March, 2020
03/30/20- Status of KHSAA Sponsored Events and Deadlines
Updated: 3/31/20, 8:00 a.m.
This information is solely a summary of KHSAA events. Other specific information concerning options including the required Coronavirus Shutdown Period is listed elsewhere on the KHSAA website at https://khsaa.org/athletic-dead-period-instituted-for-athletic-programs-in-all-sports-and-sport-activities/. This list will be continually updated and potentially revised.
- Tryout Period for Sport-Activities, including Cheer and Dance has been postponed. See the post at https://khsaa.org/03-19-20-spring-sport-activity-tryout-window-postponed-for-now/ for details.
- All opportunities at KHSAA member schools and Kentucky middle schools for spring football practice have been eliminated for 2020. See the post at https://khsaa.org/spring-football-practice-eliminated-for-2020-for-high-and-middle-schools/ for details;
- No final determination has been made regarding annual Title IX and roster reporting for 2019-20. Member schools will be updated if and when this is revised.
- 2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen (originally March 11-15) remains currently suspended. Will be continually reviewed as more data is available regarding school resumption or cessation, and activities being conducted in alignment with CDC and state and local […]
Remembering Bourbon County Coach Russ Day
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 30, 2020)
Russ Day, who coached Bourbon County boys’ basketball for 25 years and led the Colonels through a Magical March in 1984 that culminated in the Sweet Sixteen finals, died Monday from natural causes. He was 85.
Day, whose upbeat demeanor made him a delight to be around, won more than 400 games on the high school and college levels. Besides Bourbon County, his coaching stops included Lafayette and MMI, Somerset Community College, and Cumberland College in Tennessee.
He headed the Bourbon County program from 1972 to 1996, and the school’s gymnasium now bears his name.
He guided the Colonels to two 10th Region titles. The first was in 1980 when they lost in the first round of the state tournament to eventual champion Owensboro.
Day led Bourbon County back to the Sweet Sixteen in 1984, and thanks to a series of late-game heroics by Jeff Royce that had Rupp […]
03/25/20 – Officiating Courses Available for Free Through July 1 on the NFHS Learning Center
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (March 25, 2020) — Current high school sports officials, as well as individuals interested in joining the officiating ranks, will be able to access online education courses on the NFHS Learning Center for free through July 1.
Since many individuals are at home for an indefinite period of time due to the current worldwide health crisis, the NFHS has decided to make its 11 sports officiating courses available for free on the Learning Center at www.NFHSLearn.com.
“Everyone is looking for positive things to do at home during this difficult period of time, so we thought it would be a good opportunity for officials to take courses on the Learning Center to brush up on their skills,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director. “As a means of encouraging more people to take advantage of this time at home, the NFHS is offering officiating courses for free until July 1.
“In addition to […]
03/23/20 – NFHS Part 2 Exam Now Online for Baseball & Softball Umpires
The NFHS Part 2 Tests for licensed officials in the sports of Baseball and Softball are now available online. Even during what we hope is a short time, while there are currently no games being played, officials may use this tool to increase their knowledge, brush up on the rules and situations or complete the exam to move to the various levels within the classification of officials.
First-year officials are not required to take the exam, however, if any first-year official has completed licensing requirements, the test may be taken.
The tests will be open until Monday, April 6 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). Login at https://officials.khsaa.org/authorize/ to take the test.
Thank you for being a licensed official and we appreciate your patience during such unprecedented times.
– KHSAA –
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage […]
03/19/20 – Sweet 16® Apparel Available
TeamIP, the exclusive vendor of KHSAA championship apparel, wanted to share the web link from their online store for those interested in commemorative items from this year’s events. Apparel from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet 16®, which includes the rosters for the 16 qualifying teams on the back, is available for purchase. Please feel free to share the link below with your teams, parents, fans, etc.
The official link is https://khsaa.teamip.com/ which will take you to the homepage for KHSAA events. The menu on the left-hand side shows all championship apparel currently available, which does include items for both Sweet 16® tournaments. Please contact Sarah Bridenbaugh (sbridenbaugh@khsaa.org) should you have any questions pertaining to novelty items.
– 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 […]
03/19/20- Spring Sport-Activity Tryout Window Postponed
The KHSAA was made aware of communication sent to member schools from Varsity Spirit (specifically Universal Cheer Association and Universal Dance Association) about “virtual tryouts”. This notification was not approved by the KHSAA and as a reminder, the Athletic Dead Period that has been instituted for all sports and sport-activities in Kentucky because of the Covid-19 virus would preclude this type of tryout. No matter where held, this would then implicitly or explicitly imply mandatory participation by students and evaluation by coaches.
As previously stated, “all sports and sport-activities, regardless of season, are declared to be in a dead period.” In consultation with the Governor, Public Health Officials and the Kentucky Department of Education, an evaluation will be made for the period going forward.” No tryouts or “virtual tryouts” may take place until further notice.
