Aurora, Colo. — The final of two Colorado High School Activities Association Legislative Council Meetings is slated for Thursday, April 23, at the Radisson Hotel in Aurora, located at I-225 and Parker Road. The Meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. The CHSAA Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, April 19 in advance of the meeting.
The CHSAA Legislative Council is the body that determines the rules for the student participants in the state of Colorado and its 75 members represent all the individual athletic conferences, along with representatives from the Colorado Association of School Boards, Colorado Athletic Directors Association and Colorado Association of Secondary School Administrators.
They will be voting on three administrative proposals and two sports proposals. There are no Constitutional proposals on the docket for this meeting. The Council will also vote on four administrative committee reports, two activities committee reports and eight sport committee reports. Additionally, the group will consider amendments to the Classification and League Organizing Committee and Basketball committee reports previously passed in January. In addition, the Legislative Council will vote on nominations to replace members on the CHSAA Board of Directors and for President of the Board of Directors.
Additionally, the CHSAA Legislative Council will honor some of its own members, present several NFHS Section Awards and introduce Rhonda Blanford-Green as the next CHSAA Commissioner. Retiring Commissioner Paul Angelico will address the body in his final appearance at the Council meeting.
All Proposals and Committee reports that will be voted on can be found on the CHSAANow.com website (//chsaanow.com/2017-03-
Constitutional Proposals (requires 2/3 majority vote to pass)
None Submitted
Administrative Proposals — (Requires majority vote to pass, unless otherwise noted)
Adm-1 — Cooperative Programs — State Law Compliance (Board of Directors) — This proposal outlines what can and cannot occur under the current state statutes for students who are participating in a program at another school because their current schools do not offer that sport or activity. It’s designed to help maintain compliance of the state statute and keep a fair playing field for all schools.
Adm-2 — International Students — Clarification (Board of Directors) — This proposal updates the current by-law and provides guidance when a foreign student is coming to the United States to play sports and not under a recognized foreign exchange program. It brings the by-law into alignment with the CHSAA transfer rules.
Adm-3 — Officials’ Conduct (Board of Directors) — This proposal grants the CHSAA Commissioner permission to restrict the registration of an official for conduct that he/she deems detrimental to high sports.
Sports Proposals
S-1 — Game Contracts (Board of Directors) — This proposal would establish a fine system for schools that break written and signed contracts with other schools. The contract cannot be an electric contract (e-mail, etc.). The first offense is $500 and any subsequent offenses would result in higher fines ($1,000) and other sanctions as deemed appropriate by the Commissioner.
S — 2 — Equipment Dates — Football (Board of Directors) — Under this change schools going to or holding their own summer contact camps would be required to have a three-day work-up following the established safety protocols used in the regular season. A safety measure that is needed and supported by the Football Committee.
Activities Proposals
None Submitted
Administrative Committees
Budget/Property Administration (Final Reading) — The committee has proposed a 1.5% fee raise schedule for the next three years, and has submitted its line item budget as approved by the Budget Committee. This report was tentatively approved in January and now goes for final approval.
Classification and League Organization Committee (CLOC) — The Tri-Peaks League has submitted a proposal that will add boys’ volleyball as a sanctioned sport if passed. The proposal calls for a two-class sport to begin and would be held in the spring.
Equity — No major changes have been proposed. Schools are reminded that the proportionality and participation surveys information has been sent out. Additionally, the Equity committee did not support adding boys’ volleyball from a proportionality standpoint.
Sportsmanship —Among the major changes is a new theme — “Who do You Represent?”- to remind and challenge students and communities to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at contests. It also outlines the numerous options available to schools to help improve their sports culture through Inside/Out Coaching Initiatives, Positive Coaching Alliance and other positive programs.
Tournament and Playoff Finance — The committee recommendations include setting base fees required when not taking a gate at ice hockey and soccer games, and rearranging how financial reports will be handled.
Activities Committees
Music — No major changes have been proposed.
Speech — The committee recommended elimination of speaker points on ballots, raising critic pay by $1 a round, raising entry fees by $1 for both regional and state competition rounds.
Sports Committees
Basketball — The committee is recommending a change in class 2A regionals to include 32 teams. It has also recommended the adoption of a “Sportsmanship Rule,” which would mandate at all levels a running clock after the third quarter and when there is a 35-point differential in score. The clock would stop for free throws, timeouts and injuries.
The Intermountain League has submitted an amendment in 3A that would require any district champion to be in the top 16 of RPI as a qualifying factor to host a regional.
The Frontier League has recommended a change in the RPI formula from 25-50-25 to 35-35-30 for next year. This is not supported by the Basketball Committee which determined it wished to have more time to determine the impact of the current formula.
Ice Hockey:Â The committee announced that Chaparral and Woodland Park would be adding programs next year, as well as the Association adopting a two-year trial of one referee and two assistant referees. Other changes proposed include a change from 15 to 13 in the number of games a player must compete to qualify for the playoffs and the playoff dates for 2018 were established.
Lacrosse — The committee had no major changes.
Skiing — No major changes were recommended.
Spirit — The lone major change recommended by the Spirit Committee is the addition of a new championship division for No major changes were recommended.
Swimming and Diving — The committee established new state qualifying standards as required each year and then is recommending a state association adoption for unlimited entries for state championship meets.
Track and Field — There are two make recommendations coming from the committee, including notification that beginning in 2018, all pole vaulting coaches will be required. There is an online course available from the NFHS. The second proposal will allow teams to split between meets on week 12, but only one of those meets can be a qualifying meet.
Wrestling — The committee completed is required re-seeding of the regional based on the 2017 state meet results as required by the playoff format each year.
The Legislative Council will start at 8:30 a.m. with its traditional Speak Out session where members of the public may ask to speak to the Legislative Council on pertinent issues. Speakers are limited to five minutes and may gain access to the podium by contacting CHSAA’s Bethany Brookens (303) 344-5050 by Thursday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m.
