INDIANAPOLIS — Brittlyn, Madalyn and Mikyla Massey, three sisters who are student-athletes at Frederick High School, have been selected as the 2017 Section 6 recipients of the “National High School Spirit of Sport Award” by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
The National High School Spirit of Sport Award was created by the NFHS to recognize those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education-based athletics.
The three Massey sisters – junior twins Brittlyn and Madalyn and sophomore Mikyla – play softball for Frederick High School. Brittlyn is an all-league selection.
While their lives on the softball field have been positive, it’s off the field where they’ve gone through some very tumultuous times and specifically with regard to domestic violence. And interestingly, it’s been on the softball field where they’ve found a safe haven and solace.
In 2010, their mother Tammy was the victim of a domestic violence incident with her estranged husband from which she escaped unharmed. Domestic abuse has impacted the Massey family in different ways, but they have also learned how to cope with it.
Brittlyn, Madalyn and Mikayla discovered their safe place on the softball field. In a very real sense, they have used softball as therapy, and they have healed themselves through participation in the sport. It is on the softball field where you will most often see the three Massey sisters with big smiles.
About the Award
The NFHS divides the nation into eight geographical sections. The states in Section 6 are Colorado, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Nominations for this award were generated through NFHS member state associations and reviewed by the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award Selection Committee composed of state association staff members.
While the national winner will be recognized June 29 at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, the section winners will be recognized within their respective states and will receive awards before the end of the current school year.
INDIANAPOLIS — New rules on blindside blocking are the most recent steps taken by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee in minimizing the risks associated with the sport.
The establishment of a new definition of a blindside block in Rule 2-3-10 and the addition of Rule 9-4-3n prohibiting a blindside block were two of 11 rules changes recommended by the NFHS Football Rules Committee at its January 20-22 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Colorado was one of the states to pilot the blindside block rule.
“The NFHS Football Rules Committee’s actions this year once again addressed risk minimization, officiating, competitive balance and game administration,” said Bob Colgate, director of sports and sports medicine at the NFHS and staff liaison for football.
The definition of a blindside block established by the committee is “a block against an opponent other than the runner, who does not see the blocker approaching,” and now results in a 15-yard penalty.
The committee stated that the blindside block “involves contact by a blocker against an opponent who, because of physical positioning and focus of concentration, is vulnerable to injury. Unless initiated with open hands, it is a foul for excessive and unnecessary contact when the block is forceful and outside of the free-blocking zone.”
“As has been the case for many years, the NFHS Football Rules Committee continued to place their main emphasis on risk minimization,” said Todd Tharp, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. “With this new definition of a blindside block and the penalty to be assessed, the committee stresses the importance of proper coaching techniques under the rules and accurate enforcement by the game officials.”
Another significant risk-minimization change was elimination of a pop-up kick in new Rule 6-1-11. A new definition of a pop-up kick in Rule 2-24-10 is defined as “a free kick in which the kicker drives the ball immediately to the ground, the ball strikes the ground once and goes into the air in the manner of a ball kicked directly off the tee.”
The committee implemented this change in an effort to reduce risk of injury due to the increased use of the pop-up kick on onside kickoffs. Such kicks will be penalized as a dead-ball free-kick infraction, as noted with new Rule 6-1-11 PENALTY.
The NFHS Football Rules Committee also expanded Rule 2-32-16 regarding a defenseless player by adding specific examples of a defenseless player. Those examples include, but are not limited to:
a) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass;
b) A receiver attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner;
c) The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential interception;
d) A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped;
e) A kickoff or punt returner attempting to catch or recover a kick, or one who has completed a catch or recovery and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier;
f) A player on the ground including a ball carrier who has obviously given himself up and is sliding feet-first;
g) A player obviously out of the play or not in the immediate vicinity of the runner; and
h) A player who received a blindside block with forceful contact not initiated with open hands.
“A great deal of time was spent by the committee creating specific criteria to define exactly what a defenseless player is,” Tharp said. “Coaches can use these examples to focus on the proper mechanics of blocking and tackling, and game officials now are able to use this expanded definition to focus on continued risk minimization of the players.”
Changes to Rule 7-1-6 expand on the situations required for encroachment to occur after the ready-for-play and after the snapper has placed his hand(s) on the ball. The rule previously stated that encroachment occurred if “any other player breaks the plane of the neutral zone.” In addition, now defensive players are restricted from contacting the ball prior to the end of the snap or making contact with the snapper’s hand(s) or arm(s) until the snapper has released the ball.
The remaining changes approved by the NFHS Football Rules Committee touched on a new ball specification (1-3-1h), uniforms [(1-5-1b(3)], game officials (1-5-4), post-scrimmage kick fouls (2-16-2h), penalty time clock management (3-4-7), prosthetic limbs (4-2-2l) and forward-pass interference (7-5-10), in which the previous foul for non-contact face guarding was eliminated as forward-pass interference.
