CHSAANow

Category: Coronavirus

  • NFHS: Let’s gain a new appreciation for officials during down time

    Hotchkiss Limon girls basketball
    (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.

  • Recent school closures and extension of stay-at-home hasn’t changed spring season timeline; suspension remains until April 30

    Calhan Rye baseball
    (Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

    CHSAA’s timeline of spring sports has not changed since information communicated on April 1: The spring season remains suspended until April 30 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The recent closing of some schools and districts, and Gov. Polis’ extension of the stay-at-home order, hasn’t changed the timeline we established on April 1,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green.

    From the information communicated on April 1:

    The suspension of spring activities and sports has been extended to April 30 following state and local extensions on school closures and mandatory social-distancing related to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

    Any decisions regarding spring activities potentially resuming will depend on students’ abilities to return to in-person instruction.

    It is important to note that, as has been the case since the beginning, further updates and information from state agencies could have an impact on the season.

    As an Association, CHSAA encourages everyone to stay home in order to stay safe.

    “We encourage everyone to follow all guidance from the state in terms of social distancing, and staying at home,” Blanford-Green said. “We have seen recent postings of students gathering for athletic purposes of group workouts. This is disheartening that adults would place our students in situations that may not be in the best interest of their safety and well-being, and those of their community. The more that we follow federal and state guidelines, the sooner we can get back to the activities that we all love.”

    Update, 8:15 a.m. Tuesday: Blanford-Green answered a couple of common questions on Monday night. Among them:

    Could there be a summer season in place of a spring season?

    Some school districts have already cancelled in-person learning, and some have cancelled their spring sports, for the rest of the school year. How will this work?

     

  • Friday Night Lights in April: Schools light their stadiums for students

    The Be The Light, Colorado movement continued to spread through the end of its first week with an inspirational display of Friday Night Lights in April.

    The #BeTheLightCO trend, which started with five schools and districts on Monday night, and continued with 12 more on Tuesday, and 16 on Wednesday, has now spread across nearly 70 schools and school districts around the state.

    The movement seeks to provide a beacon of hope for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed schools and put the season on hold. Schools and school districts are lighting their stadiums as a way to show students they are in our hearts and on our minds.

    Among those taking part since Wednesday:

    Jefferson Academy:

    Springfield:

    Wiggins:

    https://twitter.com/Wiggins_50/status/1245895369197637633

    Rocky Ford:

    Vista Ridge:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-i6GTKJSW8/

    Montrose:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-izOkMnolF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    West Grand:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-itsfDBZVr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Hayden:

    https://www.facebook.com/bryan.richards.944/videos/2519446381705883/

    Yuma:

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=2972451569501378&external_log_id=292e5a8304a311f2b31dd1bfc86e18c9&q=%23bethelightCO

    Fort Lupton:

    Lewis-Palmer Schools:

    Cheraw:

    Pagosa Springs:

    Valor Christian:

    Soroco:

    Lamar:

    Sand Creek:

    Mountain Range:

    Haxtun:

    Brush:

    Denver West:

    Windsor:

  • Spring activities and sports now suspended until April 30

    Denver Christian Cornerstone Christian girls soccer
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The suspension of spring activities and sports has been extended to April 30 following state and local extensions on school closures and mandatory social-distancing related to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

    Any decisions regarding spring activities potentially resuming will depend on students’ abilities to return to in-person instruction.

    On Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis extended the closure of all public and private schools to in-person learning through at least April 30. In addition, the federal government has extended social distancing guidelines to April 30.

  • More schools join in to Be The Light for their students in Colorado

    A number of other schools joined a movement to turn on their stadium lights Tuesday night as they sought to provide a source of hope for their students.

    Started on Monday night in Colorado, five stadiums turned on their lights for a short period of time to show students they were thinking of them, even as schools remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Many more joined in Tuesday as the movement spread. Among those taking part in #BeTheLightCO on Tuesday were:

    Sargent:

    https://twitter.com/TrevanPepper/status/1245188270268563457

    https://twitter.com/TrevanPepper/status/1245184956583817216

    Five Star Schools:

    University:

    Sierra:

    Cedaredge:

    Gunnison:

    Legacy:

    Arapahoe:

    Limon:

    Alamosa:

    Boulder:

    Weld Central:

  • Stadiums across the state light up as schools show students they are “in our hearts and minds”

    (@9RDurangoAD/Twitter)

    Stadiums across Colorado lit up on Monday night as schools and districts sought to offer a beacon of hope to their students.