The information related to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) is ever-evolving, and changes happen quickly. We will inform all stakeholders if there […]
03/18/20- Refund Options, 2020 Girls’ and Boys’ State Basketball Tournaments
Today (March 18) should have been a day of celebration. Newly crowned Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA girls’ state tournament champions and other participants should have been celebrating in their local communities. Downtown Lexington and the entire state should have been abuzz as the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ State Basketball Tournament played its first round. But such was not to be the case. Events totally beyond the control of everyone involved led to the determination that it would not be safe to conduct the remainder of the Mingua Beef Jerky girls’ event or conduct any of the Whitaker Bank boys’ event.
We know that many of you are as disappointed as we are. You had planned for months on the annual celebration of basketball in our Commonwealth. And while the cancelation (Ticketmaster term becessary to permit refunds) represents nothing less than a financial disaster for the Association, finances certainly could not be the determinant in our action steps. […]
03/16/20- Update on KHSAA Office Opening/Closing and Staff Availability
In partnership with our State Department of Education, the Governor’s office, our member schools, the NFHS and similar to many other state associations, KHSAA staff has been directed to work remotely from home until at least April 10 (revised 4/2/20). Administrators will available via email. Our hope is to return to the office for regular hours later in April, however, this is a very fluid situation and could change at any time. Updates will be posted online.
As of now and through at least May 1, all activity by rostered participants, coaches and those who have participated in at least one practice session for a middle or high school remain shut down as do all athletic facilities in control of our membership. As we all work together, everyone is hopeful to contain the spread of this virus. Staff will communicate any changes to future events through social media and the KHSAA website.
Closer to May […]
03/13/20- Spring Football Practice Eliminated for 2020 for High and Middle Schools
This is being distributed to all KHSAA member schools through the Principal, Superintendent, Athletic Director, Designated Representative. This notice also applies to any middle school (any participants grade 5-8 competing in any way with students enrolled in grades 6-8) with a football team in Kentucky. Superintendents are asked to forward this information to all possible middle school representatives to ensure accurate communication.
Effective immediately, the allowances contained in Bylaw 23 for high schools as well as 702 KAR 7:065 for middle schools, that allow for spring football, are hereby eliminated for the 2020 spring period. At all levels, no protective equipment may be issued to players at any time and for any purpose prior to the last academic day of the school year. This includes helmets, shoulder pads, any other player equipment, and all practice equipment such as dummies, pads and other drill gear.
In addition, there is also no allowance for […]
03/12/20- Girls’ and Boys’ State Basketball Tournaments Suspended Indefinitely
Based on additional information and guidance from both the Kentucky Department of Education and the Governor’s office in the last hour, at this time, the girls’ state tournament is postponed indefinitely effective with the conclusion of game five. Next week’s boys’ basketball tournament is also postponed indefinitely. The Association will try and seek options for rescheduling later in the spring if at all possible, but not until after we have received collaborative approval from our Governor’s office, the Commissioner of Public Health and the Kentucky Department of Education.
As has been stated for the last two weeks, the situation with the COVID-19 or Coronavirus is extremely fluid. As announced earlier today, our intention was to attempt to complete this first tournament with restrictions, however, this does not appear to be a wise option at this time and is not in the best interest of the student-athletes and the thousands of individuals who attend these events. […]
Maddie Scherr got early start on journey to basketball stardom
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 12, 2020)
One of the first steps Maddie Scherr took on the road to becoming a basketball star was, of course, a Euro step.
She was just a fourth-grader when she learned the deft offensive move from her older brother Cooper and his buddies.
“I played with him and all his friends in our backyard, and they taught me all the cool stuff, like the Euro step,” Maddie said.
When she played AAU ball as a fifth-grader for the Kentucky Royals, her precocity wasn’t taken for granted. Before games, Royals coach Tricia Macke would have Maddie demonstrate her Euro step to the referees so they wouldn’t mistakenly call traveling.
Rick and Amy Scherr laugh when they recall those early days of their daughter’s basketball career.
When she was still in the fifth grade, they were — ahem — a tad skeptical when she set a few lofty goals: winning a state […]
03/10/20 – Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® Begins Wednesday at Rupp Arena
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2020
The 2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® (March 11-15) gets underway Wednesday afternoon at Rupp Arena when Elizabethtown faces Bullitt East at 12 p.m. Fans can follow all the action through live webcasts at KHSAA.tv or listen to the games online at KHSAA.net. The games will also be carried statewide across 49 stations through the Kentucky Utilities/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen® Radio Network, with the championship game airing locally in Lexington on iHeart Media’s Rewind 105.5 FM.