Regarding the uniform change in Rule 1-5-1b(3), effective with the 2021 season, “the jerseys of the home team shall be a dark color that clearly contrasts to white.”
“The committee revised the rule to provide schools and manufacturers more clarification regarding the game’s current trend of utilizing lighter gray shades,” Colgate said. “The requirement for teams to wear contrasting colors to white is not a new rule, and it is the committee’s expectation that this new clarification will allow changes to be made during normal replacement cycles.”
A complete listing of all rules changes will be available soon on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Football.”
According to the 2015-16 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, football is the most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 1,083,308 participants in 11-player football. Another combined 28,943 boys participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football. In addition, 2,140 girls participated in one of the four football offerings during the 2015 season.
A discrepancy in the 4A football RPI standings changed the final qualifier for the 4A football playoff field. As a result, Vista Ridge has made the field, and Loveland has not.
Here’s what happened:
Loveland played Mountain View in Week 5. Mountain View finished 5-5, with a win over a 3A team.
Mountain View, a 4A team, played three 3A teams this season. Only the first game against a team from a lower classification is exempted from point modification.
Mountain View lost to Holy Family in the first game (exempted), then beat Thompson Valley in the second game (not exempted). This was reflected correctly in Mountain View’s final adjusted winning percentage of 0.487.
Loveland was incorrectly getting credit for Mountain View having an exempted win over Thompson Valley. This resulted in Loveland’s OWP being calculated as .322222222. The correct figure is .320772947.
As a result, Loveland’s correct RPI is 0.524075.
Vista Ridge’s RPI is 0.524495.
This also slightly adjusted final RPI numbers for Loveland’s opponents, though it did not affect their standings in the RPI.
The responsibility of the CHSAA office is to ensure that the playoff system approved by sport committees and the Legislative Council is applied and adhered to. This change in qualifiers ensures that this happened.
We apologize for the mistake, and to the affected communities.
INDIANAPOLIS — A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Foundation revealed that high school athletes who specialize in a single sport sustain lower-extremity injuries at significantly higher rates than athletes who do not specialize in one sport.
The study was conducted throughout the 2015-16 school year at 29 high schools in Wisconsin involving more than 1,500 student-athletes equally divided between male and female participants. The schools involved in the study represented a mixture of rural (14), suburban (12) and urban (3) areas, and enrollments were equally diverse with 10 small schools (less than 500 students), 10 medium schools (501-1,000 students) and nine large schools (more than 1,000 students).
Athletes who specialized in one sport were twice as likely to report previously sustaining a lower-extremity injury while participating in sports (46%) than athletes who did not specialize (24%). In addition, specialized athletes sustained 60 percent more new lower-extremity injuries during the study than athletes who did not specialize. Lower-extremity injuries were defined as any acute, gradual, recurrent or repetitive-use injury to the lower musculoskeletal system.
“While we have long believed that sport specialization by high school athletes leads to an increased risk of overuse injury, this study confirms those beliefs about the potential risks of sport specialization,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “Coaches, parents and student-athletes need to be aware of the injury risks involved with an overemphasis in a single sport.”
Among those who reported previously sustaining a lower-extremity injury, the areas of the body injured most often were the ankle (43%) and knee (23%). The most common type of previous injuries were ligament sprains (51%) and muscle/tendon strains (20%).
New injuries during the year-long study occurred most often to the ankle (34%), knee (25%) and upper leg (13%), with the most common injuries being ligament sprains (41%), muscle/tendon strains (25%) and tendonitis (20%).
In addition, specialized athletes were twice as likely to sustain a gradual onset/repetitive-use injury than athletes who did not specialize, and those who specialized were more likely to sustain an injury even when controlling for gender, grade, previous injury status and sport.
Thirty-four (34) percent of the student-athletes involved in the Wisconsin study specialized in one sport, with females (41%) more likely to specialize than males (28%). Soccer had the highest level of specialization for both males (45%) and females (49%). After soccer, the rate of specialization for females was highest for softball (45%), volleyball (43%) and basketball (37%). The top specialization sports for males after soccer were basketball (37%), tennis (33%) and wrestling (29%).
The study, which was directed by Timothy McGuine, Ph.D., ATC, of the University of Wisconsin, also documented the effects of concurrent sport participation (participating in an interscholastic sport while simultaneously participating in an out-of-school club sport), which indicated further risk of athletes sustaining lower-extremity injuries.
Almost 50 percent of the student-athletes involved in the survey indicated they participated on a club team outside the school setting, and 15 percent of those individuals did so while simultaneously competing in a different sport within the school. Seventeen (17) percent of the student-athletes indicated that they took part in 60 or more primary sport competitions (school and club) in a single year. Among those student-athletes in this group who sustained new lower-extremity injuries during the year, 27 percent were athletes who specialized in one sport.
