DFOA Area Directors John Conklin, Jeff Penney and Joel Pogar presenting the check to Trish Wales, Event Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. (Submitted photo)

Two officials association joined up to make a difference in their community.

The Denver Football Officials Association and the Colorado High School Baseball Umpires Association teamed up to jointly present a check of $1,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver this week.

The money came from proceeds of the recent annual golf tournament held by the associations.

If you want to help make a difference in your community, sign up to be a high school sports official.

The CHSAA Legislative Council met virtually for the first time in its 99-year history on Friday.

They voted on more than 50 items, and made a number of changes to the Association’s bylaws, which impacted things from alignment to the transfer rule. We have rounded up most of those changes here.

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Two classes of hockey

(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

Hockey will split into two classifications, beginning with the 2020-21 season.

The two-class split, which was recommended by the hockey committee during its meeting in February, places 20 teams into Class 5A, and 17 in 4A. The committee used a variety of factors to place teams from bylaw 1500.21, including enrollment, geography, competitive history, competitive balance, participation rate, and the entry or selection process that places an athlete at a program.

The committee recognized the need for two classes because there isn’t much, if any, parity in the sport. Over the past four years, only 14 different schools have advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Hockey currently has 37 teams.

The alignments for the sport can be found in this story from February.

Hockey will use the CHSAA Seeding Index to seed its two state tournaments: RPI, MaxPreps, and the CHSAANow coaches poll.

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New seeding criteria for 5A basketball

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

An amendment during the meeting changed the seeding criteria that 4A and 5A basketball will use for their state tournaments: The two classes will now use a combination of the RPI standings, MaxPreps rankings and the CHSAANow coaches pool — bringing them in line with what a number of other sports are now using.

1A will also use the same criteria, but will also use the Packard Ratings.

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2A baseball changes postseason

(Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

The 2A baseball postseason will now mirror what is done in 3A, 4A and 5A, with a 32-team regional bracket. All teams will qualify for the bracket via the RPI standings, and seeded by RPI. The top eight seeds will host regionals, and seeds Nos. 20-32 can be moved for geographic reasons.

The state tournament also got an overhaul, and will move to an eight-team single-elimination bracket. Previously, 2A had a 16-team bracket.

With this change, 2A schools can now schedule 23 games.

Baseball also created a game minimum to be able to qualify for the postseason: 12 games in 1A, 17 in 2A and 3A, 19 in 4A and 5A.

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New field hockey tournament

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

In an effort to help the growth of the sport, the state field hockey tournament will expand from eight teams to 12.

The top six seeds will receive a bye while the next six will compete in a play-in bracket.

In one of those brackets, No. 9 and No. 12 will play, with the winner playing No. 8. The winner of that game will face No. 1.

In the other bracket, No. 10 and No. 11 will play, with the winner facing No. 7. The winner of that game will face the No. 2 overall seed.

During that same round, the No. 4 and No. 5 seed will play, with No. 3 and No. 6 also playing.

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The transfer rule

A number of proposals involved the transfer rule. Among the changes which passed:

• An adjustment to clarify that a student doesn’t have to transfer from a member school, in or out of state, in order for the rule to apply.
• A proposal better explained the transfer consequence for transferring to another school, and a return to the original school — also known as an A-B-A transfer. Specifically, a student who transfers from School A, transfers to School B and plays at School B, and the returns to School A, will only be eligible for sub-varsity competition at School A in the sports they participated in at School B for 365 days.
• A new bylaw passed allowing for students to participate with “restricted varsity eligibility during the regular season” if their high school does not offer a JV team, or if their school doesn’t allow seniors to play on sub-varsity teams.
• The definition of a hardship was rewritten to read: “‘Hardship’ means a situation, condition or event which must impost a severe non-athletic burden upon the student or his/her family and require a transfer of schools. This does not include the personal or initial choice of enrollment and/or participation.”

