With the summer months approaching and a new crop of student-athletes entering high school in August, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon the topic of hazing in high school sports. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) defines hazing as humiliating or dangerous activity required of a student to belong to a group, regardless of his or her willingness to cooperate. A study by Alfred University revealed that 48 percent of students who belong to groups reported being subjected to hazing activities, and 43 percent reported being subjected to humiliating activities. Studies further suggest about 1.5 million high school students have been subjected to some form of hazing, and many reported that their…
The Louisiana High School Coaches Association (LHSCA) is a sub-group of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA), and it exists to unite and organize high school coaching endeavors throughout Louisiana. Because coaches play such an important role in the lives of their student-athletes, the LHSAA and the LHSCA want to make sure that its coaches are well prepared for that role in fostering the development of life skills and athletic abilities of our high school youth. That’s why each year the LHSCA hosts an annual coaches’ clinic – it’s at this clinic that our high school coaches can unite and learn more not only about the sport(s) he or she coaches, but also about how to mentor their student-athletes…
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) congratulates the following state champions for their hard work and great success this spring season: The 2013 State Bowling Championships were held April 12 at Acadiana Lanes in Lafayette. Archbishop Rummel defeated Barbe in the final match to take home their second consecutive boys’ state title while Vandebilt Catholic took home the girls’ state title with a 15 – 12 win against Holden in the final contest. State softball champions were decided April 26 and 27 in Sulphur at Frasch Park. On the softball diamond, the Sam Houston Broncos secured the Class 5A championship for the second straight year. They were joined by Hackberry, Florien, Catholic High of Point Coupee, John Curtis, Brusly…
In last week’s column, I mentioned that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) exists to regulate education-based (or interscholastic) sports for our member schools and that in addition, we must promote fair and equitable competition that’s in the best interest of our student-athletes. Most people would probably agree with me when I say that sports play a big role in the lives of many people. When one looks at the Olympics, the World Cup, the Boston Marathon and more, he or she cannot help but realize that the influence of sports and its impact on people around the world are limitless. What many people do not know, however, is that we live in the only country in the world…
The mission of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) is to direct and regulate the education-based athletics of our member schools while promoting fair and equitable competition that’s in the best interest of the student-athletes. While we exist mainly to regulate education-based (or interscholastic) sports, we provide our member institutions with many programs and events that benefit the schools themselves as wells as the student-athletes and fans of high school sports in Louisiana. The LHSAA was founded in 1920 by a group of Louisiana high school principals, and since that time, we have grown to include approximately 389 schools, which make up seven total classifications (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, B and C). We regulate more than 83,000 student-athletes,…
With our spring sports’ seasons in full swing, and in particular, softball and baseball action in high gear, I’d like to bring attention to an important health concern that faces athletes today: concussions and their lasting effects. Lately, there has been greater awareness as a result of an increase in concussion-related incidents on a professional level, mainly in the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Even though the symptoms of a concussion may seem minor at the time, an athlete can actually suffer long-term effects of a head injury especially if he or she has a repeat incident and/or if the concussion was not treated properly. While the NFL has taken the most steps toward preventing long-term…
Why is social media such a big part of what we do? Why has it taken over our everyday lives so quickly? These questions are not the easiest to answer. After all, many of us had no idea about social media and its powers just eight years ago. Now, nearly every organization you can name has a Facebook page, and those who don’t appear to be behind the curve. The LHSAA has a very active Facebook and Twitter page as well as our blog “The Huddle” at LHSAA.org. We feel that because there is a good niche of people that follow us on these various platforms, it is our duty to keep them up to date on what’s going on…
One of the main differences between education-based athletics and club sports is the academic requirements that student-athletes must maintain in order to be able to compete. The LHSAA sets minimum academic standards for eligibility at its member schools based on the number of Carnegie units a student-athlete earns for courses completed and on their grade point average (GPA) using a 4.0 scale. Student-athletes must maintain at least a “C” average and must have earned at least six units for passable, state-approved courses on their official transcripts from the previous academic year. As long as the student-athlete is promoted from eighth to ninth grade, he or she is academically eligible to compete as a high school freshman. There are special circumstances…
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) continues its tradition of steering our state’s student- athletes toward a college education by awarding numerous scholarships to deserving individuals. Those student-athletes who combine community service, academic achievement and on-field success make up the award recipients each year, and the awards they receive are products of the generosity of our organization’s corporate sponsors and partners. With the help of our valued partners, there are 24 scholarships available this year valued at a combined total of $31,000. The list of this year’s scholarship sponsors are below along with the awards they are offering to our student-athletes. State Farm Insurance One student-athlete is chosen from each of the following sports to receive a $1,000 scholarship,…
One of the best parts about high school sports is that it never ends during the school year. High school athletic events take place about nine months out of the year and pick up almost immediately once another sport ends its season. Our winter sports have just completed a very successful season. Allow me to wrap up the results of the many sports that took place this winter including indoor track, wrestling, soccer, basketball and powerlifting. Indoor Track Our indoor track team championships ended with Lafayette High School coming out on top of the girls’ Division I championships, and Hamilton Christian Academy was the victor of Division II. Catholic High School in Baton Rouge was at the front of the…
