February 8, 2000
There's something about the Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
that makes it better with age.
From cinder tracks and gymnasiums with pot-bellied stoves to statewide competition for boys and girls in 24 sports and seven non-athletic activities with the results posted on the Internet as they happen, the first hundred years of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) have been a century to celebrate.
Dec. 27, 2000, is the 100th birthday of the organization which has touched the lives of almost half of the people who've attended its member schools. More than four generations of athletes, along with competitors in music, speech, chess and scholastic bowl, have experienced quite literally the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
"Think for a moment of how lives have been shaped through participation by high school students in interscholastic competition," observed Dave Fry, only the fifth person to serve IHSA as its Executive Director. "The people skills needed to be successful in life after high school have been honed on days of hard practices and down-to-the-wire finishes."
To commemorate the centennial, a unique logo has been created. The official programs for each state final meet or tournament will include articles written specifically for the sport or activity, authored by veteran writers from across Illinois. Centennial recognition plans may be incorporated into different state finals during the year, too. News regarding Centennial activities will be posted on the IHSA Web Site as it develops throughout the year.
During Year 2000, more than 225,000 different boys and girls will represent their schools in interscholastic athletic and activity competition. Over the past 99 years, it is estimated that at least 20 million students have represented their school in a staggering number of regular season and state series games and meets.
"I remember vividly hearing from a staff member who was in the gym the night Saunemin High School played its last home boys basketball game before closing," Fry offered. "The place was packed before the frosh-soph game began. People were standing along the end lines and against the wall opposite the bleachers.
"Before the varsity game began, the principal greeted everyone and thanked them all for supporting the team through the years. Then he asked for any letter winner from 1900-1910 to stand and one man did. He encouraged the man to remain standing as he asked letter winners from the next decade to stand and they did. By the time he got to letter winners in the 1990's it seemed like everyone in the tiny gym was standing. . .and cheering as one. That's what this is all about."
Since the IHSA was formally organized on Dec. 27, 1900, in a meeting of principals called for the purpose of building an organization to supervise and conduct the interscholastic program of the state's secondary schools, it has developed into an organization that addresses those needs. Over the years, IHSA has been recognized throughout America as one of the nation's preeminent state high school associations.
"Educators and school leaders in communities across our state have valued the importance of IHSA's co-curricular programs, and have endorsed progressive innovations to meet the diverse needs of the young people and communities they serve," Fry emphasized. "History continues to show the impact of teachers and coaches on our state and national leaders. If IHSA's first 100 years are any indication of what is ahead in the next century, our future is very bright."