The student-athletes involved in the study were deemed “specialized” if they answered “yes” to at least four of the following six questions: 1) Do you train more than 75 percent of the time in your primary sport?; 2) Do you train to improve skill and miss time with friends as a result?; 3) Have you quit another sport to focus on one sport?; 4) Do you consider your primary sport more important than your other sports?; 5) Do you regularly travel out of state for your primary sport?; 6) Do you train more than eight months a year in your primary sport?
Although some sports (field hockey, lacrosse) are not offered in Wisconsin and were not included in the study, the study concluded that since specialization increased the risk of lower-extremity injuries in sports involved in the survey it would also likely increase the risk of injuries in sports that were not a part of the study.
THORNTON – Western Dairy is proud to present a new scholarship opportunity through our partnership with CHSAA – the Western Dairy Association Colorado Spirit Award.
Student participants who would like to be considered for the Western Dairy Association Colorado Spirit Award should participate in a CHSAA sanctioned activity, have a 2.5 or higher GPA and participate in community service projects. Extra consideration will be given to students who center their community service around food banks and getting more dairy into the hands of those who need it most.
“We are so excited to see what kind of impact these student leaders have on their local communities,” said Jaclyn Alkhatib, Director of Nutrition, Health and Wellness for Western Dairy, “addressing hunger in the community is a priority for our dairy farm families so I know they’ll be proud to award these scholarships.”
Four student participants will be selected for scholarship awards. Three students will receive $1,000 scholarships and one overall All-Star will receive a $2,500 scholarship.
28th Class Features Jeff Campbell, Ray Coca, Debbie Cook, Donnie Day, Larry Farmer, Judy Hildner, Mary Shea and Ron Vlasin
The Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame has announced its 28th Hall of Fame class, an eight-member group that depicts the rich history of the Association, along with providing real-life examples of what participation, coaching and advocating for students can do. Each of these people has established themselves as a role model for today’s young people seeking their way to adulthood.
The CHSAA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016 includes three of the state’s top former athletes in Jeff Campbell (Battle Mountain), Larry Farmer (Manual) and Mary Shea (Thornton), along with legendary coaches Debbie Cook (Meeker), Donnie Day (Thomas Jefferson) and Ron Vlasin (Merino/Littleton Public Schools). Rounding out the class are former Grand Junction wrestler, coach and advocate Ray Coca and former Pueblo Chieftain sports editor Judy Hildner.
“To have the opportunity to honor eight people the caliber of the Class of 2016 is exciting. We have the opportunity to demonstrate the end results of the many people who represent the values of educational athletics. This class, like those before it, shows the character, integrity and class that comes from participation in something bigger than one’s self. From three absolutely educationally-focused coaches, to a coach and advocate of wrestling in a career that spanned many decades, to three highly successful athletes and adults, to a media person who spent 30 years recognizing student participants from all sizes of schools throughout our state. This class reflects all that is right about high school sports and activities,” CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelico said in making the announcement.
“The selection committee struggled and debated over the selections, knowing that there are so many good people deserving of this recognition. The one item of most importance to the committee is the impact that each of these inductees, like those that came before them, had in their respective areas of the state. The 28th class reflects the efforts, passion and love Colorado has for high school activities,” CHSAA Hall of Fame administrator Bert Borgmann said.
The committee, which is headed by CHSAA Hall of Famer Dick Katte, added two student representatives this year from the CHSAA Student Leadership team for the first time. Committee members aside from Katte include John Andrew (Denver Public Schools), Michele DeBerry (Boulder Valley Schools), Stacy Hall (Montezuma-Cortez), Eddie Hartnett (Boulder), Bob Marken (CHSCA), Shelli Miles (Widefield), Mike Miller (Cheyenne Wells), Dan Mohrmann (CHSAANow.com), Leslie Moore (CHSAA Hall of Fame) and Carol Sams (Grand Junction). The student members were Brianna Johnson (Rampart) and Evan Mahon (Visa Ridge).
The Class of 2016 will be inducted during a ceremony on Wednesday, January 25, 2017, at the Radisson Hotel-Denver Southeast (I 225 and Parker). Individual tickets may be purchased for $50 each by contacting the CHSAA. The festivities get underway at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited.
The selection of the one student participant to the CHSAA Hall of Fame puts the total number of participants in the hall at 63. There are now 66 coaches/sponsors, 28 administrators, 16 officials and 11 significant service contributors enshrined in the CHSAA Hall of Fame that began in 1989. There are also four teams in the hall. The Hall of Fame now features 188 inductees.
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Biographies
Jeff Campbell (Battle Mountain) – One of the state’s finest athletes, Jeff Campbell could electrify those in attendance with his football kick returns or his track sprints. He was a two-time state champion in 1985 and 1986 in the 100 and 200 meters, along with being the Class 2A Co-Player of the Year in football in 1985.
