SASKATCHEWAN HIGH SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER SHSAA EXECUTIVE 2019 - 2020 Contents PRESIDENT: Jeff Kitts, Moose Jaw Executive Director's Report ...... ............................... .... 2 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: Executive and District Presidents’ Meetings ........... 3 Val Gordon, Eastend Al Wandler, Assiniboia Sport Advisory Groups ............................................... 4 Ryan Fowler, Weyburn Nathan Noble, Meath Park Darren Nordell, Edam CIAAA............................................................................ 5 Dave Earl, Saskatoon Kelly Adams, Regina Reminders .................................................................... 6 Angela Mallory, Regina Graham Comfort, Nipawin SHSAA Coaches Card (2019 - 2021) ................... .... 7 Cathy Morrow, Outlook Vicki Moore, Sun West SD 2020 REGIONAL & PROVINCIAL CURLING ................. .... 8 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: 2020 REGIONAL WRESTLING ...... ............................... .... 10 Lyle McKellar ASSISTANT 2020 PROVINCIAL WRESTLING ... ............................... .... 11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Dave Sandomirsky 2020 CONFERENCE & REGIONAL BASKETBALL ........ .... 12 EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS: HOOPLA 2020 ........................ ............................ .... 16 Jessica Blair Stefanie Lewis 2020 REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL BADMINTON ......... .... 17 SHSAA OFFICE 2020 PROVINCIAL TRACK & FIELD ........................... .... 18 #1 - 575 Park Street REGINA SK S4N 5B2 Tel: (306) 721-2151 2020 YOUTH OFFICIALS CONFERENCE (YOC) ......... .... 19 Fax: (306) 721-2659 E-Mail: [email protected] 2020 SUMMER COACHES SYMPOSIUM .................... .... 20 Web Site: www.shsaa.ca 2019 FALL ACTIVITY RESULTS .... ............................... .... 21 SHSAA MISSION STATEMENT “The purpose of the SHSAA Is to foster educational opportunities for all students through interschool sport.” January 2020 Page 1 www.shsaa.ca SASKATCHEWAN HIGH SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION Executive Director's Report Hello 2020, the start of a new decade. The SHSAA office staff wishes each of you a very Happy New Year. The next six months are bound to be filled with exciting competition and opportunities for educational athletics to complete the learning experiences of student athletes. We look forward to working with you to make those opportunities exist. Our schools are filled with tremendous volunteers that know the importance of becoming involved in your students’ learning opportunities outside of the regular classroom. Success in the classroom, for both student and staff, can be enhanced by building positive relationships through sharing school sport experiences. Share the news with your colleagues; no one has to be an expert as each contribution in providing educational athletics is important. This past fall was filled with great excitement as provincial champions were crowned. Our championships are a showcase of the outstanding work that is done every day throughout the season by our coaches in helping student athletes fill their potential. This fall was also the first round of championships contested under the new classification system which classifies schools the same way in each activity by total school enrolment. The classification system will continue to be reviewed and possibly tweaked as we work toward building on the many positives that were seen through the fall activities and improving some the perceived weaknesses of the new system. • The fall started with Estevan hosting the provincial golf championship for the second time in three years. This was the first year of the new championship format and by all accounts it was well received despite removing the school team competition for the time being. Although the weather was not spectacular, it certainly was better than the snow that was endured the previous year. We look forward to next year’s championship at Kenosee Lake. • Cross Country was held Thanksgiving weekend which always provides a new set of challenges for the host school and community. The North Central District did an outstanding job of hosting the championship. Commissioner Tim Strom had a full complement of volunteers in place and being able to utilize Carlton Comprehensive as the base location for the championship proved to be an excellent choice. As always there were many of our student athletes that were able to achieve personal best results in this competitive setting and once again the outstanding work of our volunteer coaches needs to be acknowledged in this process. • Soccer proved to be interesting as the provincial championship weekend showed classic fall Saskatchewan weather (if you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes and it is bound to change). After