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Notables:

• The alignments for sports were finalized with the approval of each sports report. Those new alignments will be posted in the near future.
• The season of sport was changed in boys swimming, allowing for those championships to be moved up a week and have their own spotlight.
• 6-man and 8-man football will use the same four data points of seeding that was used in 1A-5A this season.
• In 5A football, all playoff games will be hosted by the higher seed.
• 1A girls volleyball will move from districts to regionals. The sport will also require that all teams play a minimum of 18 matches against member schools and varsity opponents in order to qualify for the postseason.
• Boys volleyball will have one classification during its inaugural season in spring 2021.
• Girls wrestling will use the same weight classes that were used in the pilot season.
• The 4A and 5A boys lacrosse state tournaments will each grow from 16 to 24 teams starting in spring 2021.
• The new format that will be used for a two-classification setup in girls lacrosse was approved. Find the structure for that format here.
• 2A soccer will increase its state tournament field from 12 teams to 16.
• The regional field in 3A softball will grow to 32 teams, bringing it in line with 4A and 5A.
• The requirements for qualifying for the state skiing championships were made more strict, to make the state field slightly smaller.
• The state spirit championships will move to a three-day format beginning this year. Schools will only be able to participate in one cheer category and one dance category at the state championships. Cheer and dance are now considered separate sports.
• Schools will be eligible to join CHSAA as activity-only schools, and not offer sports.
• The process for classifying programs was clarified with an amendment to bylaw 1510, which deals with the Classification, Appeals and League Organizing Committee (CLOC). Now, the CHSAA staff can offer adjustments “in extraordinary circumstances” that are based upon bylaw 1500.21 (the bylaw allowing for classification based upon factors other than enrollment) in even years. These adjustments will need to be voted on by CLOC. Typically in even years, the classifications are already set and ready to go for the following cycle, so there would be very few adjustments, if any.
• The amateur status bylaw was reworked, and now reads that student-athletes “must maintain his/her amateur status” and notes that they “may not sign a professional athletic contract.” A new note defines a professional as “being paid in any form for playing in an athletic contest, or if you sign a contract or verbally commit with an agent or professional sports organization.” Notably, student-athletes will be allowed to play with or against professionals in certain situations, such as in the Olympics or a World Cup.
• The coach ejection bylaw was updated to give it a more consistent level of suspension across all sports. Now, the first ejection is penalized by a suspension equal to 10% of that sports season, and a second ejection is 20%.
• All-Star games were added to bylaw 2300, allowing for “up to two All-Star Games after the completion of the state championship in that sport.” No all-star games are permitted in football.
• Middle schoolers from “feeder” schools will be permitted to practice with high school teams in volleyball, basketball, soccer and football “when they cannot field enough high school athletes to hold an intra-squad practice in game-type conditions.” There are a number of limitations guiding this new bylaw.
• The number of practices required for students to participate in prior to competition in contact sports was reduced from five to three in all sports but football, which will still require nine.
• Schools can now form a team with only one participant, if they choose to.
• Adding a new sport or activity will now require approval from the Budget Committee in addition to CLOC, Sports Medicine, Equity and the Board of Directors.
• The full membership of the following schools is now official: DSST – Byers, KIPP Northeast, Loveland Classical, Strive Prep – Rise, Strive Prep – Smart, and Thomas MacLaren. KIPP Northeast and Strive Prep – Rise play together are a co-op: Regis Groff.
• Officials’ fees increased with a 2% cost of living adjustment across the board, for all levels.
• The alignment of State Festival and State Tournament will now be permanent in speech.
• Student Leadership’s fall conference will move to a regional model beginning this year.

(Paul Soriano)

During this shutdown of normal life in our nation, we are learning to deal with a new challenge – how to handle the unexpected time on our hands at home. Simply keeping up with the days of the week is a major accomplishment!

While we anxiously await the re-opening of schools and a return of high school sports and performing arts, this down time can be used in positive ways to take advantage of educational opportunities. And kudos to some individuals who already are seizing those opportunities – men and women who officiate high school sports.

Two weeks ago, we began to offer the 11 officiating courses on the NFHS Learning Center (NFHSLearn.com) free of charge, and the response has been nothing short of amazing. By the end of March – merely a week into this new opportunity – more than 5,200 courses had been taken.

