(Courtesy of Kendle Davis)

Eaglecrest has been selected as the host of the National Student Council Conference in 2020, Raptors adviser Rashaan Davis announced last week.

https://twitter.com/RashaanDavis/status/1143950473721974784

The conference, which is the 83rd annual, will be June 22-24, 2020. This will be the fourth time Colorado has hosted, doing so twice at Smoky Hill in the 1980s, and most recently at Highlands Ranch in 2009, when Davis was the adviser there.

The three-day event will feature high-energy, engaging speakers, and informative workshops. It sends students and advisers home with the knowledge and enthusiasm to improve your council and realize your leadership potential.

“This conference will also give us an opportunity for student leaders across our state to take part in this national event,” Davis said.

Further information on the 2020 conference will be available on NatStucoConference.org in August.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — A new definition for a damaged bat is one of three high school softball rules changes for the 2020 season.

The three rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee at its June 10-12 meeting in Indianapolis were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

A damaged bat will now be defined as a bat that was once legal, but is broken, cracked, dented, rattles or has sharp edges that might deface the ball (Rules 1-5-1, 7-4-2, 2-4-3).

Previously, a damaged bat was considered an illegal bat, with the penalty being an out when the batter entered the batter’s box. Now, damaged bats are simply removed from the game without penalty.

“This rule defines damaged bats and distinguishes them from non-approved and altered bats,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Softball Rules Committee. “The committee clarified the course of action that should be taken when a damaged bat is discovered in the game.”

Additionally, in Rule 1-5-1, the USA Softball All Games certification mark is now acceptable on bats. The new mark is in addition to the current ASA 2000 and ASA 2004 certification marks. Bats must bear one of these three marks and must not be listed on USA Softball’s Non-Approved Bats With Certification Marks, a list that is available on www.usasoftball.com.

“Bats bearing the 2000 and 2004 certification marks are still permissible, provided they meet specifications in Rule 1-5-1 and do not appear on USA Softball’s Non-Approved Bats with Certification Marks list,” Searcy said.

Another rules change is an adjustment to Rule 6-1-1 regarding fast-pitch pitching regulations. Pitchers must now take a position with the pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate. Previously, pitchers were required to have the pivot foot on or partially on the top surface of the pitcher’s plate.

“The change allows for different styles of pitching and permits them to place their feet where pitchers feel most comfortable,” Searcy said. “The rule now clarifies that part of the foot must simply be in contact with the pitcher’s plate.”

The final change is a tweak to Rule 9-1-1 involving the scoring of runs. Under Exception “C,” a run is not scored when the third out is obtained by a preceding runner who is declared out on an appeal play. Previously, the rule only covered runners who were declared out for failing to touch one of the bases.

“There are two types of appeal plays that can be affected in this exception: failing to touch one of the bases and leaving the base too soon on a fly ball that is caught,” Searcy said. “The previous rule did not include both scenarios. The use of the phrase ‘a runner who is declared out on an appeal play’ addresses both situations.”

According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 367,861 girls participating in fast-pitch softball at 15,544 schools across the country, and 1,589 boys playing the sport in 35 schools.

A complete listing of the softball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Softball.”

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — The expansion of exchange zones in short relay events, which does not require tracks to be repainted/resurfaced, as well as assisting injured athletes, are among the rules changes for high school track and field and cross country.

Seven rules changes were recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Committee at its June 10-12 meeting in Indianapolis, and all changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The first change amends notes in Rule 4 (Competitors and Competition) and Rule 8 (Cross Country) which reads, “A competitor who provides assistance to an injured or ill competitor should not be disqualified if neither the individual competitor providing the assistance nor his/her team gains an advantage as a result of providing the assistance.”

“Previous changes to the NFHS rules created the exception that allows a competitor to assist an injured or ill competitor without being disqualified when medical staff is not present,” said Julie Cochran, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Track and Field/Cross Country Rules Committee. “In a clear majority of these types of situations, the action is intended to be an act of good sportsmanship and not an attempt to circumvent the rules or gain an advantage.”

While the injured or ill competitor is disqualified for receiving help, the competitor helping will not be disqualified, unless that competitor – or his/her team – gains an advantage. In all cases, the final decision rests with the meet referee, who has the sole authority to rule on infractions, irregularities and disqualifications in a meet.

Changes to Rules 5-3-3 and 5-3-4 expand the exchange zone in relays with legs of 200 meters or less from 20 to 30 meters. All exchange zones for races with legs longer than 200 meters will remain at 20 meters.

“The acceleration zone is now incorporated into the existing exchange zone, thus a 30-meter exchange zone for relay races with legs of 200 meters or less,” Cochran said. “The rule change does not require that tracks be repainted or resurfaced in order to follow the new NFHS rules. Existing acceleration zone markings, such as triangles, squares or colored tape, placed at that location may be used to denote the beginning of the exchange zones on a track.”