playing in bright sunshine on Friday, many of the championships were left out in the cold by a late October blizzard. In true Saskatchewan fashion, the student athletes and host sites persevered to produce an exciting final day of soccer. • The weather for the provincial football playoffs also tested the resolve of host sites, teams, and officials. The crowds at the provincial championship games is a testament that Saskatchewan is certainly the heartbeat of football in Canada and so much of that can be attributed to the grassroots work done in our high schools. • The Executive and office staff that attended the 10 provincial volleyball championships all came back with stories of tremendous parity, great competition, and outstanding work by the host sites. Hosting these championships are a major undertaking and we would like to thank our host sites and officials. Once again this fall, SHSAA student athletes were provided with poppy stickers to wear during competition in the time leading up to Remembrance Day. It is a wonderful partnership that has been developed with the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Branch. Thank you to Executive Director, Chad Wagner, and the various branches around the province for their recognition of Saskatchewan student-athletes. School Sport Week in October allowed members of SHSAA to acknowledge the impact of school sport in Saskatchewan. Over 30,000 student participations occur annually in school sport in Saskatchewan and it is nice to have this week of celebration recognized and proclaimed by the Provincial Government. It’s also special to see our MLA’s taking pride in the schools and communities of their constituencies (https://www.facebook.com/kenfrancisforsaskpartycandidate/videos/2525566464394528/). January 2020 Page 2 www.shsaa.ca SASKATCHEWAN HIGH SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION There is also great work being done on the national level for school sport. As School Sport Canada continues to seek formal acknowledgement from Sport Canada, national initiatives including a partnership with the Coaches Association of Canada will see a streamlined approach to on-line coach education. By September 2020, schoolcoach.ca will no longer house our on-line coach education but rather it will be found in the CAC Locker. This provides a one stop shop for individuals looking for personal growth in the area of coaching. SHSAA will move to recognizing CAC Making Headway as the concussion awareness training required for SHSAA coaches. In addition, there will be a new Fundamentals of Coaching course that will be shorter and less expensive than the current course offered through schoolcoach.ca. You will have read previously in this column about the work of Martin Camiré. Dr. Camiré is a professor at the University of Ottawa that has partnered with School Sport Canada for the past 7 years in developing on-line coach education tools and is now conducting a longitudinal study on what will hopefully show the positive correlation between mental wellness and involvement in school sport. Earlier in the fall, information was distributed about the study and all school divisions in Saskatchewan were contacted. I encourage you as coaches, athletic directors, and school administrators to make your students aware of the opportunity to be involved in the study being conducted by Dr. Camiré and his team. https://www.shsaa.ca/news_article/show/1055888 There was some sadness this fall as the Association was made aware of the passing of three Merit Award winners: Bob Adams (President 1954-55, Merit Award1962), Verne Morrison (President 1967, Merit Award 1970), and Kelly Bowers (Executive 2001-03, Merit Award 2007). All three of these gentlemen leave considerable legacies to SHSAA. Our thoughts remain with their families, friends, and colleagues. For more information on these influential individuals please see the following link which provides a brief summary of their citations for the Award of Merit. https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/bc93-1599772/Merit_History_updated_June_2019.pdf As we look ahead to the winter and spring activities of SHSAA we say thank you to our hosts to be (Wrestling – Saskatoon; Curling – Meadow Lake, Spiritwood, and Allan; HOOPLA 2020 – Regina; Badminton – Nipawin; Track & Field – Yorkton). Let’s not forget the group of individuals that provide service to SHSAA as officials. Our officials allow our students a chance to participate and allow coaches the opportunity to coach and educate. It is imperative that we continue to educate about the importance of officials and discourage the behaviour of those coaches and supporters who are influenced by the glamour and glitz of college and professional sport. Good luck to all participants. We look forward to outstanding displays of athleticism and sportsmanship. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to commend