Colorado High School Activities Association
Excellence in Academics, Activities and Athletics
14855 East
2nd Avenue
Aurora
,
CO
80011
(303)
344.5050
CHSAA Fact Sheet
Just what is the
Colorado High School Activities Association? The following facts should
the average person gain a better understanding of the CHSAA and its role
in high school sports and activities.
CHSAA
Mission
Statement: The mission of the CHSAA is to serve its membership
through the advancement of, and the student's participation in, interscholastic
activities, which are an integral component and a complement to the educational
goals of its member schools.
A Voluntary
Organization:
The CHSAA is a voluntary association of 336 member schools, including 297 public
and 39 private schools. Of the public schools, 12 are charter schools and three
have incarcerated student participants. Of the private schools, 30 are
church-related. The CHSAA started in May, 1921.
Colorado
's Participation Numbers:
of the 230,466 students enrolled in the CHSAA's member schools in 2008-09 (the
latest statistics) more than 57%, or 131,771 students, participate in music,
speech, student leadership and athletics.
Colorado
's participation rate is one of the highest in the country.
Music Participation
Numbers Largest:
Nearly 36,000 Students participate in music programs, both vocal and
instrumental, across the state making it the largest activity sanctioned by the
CHSAA. Football, with over 17,700
students participating, is the single largest participatory sport. Boys' and
Girl's Basketball together have nearly 16,000 participants.
CHSAA Legislative
Body has 69 Representatives: The CHSAA's Legislative body, its Board of Control, is made
up of 69 representatives from local leagues across the state. Each league
receives one representative and then two additional representatives are added
for having more than 10,000 students in a single league and one having 10-19
schools in a league. An additional representative is given to leagues with 20 or
more schools. All representatives are elected to the Board of Control by the
individual leagues. The state's superintendents also have three representatives
on the Board of Control. The CHSAA
Board of control also has five members of the Colorado Association of School
Boars, representing specified areas in the state. School Board representatives
from across the state are also members of the Associations sports,
administrative and activities advisory committees.
CHSAA Executive
Committee Monitors Day-to-Day Operations: The CHSAA Executive Committee is the group that
monitors the daily operations of the CHSAA office. Its responsibilities include
budget oversight, personnel matters and services as the final appeals committee.
CHSAA Executive
Committee Membership: The Executive Committee is made up of elected representatives of nine
established districts across the state and representatives from the Colorado
Department of Education, North Central Association, Colorado Association of
School Boards, Colorado Association of School Executives and the Colorado State
Legislature. In all, 14 members make up the committee in 2009-2010.
School Dues and
Fees Are Just 20% of CHSAA Budget: As members in the CHSAA, each member school paid a service
fee of $740 each, along with a $108 per activity fee for each activity sponsored
by the school. The spread in school membership dues and fees this year was from
a low of $850 to a high of $3,500. That is approximately 20% of the Association
Budget. The remainder comes from gate receipts at the state playoff events,
along with revenue from corporate sponsorship, merchandise sales and entry fees
in music, spirit and speech, in all, the Association has an annual budget of
$3.94 million. The annual dues and fees have remained the same for the past five
years.
Association Returns
Over $1.6 Million to Member Schools:
Under Association policies, the organization cannot hold more than 50% of its
budget in reserves, any amount over that 50% figure is returned to the
membership. Over the past eight years, the Association will have returned over
$1.2 million to its membership, including $236,000 for the 2008-2009 school
year, $488,000 for 2007-2008, $346,000 for 2006-2007, $180,000 for 2005-2006,
$185,000 for 2004-2005, $52,000 for school year 2002-2003, $82,000 for school
year 2001-2002 and $267,000 for school year 2000-2001. Over the last 12 years,
the amount returned to schools is over $1.6 million. Additionally, the
Association reimburses nearly $275,000 in travel expenses to schools in the
football, baseball, basketball, wrestling and softball playoffs each year.
CU Study Reinforces
Benefits of High School Activities: A 1992 Study conducted by CU professor Dr. Kevin McCarthy
showed that the average activities participant's grade point average was 2.96
compared to the non-participant's 2.35. The study further concluded that student
participants missed less school and scored significantly higher on the
standardized tests. Further, his study showed that regardless of gender,
ethnicity or socio-economic class, students who participated in interscholastic
activities performed better in the classroom.
McCarthy's
Jefferson
County
Study Reinforces Earlier Findings:
On September 27, 1999. Dr. McCarthy released a study he conducted for
Jefferson
County
and its 16 high schools. In that study, he found that student participants in
Jefferson
County
had an average grade point average of 3.093 compared to the 2,444 of
non-participants. This study shows with startling clarity that no matter the
students' gender, ethnicity or income level, students involved with
interscholastic activities had higher grades and missed school less often.