    From Bennett to Steamboat Springs, local stadiums turned on their lights as they responded to an idea from CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright to show students we are thinking of them, even as schools remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “High schools are so often the centerpiece of a community,” Bright said. “Shining the lights lets our communities and students know we miss them and look forward to being back. When this is over, these lights will be on and the stadiums will fill as we resume life as normal and celebrate our communities through high school athletics and activities.”

    “Seeing empty stadiums with lights on in other parts of the country on social media, I thought it would be a great way to engage our Colorado high school communities,” Bright added. “I wanted to see our social media feeds filled with Colorado stadiums being the light for Colorado so I consulted with a couple of schools across the state to create a ‘Be The Light’ challenge for our schools to compete in.”

    It even spawned a hashtag: #bethelightCO.

    Steamboat Springs athletic director Luke DeWolfe sent the following message to his school community: “Last night the lights at Gardner Field were turned as a beacon of solidarity that signifies our commitment to kids, and our community. The lights burned for 11 minutes (one minute for each day we have been out of school). Together we will continue to shine.”

    Said District 11 district athletic director Chris Noll: “The school is the hub of a community and kids love being at school. They might not always love class, but most of them love being at school and being around their peers and friends and staff members. Colorado Springs D11 is excited to participate in #BeTheLightCO as a way for us to tell our kids that we miss them and we are thinking of them! Even though we might not be together, we are still there for not only them, but the families of D11. ”

    Taking part on Monday night included:

    Durango, which wrote that “our stadium misses you, our halls miss you, our classrooms miss you!”

    Steamboat Springs:

    Colorado Springs District 11, which put together a video:

    Sierra, which wrote, “Let this be a light of hope and assurance that you are on our hearts and in our minds.”

    Bennett:

    Now the hope is that other schools and school districts jump in and take part.

    “More and more lights across Colorado will shine bright over the coming days as a symbol of hope and assurance that our communities are in our thoughts,” Bright said. “I’m proud of the sense of camaraderie our Colorado high schools share and will enjoy this challenge lighting up stadiums in solidarity of great days ahead across the state.”

    UPDATE: On Tuesday night, the movement continued to grow.

    (Photo courtesy of D11 Athletics)

  • Q&A: Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green on high school activities, sports and COVID-19

    All-School Summit Rhonda Blanford-Green
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    As we navigate a “new normal” in the midst of COVID-19, we caught up with commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green to get her thoughts on the adjustments to the spring schedule and the impact the pandemic is having on communities.

    Currently, the spring sports season is suspended until April 18, but recent updates from the federal government have extended social distancing guidelines to April 30, so the suspension date is likely to be extended by Blanford-Green this week.

    [divider]

    Question: The public has a tendency to focus on sports, but the last A in CHSAA stands for “Activities.” How has the spring suspension impacted activities?

    Blanford-Green: I appreciate the opportunity to speak to how the moratorium has impacted our activities programs. The month of April is a celebration in our office in which we take a step back from athletics and celebrate our music participants. Our student participant numbers in music are the highest of any activity or sport we have. Last year, there were more than 41,000 music participants. For reference, our next-highest participation is in football, which has a little more than 16,500 participants.

    Because of that, the month of April has always been an opportunity for the CHSAA staff to travel state-wide to be a part of these events. In the recent years, schools hosting music competitions has increased two-fold. So the decision to cancel those events to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 was among the most difficult of all the decisions made to date.

    Q: What has gone into the decision-making in terms of suspending the season, or cancelling activities?

    Blanford-Green: Although the final decisions have been communicated to our school communities and the public directly from me, I have had the opportunity to be surrounded by an amazing CHSAA staff, the Board of Directors, state and educational leaders, as well as my 50 colleagues across the nation that are facing the same decisions and challenges as we are in Colorado.

    It’s important for anyone making these decisions to remember that no matter how emotionally tied we are to what the negative impacts will be, we have to be cognizant of the decisions being made above us which may dictate our next steps.

    Q: You spoke about emotions, and talk often about how your decisions are being made for the safety and well-being of our students. Can you dig deeper into that?

    Blanford-Green: Our CHSAA staff are former athletes. We’re coaches. We’re officials. We’re prep media writers. We’re volunteers. And even parents of former senior athletes. We know the impact of activities and athletics within our communities.

    Many people are invested in creating this positive high school experience that create memories for a lifetime. We don’t take these decisions lightly, and they do resonate from our own experiences, but we do have the responsibility to follow the guidance and mandates from our state and educational leaders, aside from our personal connections.

    Q: During this time, has CHSAA encouraged connection with students and coaches?

