Big changes are coming to high school sports.

B.C. School Sports (BCSS) won its governance proposal vote at their AGM May 1 and this will immediately change the way high school sports is run in this province. The vote passed 212-77, garnering the required two-thirds majority of votes.

As of May 2, the 20 sport commissions in B.C. and their many volunteers are basically out as decision-makers for their respective sports. But some of the commissions are legal entities and itB次元官网网址檚 unknown what they will do moving forward, or what type of influence theyB次元官网网址檒l have.

Paul Eberhardt, treasurer for the boys high school basketball commission, has already indicated his commission will continue to work in the best interests of boys basketball, whether it be from inside the new system or from outside.

B次元官网网址淲e are very disappointed that the BCSS Governance proposal was adopted,B次元官网网址� Eberhardt told the Cloverdale Reporter via email. B次元官网网址淲e do not believe this is what is best for high school sport in this Province. Our Association has been around for 75 years, and we are certainly not going away. We will continue to work hard on behalf of all our coaches and student-athletes to make sure their voices are heard.B次元官网网址�

Jordan Abney, BCSS executive director, said heB次元官网网址檚 thrilled the proposal passed.

B次元官网网址淚t was a lot of years of work from a lot of different people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t was a very strong mandate and clear message about the direction the membership wants to go.B次元官网网址�

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Abney said he was surprised at the B次元官网网址渂ig marginB次元官网网址� by which the vote passed. The proposal needed 66.7 per cent of B次元官网网址測esB次元官网网址� votes and ended up getting 73 per cent. Usually there are about 450 schools registered with BCSS, but Abney said a number of smaller schools didnB次元官网网址檛 pay their fees this year as there were no high school sports due to COVID. He said there were only 375 fee-paying member schools that were eligible to vote.

B次元官网网址淥f that, there were six abstentions and 80 schools didnB次元官网网址檛 vote,B次元官网网址� he explained. B次元官网网址淪o, 295 of 375 schools participated. Given the fact that this was probably the single largest vote in the 53-year history of the organization, it also explains the need for a bit of a tweak from a governance perspective, as well.B次元官网网址�

Abney said there were 247 advance ballots cast and only 48 ballots cast at the AGM.

He said BCSS already has all the paperwork prepared and ready to go out the door so the next steps toward this sweeping change will begin immediately.

B次元官网网址淭he legislative assembly will come together quickly. The transition from the commissions to the SACs (sport-advisory committees) will also help with zone repsB次元官网网址攚e have invites going out to various commissionersB次元官网网址攁nd other committees will be formed.B次元官网网址�

He said he wants to get all the wheels in motion before the summer break, adding the new governance system will mean business as usual for student athletes.

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B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think the student athlete experience is going to change drastically, especially for the high-profile sports,B次元官网网址� Abney explained. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping to continue to maintain the status and level of the high-profile sports and to elevate the experience for athletes in some of the sports that have not had quite the same experience.B次元官网网址�

He added after the transition to the new model, theyB次元官网网址檙e going to look at ways to help improve all sports.

B次元官网网址淥ur commissionsB次元官网网址攖hat are essentially being phased out hereB次元官网网址攈ave really focused on championships,B次元官网网址� he noted. B次元官网网址淏ut only about 13 or 14 per cent of student athletes make it to championships. So thereB次元官网网址檚 a whole swathe of kids that donB次元官网网址檛 make it that far that we are also responsible for. So weB次元官网网址檙e going to take a look at that and look at how we can serve all 70,000 student athletes.B次元官网网址�

Walter van Halst, commissioner for boys rugby and a teacher at CloverdaleB次元官网网址檚 Lord Tweedsmuir, said heB次元官网网址檚 disappointed with the result and B次元官网网址渧ery disturbedB次元官网网址� by a voting process that he says wasnB次元官网网址檛 transparent.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what IB次元官网网址檓 going to do now,B次元官网网址� he indicated. B次元官网网址淏ut IB次元官网网址檓 very worried about the future of high school sports in British ColumbiaB次元官网网址攚hich were already in decline.B次元官网网址�

According to van Halst, the number of teacher-coaches has steadily dropped across the province.

B次元官网网址淏ig drop in the last five to 10 years, and thatB次元官网网址檚 bad for kids because it means less teams that kids can play on.B次元官网网址�

He said the new governance model, which he fought against, devalues community-coaches in favour of teacher-coaches and takes the voice away from community-coaches.

(Community-coaches and retired teacher-coaches are not allowed to be a part of the new governance system, only active teachers and administrators. This is different from the commissions which have quite a high number of volunteers that are not active teachers/administrators.)

B次元官网网址淲hen coaches arenB次元官网网址檛 valued, itB次元官网网址檚 bad for kids, because fewer people will be willing to volunteer. And this new model doesnB次元官网网址檛 show appreciation for community-coaches.B次元官网网址�

He said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 think the SACs (essentially powerless replacements of the commissions, that sit below two new layers of empowered decision makers) will attract the same massive numbers of volunteers.

B次元官网网址淭hese people volunteer because theyB次元官网网址檙e passionate about their sport. They feel appreciated and empowered. And thatB次元官网网址檚 why they do it.B次元官网网址�

Van Halst also thinks the voting process wasnB次元官网网址檛 entirely transparent.

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B次元官网网址淢any of the ADs, or principalsB次元官网网址攂ecause IB次元官网网址檝e heard some principals were voting in place of their ADsB次元官网网址攚ho voted in advance didnB次元官网网址檛 know exactly what they were voting for,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he people who voted Saturday (May 1), didnB次元官网网址檛 either because no one knows how many stakeholder groups were consulted.B次元官网网址�

Two days before the AGM, that the B.C. TeachersB次元官网网址� Federation, one of the stakeholder groups listed as being involved in the new legislative assembly, wasnB次元官网网址檛 asked to be part of the new model. BCSS responded with a statement from their board of directors that said, B次元官网网址淎n invitation for the BCTF to name a Legislative Assembly member is already prepared, should governance pass so they can begin their process. Just as invitations are prepared for all other stakeholder groups, who as a result of our current relationships have varying levels of knowledge of the proposal.B次元官网网址�

Abney disagreed with van Halst, saying the entire process was very transparent. He said the actual vote covered the bylaws and handbook and the proposal was a supplementary document.

B次元官网网址淲hat was in the bylaws B次元官网网址� was never changed or altered at all,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hat was voted on in the advance voting was exactly what was voted on in the live voting.B次元官网网址�

He also said the voting system was very secure. B次元官网网址淓very school had to register their vote and got a secure pin that was individualized to their school that was sent directly to their principal of record in our membership system.B次元官网网址�

He said a lot of the people that were against the new proposal and unhappy about the change have since contacted Abney to say B次元官网网址渏ob well doneB次元官网网址� and have told him they are looking to move forward together.

B次元官网网址淚 think the margin of victory, over 73 per cent, is a strong mandate from our membership B次元官网网址� our focus right now is looking forward on how we now put this into action and ensure weB次元官网网址檙e ready to go for the fall.B次元官网网址�

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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