He went on to have a spectacular career at CU, then played in the NFL for nine years with the Lions and Broncos. He, too, was an amazing ice hockey player, being the last man cut from the 1986 US Team.
Those who know him said he had his choice of professional sports in hockey, skiing and football. He chose football.
The state’s 2A leading rusher in 1985, Campbell ran for 305 yards and scored five times against Meeker. He electrified the state when, as a CU Buff, struck for a 60-yard punt return against Nebraska, leading CU to its first win over the Cornhuskers in 26 years.
Ray Coca (Grand Junction) – A three-time state wrestling champion at Grand Junction High School, Coca posted a career 59-1-1 mark. Of his 12 state matches, he won seven by pin. His only loss came when he moved up in weight to take the place of an injured teammate.
He went on to Western State where he again starred on the wrestling mat, going undefeated as a freshman and earning all-American honors in 1964 when his team won the national title. He officiated 10 district and one state championship tournaments. He remains active in the community as noted in his awards from the city as a Hometown Hero on at least two occasions.
He was also the sports editor for the local newspaper for a number of years, promoting prep sports at a high level for the schools on the Western Slope.
Debbie Cook (Meeker) – Cook’s teams posted a 393-125 mark in volleyball during her 22 years at the helm, winning nine conference titles and going to the state tournament nine times.
Noted for her work in health and wellness for the northwestern Colorado community, she taught elementary school PE for 30 years and helped with many community outreach health and education programs throughout her career. Her work in the community has earned over $100,000 for the community.
She was named coach of the year three times from the Colorado Coaches of Girls’ Sports and the North West League Coach of the Year eight times. Cook also coached track for 16 years and girls’ basketball for two years. She continues to teach and volunteer in Glenwood Springs several days a week, but maintains her residence in Meeker.
Donnie Day (Thomas Jefferson) – One of the legendary coaches and administrators in Denver Public Schools, Donnie Day coached baseball, basketball and football at TJHS from 1960 until 1969, serving as head football coach from 1964-69. He was an administrator for TJHS from 1964-89 and in Douglas County Schools from 1990-2002.
He also spent 4 years as a high school football official before working in the Western Athletic Conference for 14 years. He also officiated high school basketball.
A graduate of Denver South, Day played football, basketball and baseball, earning all-state honors in football and baseball twice. His football teams posted a 56-5 mark, winning two city titles. He guided TJHS to its first ever city football championship and his teams never lost more than one game in a season.
As an athlete, Day was an all-state quarterback and baseball player at Denver South where he also played basketball.
Larry Farmer (Manual) – One of the state’s top basketball players from 1966-1969, Farmer helped the ‘Bolts to the state finals in 1969 where they lost to South in one of the state’s epic title games.
Farmer went on to play for the legendary John Wooden and Farmer’s teams lost just one game in three years, winning three national titles. Farmer wanted to be a high school teacher and coach, but fate intervened. After a short stint playing overseas, Farmer was tabbed to join Gene Bartow’s staff at UCLA. Bartow had taken over for Wooden. And, when Bartow left, the job became Farmer’s.
He has coached at the professional and collegiate levels ever since. He won 166 games as a head coach, serving at UCLA, Weber State and Loyola-Chicago. He has spent the last five years on the Western Michigan staff. Farmer, in spite of winning three national championships, almost quit basketball after his sophomore season at Manual. He persevered and the one game he remembers most of all the games he played (including collegiately) was the 1969 Manual-South state title game where his Thunderbolts lost.
It’s a game, he says, that has stayed with him forever.
Judy Hildner (Pueblo) – The reigning matriarch of Colorado media, Judy Hildner is held in the highest esteem throughout the state. A founding member of the CHSAA Hall of Fame committee, she is a member of the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame and has been honored many times for her work with high schools.
She remains one of the most knowledgeable media persons in the state and had oversight on one of the country’s finest newspapers with their coverage of southern and southeastern Colorado, along with the San Luis Valley. She is considered to be the state’s first-ever female sports editor, serving in that capacity from 1990-2012.
She is a member of, and has chaired the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee, is a two-time member of the CHSAA Hall of Fame selection committee and has served, on the Pueblo School #60 District Strategic Planning Committee and others.
Hildner graduated from Pueblo Catholic High School, earning Outstanding Senior honors, and then went on to CSU-Pueblo (then SCSC) where she worked at the Chieftain while completing her degree.
Mary Shea (Thornton) – A three-sport athlete at Thornton High School, Mary Shea played volleyball, basketball and tennis for the Trojans. Shea was such a gifted athlete that she started in all three sports and earned all-conference honors from the beginning.
As a sophomore in tennis, she made the No. 2 singles position despite having never played competitive tennis before high school and made the state tournament. She was the No. 1 player the next two years but bowed out in regionals each time.
