News

New IHSAA Student Advisory Committee Announced
Eighteen high school student-athletes from across Indiana will begin the school year as members of the 2013-14 IHSAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC).

The SAC represents the entire IHSAA membership of 412 schools, and its structure reflects that of the IHSAA Board of Directors in terms of classification and districts as well as female, urban schools and minority representation.

Each year, the IHSAA receives nominations from school principals on behalf of student-athletes from IHSAA member schools. From that group of this year’s nominations, 23 were selected for interviews by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee, Executive Staff and returning members of the SAC. From those 23 interviews, nine juniors were invited to join the group of nine seniors serving their second year.

Among the returning seniors are Hayley Betz of Evansville Harrison and Nathan Criss of South Putnam High School who were elected as president and vice-president, respectively, by their peers for the school year.

Individuals who will serve as part of this year’s committee include:

The IHSAA began sponsoring the Student Advisory Committee in 2001-02 to give the group of student-athletes hands-on experience and a voice to the IHSAA staff.

The SAC meets four times annually – twice each semester – and is responsible for hosting meetings with student peers at the upcoming Fall Area Principals Meetings; assisting with the awards ceremonies at IHSAA state championship events throughout the school year, planning and administering the annual IHSAA Student Leadership Conference in June and; to engage in and support the activities of Special Olympics Indiana, a partnership announced last December.

Other SAC functions include the development of an IHSAA Captain’s Handbook which will be distributed to member schools this fall as well as assisting in the creation of multiple public service announcements addressing good sporting behavior which will be utilized during 2013-14 state championships events.

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Three New Schools Approved for IHSAA Membership
Three schools were approved for initial probationary membership by the IHSAA Executive Committee during today’s first meeting of the 2013-14 school year.

Applications were approved from Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter, Providence Cristo Rey of Indianapolis and Smith Academy for Excellence in Fort Wayne. 

Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter has 155 students enrolled in four grades, Providence Cristo Rey enrolls 200 students in four grades while Smith Academy for Excellence, an all-boys school, will have 33 students in grades 9 and 10 this year, with the intent of adding a new class each year.

Students at each school will be able to compete in regular season events immediately but, by IHSAA rule, won’t be eligible to participate in state tournament series competition for four years (2017-18).

Each school will enter a four-year probationary membership period during which it will be required to meet a number of criteria in order to gain full membership. Among the criteria are adhering to all IHSAA rules and regulations, maintaining at least one team and program for each gender in each season (fall, winter and spring), attending the IHSAA New School Orientation and attending all seasonal meetings and educational opportunities for the principal and athletic director. In addition, each school will be monitored for compliance by an IHSAA assistant commissioner who has been assigned to mentor the school’s administrators during the first two years of probationary membership.

At the end of the four-year period (June 2017), the IHSAA Executive Committee will review the school’s overall compliance and vote to determine whether the school will gain full membership.

The three new additions combined with the closure of West Gary Lighthouse Charter in northwest Indiana brings the IHSAA membership total to 412 schools for 2013-14.

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About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)
Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 412 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.