for purchase through Amazon, and will be followed later in the year by winter and spring sports. The 2013 NFHS Football Rules Book is now available through iTunes, and rules books for field hockey, soccer and volleyball will be available soon, as well as case books in football and volleyball. Winter and spring rules publications will also follow later in the year for Apple users on iTunes.

“Production of rules publications has been one of the most important functions of the NFHS throughout its history, so we are excited to be able to offer this material in a way that meets current advancements in technology,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “We believe these e-books will be a great supplement to our printed publications.”

Currently, the NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for girls and boys competition at the high school level, and annually publishes about 25 rules books, case books, officials manuals and handbooks. More than 1.3 million copies of rules-related publications are distributed annually throughout the world.

The NFHS writes playing rules in the sports of baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, girls gymnastics, ice hockey, boys lacrosse, soccer, softball, spirit, swimming and diving, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

NFHS playing rules are written specifically for varsity competition among student-athletes of high school age and are intended to maintain the sound traditions of the sport, preserve the balance between offense and defense, encourage sportsmanship and minimize the inherent risk of injury for participants.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind./ATLANTA, Geo. — The NFHS Network announces the addition of four states to the new, all-digital network featuring boys and girls high school sports and performing arts. Member associations of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and Utah bring the total NFHS Network membership to 32 states.

The NFHS Network, a joint venture among the NFHS, PlayOn! Sports and participating NFHS-member state associations, is the largest aggregated destination for coverage of high school sports in the country. Through a subscription-based digital service – now available at www.NFHSnetwork.com – more students, parents and fans can watch high school sports and activities than ever before.

Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and Utah join the 28 previously announced states participating in the NFHS Network:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Currently, regular-season games in several fall sports, including football, soccer and volleyball, are available on the site. Most of these games are produced through the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program, which enables schools to self-produce and stream sporting events and school activities on www.NFHSnetwork.com. This program provides hands-on broadcast experience for students and national exposure for their school and activities.

“Since the start of the high school football season, the NFHS Network is averaging more than 200 football games each Friday night,” said Robert Rothberg, chief executive officer of the NFHS Network. “The addition of these four states will continue to allow the NFHS Network to provide the most extensive high school sports coverage in the nation to fans wherever they are on a variety of devices.”

###

About the NFHS Network

The NFHS Network is a joint venture among the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), PlayOn! Sports and participating NFHS-member state associations. The all-digital network is devoted to coverage of high school sports, performing arts and other activities from participating NFHS-member state associations. Currently, the NFHS Network boasts 32 state association members and continues to grow. The NFHS Network, which is structured to provide all state associations with the opportunity to participate, features comprehensive coverage of boys and girls sports and activities from across the country. The subscription-based, digital service is available for viewing on a variety of Web-enabled devices at NFHSnetwork.com. Nearly 700 schools from around the nation also participate in the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program, which enables schools to self-produce and stream regular-season sporting events and school activities via NFHSnetwork.com.  This program provides hands-on broadcast experience for students and national exposure for their school and activities. Follow the NFHS Network on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @NFHSnetwork.

The NFHS, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. PlayOn! Sports, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest rights holder, producer and aggregator of high school sports events distributed across television, the Internet and IP-video enabled mobile devices.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

About PlayOn! Sports

As the largest rights holder, producer and aggregator of high school sports events distributed across television, the Internet and IP-video enabled mobile devices, PlayOn! Sports (PlayOn) is the nation’s leading high school sports media company. During the 2012-2013 school year, PlayOn distributed more than 22,000 events. PlayOn, in a joint venture with the NFHS and its member associations, produces and manages the NFHS Network, an all-digital network devoted to coverage of boys and girls high school sports and activities from around the country available at www.NFHSnetwork.com. PlayOn also manages the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program that enables schools to self-produce and stream regular season sporting events and school activities on the NFHS Network site providing a hands-on broadcast experience for students.

MEDIA CONTACTS:         Bruce Howard                          Monica Cox

NFHS                                           PlayOn! Sports

317-972-6900                       404-219-5511

bhoward@nfhs.org                Monica.cox@playonsports.com

AURORA — Two new studies on heat exertion among high school football players show only 2.5 percent of certified athletic trainers surveyed complied with national guidelines aimed at limiting heat-related illness.

“These studies show that heat-related events are taking place every year that could result in death,” said Dawn Comstock, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and co-author of both studies. “There are clear guidelines but they are not being followed consistently or widely enough.”

At the same time, the studies found that certified athletic trainers in states with mandated heat management strategies followed heat acclimatization guidelines more closely than those in states lacking such requirements.

The first study, published recently in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, and the second in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, illustrate how easily lives could be saved by following heat exertion guidelines but how often these practices are ignored.