In volleyball, she led her team to the final 8 in state as a junior and the final 4 as a senior. She was all-state as a senior.
In basketball, she was all conference and all-state, leading Thornton to a final 4 appearance as junior and to the 1980 state title as a senior. She also coached the Thornton volleyball team in 1996 and 1997.
After high school, Shea was one of the top volleyball players in the High Country Athletic Conference/Western Athletic Conference for the University of Wyoming. She was the first female elected to the Wyoming Hall of Fame.
Ron Vlasin (Merino/Littleton/Arapahoe) – One of the state’s top basketball coaches, Ron Vlasin built some of Colorado’s top hoops programs for 30 years, including 5 teams that went unbeaten. He also coached football for two years (Merino) and baseball for six years (Arapahoe).
His basketball teams were 546-165 over 30 years, while his AHS baseball program went 96-23 in his six seasons. His teams won nine state basketball titles, including five straight at Merino, and finished second four times. His MHS football team had two runners-up finishes.
Vlasin’s teams held several lengthy winning streaks over the years, including streaks of 57, 46 and 40 at Merino. He was a nine-time Colorado Coach of the Year, including six times at Merino and twice at the AAAA level.
He is a member of CHSCA Hall of Fame (2010) and the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame (2014). He held several offices in the CHSCA during his career.
Many of his players went on to play in college, including Ken Shaw, who set numerous Colorado prep scoring marks and now coaches at Regis Jesuit.
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Additionally, the staff has selected the IBM Corporation to receive the Colorado Tradition Award. The staff has also selected Monica Abelein (Lakewood) and Greg Pierson (Greeley) to receive the Distinguished Service Award this year.
Tickets are $50 per seat or $500 per table of 10. Please contact Whitney Webermeier (wwebermeier@chsaa.org) for reservations. Contact the CHSAA office with questions.
INDIANAPOLIS — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its 51 state high school associations begin the annual celebration of National High School Activities Month today with the launch of the #MyReasonWhy campaign.
The #MyReasonWhy campaign is designed to showcase the tremendous value that high school sports and activities offer to students. With real-life examples, #MyReasonWhy will show that high school students involved in education-based activity programs demonstrate a higher level of academic performances and set themselves up for successful careers following high school graduation.
Through the #MyReasonWhy campaign, the NFHS and its member state high school associations are working to ensure that education-based programs are available for years to come. This national campaign will demonstrate why:
Participation in high school sports has increased every year for the past 27 years.
Thousands of men and women coach high school sports for their entire career – even, at times, with the opportunity to coach at higher levels.
More than four million high school students are involved annually in performing arts programs.
Many communities across the country shut down on Friday nights in the fall to support the local high school football team.
Many individuals give up personal time in the evenings and on weekends to officiate high school sports.
Each of the 51 state associations is equipped with a customized digital toolkit to help promote this important campaign highlighting high school students.
Students, as well as parents, coaches, officials and others in the community, will be encouraged to submit real-life stories about their reasons for participating in high school sports and activity programs. These stories will be submitted on the campaign website at www.nfhs.org/myreasonwhy and through the #MyReasonWhy link at the top of the NFHS home page. Additional information can be found on all NFHS social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
“We are excited about the #MyReasonWhy campaign as yet another avenue to spread the message about the values of these programs to young people,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “We look forward to reading these accounts of why students, coaches and officials are involved in high school activities.”
The launch of the #MyReasonWhy campaign coincides with National High School Activities Month, which was started in 1980 as National High School Activities Week to increase the public’s awareness of the values and needs of interscholastic activity programs.
The foundation for National High School Activities Month is similar to principles of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, looking to remind students, parents, coaches, officials and others in our communities about the value of education-based activities in their daily lives.
High school activities help address society’s most current issues by:
Finding and nurturing the best effort of each young participant;
Encouraging students to stay in school, perform better academically and become better citizens;
Demanding respect for fair play and appreciation for the equitable application of procedures, rules and regulations;
Providing healthy lifestyle instruction;
Challenging racism, sexism and classism through the active pursuit of teamwork and school spirit.
Each week throughout the month-long celebration will feature a specific emphasis: National Sportsmanship, Fan Appreciation and Public-Address Announcers Week (October 1-8); National Performing Arts Activities Week (October 10-15); National Coaches/Sponsors/Advisors/Officials Week (October 17-22); and National Community Service/Youth Awareness Week (October 24-31).
“We have fundamental, empirical evidence that interscholastic activities provide a successful way in which to create healthy and successful citizens,” Gardner said. “Through National High School Activities Month, we have an opportunity to reflect on our participation as well as the participation of our children. Our nation must continue to support these programs and the life skills they provide America’s youth.”
To help schools recognize National High School Activities Month, the NFHS has provided materials that include ways to celebrate the month-long events, along with The Case for High School Activities. These materials, in addition to other information about National High School Activities Month, can be found on the NFHS website.