In addition to veteran officials fine-tuning techniques in one or more of the seven sports featured in these courses, this has been a great opportunity for individuals interested in officiating to take a free course to determine their interest level. 

Those of us in leadership positions are so appreciative of these individuals who give freely of their free time to officiate high school sports or adjudicate music contests. We would suggest that everyone – student-athletes, coaches, parents and other fans – use this down time to do the same.

At various times this year before the shutdown of schools, officials have been the victim of verbal and physical abuse. Inappropriate behavior by parents and other fans was causing officials to quit before they even reached two years on the job.

And yet, in the past three years, more than 35,000 individuals have signed up to become officials through the NFHS’ #BecomeAnOfficial campaign and 5,200 courses that have been taken in the past couple of weeks by men and women who want to give back to high school sports. These are good signs more people will continue to be involved in officiating when the games return.

But what about the parents and other fans in the stands? Will their behavior be changed upon return? The conclusion of the New Mexico Activities Association’s state basketball tournament last month provided an interesting perspective on the impact of fans to the atmosphere at high school sporting events.

After completing the first two days of its state tournament with fans in the stands, the NMAA conducted the final three days without fans because of concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Dana Pappas, commissioner of officials for the NMAA, noted the following about the final three days of competition:

“Officials would make a call and if coaches had a question about it, they asked – calmly and respectfully. In huddles during time-outs, coaches just talked to their players, without raised voices. The behavior of coaches on the sidelines from Thursday through Saturday was in stark contrast to what we witnessed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Perhaps they did not feel the need to be overly emotional for the benefit of their fans.

“My hope is that the absence of sport throughout the world gives us all a moment to gain perspective and do a ‘gut check’ as to the kind of fans we are at contests. If the quality of the game is unchanged (or even better) without fans there to scream at the coaches, officials and players, then is that behavior really necessary when the games resume?”

The message here is that while the games can continue without fans, the ideal situation is for stands full of fans positively cheering for their teams.

(Photo courtesy of Patricia McCracken)

Patricia McCracken is the exception to a lot of unwritten rules. Typically, a high school official needs to be at least 18 years old, especially for a game as significant as a state championship.

But McCracken has already graduated from a high school. She’s already spent time traveling the country and officiating high-level games featuring the best high school and club soccer players around.

So when it was time for assignments in regard to the Colorado soccer state championship games, she didn’t draw the Class 5A game for the sake of being the exception to a rule.

She got it because in terms of knowing the rules and enforcing them on the pitch, she’s proven to be exceptional.

“Even though she’s young, she has a lot of experience,” High School Soccer Officials Association president Ken Hehir said. “She’s refereed a lot of big games. She’s very fit, she’s very fast, she understands the game and I think at that level she is more than capable of being assistant referee on the big game.”

She is the shining example that young officials can succeed in what has become a volatile environment at times. Even at 17, however, she understands the pressures and the criticisms that come with officiating.

And maybe she had the right idea. She has been working as an official for about five years starting at the youth level and has learned how to be tough when it comes to the issues that have been attributed into driving officials away from their respective games.

(Photo courtesy of Patricia McCracken)

“I’ve just learned since I started at such a young age to build up the thick skin,” McCracken said. “It was definitely hard at first, but honestly I’m able to turn a blind eye to it or to deal with it when it becomes necessary to deal with.”

Of all the options that Hehir had when it came to the game, McCracken’s credentials were every bit as solid as anyone else he could have chosen. She has already been tagged as an up-and-comer after her selection as the Colorado Referee Administration’s young referee of the year and she fits in with the way that Colorado has been shifting in its way games are being called.

“We are encouraging younger officials and with the move away from free whistle to the traditional whistle and flags, which we call a diagonal system of control,” he said. “The move back to that system, which is what the rest of the world uses, she has a lot of experience on that side.”

There is an added benefit to having her on Friday night’s game, it’s a clear message that younger officials can succeed and work their way into big-game situations. Although, he clarified that her selection was no done just to send a message.The Denver native and graduate of the Denver School of the Arts has earned it.