Each year 6,500 high school football players are treated for exertional heat illness and each year a handful die. In 2009, the Inter-Association Task Force, led by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), developed 17 pre-season heat acclimatization guidelines.

The first study found that just 2.5 percent of 1,142 certified athletic trainers surveyed complied with the 17 guidelines.

The guidelines with the lowest compliance rate were: `Single practice days consisted of practice no more than three hours in length.’ 39.7 percent compliance.

`During days 3-5 of acclimatization, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn.’ 39 percent complied.

On average, only 7.6 of the heat exertion strategies were followed.

“We don’t want to blame the certified athletic trainers for this,” said Comstock, who is also director of the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System. “Most are knowledgeable of prevention guidelines but lack either the resources to put them into place or the authority over coaches to enforce them.”

The second study dealt with managing exertional heat stroke (EHS) in high school football players. The potentially fatal condition is characterized by a core temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit which can cause major organ failure. Between 1995 and 2010, 35 high school football players died from EHS.

The research found that certified athletic trainers have increased their awareness and proactive treatment of EHS. But the study also showed that more effective, easily implemented strategies are not being widely employed when early symptoms appear.

“Most of the strategies certified athletic trainers reported using were relatively low-level therapeutic interventions, such as removing equipment and clothing, and moving the athlete to a shaded area,” said the lead author of both studies, Zachary Kerr, PhD candidate in the department of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. “Perhaps more concerning, they did not employ more active strategies that could properly identify and manage the condition in a timely fashion.”

Those strategies include using a rectal thermometer to verify core temperature elevation; using ice water immersion on site to accelerate cooling; and notifying emergency medical services (EMS) as quickly as possible.

“These studies are significant because year after year we see young athletes die in ways that are totally preventable,” Comstock said. “It is ridiculous to have another athlete die in this way.”

About the Colorado School of Public Health

The Colorado School of Public Health is the first and only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain Region, attracting top tier faculty and students from across the country, and providing a vital contribution towards ensuring our region’s health and well-being. Collaboratively formed by the University of Colorado Denver, Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado, the Colorado School of Public Health provides training, innovative research and community service to actively address public health issues, including chronic disease, access to health care, environmental threats, emerging infectious diseases, and costly injuries.

The NFHS has supported the work of HazingPrevention.org (HPO) for the past three years. But this year, the organization is taking a leadership role in helping HPO bring hazing prevention to the high school audience.

The NFHS is a general sponsor of HPO but more specifically, is the sponsor of the National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW) High School Essay Contest. In the past, the contest has been open to high school and college students. Beginning this year, the contest will be exclusive to high school students and will feature more and larger awards for contest winners.

“Our goal is to attract more high school students who submit essays for the contest,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services. “By enabling HazingPrevention.org to present larger and a greater number of awards, we will attract more students. And that means we are encouraging more students to think about hazing prevention, to learn more about it and to perhaps begin to turn the tide on the issue.”

Entrants in the 2013 NHPW High School Essay Contest will submit 500-word essays relevant to the theme, “Challenge Hazing. Challenge Yourself.” Students will be asked to write about ways they welcome new members to their group, team or organization, then how that combats hazing and challenges them on a personal level. Cash prizes of $500, $250 and $150 will be awarded for the top three essays nationwide. One honorable mention will be awarded for each of the NFHS eight regional sections with each of those winners receiving a $50 gift card.

The NFHS partnership doesn’t just bring more prizes to the table. The relationship will provide HPO with the ability to promote the contest directly to high school students, teachers, coaches, counselors and administrators. In addition, the NFHS Citizenship and Equity Committee will assist HPO’s Contests and Awards Committee with judging the hundreds of essays submitted for the contest.

“Our partnership with the NFHS is so much more than providing funds we need to fulfill our mission to empower people to prevent hazing,” Charles Hall, HPO executive director, said. “It’s giving us a path to work with an adolescent audience and the adults who influence them every single day. The value of that is priceless,” he said.

Guidelines for the NHPW High School Essay Contest are available at NationalHazingPreventionWeek.com/contests. Deadline for the contest is midnight, Nov. 1, 2013.

National Hazing Prevention Weeks is observed during the last full week in September each year. It provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, campuses and communities to raise awareness about hazing and to promote hazing prevention.

For more information about HPO, visit HazingPrevention.Org.

The following is Riddell’s response to address aftermarket accessories and NOCSAE certification:

Football helmets and face masks worn by professional, collegiate, high school and most youth football players are required to meet National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) performance standards. NOCSAE certification involves rigorous internal product testing, independent laboratory testing and a sound quality assurance program. Each helmet and face mask model is certified by the manufacturer to meet NOCSAE performance standards. The manufacturer certification is void if the helmet or face mask is modified in any way. Riddell recommends against the use of any third party aftermarkert accessories that alter the fit, form or function of the helmet or face mask as such modifications void the NOCSAE certification and render the helmet or face mask illegal for most organized play.