Rule 6-2-6 has been amended to prohibit athletes from running backwards or in the opposite direction (non-legal direction) during warm-ups on horizontal jumps, pole vault and javelin runways.

“This change promotes a more organized and efficient warm-up period,” Cochran said. “Competitors should now be more aware of their surroundings.”

Two changes to Rule 6 provide equivalent metric increments for tiebreaking jump-offs in vertical jumps, as well as clarify distance requirements for long jump and triple jump pits. For long jump and triple jump pits constructed after 2019, the length of the pit shall be at least 23 feet (seven meters).

In cross country, Rule 8-1-1 has been reorganized to clarify that a cross country course may be marked with any or all methods listed in the rule.

An additional change to cross country rules adds language to Rule 8-1-3 regarding straightaways at the start of a course. The change provides a recommended minimum distance of 100 meters for beginning straightaways, and states that no narrow section of a course should be longer than 10 feet (three meters) long. Small cones of the appropriate color, at least 12 inches (30 centimeters) high, are also now permitted to be used in lieu of painted lines or survey chalk.

According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, track and field is the most popular sport for girls with 488,592 participants and is No. 2 for boys with 600,097. Cross country ranks sixth for girls with 223,518 participants and sixth for boys with 270,095.

A complete listing of the track and field and cross country rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Track and Field/Cross Country.”

(Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — The role of the designated hitter in high school baseball has been expanded to give coaches an additional option for the 2020 season.

The revision to Rule 3-1-4 was the only change recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 2-4 meeting in Indianapolis. The change was subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The game is in the best shape it has ever been in the history of high school baseball,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee. “This has allowed coaches to coach, players to play and umpires to umpire. This change, which was organic and intuitive, expands the role of the designated hitter and meets the desires of the high school baseball community.”

There are now two scenarios in which a designated hitter may be used.

The first scenario is the traditional use where the designated hitter may be a 10th starter who hits for any one of the nine starting defensive players. The team begins the game with 10 starters: nine defensive players and nine hitters in the batting order, one of whom is the designated hitter hitting for a defensive player.

“The traditional designated hitter role remains intact,” Hopkins said. “However, the committee felt it was necessary to make an additional option available to coaches that could be strategic but also maximize participation.”

The change to Rule 3-1-4 now allows the starting designated hitter to also be a starting defensive player. Utilizing this option, the player has two positions: defensive player and designated hitter. The team would begin the game with nine starters — nine defensive players — one of whom also assumes the role of the designated hitter.

“With the change adding pitch-count restrictions to high school baseball, this will allow pitchers to remain in the game as a hitter while removing them from pitching,” Hopkins said. “Typically, pitchers are stronger hitters as well. However, the intent of the rule is not for it to become strictly a pitcher-designated hitter role. The rule provides additional avenues for other position players as well. The change allows coaches to strategize how to keep players in the game to contribute offensively while allowing another player a chance to participate on defense.”

Additionally, a prior rules change involving baseballs and chest and body protectors will take effect on January 1, 2020. As of that date, all baseballs and chest and body protectors used in high school baseball competition shall meet the NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) standard at the time of manufacture.

According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 487,097 boys participating in baseball at 16,196 schools across the country, and 1,762 girls playing the sport in 317 schools.

All baseball rules information will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Baseball.”

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

PARKER — In the same fieldhouse where he had once been a camper, and later a coach at camps, Derrick White hosted his inaugural Basketball Academy this week, drawing hundreds of attendees who ranged from elementary high school.

White, a 2012 graduate of Legend — the school’s first graduating class — is now the starting point guard for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

His career, now well documented, spans the rise from a lightly-recruited guard out of high school to Division II Colorado-Colorado Springs — where he was a two time All-American — to the University of Colorado — where he was a first-team All-Pac-12 pick — to a first-round NBA Draft pick of the Spurs.

“My whole story is crazy. I never imagined this,” White said. “I’m just playing a game I loved, and it just kept getting better and better. It’s amazing what you can do when you work hard.”

Though his story is a long way from over, this week completed a nice circle of sorts for White: He was once a camper at Parker Fieldhouse, where his Derrick White Basketball Academy is being held, and later a camp coach.

“It’s been fun,” White said. “It’s kinda crazy having a camp where I grew up. I even worked these camps. I was in one of these camps. It’s a long ride, and it’s been fun.”

His transition to camp host has been natural. White was fully engaged with each kid who came through the Fieldhouse. It’s clear that this is his camp, not just a camp that bears his name.