She admits that when it came to playing soccer, she was analytical and understanding of the game, she just wasn’t the best when it came to actually handling the ball. Her future in the game wasn’t dead, she was just taking a different route to see it at the highest levels.

“It’s an amazing way to stay with the sport and stay with what you love,” McCracken said. “Even if you are a high-level player, there are a lot of referees out there that played at very high level and it’s a way to understand the sport.”

And to be involved. The goal is always to be involved and when the whistle blows to signify the start of Friday night’s state championship game, there will be no doubt that she is standing right where she belongs.

(Photo courtesy of Patricia McCracken)

(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

About four weeks ago, we distributed an op-ed suggesting that inappropriate behavior by parents and other adult fans at high school sporting events was causing many officials to quit before they even reached two years on the job.

Although we received mostly positive support from this article, some people thought we went too far in telling parents to “act your age” and “stay in your own lane.” On the contrary, perhaps we should have been more direct.

Last week, one of our member state associations shared a resignation letter it had received from a 20-year veteran soccer official who had taken all the abuse he could handle. A portion of that letter follows:

“Soccer parents: you are absolutely 100% the reason we have a critical refereeing shortage and games are being cancelled left and right. And you are at least a part of the reason I’m done here. The most entitled among you are the ones that scream the loudest. And every time you do this, you tell your son or daughter the following:

“I do not believe in you, I do not believe in your team, I do not believe in your collective ability to overcome your own adversity and you absolutely will not win and cannot do this without me tilting the table in your favor.

“On behalf of myself and so many other referees – and I say this with every ounce of my heart and soul – shut up about the referees, and let your kids rise or fall as a team, as a FAMILY. Because the vast majority of you truly have no idea what you’re talking about, and even if you have a legitimate gripe about one play or one decision, you’re not fixing anything.”

And if that wasn’t enough, last week the Eastern Panhandle Youth Football League in West Virginia released the following statement:

“Unfortunately, it has come to the point that because of the abuse, negativity and utter disrespect shown to our officials from parents, coaches and most recently from our players, the Eastern Panhandle Officials Association president stated today that the association will no longer schedule officials for our league games at any field. This means effective immediately all remaining games are cancelled.”

This statement is from a youth league, which means the coaches are likely also parents of players, and the players are sons and daughters who are emulating their parents’ behavior.

So, no, our previous message was not too direct or emphatic. The kind of boorish parental behavior that compels a 20-year soccer official to quit cannot be allowed to continue. While we would hope that parents and other fans would embrace the concepts of education-based athletics by respecting the efforts of those men and women who officiate high school sports, that unfortunately is not occurring in some cases.

As a result, schools must adopt and enforce a strict, fan behavior policy. In soccer, a player receives a “yellow card” as a first warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. If the action occurs again, the player is hit with a “red card” and is ejected from the contest. Some schools have implemented a similar penalty structure for parents and other fans – not just at soccer games but all high school events. If the inappropriate behavior and verbal abuse of officials continues after one warning, the person is removed from the venue. There must be consequences for these offenders before we lose any more officials.

Most of the 7.9 million participants in high school sports are on the fields and courts every day to have fun and compete as a team with their classmates, and the 300,000-plus officials assist in that process. Now, if parents would let the players play and the officials officiate! 

Sign up to become a high school sports official at this link.

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

DENVER — Varsity basketball and soccer officials will get a bump in their fee structure following a vote of CHSAA’s Legislative Council on Wednesday.

Basketball officials working a three-person crew at varsity games will earn $60 per game on a three-man crew starting with the 2019-20 season, a bump from $53.

Varsity soccer officials on three-person crews will earn $59 for a center referee, and $54.50 for assistant referees.

“The schools understand the issues around funding averages for officials across the nation and that Colorado is in the lower tier,” said CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson, who oversees officials. “However, our schools are trying to do the best the can with the budgets they have to make those increases meaningful in a timely manner.”

Additionally, the officials fees report which was approved calls for a $6 travel stipend to be paid by Denver and Colorado Springs metro area schools to officials registered in those areas for the 2020-22 cycle, and a $10 stipend for the 2022-24 cycle.

