IHSA Announcements

January 12, 2009

IHSA Agrees To New Ball Contract With Baden

The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors announced at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 12 that the IHSA will sign a five-year contract with Baden Sports, Inc. to make Baden the official ball provider of the IHSA. Pending the formalization of a contract mutually agreed upon by both parties, Baden will become the official ball of the IHSA in baseball, basketball, football, softball, soccer, volleyball and water polo.

“We are very happy to be named the Official Ball of the Illinois High School Association,” said Michael Schindler, Baden’s CEO.  “Illinois is one of the premier states in the nation for high school athletics and we are proud to be a part of such an exciting and competitive environment.”

The IHSA’s current ball contract with Wilson Sporting Goods is set to expire at the end of the 2008-09 school year and the Association has received ball contract proposals from several industry leaders over the past year, including Rawlings, Spalding and Wilson. The IHSA will be the 18th state high school association to endorse Baden as its official ball.

“We have enjoyed an exceptional relationship with Wilson and this change should by no means be seen as a criticism of Wilson or its products,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “The Board simply felt that Baden offered a ball contract and product that was unmatched by any of the other suitors. To say the least, we were impressed by the quality and cutting edge expertise Baden has achieved in its products.”

Baden, an independent and family-owned company based in the state of Washington, entered the athletic ball market in 1979. The company prides itself on focusing 100 percent of its attention on the design and production of its balls, unlike many companies who began in athletic apparel before venturing into ball production. The company is known as the Athletic Ball Expert™ due to its technological advancements in the field, which include the Perfection™ line of balls in baseball, basketball, football and volleyball.

“Not only will the state's athletes compete using Baden's world class Perfection™ series of game balls, but Baden's competitively priced, innovative and exciting custom promotional products will help each member school grow their resources,” added Schindler. “In an effort to provide a smooth transition for schools to the newly adopted ball, Baden will provide a free ball to each coach in each sport on behalf of the IHSA and Baden. In addition to aiding the transition, this effort will allow each school to stretch its budget dollars.”

The Baden ball models for each sport are posted on a separate page.

OTHER ACTION ITEMS                                                                             

  1. The Board approved a recommendation to include a policy in the IHSA Handbook and Terms & Conditions for every sport/activity that prohibits prayer over the public address system at IHSA state series events.
  2. The Board approved a recommendation to include the National Federation Coaches Education Program as one of the IHSA-approved coaching education programs.
  3. The Board approved a recommendation to authorize the Executive Director to modify state tournaments brackets in bracketed team sports to accommodate the unique travel situations in Class 4A. The regional winners from the Metro-East area will play a sectional semifinal at a neutral local site rather than follow the schedule developed in the winter bracket drawing. NOTE: In boys basketball, the winners of the Granite City Regional and Belleville (East) Regional will now play each other in a sectional semifinal at a local neutral site that is to be determined. The Quincy Regional and Normal (Community West) Regional winners will play at Pekin. In girls basketball, the winners of the Alton Regional and Collinsville Regional will now play each other in a sectional semifinal at a local neutral site that is to be determined. The Moline Regional and Normal (Community) Regional winners will play at Pekin.
  4. Lincoln High School was granted an exception from By-law 5.042 that prohibits teams from participating in tournaments during the Class 1A & 2A Boys Regional Tournament for the school’s freshman boys basketball tournament that concludes on Monday, February 23.

ELIGIBILITY RULINGS

  1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Rolling Meadows. The student was originally ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.045.
  2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Metamora. The student was originally ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.045.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the January 12, 2009, agenda:

  1. The Board heard a report on four schools who have been suspended from IHSA membership for not attending an IHSA Principals Workshop for two consecutive years. The following schools will be suspended from state series participation for a period of one year beginning on January 1, 2009: Chicago (Agriculture Science), Chicago (Dyett), Chicago (Harper) and Chicago (Richards).
  2. Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson recapped the results from the fall IHSA Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Program and plans for the winter testing. During the fall, 264 tests were conducted, representing 39% of the testing that will be conducted during the 2008-09 school year. Of the 264 students, 156 students were tested for stimulants and 108 students were tested for anabolic steroids. 258 of the 264 students tested came back with negative results. The remaining six were granted medical exceptions for this year. For reporting purposes, these results are considered positive, even though no penalty was assessed to any individual or school.
  3. Assistant Executive Director Dave Gannaway updated the Board on plans for this year’s wheelchair basketball event in Peoria during the Boys Basketball State Finals.
  4. Assistant Executive Director Dave Gannaway updated the Board on the 2009 IHSA Bass Fishing State Tournament, which will feature 18 sectional sites with an average of 13 teams competing at each lake.
  5. Executive Director Marty Hickman gave a report to the Board on discussion items at the NFHS Winter Meeting.
  6. The Board heard an update on Chicago (Luther South)’s current status with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Luther South principal Anthony Rainey, a current Board member, is unable to serve the IHSA Board until this issue is resolved. A replacement for Rainey will be sought if the ISBE has not reinstated the school by the February Board meeting.