If you were to navigate to the “activities” tab on the Centaurus website, I bet that you would notice something a little strange: there are sports that are listed as clubs. Sometimes websites can be created poorly and contain incorrect information, but sports being categorized as clubs on the Centaurus website is not a mistake. Sports such as Mountain Biking or Ultimate Frisbee are not CHSAA-sanctioned sports and are therefore club sports. So, what is CHSAA? And why does it matter if a sport is CHSAA-sanctioned or not?
The Colorado High School Activities Association (aka CHSAA) is the governing body of high school sports and activities in Colorado. Sports that are CHSAA-sanctioned get benefits that non-CHSAA sports do not get, such as designated field space at their school or transportation to games and meets. However, when sports are CHSAA-sanctioned, they are largely funded by the school, which can be difficult if a school’s athletic budget is tight. I interviewed a student who participates in multiple sports, some CHSAA-sanctioned and others non-CHSAA-sanctioned to understand the difference between school sports and club sports.
Freshman Brynn Jackson (she/her) participated in Cross Country, Mixed Ultimate Frisbee and Swim earlier this year, and she is currently doing Track and Field. Cross Country, Swim, and Track are all CHSAA sanctioned, Ultimate Frisbee is not. Brynn told me that the CHSAA sports she’s participated in are “well funded and have great support from the school.” They are given “transportation to most of if not all of the games/meets. The practices are on the regular and are at places provided by the school.” She then explained that “Ultimate Frisbee, a non-CHSAA sport, is very different. At Centaurus, Ultimate isn’t even recognized as a sport.” She further explained that “all Ultimate coaches are volunteers. We’re expected to make our way to games by ourselves, which can be difficult on parents and on older students who may expect to drive younger teammates.” She added, “Ultimate practices are also farther away. They aren’t on Centaurus premises and therefore students have to make their way to every practice.”
In conclusion, CHSAA support for school sports can be very impactful on the sport itself and the people who participate in it. This is why many non-CHSAA-sanctioned sports around Colorado are pushing to get support from CHSAA and their schools; such as the Golden High School Mountain Bike team which is not CHSAA-sanctioned, but is thriving anyway.