See also: Our year by year participation database in Colorado

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Participation in high school sports increased for the 24th consecutive year in 2012-13 and passed the 7.7 million mark for the first time, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Based on figures from the 51 NFHS-member state high school associations, which includes the District of Columbia, sports participation for the 2012-13 school year reached an all-time high of 7,713,577 participants – an increase of 21,057 from the previous year.

An additional 15,190 girls participated in high school sports last year, moving the girls all-time record to 3,222,723 and marking the 24^th consecutive year for an increase in the number of female participants. After its first decrease in 20 years last year, boys participation started on the upswing again with an additional 5,867 participants. The boys total of 4,490,854 is second all-time to the 4,494,406 in 2010-11.

“While we recognize that many schools are experiencing challenges with funding high school sports programs, we are encouraged that schools are responding to the challenges and that more and more students are involved in high school sports,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “Playing sports within the school setting continues to be the desire of more than 55 percent of students enrolled in our nation’s high schools.”

Eight of the top 10 girls sports registered increases in participation in 2012-13, led by competitive spirit squads (8,201), outdoor track and field (4,172), and swimming and diving (3,536). Lacrosse, cross country, volleyball, soccer and tennis also had additional female participants, while basketball and fast-pitch softball had minor declines.

Five of the top 10 boys sports showed increases in participation, led by outdoor track and field (5,044), swimming and diving (4,354), and basketball (3,387). Cross country and baseball also registered gains among top 10 sports.

Eleven-player football remains the top sport for boys with 1,086,627 participants in 2012-13, although the number of players has decreased slightly each of the past four years, including a drop of 9,366 from 2011-12 to 2012-13.

In terms of combined participation, track and field, and swimming and diving registered the best overall gains. Track and field had an increase of more than 9,100 participants when combining girls and boys, while swimming and diving was up almost 8,000 participants.

Girls sports outside the top 10 that recorded increases in participants and could be emerging sports for females are bowling (25,450 participants in 2012-13), ice hockey (9,447), wrestling (8,727) and flag football (7,019).

A sizeable increase in “adapted sports” participation also contributed to the rise in 2012-13 figures. With seven states offering these programs for students with disabilities in 14 sports, the number of participants rose almost 3,000 to 8,747 (girls and boys combined).

The top 10 states by participants remained in the same order as last year, with Texas and California topping the list with 798,333 and 777,545, respectively. The remainder of the top 10 was New York (389,475), Illinois (339,944), Ohio (327,919), Pennsylvania (315,492), Michigan (304,438), New Jersey (270,423), Florida (243,397) and Minnesota (230,421). Although only one of the top 10 states registered an increase in participation (New Jersey), overall, 30 states reported higher figures from the previous year.

The participation survey has been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 2012-13 High School Athletics Participation Survey is attached in PDF format and is available on the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — One million concussion courses have now been taken by coaches and other individuals since the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the online course in May 2010.

Earlier this week, the millionth “Concussion in Sports – What You Need to Know” course was taken through the NFHS Coach Education Program at nfhslearn.com. This free online course provides an overview of how a person can recognize signs and symptoms of a concussion and the appropriate action to take. The course includes each state’s return-to-play guidelines required for high schools.

“We place great emphasis on concussion recognition and treatment, and the extraordinary success of our online course has been gratifying,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “The course is 20 minutes long and it’s free. We commend everyone who has taken it.”

The NFHS and its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) have worked with the CDC on recent updates to the concussion course. Recommendations have been added regarding the prevention of concussions, and the course test has been updated. The tests (pre-test and post-test) now include 11 questions and provide immediate feedback to the user, thereby creating a better learning experience.

Michael Koester, M.D., former chair of the NFHS SMAC and director of the Sports Concussion Program at the Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Eugene, Oregon, is the on-screen host of the concussion course. Individuals have access to the course’s printable resources, including a parent’s guide to concussion in sports, a coach’s guide, an athlete fact sheet and materials to implement a protocol for concussion treatment.

“In addition to coaches, we are pleased that many contest officials, administrators, parents and students are among the one million individuals who have taken the concussion course,” said Tim Flannery, NFHS director of coach education.

The NFHS has been a leader among national sports organizations in establishing guidelines to deal with concussions. In 2008, the SMAC advocated that a concussed athlete must be removed from play and not allowed to play on the same day. For the past four years, all NFHS rules publications have contained guidelines for the management of a student exhibiting signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion.

A total of 34 online courses are now offered through the NFHS Coach Education Program, including the two core courses – “Fundamentals of Coaching” and “First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches.” The NFHS also offers 14 sport-specific courses and 18 elective courses, including 13 that are free.

All NFHS Coach Education Program courses are available at nfhslearn.com.