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| Alabama High School Athletic Association | |
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| Abbreviation | AHSAA |
| Formation | 1921 |
| Legal status | Association |
| Purpose/focus | Athletic/Educational |
| Headquarters | 7325 Halcyon Summit Dr. Montgomery, AL 36117 |
| Region served | Alabama |
| Membership | 401 senior high schools; 287 junior high schools |
| Official languages | English |
| Executive Director | Steve Savarese |
| Affiliations | National Federation of State High School Associations |
| Staff | 13 |
| Website | ahsaa.com |
| Remarks | (334) 263-6994 |
The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) was founded in 1921, is a private agency organized by its member schools to control and promote their athletic programs. Based in Montgomery, major aims of the AHSAA are to serve the needs of its member schools in conducting their interscholastic athletic programs and to assist member schools in reaching the educational objectives as established by their school systems.
The AHSAA, providing a vehicle which member schools may write their own rules and regulations, determines that schools are abiding by those standards in such areas as student eligibility, contests and championship programs.
Another basic function of the AHSAA is the registration, training and regulation of officials. Only officials registered with the Association are used for contests involving member schools.
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Legislative body
The rules-making body of the AHSAA is the Legislative Council, composed of eight district boards made up of four members each elected by member schools in each district. The 32-member Council has the authority to make changes in the constitution and by-laws.
The executive board with the final authority in AHSAA matters is the Central Board of Control, consisting of one member of each district board, one board member from each of the four bi-districts, and one representative from the State Department of Education.
The operation of the AHSAA is the responsibility of Steve Savarese and his staff. Savarese replaced Dan Washburn, who was the third full-time executive director, in July 2007. Wasburn had served since 1991, after the retirement of Herman L. (Bubba) Scott, who had served since 1966. The late Cliff Harper became the first AHSAA head in 1948, with the establishment of a state office in Montgomery. Prior to that, Sellers Stough of Birmingham had served as director on a part-time basis.
Classification
The AHSAA classifies member schools in one of six classifications by enrollment—1A through 6A—with 6A containing the schools with the largest enrollment. Enrollment is based only on the number of students in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades and any ninth grade students who have passed ninth grade but are retained in that grade, as determined by the Alabama State Department of Education average daily membership counts. Classification for private school members is likewise based on enrollment, but unlike public school members, the private school enrollment is multiplied by a factor of 1.35 for classification purposes.[1] The sports of baseball, basketball, football, softball, volleyball, and track and field have competition in all six classes, with other sports combining some classes. Men's golf and cross country have five classes (1A-2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A); men's and women's tennis (1A-3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) have four classes; indoor track, wrestling, and men's and women's soccer have three classes (1A-4A, 5A, 6A); and women's golf and men's and women's swimming and diving have only one classification (1A-6A). For the 2006-2008 classification cycle, enrollment figures (10th-12th grade) for each classification are as follows:
- 6A - 700-1751 (63 schools)
- 5A - 399-699 (65 schools)
- 4A - 288-398 (65 schools)
- 3A - 213-287 (70 schools)
- 2A - 148-212 (67 schools)
- 1A - 0 - 147 (82 schools)
History and mission statement
The purpose of the AHSAA is to regulate, coordinate and promote the interscholastic athletic programs among its member schools, which include public, private and parochial institutions. Currently, there are 401 senior high members and 287 junior high and middle school members with more than 75,000 students participating in the program.
The AHSAA joined the National Federation of State High School Associations in 1924. The National Federation, both a service and regulatory organization controlling interstate athletic events, helps the 50 state association members secure the benefits of cooperative action through the pooling and coordinating of ideals of all who are engaged in the administration of high school athletes.
The AHSAA merged with the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association in 1968, forming one high school athletic association for the State of Alabama in accordance with a court order relating to athletics. The AIAA had previously governed athletics at segregated African-American schools.
The AHSAA sponsors state championships programs in 10 boys and 10 girls sports. Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Football, Cross Country, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling. It formerly sponsored a championship program in Indoor Track, but that program was suspended in the 2007-08 school year.
While the AHSAA is the primary sanctioning organization for high school sports in Alabama (and the only one allowed for public schools), it is not the only such organization. The Alabama Independent School Association sanctions athletics for approximately 60 private schools throughout the state. Other smaller organizations, such as the Alabama Christian Sports Conference and the Alabama Christian Athletic and Academic Association, sanction sports from smaller Christian schools and home schools, particularly in eight-man football.
Important dates
- 1921 — AHSAA organized
- 1924 — Joined National Federation on Feb. 28
- 1925 — First state basketball tournament
- 1948 — State office established in Montgomery
- 1948 — Expanded to two classes for competition
- 1964 — Expanded to four classes for competition
- 1966 — First state football playoff
- 1968 — Merger with AIAA on July 1
- 1974 — Start of area and region play
- 1980 — Moved to new state office building in June
- 1985 — Expanded to six classes for competition
- 1991 — First Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame induction on March 23.
- 1994 — First basketball state finals
- 1996 — First Super 6 football state finals
- 2001 — First baseball state finals
Championship locations
The AHSAA sponsors state championship events in various locations across the state of Alabama. Currently, championships are held in the following locations:
- Football - Starting in 2009, the Super 6 will alternate between Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.
- Basketball - Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Arena, Birmingham
- Baseball - Paterson Field & Riverwalk Stadium, Montgomery
- Cross Country - Oakville Indian Mounds, Lawrence County
- Softball - Lagoon Park, Montgomery
- Soccer - John Hunt Park, Huntsville
- Swimming - University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Tennis - Decatur, Mobile, and Montgomery
- Track and Field - Troy and Gulf Shores
- Volleyball - Pelham Civic Center, Pelham
- Wrestling - Von Braun Center, Huntsville
- Cheerleading - Wallace State Community College, Hanceville
See also
External links
References
- ^ Andrew Carroll, Tuscaloosa News "Welcome to the Neighborhood", August 25, 2006.
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