“It’s just something I’ve been doing for awhile,” White said. “I’ve always coached these camps, so you’ve just got to be engaged. My job is pretty easy compared to all the other coaches. I just kind of roam around and try to bring some energy. It’s fun.”

White made his NBA debut in October 2017, against Minnesota. He was asked about it by a camper on Wednesday, and his eyes lit up. White told the campers, with a huge smile, that he entered the game for 10 seconds.

White played in 20 games that season, including three postseason contests, while splitting time with the Austin Spurs of the G-League.

This season, White played in 67 regular season games for the Spurs, starting 55, as he averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks. He also started all seven games of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, where he became a breakout star in the postseason, averaging 15.1 points, including a career-high 36 in a Game 3 win.

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

Campers in attendance, some of whom were wearing Derrick White jerseys under their camp-issued shirt, were somewhat in awe of the local kid turned NBA star as he sat with them to break down film and use it to reinforce the lessons they’d been taught in the gym earlier in the day.

After the film session, White asked the campers if the had any questions. One asked if it was easy to dunk. White smiled, and said that it was now — but also that he didn’t dunk for the first time until the last game of his senior year of high school.

White, who turns 25 next week, is in some ways a long way removed from his time at Legend. But he looks back on it fondly.

“I loved it,” White said of playing high school basketball. “I was so much fun. Going to a brand new school, the first graduating class. It was just a different experience. And I learned a lot from … the whole coaching staff that we had there.

“I’m still friends with a lot of my teammates that were there,” he added. “It was just a lot of fun, and it made me who I am.”

Asked to look back on his favorite moments from high school, White said, “Beating Ponderosa was always fun for me. Our games against Chap were always legendary, playing in the playoffs, getting a couple of wins there.”

As a senior, White led Legend to a Class 5A Sweet 16 appearance following wins over Brighton and on the road at Fossil Ridge — “That was fun,” he said. Then, the Titans fell to Arapahoe, the eventual runner-up.

“The Arapahoe game, my last game, it hurts. It still stings me,” White said. “But it was all fun, it was all good memories. It was a good time.”

Now, as his NBA career begins to flourish, he’s turned into quite a representative for his home state.

“I always say I’m a Colorado kid, and I try to come back here as much as I can,” White said. “I remember where I came from. I’m always rooting for the other Colorado teams, like the Rockies and the Broncos. I love Colorado.”

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

The Centennial State Grandstand, a three-day evaluation event in front of college coaches, is this weekend in Aurora.

The event is the first of its kind in Colorado following NCAA reform which required all evaluation events over the summer to be held on an education-based campus. It is overseen by CHSAA, the New Mexico Activities Association, the Wyoming High School Activities Associations and the states’ coaches associations.

“We are excited to be able to host this opportunity for these athletes to showcase their talents under the umbrella of educationally-based athletics,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. “The next big positive we hope to see is an opportunity for girls basketball players to be able to do the same, as well as other sports outside of basketball.”

The Grandstand, which runs Friday through Sunday at Cherokee Trail High School and Fox Ridge Middle School. It features 170 players from Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas and select other states, skill trainers will put players through drills to showcase their skills, and volunteer coaches will coach teams during live play.

Coaches packets will be prepared and sold to the coaches at the tournament. The packets will include information on players (high school, GPA, accomplishments), as well as team rosters and tournament schedule.

The event is expecting college coaches from all major conferences to be in attendance, and many coaches from Division II, III, NAIA and junior colleges.

Information about the event, including a list of participating players, is below.

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Schedule

• Friday: Player skills assessment and physical measurements (6:30-8 p.m.). First wave of evaluations. Navigating the recruiting process (8:15-9 p.m.).
• Saturday: Games (8 a.m.-6 p.m.).
• Sunday: Games (8 a.m.-2 p.m.).

[divider]

Locations

• Cherokee Trail High School (25901 E. Arapahoe Road, Aurora, CO 80016)
• Fox Ridge Middle School (26301 E. Arapahoe Road, Aurora, CO 80016

[divider]

Player Roster

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

In a major step aimed at improving mental health of students across Colorado high schools, the CHSAA Board of Directors has approved as a requirement that all coaches take a course on student mental health.

It is among the major topics facing high school students today. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 31% of high school students reported symptoms of depression in 2017, and 17% reported they seriously considered attempting suicide.

So, starting this fall, all coaches must take a course “Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention” on the NFHS Learning Center, or a district-led mental health training. The NFHS Learn course is free.

In order to be a registered coach, this requirement must be satisfied. Unregistered coaches are not permitted to coach, per CHSAA bylaws. Other required courses or training are based around concussion, first aid, mandatory reporting, and the CHSAA coaches course.

