CHSAA approves slight change to Sunday contact rules

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

DENVER – e Colorado High School Activities Association changed the rules for Sunday contact between coaches and studentathletes Jan. 24.

e association’s legislative council, the decision-making arm for CHSAA, voted to keep the Sunday no-contact rule in place during a team’s season, de ned as the start of o cial practice through the state tournament.

e original rule was in place during a given school year. e switch allows high-school coaches to be in touch with their athletes during club-level contests but only after their seasons end.

Sta notes said many high-school coaches are coaching club sports where a lot of their players – and others – play Sundays. In addition, athletes and coaches can be in the same place when college coaches are in attendance and potential scholarships are in the discussion.

Brendan Carlucci, the athletic director for Poudre Schools in Fort Collins, said the state needs more quality coaches.

“We’ll be on the verge of hiring someone, but then they say they aren’t willing to give up coaching six Sunday tournaments,” he told the council. “We are putting less talented coaches in front of kids. Our student-athletes deserve the very best.”

“We need to get the most quali ed coaches in front of our kids,” added Lakewood’s athletic director, Mike Hughes. ere were no dissenting comments, nor were there any dissenting thoughts in CHSAA’s sta notes.

“ is doesn’t lead to Sunday games,” Carlucci told the council. “We need to put the very best coaches in front of our kids. is is hampering us.” e new rule takes e ect July 1. ere is no expected nancial impact.

Soccer overtime e council also turned down a request to eliminate overtime periods in regular-season soccer matches. It needed a two-thirds vote to pass, and 81 percent of those casting ballots voted no.

Arrupe Jesuit High School’s assistant principal for student services, unite around that shared responsibility.”

CSHAA’s o cials’ fee committee will take another look at the pay scale in three to four years. Chairman Eric Johnson, the athletic director at Windsor High School, said the time frame was about the same for other states when they discuss pay rates for game o cials.

“It’s the rst step of an ongoing process,” Krueger said. “We aren’t competing with club teams for ofcials’ pay. It helps get us to where we need to be but it doesn’t put us so far ahead that we put a strain on the budget numbers.”

Treatment of o cials e council also agreed to amend CHSAA bylaws to include a piece on intimidation of or physical threats to game o cials.

Sta notes de ned game o cials as referees, judges, umpires, linesmen and those serving in similar capacities. e agenda de ned an