All 15 games of the Girls’ Sweet 16® will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network (https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/), with subscription plans available for $10.99 a month. A monthly subscription, priced less than the cost of admission to a state championship event, entitles users to every broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 45 participating state associations. Viewers who subscribe for the Girls’ Sweet 16® will […]
03/09/20 – Tim Couch Selected To 2020 Class of NFHS National High School Hall of Fame
Seven Former Standout High School Athletes Headline 2020 Class of National High School Hall of Fame
Matt Holliday, Alex English, Dave Logan, Tim Couch, Maicel (Malone) Green, Karyn Bye Dietz, Michele Smith Slated for Induction
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (March 9, 2020) – Seven outstanding former high school athletes highlight the 2020 class of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame, including three who went on to earn gold medals in the Olympics and four others who excelled in professional football, basketball and baseball.
Joining the seven former athletes in this year’s class are three highly successful high school coaches, one former state association administrator and one speech and debate coach in the performing arts area. The 12 honorees will be inducted July 1 at the 38th induction ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame, which will be held at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Denver, Colorado.
[…]03/08/20- Statement on Ongoing KHSAA Activities and the COVID-19 (Corona) Virus
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) is aware and continues to monitor the issues with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We are keenly aware of the recently declared emergency status and the primary purpose for which those declarations were made, to enable and expedite federal assistance with state and local efforts. We will review any new developments and listen to medical experts as they advise not only the KHSAA but our Commonwealth and country on alternative next steps. We will work with our member schools and our host facilities to take every precaution to ensure a healthy and safe environment for everyone involved.
The last 96 hours have been particularly intense and nearly 24/7 for myself as Commissioner as well as others in communication with our office, with a continual review of information and advisories. We will continue to rely heavily on the information from the CDC and state and local health representatives while monitoring all available […]
2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® Worker Assignments and Information
First, let me apologize for the lateness of this precise information. At least one of our staff has talked to each one of you over the last couple of weeks to confirm things, but these last few days have been consumed nearly the entirety of each day with “what ifs” about the upcoming tournaments and the COVID-19 (Corona Virus). At the bottom of this note, you will see the information we shared with our qualifying schools this afternoon. That is genuinely all we know at this time. – Julian
The detailed information below should answer any questions you have, but as always, feel free to reach out for anything else. Below is a complete list of workers for this week’s tournaments, housing information, and other details just in case you need phone numbers. Before the event, if you have questions about logistics, addresses, and phone, signing in and payment vouchers, etc., contact Dan White at […]
03/05/20- Upcoming traffic changes on Upper Street and Avenue of Champions
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2020) – Lexington visitors and commuters will notice traffic changes in the University of Kentucky area soon. Avenue of Champions, from South Limestone to Lexington Avenue, will be restricted to one-way traffic beginning Monday, March 9. The intersection of South Upper and Winslow streets will be closed starting at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13, through the weekend. These temporary changes are needed to facilitate sewer line construction.
Starting March 9, Avenue of Champions will be one-way westbound (toward Limestone), beginning at Lexington Avenue. The car and bike lane on the south (Gatton Student Center) side of Avenue of Champions will be fenced off, and closed for sewer construction. Traffic from Limestone will not be able to turn right onto Avenue of Champions, and must use Maxwell Street as a detour.
See map of detour to Fayette Mall area from downtown (both events)
[…]04/06/20 – Postseason Tennis Information
Information and instructions for the 2020 Regional Tennis Tournaments have been posted online and can be accessed by going to the Tennis page of the KHSAA website Tennis Page
All coaches and competing schools should take the time to read these items carefully, even veteran coaches, to ensure that you are aware of all KHSAA rules and regulations regarding these tournaments.
Best of luck to all competitors for the remainder of the season. Check the blog on the Tennis page for further updates as we get closer to the Regional Tournaments and the State Tennis Championships.
– KHSAA –
The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/
03/03/20 – SAFETY NOTICE – Bat Decertified and Ruled Non-Compliant for NFHS Rules; NOCSAE Ball Reminder, Middle School Play
Louisville Slugger Meta 33″ Bat Not legal
The KHSAA received notification Monday afternoon from the NFHS that the Washington State University Sports Science Laboratory has advised that the BBCOR decertification review process had been implemented for the 33” model Louisville Slugger Meta Composite bat.
Therefore, effective immediately, this bat (33″ length Louisville Slugger Meta composite bat – 2020 Blue Bat) should be considered a non-compliant bat Pursuant to NFHS Baseball Rules 1-3-2d and 7-4-1a and not legal for play at any level until further notice.
NOCSAE Ball Certification and Middle School Contests
Also, we have received questions from coaches and umpires following the blog post advising of the NFHS rule requiring NOCSAE approved baseballs (Click Here to Read that Original post).
Questions are being received concerning middle school play and the requirement. Please be advised while the NFHS rules address high school play, these are safety-related concerns and administrators and coaches at […]
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