A Message From the Executive Director …

Click to view index of columns

By the end of the month, all 396 member schools of the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union will be back in session.  Approximately 70,000 female students in those schools will participate in at least one interscholastic athletic program during the 2007-08 school year.    The first message we should send to those participants is thank you.  Data both within Iowa and from across the country show students who participate in extra-curricular programs have an average GPA of nearly 2.9, while those who don’t participate average closer to 2.1.  Participants miss half as much school as non-participants, have a drop-out rate of 1/15^th that of non-participants, and are 35 percent less likely to smoke and 50 percent less likely to use drugs.  We should thank the students who participate, because they have made a decision that is beneficial to all of us.  Interscholastic participation produces good citizens who are well prepared to contribute to society as adults.

On the surface, there are major changes ahead for at least two sports this year. 

The district, regional and state basketball tournament moves forward one week, with the state tournament played February 25-March 1.  This change does not impact the start of the season, with practice remaining unchanged on November 5, and the first game date of November 19 remaining unchanged.  The tournament series will be compressed, with fewer days between games, and fewer days between regional final contests and the start of the state tournament.  The change came about due to Wells Fargo Arena and the city of Des Moines pursuing NCAA championship events in the state tournament facility.  Those events would have conflicted with the boys and girls state tournaments already contracted in the arena.  The IGHSAU and IHSAA agreed to move forward which not only opened March dates for potential NCAA events in Wells Fargo Arena (an NCAA women’s regional comes to Wells Fargo Arena in 2008), but the move also addressed concerns about the length of the winter sports season.  The move creates one less week of overlap between the winter and spring sports seasons.

Softball will also experience a major shift in its season starting in 2008, with the state tournament moving from early August to mid-July.  The July 15-19 state tournament in Fort Dodge is two weeks earlier than the 2007 tournament.  The front end of the season moves forward one week, with practice starting May 5 and the first game date May 19 in 2008.  District and regional tournaments will begin around July 4.  At the same time, the number of allowable softball games has been reduced from 50 to 40.    The number of available playing dates will remain virtually unchanged next year, however, as the tournament series has been significantly compressed.  The current tournament schedule allows for the “old” days when district runners-up advanced to play at least one more round and there were only two classes of competition.  In addition, the current schedule allows for up to nine days between qualifying for state and a school playing its first game, so there is plenty of room to compress the existing dates.

The softball changes were prompted by a trend of decreasing participation, particularly among seniors.  While there are many factors that can be attributed to this trend, the fact that softball, in many respects, has evolved into a full time job was one of those factors our schools control.  If we look at the other nine activity programs, all involve two or three hours after school, with a couple of competitions per week.  It has not been uncommon for schools to have up to five softball competitions per week, with a commitment of six or seven hours per day.   The lack of school during the day does not mean we have “extra” time for school sports.

Also ahead this year will be a “Challenge Cup” competition sponsored by the Iowa High School Sports Network.  The challenge cup is, in some respects, an all sports trophy, but it also includes team academic success in the equation to determine the top overall programs in the state.   Click on this link  http://www.ihssn.com to learn more about the Iowa High School Sports Network, and view details of the “Challenge Cup” as they are formally released this fall.  You will also be able to track your school’s performances against its peers throughout the year on the IHSSN site.

Team trophies have been redesigned in all sports for the 2007-08 school year and will make their debut at the state cross country meet this fall.  Other awards remain unchanged.  Teams qualifying for a state tournament by winning a regional championship receive a six foot banner to hang in their gym.  A student who qualifies for a state tournament receives a 5x7 plaque commemorating the accomplishment, in addition to medals for winning a district or regional championship.  Medals are also awarded at state tournaments, and a commemorative autograph ball is presented to students who qualify for a state basketball, volleyball, soccer or softball tournament.

The senior class of 2008 has seen many changes in the world of interscholastic athletics since entering high school in the fall of 2004.  This class participated during the transition from Veteran’s Auditorium to Wells Fargo Arena with the state basketball tournament.  It had a chance to compete in both the old, and the dramatically new and improved Drake Stadium, and also was a part of the transition from a girls-only state track meet, to the co-ed state meet, which last year drew over 52,000 fans in three days and was the largest state high school track championship in the nation.  Many of this year’s seniors were able to take part in the first state high school bowling championship.

This senior class was the first to experience four years of a two-site golf tournament, with an expanded qualifying field.  The state basketball tournament team breakfast returned after a long hiatus.  This senior class participated in the first three-day state soccer tournament.  Softball players in this class were the first to play four years with the yellow softball.  The volleyball players experienced the addition of the libero to the game.  They also saw several hundred thousand dollars worth of improvements to the state volleyball venue.  This class has seen unprecedented television exposure of its championship games.  This class even saw three person officiating become the tournament standard in basketball.

In years to come, many members of the 2008 senior class will be able to tell stories of being pioneers.  “I was in the first co-ed track meet”…. “I played basketball in the final game at Veteran’s Auditorium”… “I was in the first game at Wells Fargo Arena”.  This class has experienced more than its fair share of changes in the way interscholastic athletics look from the outside.  But, while the face of our games has undergone many changes, the heart and soul of our games continues unchanged. 

As we start a new school year, the most important thing for each of us to do is to keep the heart and soul of interscholastic athletics at the forefront of our decision-making processes.  The purpose of interscholastic athletics – to provide an educational opportunity outside of the classroom – has not changed.  The number one reason students participate – to have fun – has not changed.  Our programs provide lessons for practical life-long situations – teamwork, sportsmanship, learning to win - and to lose, self-discipline, self-confidence.  This has not changed.   Interscholastic athletics provides great opportunities for all of us to have a positive role in the development of students.  It is inherent upon all of us to take advantage of this opportunity.

Have a great start to the 07-08 school year, and best of luck both off, and on the playing field.