This stipend will be paid once per assignment at a site per day. Previously, the stipend was $2.

Football officials were already scheduled to increase to $61 per game for the 2020-22 two-year cycle, per a previously approved fee structure.

(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

This week is Officials Appreciation Week. Schools, teams and fans are encouraged to spend extra time showing officials how much they are valued as part of our Association.

Here are a few ideas on what schools and fans can do to show their appreciation to officials at games and events this week:

• Provide refreshments such as water and candy.
• Provide a small free meal/snacks from the concession stand.
• Introduce officials at the start of the game as they stand in the middle of the field.
• Give them a certificate of appreciation from your school.
• Give them free admission to one of the games they are not officiating.

Please do not make this the only week officials feel welcome and appreciated at your school, this is just a good time of year to highlight your spring officials.

Nick Lave (left) spent 41 years officiating high school basketball in Colorado. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

For one last time on Thursday night, Nick Lave took the court to do what he has done for 41 years as a basketball official in Colorado. He wanted to make the playing field level and let the kids decide the outcome of the game.

Lave headed the crew that officiated Thursday’s game between the top-ranked teams in Class 5A and 4A. Lewis-Palmer beat Chaparral 71-59 in the game, but each team will move on to play another day.

At the end of the night, Lave took off his officials shirt for the last time as he has decided to retire as a referee. And there’s going to be plenty about the job that he’ll miss.

“The excitement of going out and having to do your best and give 100 percent to what you do, be the best that you can be and let the players decide what’s going to happen,” Lave said. “Not a call and not you.”

His résumé isn’t short of accomplishments. On top of his work as a high school basketball official in Colorado, he has worked as a football official in the Big 12 conference. At times, he has even worked at the side of CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson.

But he never big-timed his colleagues or the kids and that’s what made him a special individual to his peers.

“He’s an official,” fellow Colorado Springs official and Cheyenne Mountain golf coach John Carricato said. “Every game is important to him. He came back and worked last night’s game and that was just as important to him as that Peach Bowl game was in late December.”

Lave was on the field as Florida beat Michigan 41-15. He’s also retiring from the college football ranks.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

Prior to tip-off at Lewis-Palmer on Thursday he was acknowledged for his career which included eight state championship games that he worked. But it won’t be his ability to get to the big games that will be missed the most. Carricato is among those that sees the loss of a mentor and a good man to have on the court.

“I worked a game with him in late December and we were with a young official who is trying to climb the officiating ranks here in Colorado,” Carricato said. “Nick took the time to talk with him and give him ways to improve and grow. I learned a lot just from listening to him that night. We’re not just losing a great official, but we’re going to miss that leadership.”

For a man on his way out the door with his work, he treated that young official just as he would have several years ago. Lave knows the importance of raising up a new generation of referees and helping them understand the importance of his primary goal, making the game fair. He’s always more than willing to pass on advice for those looking to not just get into officiating, but get better.

“Be patient and put your heart into it,” Lave said. “The game has changed tremendously from when I started. It was a two-person game and there was more of a buy-in. You have to have thick skin. There are going to be some critical evaluations, but you have to understand how to take that and take the positives and better your game management and game performance.”

It’s not just his fellow referees who will miss him on the floor. His time and effort within the sport gave him a level of respect among the high school basketball coaches. As a veteran official, he’d be the first to say he didn’t get every call right, but it was his willingness to have a discussion with coaches that made him an ideal official to have for any game.

“When Nick walked into a gym, I knew that was one thing off my plate to worry about,” Coronado coach David Thomas said. “He was so approachable and so willing to have a conversation with you. From a coach’s perspective you don’t always get that.”

Even the conversations weren’t always calm, Lave was prepared to have them. Since 1978, he has listened to plenty of criticisms of his work, both from the sidelines and the bench. Some he ignored, some he dealt with and there were certainly times where he even had a little fun with it.

“There are a lot of things that would make me laugh,” Lave said. “Years ago, Dan McKiernan would have one-liners that would just grab your attention and make you chuckle. He would say something to grab my attention away from what I was trying to focus on and turn to him.”

