08/27/15 – Triennial Survey Results Highlight Dance For Potential Future KHSAA Sponsorship

August 27, 2015 2015-2016 News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2015

During Monday’s Board of Control meeting at the Owensboro Convention Center, KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett presented the results from the Association’s triennial survey of the membership, conducted earlier this summer, the results of which designated Dance as the one sport or sport-activity to receive enough interest to be considered for future adoption.

The Board directed staff to return at the November meeting with a report on the necessary steps for implementing a championship in Dance in the future, including a complete fiscal analysis of the impact to the KHSAA and all member schools and its impact on other programs, along with an update on the addition of Rifle Marksmanship, which was previously approved by the Board.

“It is so vitally important that our member schools have this regular opportunity to evaluate options for championship play and provide this input. With our emphasis on opportunities for ALL students, not simply the outstanding athletically gifted, and in particular, our need to continue to highlight and potentially expand female championship opportunities, this instrument is invaluable,” said Tackett.

“We will take these results and provide our Board the best possible information to make a decision that balances the needs and wants of the member schools with the real world cost impacts to both our members and the Association, and will continue to keep our eye on new and emerging opportunities for student involvement in sports and sport-activities. We are at such a critical time when the age old question of ‘can we afford it’ has to always be tempered with the response ‘can we afford not to’ due to the overwhelming evidence that students involved in school based sports and sport-activities perform at a significantly higher level in the classroom. I am very thankful that 260 of our 277 member schools took the time to respond to the needed information.”

Several sports and activities had a percentage of schools respond in favor of a championship being conducted, but none with enough schools in favor to allow the Board to consider the addition of a championship. Per Board of Control policy, in order for the KHSAA to begin discussions concerning the possible sponsoring of a state championship in a new sport or sport-activity, there shall be at least fifty (50) member schools desiring to participate by showing a favorable response on the interest survey, and the sport having currently participating schools in at least three basketball regions. The only exception is in those limited cases where a new sport or sport-activity would help the membership with its obligations with respect to Title IX.

Dance received the most support with 50 schools showing interest in competing immediately in a postseason championship and 12 other schools showing regular season-only interest. Rifle Marksmanship (which had already been approved in the last Triennial Survey) had 40 schools (boys) and 39 (girls) desiring immediate entry into postseason competition, and another 11 (boys) and 10 (girls) wanting a team in regular season-only. Among the sports or sport-activities that fell short of the minimum requirement to desire a postseason championship were boys’ (31) and girls’ (29) Lacrosse, and Trapshooting (35) – which was promoted to the membership as a possible championship per 2014 HCR 11. An opportunity to continue the KHSAA’s push for greater inclusion for all student-athletes was evident with adapted Bowling receiving support from 43 schools for either postseason or regular season play.

The complete results from the Triennial Survey can be found at this link:
https://portal.ksba.org/public/Meeting.aspx?PublicAgencyID=4374&PublicMeetingID=14347&AgencyTypeID=1

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 277 member schools both public and private. The KHSAA sanctions 43 state championships in 13 sports and 4 sport-activities, licenses and trains over 4,000 officials, provides catastrophic insurance for its more than 70,000 member school student-athletes, as well as overseeing coaching education and sports safety programs.