Board of Directors Meeting Release, Dec. 1, 2022
Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2022 - 12:12 PM
Minnesota State High School League
Board of Directors Meeting Release
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. --- A path for the adoption of new interscholastic activities or sports through an emerging status process was approved today by the Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors during their bimonthly meeting at the League Office. The Adoption of Programs Task Force, called by the League’s Board of Directors at its June 7, 2022, meeting, brought the proposal which provides a clear process by which activities or sports may be added to the League. In applying the new board policy, the Board also approved Boys Volleyball as an emerging sport for the 2023-2024 school year.
During the past five months, the task force studied options and created a process that includes defined metrics and other characteristics that member schools may use in proposing an activity or sport for inclusion into the League’s programming. One major requirement is that the proposed activity or sport must be seeking full governance as an interscholastic activity or sport and have demonstrated consistent participation by member schools. This process previously did not exist.
When approved by the Board, an activity or sport would enter the League with emerging status and upon reaching defined criteria would move toward fully sanctioned, interscholastic competition upon approval of the League’s Representative Assembly.
“The Board is grateful for the hard work and vision of the Adoption of Programs Task Force,” said Board President Troy Stein, the activities director at Edina High School. “Their work, with the support of the Board, creates a clear, concise path for emerging sports or activities to find a way to potentially be a part of League programming.”
In related action, the Board of Directors approved classifying Boys Volleyball as an emerging sport beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. In approving Boys Volleyball for emerging status in 2023-2024, the Board of Directors cited the established MN Boys Volleyball Association, the work that has already been put into the upcoming spring season and the growing number of competing teams. During the 2023-2024 school year, Boys Volleyball would be in emerging status, in which, the League will work collaboratively with the MN Boys Volleyball Association in offering boys volleyball.
Additionally, the Board amended the current Representative Assembly Boys Volleyball bylaw proposal to add boys volleyball, by adding a defined implementation year of 2024-2025. The motion also supported forwarding this proposal directly to the Representative Assembly for consideration at its annual meeting in May 2023 with a recommendation to approve full interscholastic status.
In other action, the Board of Directors affirmed an Executive Committee approval to hold the four-game baseball Prep Championship Series at CHS Field in St. Paul on Friday, June 16. The weather date will be Saturday, June 17. The venue change was necessitated because of an extended Minnesota Twins homestand at Target Field, the longtime host of the event.
“The Minnesota Twins have been longtime partners and great supporters of high school baseball, and we have full intentions of returning to Target Field in 2024 if the Major League schedule allows,” Martens said. “The Twins and League staff considered several potential scenarios for the current year; however, in the end we see this as the best scenario for the Baseball State Championship games. We look forward to a continued strong partnership with the Twins.”
The Board of Directors also approved a date change for the Speech State Tournament to April 28-29. The adjustment was made based on the date of the observance of the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