Those interactions are part of what Lave will miss about his time on the court. But he feels it’s his time to move on.

Perhaps the biggest personal victory for him is that when he laced up his shoes for the final time on Thursday night, he was doing it for the same reason as he did when he laced up for his first game 41 years ago.

“It’s not to give a team a hometown advantage or a screw job,” Lave said. “I’ve never been involved with stuff like that. When I first got into officiating it was for the love of the sport and the love of the game and to have that feeling that I can make it a fair situation.”

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

(Dustin Price/DustinPricePhotography.com)

AURORA — It’s Officials Appreciation Week across Colorado this week.

Here are a few ideas on what schools and fans can do to show their appreciation to officials at games and events this week:

• Provide refreshments such as water and candy.
• Provide a small free meal/snacks from the concession stand.
• Introduce officials at the start of the game as they stand in the middle of the field or court.
• Give them a certificate of appreciation from your school.
• Give them free admission to one of the games they are not officiating.

Please do not make this the only week officials feel welcome and appreciated at your school, this is just a good time of year to highlight your fall officials.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — The members of the 2017 CHSAA Hall of Fame were inducted during a ceremony on Wednesday night at the Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast.

Tricia Bader-Binford (Roaring Fork), Jenny Coalson (Ellicott) Joe Silva (Fruita Monument), Bobbi Brown-Vandenberg (Boulder), Don Kimble (Limon), Ken Shaw (Regis Jesuit), Kent Smith (Boulder/Highlands Ranch/Ponderosa), Brian Richmond (Fort Collins) and L. D. Elarton (Lamar) were all inducted on Wednesday.

The nine new members are the 29th in the history of the CHSAA Hall of Fame, which was started in 1989.

Bader-Binford spoke for the class at the conclusion of the ceremony, saying, “This is an honor that we share with our communities. It is clear that we achieved because people believed in us. People believed in us, they supported us, they provided us the chance to be great.”

“The opportunities CHSAA has provided has changed each of us for the better,” Bader-Binford added.

Biographies of each new member are below, via the press release announcing the new members last October. With their inclusion the CHSAA Hall of Fame now has 197 members.

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2017 CHSAA Hall of Fame class

Tricia Bader Binford (Roaring Fork HS): A three-sport athlete – basketball, volleyball and track – Bader was a five-time state track champion, three-time all-state basketball player and led the Rams to the 1989, 1990 and 1991 state basketball titles. She was a three-time all-state player and the player of the year as a senior.

She won the 1991 Rocky Mountain News’ Steinmark Award and RHS has named its “Three-Sport Athlete Award” after her.

A former WNBA and Australian professional player, Bader is the head coach at Montana State where she was the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 2015-16.

As great as she was on the court, she was equally great off it, maintaining great character, and inspiring many young women in rural communities to become involved in sports.

A girls’ coach for 32 years in Colorado and Wisconsin, Brown was the architect of one of the strongest girls’ basketball programs in Colorado.

Her BHS teams were 182-28, winning the 1984, 1986, 1989 (undefeated), 1990 and 1991 state titles. Her 1985 and 1992 teams finished second. She also took a leave of absence in the middle of her Boulder tenure to finish her graduate studies.

A former CU basketball player, was also an assistant varsity football coach in 1990, coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. She coached at Fairview and Boulder from 1981 until 1992.

She was Coach of the Year by The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Boulder Daily Camera five times.

She is currently the Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI) women’s basketball coach.

Jenny Coalson (Ellicott HS): Coalson was a three-sport athlete at Ellicott, leading her team to two state basketball championships and winning four state individual track titles, while placing 10 more times.

She won the triple jump as a freshman, the 200 meters and shot put as a junior, along with winning the long jump as a senior. The 2A Basketball Player of the Year twice in basketball, Coalson was all-state in basketball (twice) and volleyball (once).

She was selected to the CCGS and CHSCA All-State Teams in both sports as a senior. In addition, she is a Little Britches world champion rodeo performer.

She won the 1995 Rocky Mountain News’ Steinmark Award She went on to play and excel in basketball at Kansas State.