“CHSAA’s vision is to deconstruct the stereotypes around mental health and help start the conversations that need to happen around our kids,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. “The mental and physical well-being of our student participants is our priority.”

The decision was made with the full support of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), which discussed the topic at length during its meeting last school year.

“The committee was focused on finding great tools that we can give to our schools and coaches to help provide awareness around mental health, which is among the most important issues our students face,” said Jenn Roberts-Uhlig, the CHSAA staff liaison to SMAC. “We believe it is important for coaches to not be afraid to look for the signs and symptoms of a student who is struggling with their mental health, and this training will provide valuable instruction in how to do that.”

The calendars for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season have been posted.

(David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com)

The Class 4A football playoffs are expanding a bit.

Starting in the 2020 season, the field will grow from a 16-team bracket to 24 teams, mirroring how the 5A postseason operates. This means there will be a first round which includes the top eight seeds receiving a bye, and seeds Nos. 9-24 playing.

As a result, there will be no bye weeks during the 2020 regular season, and 4A teams must play each week in order to play a full 10-game schedule — the exact setup currently in place for 5A teams.

The change was approved by CHSAA’s Board of Directors during their meeting earlier this month, along with new alignment for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Board took the vote in order to ensure teams had proper time to schedule, as they will no longer have a bye week to work with.

Additionally, the Technology Committee will be examining the potential for two exemptions to the classification modifier for the RPI formula. Further information on this will be communicated at a later date.

[divider]

* – End of regular season for 1A, 2A, 4A, and 5A.
** – End of regular season for 3A and first round playoffs for 4A and 5A.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

MANITOU SPRINGS — Monday June 24 was by all accounts a bit of a weird day. Mainly from a weather standpoint. The early morning temperatures in Colorado Springs sank below 43 degrees, which up to that point had been the lowest on record.

It was another sign that summer in Colorado was off to a slow start.

But regardless of the temperatures, summer training programs for high school athletes are very much in full swing by then.

That was certainly the case for the Cheyenne Mountain cross country team. Just before 6 a.m., they were gathered in a circle getting loose and stretching for the monumental task ahead of them.

They were about to embark up 2,768 steps of utter misery. For most it wasn’t for the first time and it certainly won’t be the last as long as they are a part of the program.

The Manitou Incline has become of the most popular training tools for athletes of all ages. On any given day, high school gear from various Colorado teams can be picked out on various people making their trek up the staircase.

On this particular Monday, the Indians went up as a team exercise.

“Physiologically, this isn’t the wisest thing to be doing a lot of training on if you’re trying to run fast 5K in October and November,” assistant cross country coach Sean O’Day said. “But for camaraderie, teamwork and the psychological lift of getting this done is fantastic.”

Cheyenne Mountain also played host to Wayzata High School out of Minnesota. It’s something that the team have been doing for 14 years and the results are certainly visible via the banners that Wayzata has amassed. Since 2013, Wayzata has won four boys cross country state championship while the girls have own three.

It’s a good measuring stick for the Cheyenne Mountain runners and O’Day is starting to see the intensity of his team increase each time the two squads start the climb.

“I think we’re starting to get some competition,” O’Day said. “Wayzata has always been a powerhouse and Cheyenne Mountain has started to come around in the last few years.”

O’Day was among the first of the entire group to reach the top. He did so in order to mark the times of the athletes as they placed their foot on step No. 2,768.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

Cheyenne Mountain sophomore Erik Le Roux was the first competitor to reach the top. While O’Day says summiting the incline isn’t physiologically the smartest thing for his runners, a kid like Le Roux sees the benefits not just in going up the incline, but having it essentially in his backyard.

“It gives you the strength to work your hardest since you’re going up a (2,000-foot) incline,” he said. “I think overall it’s a big benefit for a cross country runner.”

The incline has been an attraction for professional athletes as well. Members of the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche have all documented trips up the incline. In August 2016, Major League Baseball home run king Barry Bonds made the trip up and even took a picture with Ty Murphy, a multi-sport athlete at Falcon at the time.

Le Roux reached the top of the incline in under 28 minutes. According to the fitness app Strava, assistant Cheyenne Mountain track coach Brandon Stapanowich — an avid incliner — logged the fastest recorded time on the trail as of 10 a.m. Monday. He made the climb in 23:34.

Cheyenne Mountain is far from the only school to utilize the training ground of the incline. On this day alone, gear from Woodland Park, Widefield and Manitou Springs was also seen making the trip to the top.

O’Day said that Cheyenne Mountain has also hosted Mountain Vista and Palmer Ridge in similar ways it has hosted Wayzata.

Cherry Creek, Eaglecrest, Vista Ridge, Pueblo South, Pueblo West, Coronado, Air Academy, Doherty and La Junta are among the several represented schools who also take part in the incline.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)