INDIANAPOLIS – Led by an encouraging report in football participation nationwide, the number of participants in high school sports increased for the 27th consecutive year in 2015-16 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, the number of participants in high school sports reached an all-time high of 7,868,900 – an increase of 61,853 from the previous year.
After a decline of almost 10,000 participants in football the previous year, the number of boys playing 11-player football in 2015 was almost identical to 2014 with a drop of just 309 – from 1,083,617 to 1,083,308.
While some states reported a decline in football participation in 2015, 24 states registered increases in boys participation in 11-player football. When combining boys and girls participation in 6-, 8-, 9- and 11-player football, the number of participants increased 138 – from 1,114,253 to 1,114,391.
“The NFHS and its member state associations have taken significant steps over the past 10 years to minimize the risk of participation in football and all high school sports, so this report on the continued strong interest and participation in high school football is very encouraging,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “With the adoption of state laws and protocols for concussion management in place, we continue to believe that the sport of football at the high school level is as safe as it has been since the first rules were written in 1932 – and we believe this year’s participation report is confirmation of that belief.”
After a decline the previous year, boys participation increased about 25,000 to an all-time high of 4,544,574, while girls participation increased for the 27th consecutive year with an additional 36,591 participants and set an all-time high of 3,324,326.
Track and field registered the largest increase in participants for both boys and girls, with an additional 12,501 boys and 7,243 girls. Track and field ranks second to football in boys participants with 591,133, and remains the most popular sport for girls with 485,969 participants.
In addition to track and field, six other top 10 girls sports registered increases in 2015-16, including volleyball, soccer, softball, cross country, tennis and lacrosse. The top 10 girls sports remained the same as the previous year: track and field, volleyball, basketball, soccer, fast-pitch softball, cross country, tennis, swimming and diving, competitive spirit squads, and lacrosse.
After track and field among the top 10 boys sports, soccer registered the largest gain with an additional 7,753 participants, followed by cross country (up 6,710), basketball (up 4,949) and baseball (up 2,248). Although the top five boys sports remained the same as last year – 11-player football, track and field, basketball, baseball and soccer – cross country moved to sixth place ahead of wrestling, which dropped to seventh after a decline of 7,555 participants. Tennis, golf and swimming and diving complete the top 10 listing of boys sports.
Lacrosse continued its rise among emerging sports with 197,572 total participants to rank 10th in girls participation and 11th for boys. Among some of the non-traditional high school sports on this year’s survey, archery (8,668), badminton (17,645) and flag football (12,093) continued to register increases in participation. Also, while boys wrestling had a drop in participation, an additional 2,000 girls participated in the sport last year for an all-time high of 13,496.
Participation in adapted sports also increased in 2015-16 from 8,483 participants to 9,491 with schools in 12 states now offering these programs for students with disabilities.
The top 10 states by participants remained the same; however, Florida moved ahead of New Jersey to eighth position this year. Texas and California topped the list again with 809,075 and 802,117, respectively, followed by New York (372,772), Illinois (344,143), Ohio (319,929), Pennsylvania (319,853), Michigan (295,436), Florida (285,885), New Jersey (279,371) and Minnesota (237,686). Thirty-three of the 51 NFHS member state associations reported increases in participation in 2015-16.
The participation survey has been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 2015-16 High School Athletics Participation Survey is attached in PDF format and will be posted soon on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
AURORA — The Colorado High School Activities Association and its 352 member schools open the 96th school year with Boys’ Golf official practice on August 8. All other sports start officially on August 15. Student athletes in Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys’ Golf, Football, Girls’ Gymnastics, Boys’ Soccer, Softball, Boys’ Tennis, Volleyball and Spirit anxiously await that starting date.
Prior to the start of practice, though, the CHSAA will have participated in several meetings for coaches and school administrators, including the annual New AD/Principal’s and League Presidents/District Athletic Directors meetings, held in conjunction with CHSAA’s All-School Summit on August 1-2. The annual Colorado High School Coaches Association meeting is set for July 28-29 with all CHSAA administrators participating in the various events.
“Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world. Each new school year begins the same way with great hope and desire that our next generation will surpass anything our generation left. High school athletics and activities, community-based and focused on the transformation of students have proven time and again to be a vehicle to accomplish change and build better people. Schools, as the hubs of their communities, remain the driving force behind all that is good in our world,” CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelico said.
Teams may start playing tournaments on August 11 for Boys’ Golf, games on August 19 for Softball and August 18 for Boys’ Tennis. On August 20, all other sports start scrimmage competition, except for football which starts on August 25. Check out the CHSAA calendar for scrimmage dates at CHSAANow.com.
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 position on July 1, 2010
The CHSAA has had 59 presidents dating back to 1921. Its current president, Boulder High School Athletic Director Eddie Hartnett is in the second year of a two-year term as president.