    Blanford-Green: Yes! From my first communication with schools, we have encouraged voluntary virtual connection — whether that’s just connecting with a kid, or uploading a work out. We tried to discourage those being solely about athletics, but we know that for some students that connection would maybe include a workout or a drill, or something of that nature. Even if it’s a teammate-to-teammate, or coach-to-athlete, we encourage virtual contact. What we have said is no physical contact, and that is to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

    All of our data has shown us that kids in crisis often times connect to their coach. And we wanted to maintain, even in the social distancing mandates, that our coaches could connect and communicate with their athletes, but especially those who are fragile without the additional of a pandemic.

    Q: If you had one statement that you would want others to hear from you, what would that be?

    Blanford-Green: We must put into perspective that this is a world-wide, national and state health crisis. It’s OK to feel the disappointment and levels of anxiety as we navigate this new normal. But I truly believe that we will come to appreciate many of the things that we have taken for granted.

  • Confined indoors, Colorado football coaches launch online clinic

    Fountain-Fort Carson Horizon football
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard, Fountain-Fort Carson coach Jake Novotny and FFC offensive coordinator Jeremy Mercer text each other and chat football often. Sometimes maybe a little too often, but that turned out to be a good thing about a week ago.

    Confined indoors and away from their players due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the three friends started thinking about how to use this time to get better as coaches. And also to help coaches throughout the state get better with them.

    With technology on their side, they worked quickly to create the Box State Blitz Online Coaches Clinic which is set to launch on Monday.

    “We consistently talk football,” Goddard said. “We wanted to continue to talk football and I had seen (camps) happening in a few other places. This was the opportunity to get it going in Colorado and we thought we had the opportunity to do and it took off from there.”

    The idea actually stemmed from a roundtable discussion not too long ago. CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright hosted a collection of football coaches from around the state to assess the state of football in Colorado and continue to move it in a positive direction.

    “One of the things we talked about was that we needed more communication between our coaches with clinics and different things,” Bright said. “Ryan and those guys had the great idea that since we’re all sitting at home why don’t we accomplish one of those goals while we have the downtime.”

    This camp aims to do more than just check one box. Goddard was encouraged by the response he got when he announced the launch of the clinic over the weekend.

    “The response was better than what we were originally hoping for,” he said.

    After an initial trial clinic with Goddard, Novotny and Mercer all conferencing each other in, they moved quickly to get other coaches involved both in terms of speak and attending.

    “We feel it’s one way for us to give back to the state for what football has given to us,” Novotny said.

    He also feels like it can kickstart options to ensure that coaches aren’t falling behind when it comes to preparation for the fall season.

    “It’s even spurred ideas for my own staff,” Novotny added. “We’re talking about doing online staff meetings and doing some virtual stuff. We’ve met with kids online in terms of just checking in on them. And some kids have reached out to coaches about watching film and that kind of stuff. What it’s done more than anything is make us realize there are so many possibilities out there for us as a staff moving forward that we can save time as coaches and even for our players.”

    Ryan Goddard Pueblo South football
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The idea alone was enough to spark interest from coaches all over the state. While social distancing has become a national necessity, these coaches are working to balance family lives while making sure kids of their own are getting educated from home. And online clinic has become something that they can utilize while doing both those things and making sure they’re keeping themselves healthy while adhering to the national call to stay home in order to stay healthy.

    “The world has really changed the last few decades with the amount of information you can access online,” Arapahoe coach Rod Sherman said. “An online clinic such as this is a great way to learn and learning might look different when I started my coaching career when it was all about sitting in the audience at a coaches clinic. Now you can do so much coaching development just by going online.”

    The time between the idea being floated out in a group text chain to the launch of a potentially vital tool was right around a week. Just like they tell the athletes they coach, Goddard, Novotny and Mercer didn’t wait around for their idea to just materialize. They jumped into action and saw their hard work generate their desired result.

    “I think what Ryan and Adam are doing is trying to bring a collaborative mentality to Colorado so that football coaches can all grow together,” Sherman added. “It will be good for all the kids and let’s put the competitiveness of the fall aside and do what’s good for kids.”

    Their genuine hope is that coaches from all over the state at every classification can benefit in the long run.

    “It shows that we have coaches who want to keep getting better but also want to help other coaches,” Bright said. “They want to see the game grow. I’m happy the guys putting this together are some of the ones we’ve partnered with at the CHSAA level to talk about where we want to get to and these guys are showing what kind of leaders they are.”

    This week’s clinic speakers include Jason Mohns (Saguaro High School, AZ), Brian Nelson (Mary Persons High School, GA), Jeff Rayburn (Lone Star High School, TX) and Woody Blevins (Assumption College, MA).

