PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE- THAD LEAR Here we are and our Winter seasons will be wrapping up at the time you are all reading this letter. I hope all is going well for all of our coaches and their teams whether they be in season or involved in off season activities. CHSCA coaches have had great fall and winter seasons and are heating up and appear to on track to having some fantastic competitions as well coming down the stretch. I am amazed as I watch the quality and efforts of our members and their teams in the state of Colorado. You are all to be commended for your efforts in the continued growth of High School sports in Colorado, that are best seen in the increase of participation state wide from last year. (135,214 total high school athletes in the 2016-17 season, up from 134,017 in the 2015-16 seasons according to the NHSF High School Athletics Participation Survey) I truly believe that numbers continue to grow in our state due to efforts of our coaches and the overall quality of job you are all doing for our kids. I want to encourage all of you to think about your peers and mentors that have left a mark on you and your coaching career, take a moment and share with them how you have been positively impacted by what they taught you as you grew as a coach. Also, look at some of the CHSCA awards and take a moment to fill out applications for them to be considered for any of the numerous coaching awards that CHSCA hands out annually. As coaches, we are givers~ not looking for recognition from anyone but our players, but it is a tremendous honor when a peer takes a moment and recognizes a coach’s efforts. Also, don’t forget to take a moment and recommend your student athletes who are eligible for our CHSCA scholarship opportunities. Get those applications sent in to the committees ASAP so your top student athletes can be considered. I would like to congratulate all of the coaches and players who were selected to the 2018 CHSCA All State games this summer in Alamosa, what a great honor and opportunity for all invited to participate. Coaches, I cannot tell you enough how grateful we are for your help in selecting the athletes this summer and how important you are in helping the athletes complete the registration process to ensure that they are able to participate in the games this summer. Finally, I want to thank Amy Estes and all the sport presidents for their time and efforts to ensure that the games are filled with outstanding players and coaches from around the state. I can’t wait to see how many quality athletes and coaches will be added to the roster from our winter sports, and look forward to seeing all of them in Alamosa this June. As I wrap things up I would like to congratulate Chris Kemm and Joe Brown for being selected as our summer clinic directors, and I would like to thank outgoing Director Bob Marken for all the years of making the summer clinic a wonderful opportunity for our member coaches. Also, I want to say thanks to Tom Southall for putting together another wonderful track and field clinic in January. Our clinics have been, and continue to be outstanding opportunities for our members to get together and educate one another in our chosen field of coaching. We look forward to including CHSAA required classes that will help our members meet the CHSAA requirements for our members each year. Finally, I want to thank all of our members for their time and commitment to the athletes in our state. It is your efforts that make the growth of high school athletics in the state of Colorado happen. Congratulations to all Fall and Winter sport coaches and athletes~Keep up the good work. Continued Success. -TRACK CLINIC happens the end of January~ visit our website to register. -The 2018 CHSCA HALL of FAME has been named and will be inducted on March 24. Please go online to register today. -If you have an athlete who was named to an all- state team, please have them fill out all of their online forms before the posted deadlines. Go to www.colohsca.org and find the ALL STATE GAMES TAB. NOMINATE COACHES for the Hall of Fame, and many other awards by visiting our website at www.colohsca.org There are some amazing, well accomplished student athletes in Colorado. NOMINATE them for the prestigious CHSCA STEINMARK AWARD. All forms found on our website. REMINDERS-