Membership of CHSAA
Executive Committee (leagues Represented) [term expires]:
District 1 (Mountain, Western Slope): Andy Johnson, Athletic Director
(
SoRoCo
High School
) [2010]
District 2 (Centennial, Northern): Harry Bull, Administrator (
Cherry
Creek
School District
) [2012]
District 3 (High Plains, Lower Platte, Mile High, North Central,
Patriot, Union Pacific, YWKC): Dennis Tjaden, Athletic Director (
Julesburg
High School
) [2011]
District 4 (
Jefferson
County
, Skyline): Joe Shehan, Athletic Director (
Skyview
High School
) [2013]
District 5 (
Denver
, Metropolitan No. Front Range): Dick Katte, Coach (
Denver
Christian
High School
) [2010]
District 6 (Continental,
Front Range
, 5280): Dave Callan, District Athletic Director (Douglas County Schools) [2012]
District 7 (Black Forest,
Colorado Springs
Metro, Southern, Tri-Peaks, West Central): Shelli Miles, Athletic Director (
Widefield
High School
) [2011] CHSAA President [2009-2010]
District 8 (Fisher’s Peak, Intermountain,
San Juan
, Southern Peaks, Southwestern): Steve Strong, Superintendent (Dove Creek
Schools) [2010]
District 9 (
Arkansas
Valley
,
Santa Fe
, South Central, Southeastern): Carl Lindauer, Athletic Director (Las
Animas
High School
) [2012]
Colorado
Association of School
Boards: Tom Sifers
(
East
Grand
School District
) [2012]
Colorado
Association of School
Executives: Kevin
Aten, Principal (
Mountain View
High School
) [2011]
Colorado
Association of School
Executives: Randy
Miller, Superintendent (Eaton Schools) [2013]
Colorado Department of Education:
John Condie, Colorado Department of Education [2011]
Colorado
State
Assembly:
Nancy Todd, Aurora (State Representative) [2010]
CHSAA Office
Administrative Staff (Staff Assistant) [Key Assignments]:
Commissioner: Bill Reader (Patty Sonnleitner, Donna Welch) [Executive
Committee, Board of Control, Personnel, Budget, CLOC, Legislature,
Superintendents Council,
Colorado
Association of School Boards Liaison, Handbook, Waivers.]
Associate Commissioner:
Paul Angelico
(
Kim Rose
) [Gymnastics, Tennis, Lacrosse, Speech, Skiing, Merchandise Sales, Foreign
Waivers, Directory, Sanctioned Events, Tournament, Playoff and Finance, Coaching
Registration]
Assistant Commissioner: Bert Borgmann (
Lisa Cunningham Austin
) [Baseball, Basketball, Softball, B. Soccer, Media Relations, Legislature,
Programs and Publications, Hall of Fame, Foundation, Records/Championship
Results]
Assistant Commissioner: Rhonda Blanford-Green (
Jane Boudreau
, Audra Peterson) [Cross Country, Spirit, Ice Hockey, Track and Field, Equity,
Title IX Compliance, Corporate Relations, Recognition Programs, Office Manager]
Assistant Commissioner:
Tom Robinson
(Monica Tillman) [Golf, Officials, Sporting Behavior, Officials’ Fees]
Assistant Commissioner: Bethany Schott (
Michele Sobczyk
) [Volleyball, Field Hockey, Music, Swimming, Cooperative Programs,
Competitors’ Brochure, Participation Survey]
Assistant Commissioner: Harry Waterman (
Sharon Aguilar
) [Football, Wrestling Student Leadership, G. Soccer, Playoff Site Confirmation,
Trophies/Awards, CADA Liaison]
Interscholastic
Activities Sanctioned by the CHSAA: Music, Speech, Student Leadership, Boys and Girls Cross
Country, Girls Field Hockey, Football, Boys and Girls Golf, Girls Gymnastics,
Boys and Girls Soccer, Girls Softball, Spirit, Boys and Girls Tennis, Girls
Volleyball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boys and Girls Skiing,
Wrestling, Baseball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Boys and Girls Swimming, Boys and
Girls Track and Field.
Foundation for
Colorado
High School
Student Activities: The FCHSA exists to
recognize the intrinsic value of school activities by providing financial
support. Its goals are three-fold: 1) To preserve and
create opportunities for the students involved in Colorado High School
Activities Association programs; 2) To
provide a vehicle for Coloradans to become actively involved in supporting
quality programs which instill lifelong values in their young citizens; 3) To
insure that the CHSAA can continue to provide quality programs and services to
its membership. The FCHSA donated $5,000 to the National Student Council
Conference held at
Highlands
Ranch
High School
in June 2009 for its first major grant.
