Dear gymnastics coaches, enthusiasts, etc.:
We were informed Friday that the IHSA
Board of Directors was considering
this coming Tuesday (April 20) to increase the minimum percentage of member
schools
participation in a sport from 5 to 10 percent next year.
This would obviously affect boys gymnastics (52 schools entered
in 2009-10
according to IHSA Quick Facts sheet) and perhaps girls gymnastics (88
schools entered) down the road.
When
SGS asked if there was something we could do to help, it was suggested
that gymnastics coaches/parents/athletes/fans could
contact the IHSA Board
of Directors to express their positive support for the sport and to please
vote down the proposal.
Listed
below is the letter with the e-mail addresses of the board directors.
Please note that Bill has inserted girls gymnastics
into the letter's copy
as well because, in the opinion of SGS, if boys gymnastics is eliminated, the
door could
be opened for girls gymnastics to be eliminated down the road.
Please share this letter with anyone and everyone you know who wants boys and gymnastics to continue
as an IHSA sport.
Thank you for your consideration. . .
SGS-Mike Considine and Bill Stone
Here's the letter:
The IHSA -- the governing body that oversees high school sports in Illinois -- is
considering making a rule
change that would drastically impact boys (and
girls) gymnastics.
Currently the sport must field boys gymnastics
teams from at least 5% of the
schools in the state in order for the IHSA to officially sanction our sport.
The proposal
-- which will be voted on this coming Tuesday, April 20th -- would
increase that requirement from 5% to 10%.
There is no way that boys gymnastics can reach the 10% target next year.
If this proposal passes, boys gymnastics would most likely be dropped by the IHSA and would cease to exist as a
high school sport in Illinois.
Please help us convince the IHSA Board of Directors to vote down this proposal
and keep the participation threshold at 5%. We need your support.
Please email each of the board members listed
below and:
· Tell them what this sport has done for your son/daughter
· Urge them to continue to support boys and girls gymnastics
· Urge
them to keep the sport's participation threshold at 5%
IHSA Board of Directors
Jim Woodward President
jwoodward@ajchs.union.k12.il.us
Ron Conner Vice President rconner@cusd15.k12.il.us
Paul Whittington Secretary WhittPau@EP309.org
Gregory Bradley Treasurer (Non-Voting) bradleyg@mtzion.k12.il.us
Joyce Kenner jdkenner@cps.k12.il.us
Daniel Klett dklett@d118.org
Michael Gardner mgardner@lw210.org
Jim Boyd Jb2111@riverdale.rockis.k12.il.us
Gregory Jones gjones@sparta.k12.il.us
Jeanette Nuckolls nuckolij@unit5.org
Joseph Schmidt jschmidt@stpatrick.org
