AURORA — The Colorado High School Activities Association and its 352 member schools open the 96th school year with Boys’ Golf official practice on August 8. All other sports start officially on August 15. Student athletes in Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys’ Golf, Football, Girls’ Gymnastics, Boys’ Soccer, Softball, Boys’ Tennis, Volleyball and Spirit anxiously await that starting date.
Prior to the start of practice, though, the CHSAA will have participated in several meetings for coaches and school administrators, including the annual New AD/Principal’s and League Presidents/District Athletic Directors meetings, held in conjunction with CHSAA’s All-School Summit on August 1-2. The annual Colorado High School Coaches Association meeting is set for July 28-29 with all CHSAA administrators participating in the various events.
“Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world. Each new school year begins the same way with great hope and desire that our next generation will surpass anything our generation left. High school athletics and activities, community-based and focused on the transformation of students have proven time and again to be a vehicle to accomplish change and build better people. Schools, as the hubs of their communities, remain the driving force behind all that is good in our world,” CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelico said.
Teams may start playing tournaments on August 11 for Boys’ Golf, games on August 19 for Softball and August 18 for Boys’ Tennis. On August 20, all other sports start scrimmage competition, except for football which starts on August 25. Check out the CHSAA calendar for scrimmage dates at CHSAANow.com.
In May, 1921, a group of superintendents and principals met in Boulder and organized the Colorado High School Athletic Conference. The purpose of this organization was to better regulate and develop the interscholastic school athletic program.
There were nine leagues by the time the first constitution was published, including the Northern, North Central, Western Slope, Suburban, Southeastern, Arkansas Valley, South Central and San Juan Basin leagues.
The first champions crowned that school year were Colorado Springs in football, Greeley in basketball, and Fort Collins in track and field.
In 1924, the Colorado High School Athletic Conference joined the National Federation of State High School Associations and has remained an active member of that organization ever since.
Loveland’s R.W. Truscott was the Association’s first president and Eaton’s J.C. Casey its first secretary (commissioner). Truscott replaced Casey as secretary in December, 1926 and held that post until July, 1948 when Glenn T. Wilson became commissioner. Ray C. Ball took over the commissioner’s post in 1966 and remained in the office until August, 1986 when Ray Plutko assumed the duties. Bob Ottewill became the Association’s sixth commissioner in July, 1990, followed by Bill Reader who served as Commissioner from 2002 until 2010. Angelico assumed the position on July 1, 2010
The CHSAA has had 59 presidents dating back to 1921. Its current president, Boulder High School Athletic Director Eddie Hartnett is in the second year of a two-year term as president.
The Association enters the year with few changes on staff. Paul Angelico, in his 27th year at CHSAA, is Commissioner. Associate Commissioner Tom Robinson is in his 16th year on the CHSAA staff, while Assistant Commissioners Bert Borgmann, is in his 29th year, while Bethany Brookens and Harry Waterman are in their ninth year, respectively. Assistant Commissioners Bud Ozzello and Jenn Roberts-Uhlig are in their seventh and fourth years, respectively, with CHSAA. Ryan Casey is in his fourth year with CHSAA as Director of Digital Media.
Donna Coonts serves as executive administrative assistant to Commissioner Angelico, while Whitney Webermeier (Borgmann), Sandra Williamson) (Brookens), Theresa Muniz (Waterman), Audra Cathy (Ozzello), Kathryn McOmber (Roberts-Uhlig) and Monica Tillman (Robinson) are the executive administrative assistants to other administrators. Director of Financial Operations Kenzie Hewson and mail room coordinator Sharon Garcia round out the Association staff.
CHSAA Administrative Staff and Major Assignments
- Paul Angelico, Commissioner (Classification and League Organization Committee, Board of Directors, Legislative Council, Budget, Hardship Waivers, Calendars, Handbook, Personnel)
- Tom Robinson, Associate Commissioner (Golf, Officials, Officials’ Fees Committee, Sportsmanship, Sportsmanship Seminars, Officials’ Organizations, Office Manager)
- Bert Borgmann, Assistant Commissioner (Baseball, Basketball, Gymnastics, Hall of Fame, Media Relations, Cooperative Programs, Legislative Relations, Programs, State Records/Championship Results, Trophies & Awards, Foreign Waivers)
- Bethany Brookens, Assistant Commissioner (Field Hockey, Tennis, Music, Skiing, Swimming, Volleyball, Title IX, Equity, New Schools, Participation Survey)
- Harry Waterman, Assistant Commissioner (Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Student Council, NFHS Section 6, Coaching Registration, Playoff Sites, Tournament Playoff & Finance, CADA Liaison)
- Bud Ozzello, Assistant Commissioner (Softball, Soccer, Speech, Ice Hockey, Sanctioned Events, Building Engineer, Out of State Travel)
- Jenn Roberts-Uhlig, Assistant Commissioner (Cross Country, Spirit, Track & Field, Corporate Relations, Recognition Programs, Academic Team/All-State, Sports Medicine, Junior High/Middle Schools, New Athletic Directors Meeting, T-Shirts/Merchandise)
- Ryan Casey, Director of Digital Media (CHSAANow.com; Technology Advancement, CHSAA.org, State Records/Championship Results)
CHSAA Board of Directors
(Leagues Represented) [term expires]
- CHSAA President/ District 6 (Continental, Front Range, 5280): (Serving second year of two-year term): Eddie Hartnett, Athletic Director (Boulder High School) [2017]
- District 1 (San Juan Basin, Western Slope, Southwestern): Paul Cain, District Athletic Director (Grand Junction Schools) [2018]
- District 2 (Centennial, Northern, Frontier, Tri-Valley): Rick Logan, District Athletic Director (Thompson Valley Schools) [2020]
- District 3 (High Plains, Lower Platte, Mile High, North Central, Patriot, Union Pacific, YWKC): Doug Pfau, Superintendent (Weldon Valley Schools [2019]
- District 4 (Jefferson County, East Metro, Colorado 7): Jim Thyfault, District Athletic Director (Jefferson County Schools) [2017]
- District 5 (Denver, Metropolitan, Confluence): Loren Larrabee, Athletic Director (Lutheran High School) [2018]
- District 7 (CS Metro 4A, CS Metro 5A, Pikes Peak, Tri-Peaks, West Central): Troy Baker, Athletic Director (Buena Vista HS) [2019]
- District 8 (Black Forest, Fisher’s Peak, Intermountain, Southern Peaks): Joe Garcia, Athletic Director (Antonito High School) [2018]
- District 9 (Arkansas Valley, Santa Fe, South Central, Southeastern): Richard Macias, Dist. Athletic Dir. (Pueblo City Schools 60) [2017]
- At-Large Representative: Kathleen Leiding, Athletic Director (Lyons High School) [2017]
- At-Large Representative: Kelley Eichman, Athletic Director (Fountain-Fort Carson High School) [2019]
- Colorado Association of School Boards: Jon DeStefano, CASB (Platte Canyon Schools) [2020]
- Colorado Association of School Executives: Jim Lucas, Assistant Principal (Pine Creek High School) [2019]
- Colorado Association of School Executives: Rick Mondt, Superintendent (Briggsdale Schools) [2017]
- Colorado Department of Education: Wendy Dunaway, Colorado Department of Education [2019]
- Colorado State Assembly: Jim Wilson, Salida (State Representative, Salida) [2017]