    Goddard is hoping that the online clinic can consistently feature speakers and also run on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.

    Coaches who are interested in online access to the Box State Blitz Clinic can email Ryan Goddard at ryan.goddard@pueblocityschools.us.

    Graphic courtesy of Ruth Productions)

  • Spring sports suspension extended to April 18; Hall of Fame, music events cancelled

    State track 2019
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    UPDATE: Spring sports are now suspended until April 30

    The Colorado High School Activities Association, following the most recent recommendation of state and federal health officials, has announced changes in the spring sports and activities schedules.

    On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis announced new restrictions on public gatherings to help slow the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic. Polis ordered the closure of large gathering places across Colorado for 30 days, effective at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

    “In light of Governor Jared Polis’ announcement Monday afternoon, we are announcing that the Association will follow the guidelines that went into effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will remain in effect for 30 days,” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said. “This media and school advisory is to keep the membership apprised of the latest decisions from the CHSAA office.”

    These updates include:

    • The suspension of spring sports and activities is extended through April 18. CHSAA encourages schools to set stricter standards on student gatherings outside of the high school. This suspension means no practices or competition.
    • All CHSAA music events have been cancelled for 2020.
    • The CHSAA Hall of Fame, scheduled for April 14, has been cancelled.
    • The CHSAA Legislative Council meeting, scheduled for April 15, has been postponed pending changes in the public gathering restrictions.
    • The State Speech Tournament and Student Leadership’s Advisor U have been postponed until later in the spring pending changes in the public gathering restrictions.
    • The CHSAA office will remain closed until March 30, with staff working remotely from home.

    The CHSAA will recognize individual participants from the CHSAA state basketball championships with a memento in the coming weeks to recognize their leadership and resolve during that week.

    National and state decisions related to the COVID-19 virus are changing daily, even hourly, so new updates will be posted on CHSAANow.com and communicated via email to schools and media.

  • A heartfelt letter to basketball athletes helps put tournaments into perspective

    (David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotography.org)

    On Friday afternoon, about 14 hours or so after the news that the remainder of the state basketball tournaments had been canceled, Springfield science teacher Van Walker published a letter to all Baca County basketball athletes to express admiration for their leadership.

    It’s a letter which helps put the COVID-19 pandemic into perspective.

    Walker wrote: “You may not be able to talk about that championship game in 2020, but you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you were an integral part of a far greater team that played a critical role in slowing the 2020 pandemic in Colorado, the United States, and perhaps the world.”

    Baca County — located in the Southeast corner of the state, along the border with Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico — had three teams still alive in the Final 4 round: Springfield and South Baca in the Class 1A girls tournament, and Walsh in 1A boys. Springfield’s girls hadn’t made the tournament in 38 years.

    The letter is addressed to Baca County’s basketball athletes, but we are sharing it here as the sentiment expressed within applies to all of our athletes across the state.

    Walker’s full letter, published on Springfield’s website, is below:

    To all Baca County state basketball tournament athletes, coaches and their families:

    Congratulations on your accomplishments and the numerous hours each of you has sacrificed to reach the pinnacle of your season, and perhaps, your high school athletic endeavors. Understandably, each of you is disappointed that your seasons were not able, due to circumstances far beyond any one person’s or one organization’s control, to culminate those efforts in the traditional format. No amount of words can describe what you are feeling and experiencing nor can they soothe that pain.

    However, please look at yourselves as the leaders that you are. Your leadership, as part of a team, has enabled you to accomplish your basketball goals, and today you distinguish yourselves as leaders of a much larger team; the leaders of the worldwide health crisis team. Today, your selflessness, your optimism, and your strength of character demonstrate powerfully, to everyone in our state and beyond, that you, as leaders, will always choose the correct course of action, rather than despair, that you will always elect to maintain a professional, winning disposition over the louder negativity of the masses and you will persevere through this crisis and others that may assail you or any teams with which you affiliate, through your indomitable spirit. The world needs leaders like you especially today and in the midst of uncertainty; your actions are the compass that guides, reassures, and inspires others to unify, to cooperate, and to overcome.

    So while you are unable to grasp the very prize that you desired and in the manner in which you had envisioned, now you have stepped into history on a much larger scale. You may not be able to talk about that championship game in 2020, but you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you were an integral part of a far greater team that played a critical role in slowing the 2020 pandemic in Colorado, the United States, and perhaps the world.

    Your selfless actions are commendable and reflect great credit upon each of you. We look upon each of you with tremendous approbation, we extend our admiration to each of you, and we are grateful to have you as leaders in Baca County.

    With Admiration and Respect,

    Springfield High School