The Association enters the year with few changes on staff. Paul Angelico, in his 27th year at CHSAA, is Commissioner. Associate Commissioner Tom Robinson is in his 16th year on the CHSAA staff, while Assistant Commissioners Bert Borgmann, is in his 29th year, while Bethany Brookens and Harry Waterman are in their ninth year, respectively. Assistant Commissioners Bud Ozzello and Jenn Roberts-Uhlig are in their seventh and fourth years, respectively, with CHSAA. Ryan Casey is in his fourth year with CHSAA as Director of Digital Media.
Donna Coonts serves as executive administrative assistant to Commissioner Angelico, while Whitney Webermeier (Borgmann), Sandra Williamson) (Brookens), Theresa Muniz (Waterman), Audra Cathy (Ozzello), Kathryn McOmber (Roberts-Uhlig) and Monica Tillman (Robinson) are the executive administrative assistants to other administrators. Director of Financial Operations Kenzie Hewson and mail room coordinator Sharon Garcia round out the Association staff.
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CHSAA Administrative Staff and Major Assignments
Paul Angelico, Commissioner (Classification and League Organization Committee, Board of Directors, Legislative Council, Budget, Hardship Waivers, Calendars, Handbook, Personnel)
Ryan Casey, Director of Digital Media (CHSAANow.com; Technology Advancement, CHSAA.org, State Records/Championship Results)
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CHSAA Board of Directors
(Leagues Represented) [term expires]
CHSAA President/ District 6 (Continental, Front Range, 5280): (Serving second year of two-year term): Eddie Hartnett, Athletic Director (Boulder High School) [2017]
District 1 (San Juan Basin, Western Slope, Southwestern): Paul Cain, District Athletic Director (Grand Junction Schools) [2018]
District 2 (Centennial, Northern, Frontier, Tri-Valley): Rick Logan, District Athletic Director (Thompson Valley Schools) [2020]
District 3 (High Plains, Lower Platte, Mile High, North Central, Patriot, Union Pacific, YWKC): Doug Pfau, Superintendent (Weldon Valley Schools [2019]
District 4 (Jefferson County, East Metro, Colorado 7): Jim Thyfault, District Athletic Director (Jefferson County Schools) [2017]
District 5 (Denver, Metropolitan, Confluence): Loren Larrabee, Athletic Director (Lutheran High School) [2018]
District 7 (CS Metro 4A, CS Metro 5A, Pikes Peak, Tri-Peaks, West Central): Troy Baker, Athletic Director (Buena Vista HS) [2019]
District 8 (Black Forest, Fisher’s Peak, Intermountain, Southern Peaks): Joe Garcia, Athletic Director (Antonito High School) [2018]
District 9 (Arkansas Valley, Santa Fe, South Central, Southeastern): Richard Macias, Dist. Athletic Dir. (Pueblo City Schools 60) [2017]
At-Large Representative: Kathleen Leiding, Athletic Director (Lyons High School) [2017]
At-Large Representative: Kelley Eichman, Athletic Director (Fountain-Fort Carson High School) [2019]
Colorado Association of School Boards: Jon DeStefano, CASB (Platte Canyon Schools) [2020]
Colorado Association of School Executives: Jim Lucas, Assistant Principal (Pine Creek High School) [2019]
Colorado Association of School Executives: Rick Mondt, Superintendent (Briggsdale Schools) [2017]
Colorado Department of Education: Wendy Dunaway, Colorado Department of Education [2019]
Colorado State Assembly: Jim Wilson, Salida (State Representative, Salida) [2017]
INDIANAPOLIS — Gary Musselman, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), is the new president of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for 2016-17. Musselman, the 57th president of the NFHS, began his one-year term July 3 following the NFHS Summer Meeting in Reno, Nevada.
Jerome Singleton, commissioner of the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL), was elected by the NFHS Board of Directors to the position of president-elect for the upcoming year.
In addition, the following individuals were approved by the NFHS National Council for four-year terms on the NFHS Board of Directors: Jack Roberts, executive director, Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), Section 4; Mark Beckman, executive director, Montana High School Association (MHSA), Section 8; and Pamela Foegen, pupil services director, Regis Catholic Schools in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at large, Sections 1 and 4.
Musselman joined the KSHSAA staff in 1988 as assistant executive director, a position he held until being promoted to executive director in 1996. A graduate of Ness City (Kansas) High School, Musselman earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education (cum laude) from Kansas State University in 1974 and his master’s (with honors) in secondary school administration from Wichita State University in 1987.
Musselman began his teaching and coaching career in 1974 at Independence (Kansas) Junior High School. He then held teaching and coaching positions at Andover (Kansas) Junior-Senior High School, Beloit (Kansas) Junior-Senior High School and Halstead (Kansas) High School. Prior to joining the KSHSAA staff, Musselman was the principal at LaCrosse (Kansas) High School.