Eldon “L.D.” Elarton (Lamar Schools): One of the state’s most respected administrators, Elarton’s career as a student participant, teacher, coach and administrator was steeped in Lamar.

A native of the community, he played baseball, basketball and football, was student body president and an all-state participant for LHS. After college, he returned home to teach and coach, starting in 1968 and moved up the ranks, serving as teacher, assistant principal, principal, finance director and superintendent.

As a coach, Elarton earned Baseball Coach of the Year honors in the Will Rogers League at Widefield High School. Once returning to Lamar, he initiated the Academic Letter Award, host numerous CHSAA Music and Speech events, while the school’s baseball, wrestling and girls’ basketball teams won 10 state titles among them. He was active on the state and national scene through CASE and NASSP.

Don Kimble (Limon HS): A music teacher who established one of the finest music programs, the late Don Kimble taught music for the Badgers for 29 years after one year at Flagler.

His bands received 26 first division ratings in state large group festivals, both in performance and sight-reading. The marching band also won state recognition in 1977 for its field performances.

Kimble directed four different bands at Limon, the fourth-grade band, fifth-grade beginning band, the Cadet Band (6, 7 & 8 graders) and the Senior High School Band. He taught Music Appreciation and took his pep bands to many out-of-town athletic contests. He was also assigned three choirs to conduct.

Kimble was a master at balancing the demands for his students between athletics and his music programs.

Brian Richmond (Fort Collins): One of the state’s top gymnastics coaches and judge, Richmond coached high school for 17 years, but has been a high school judge since 1971.

He coached gymnastics at four high schools – Jefferson, Poudre, Fort Collins and Thompson Valley – with the PHS team winning the 1984 title and runners up in 1985.

A former CSU gymnast and coach, Richmond became one of the top judges in the state, as well as one the national and international scene. He judged 20 CHSAA boys’ state meets and has been a mainstay with the girls’ state meet, having worked 35 of those. He has judged on the national and international stage.

He was inducted in the National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame in 2011.

Ken Shaw (Merino, Yuma, Sterling, Rocky Mountain, Smoky Hill, Regis Jesuit HS): One of the state’s legendary athletes who become one of Colorado’s top prep basketball coaches, Shaw guided his Merino team to a pair of state tiles, while going undefeated.

He was a prolific high school athlete at Merino, and held the career scoring record when his career was over. That mark has since been broken, but Shaw’s name still dots the basketball record book as a player. Additionally, Shaw was a standout football player, and has his name in that sport’s record book.

As a coach, his teams have won more than 710 games and he guided Regis to three straight 5A championships. His teams also won titles two other times, at Yuma and Sterling.

His teams have a record 29 the state tournament appearances.

Joe Silva (Fruita Monument HS): A Bronze Star Recipient in Vietnam, Silva was a three-time state wrestling champion for Fruita Monument and compiled a 58-0-2 mark in his career.

In 12 state matches, opponents scored just 6 points on him. He also participated in football and baseball.

He is a former District 51 Teacher of the Year and taught 29 years at Fruita Middle School. During that time, he, along with 2016 inductee Ray Coca and others broadcast the Western Slope State Championship matches on radio and television.

From 1963-65, Fruita enjoyed much success in wrestling, baseball and football. The constant on these teams was Silva. The school won two wrestling team titles and the football team was state runner up twice and baseball once over the period.

Kent Smith (Boulder, Ponderosa, Aurora Central, Highlands Ranch, La Veta, Alamosa): Having just retired after 53 years of coaching, Smith is one of the state’s top coaches, regardless of sport. And, he is noted for his integrity and ability to build better people through activities.

He has been the head boys’ basketball coach at Boulder and Ponderosa, the head cross country coach at Ponderosa and Highlands Ranch, as well as the head boys’ soccer coach at Aurora Central. Additionally, he served as head girls’ basketball coach at La Veta and Alamosa.

His teams have won state titles in basketball (twice at Boulder) and cross country (six times at Highlands Ranch). He runs a dog and horse rescue ranch near Walsenburg.