In addition to his current service on the Board of Directors, Musselman has served on numerous NFHS committees, including the Football Rules Committee, the Citizenship/Equity Committee, the Marketing Committee and the Appeal Board. Musselman served three terms as chair of the NFHS TARGET Committee (1992-95), which was involved with drug and alcohol prevention/education programs. He was a member of three different NFHS Strategic Planning Committees and has presented at numerous meetings including coaching education programs conducted at the U.S. Olympic Committee campus in Colorado Springs.
Throughout his career, Musselman has been involved with other national organizations, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and United School Administrators of Kansas.
In 2014, Musselman represented the NFHS Board of Directors on the NFHS Concussion Summit, which was appointed to develop recommendations for minimizing risk of concussion in sports and to develop best practices for schools and state high school associations. In June 2015, Musselman completed six years of service on the Board of Directors of the NFHS Foundation. Musselman was elected chairman during the 2014-15 term and led a major reorganization and expansion of the Foundation Board and its governance structure.
Musselman is beginning his 29th year with the KSHSAA and 21st year as executive director, and he is the second Kansan to serve as president of the NFHS.
Singleton has served as SCHSL commissioner since July 2005 after 10 years as the organization’s associate commissioner and one year as assistant commissioner. During his time as associate commissioner, Singleton was responsible for the administration of football, basketball, track and field, and cross country. He formulated and implemented SCHSL policies for boys and girls athletic programs and also supervised the publicity of the SCHSL athletic activities and services.
Singleton has been a member of the several NFHS committees, including the Equity Committee, Citizenship Committee, Coaches Education Committee, Track and Field Rules Committee, and the NFHS Strategic Planning Committee.
Prior to joining the SCHSL, Singleton was an assistant principal at Irmo (South Carolina) Dutch Fork High School; an assistant athletic director, teacher and coach at Charleston (South Carolina) Burke High School; an assistant principal at Greenwood (South Carolina) Northside Junior High School; and a teacher and coach at Greenwood High School.
Singleton graduated from Newberry (South Carolina) College in 1981 with a degree in physical education, and he earned his master’s degree from Clemson (South Carolina) University in 1987.
Roberts, who has been executive director of the MHSAA since 1986, is the longest-tenured active state association executive director in the NFHS membership. He oversees one of the largest state associations with more than 1,500 senior high schools and junior high/middle schools and is one of the nation’s most articulate advocates for education-based activity programs.
After graduating from P. J. Jacobs High School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and Dartmouth College and attending graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Roberts taught English and coached football at high schools in Milwaukee and Denver until 1973, when he joined the staff of the NFHS, which at that time was located in Elgin, Illinois.
From 1973 to 1980, Roberts developed the NFHS’ volleyball, swimming and diving, and ice hockey rules programs, and re-codified the Soccer Rules Book. Later, as assistant director, he was in charge of public, legislative and judicial affairs for the NFHS.
Roberts joined the staff of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in 1981 and was named executive vice president of the FCA in 1984. He served in that capacity until 1986, when he was named executive director of the MHSAA.
Roberts served a previous term on the NFHS Board of Directors from 1996 to 2000 and has been chairman of the NFHS Network Board of Directors since 2013. He also has served on two previous NFHS Strategic Planning Committees and is past chair of the board of directors of the Michigan Society of Association Executives.
Beckman was named executive director of the MHSA in 2004 after seven years as MHSA assistant director and many years as a high school administrator, instructor, coach and official.
Beckman’s association with educational administration dates to 1983, when he served as chairman of the Butte (Montana) School Board for 2½ years. He was a basketball official and a member of the Montana Officials Association for several years, and he coached boys and girls basketball at Butte Central High School and Anaconda (Montana) High School. He also coached Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball in Butte and Anaconda.
Following his coaching and officiating tenures, Beckman was a member of the MHSA Basketball Rules Committee and was athletic director at Butte Central. Prior to joining the MHSA office, Beckman was a teacher and activities director at Anaconda High School.
Beckman was chair of the Programs Subcommittee for the 2011-2016 Strategic Planning Committee and recently completed terms on the NFHS Network Board of Directors and the NFHS Appeal Board.
Foegen, who is president of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Board of Control for 2016-17, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and she earned her master’s in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Prior to her current position with Regis Catholic Schools, Foegen taught middle school special education in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District in Galesville, Wisconsin, for four years, and served in a variety of roles with the La Crosse, Wisconsin, School District from 1983 to 2014.
Foegen was a teacher, coordinator and program support teacher in charge of special education programming in La Crosse for 21 years, and was director of special education for the La Crosse School District from 2006 to 2014. She directed a suicide prevention group for several years, and for two years served as state consultant for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Department of Public Instruction.
Foegen was co-director of a program of the National Foundation for Improvement in Education that was targeted to prevent student dropout by starting at the elementary and middle school levels.
