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 it害羞草研究所檚 unknown what they will do moving forward, or what type of influence they害羞草研究所檒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.

害羞草研究所淲e are very disappointed that the BCSS Governance proposal was adopted,害羞草研究所� Eberhardt told the Cloverdale Reporter via email. 害羞草研究所淲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.害羞草研究所�

Jordan Abney, BCSS executive director, said he害羞草研究所檚 thrilled the proposal passed.

害羞草研究所淚t was a lot of years of work from a lot of different people,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t was a very strong mandate and clear message about the direction the membership wants to go.害羞草研究所�

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Abney said he was surprised at the 害羞草研究所渂ig margin害羞草研究所� by which the vote passed. The proposal needed 66.7 per cent of 害羞草研究所測es害羞草研究所� 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 didn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淥f that, there were six abstentions and 80 schools didn害羞草研究所檛 vote,害羞草研究所� he explained. 害羞草研究所淪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.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭he legislative assembly will come together quickly. The transition from the commissions to the SACs (sport-advisory committees) will also help with zone reps害羞草研究所攚e have invites going out to various commissioners害羞草研究所攁nd other committees will be formed.害羞草研究所�

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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害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think the student athlete experience is going to change drastically, especially for the high-profile sports,害羞草研究所� Abney explained. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙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.害羞草研究所�

He added after the transition to the new model, they害羞草研究所檙e going to look at ways to help improve all sports.

害羞草研究所淥ur commissions害羞草研究所攖hat are essentially being phased out here害羞草研究所攈ave really focused on championships,害羞草研究所� he noted. 害羞草研究所淏ut only about 13 or 14 per cent of student athletes make it to championships. So there害羞草研究所檚 a whole swathe of kids that don害羞草研究所檛 make it that far that we are also responsible for. So we害羞草研究所檙e going to take a look at that and look at how we can serve all 70,000 student athletes.害羞草研究所�

Walter van Halst, commissioner for boys rugby and a teacher at Cloverdale害羞草研究所檚 Lord Tweedsmuir, said he害羞草研究所檚 disappointed with the result and 害羞草研究所渧ery disturbed害羞草研究所� by a voting process that he says wasn害羞草研究所檛 transparent.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know what I害羞草研究所檓 going to do now,害羞草研究所� he indicated. 害羞草研究所淏ut I害羞草研究所檓 very worried about the future of high school sports in British Columbia害羞草研究所攚hich were already in decline.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淏ig drop in the last five to 10 years, and that害羞草研究所檚 bad for kids because it means less teams that kids can play on.害羞草研究所�

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.)

害羞草研究所淲hen coaches aren害羞草研究所檛 valued, it害羞草研究所檚 bad for kids, because fewer people will be willing to volunteer. And this new model doesn害羞草研究所檛 show appreciation for community-coaches.害羞草研究所�

He said he doesn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淭hese people volunteer because they害羞草研究所檙e passionate about their sport. They feel appreciated and empowered. And that害羞草研究所檚 why they do it.害羞草研究所�

Van Halst also thinks the voting process wasn害羞草研究所檛 entirely transparent.

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害羞草研究所淢any of the ADs, or principals害羞草研究所攂ecause I害羞草研究所檝e heard some principals were voting in place of their ADs害羞草研究所攚ho voted in advance didn害羞草研究所檛 know exactly what they were voting for,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he people who voted Saturday (May 1), didn害羞草研究所檛 either because no one knows how many stakeholder groups were consulted.害羞草研究所�

Two days before the AGM, that the B.C. Teachers害羞草研究所� Federation, one of the stakeholder groups listed as being involved in the new legislative assembly, wasn害羞草研究所檛 asked to be part of the new model. BCSS responded with a statement from their board of directors that said, 害羞草研究所淎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.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淲hat was in the bylaws 害羞草研究所� was never changed or altered at all,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲hat was voted on in the advance voting was exactly what was voted on in the live voting.害羞草研究所�

He also said the voting system was very secure. 害羞草研究所淓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.害羞草研究所�

He said a lot of the people that were against the new proposal and unhappy about the change have since contacted Abney to say 害羞草研究所渏ob well done害羞草研究所� and have told him they are looking to move forward together.

害羞草研究所淚 think the margin of victory, over 73 per cent, is a strong mandate from our membership 害羞草研究所� our focus right now is looking forward on how we now put this into action and ensure we害羞草研究所檙e ready to go for the fall.害羞草研究所�

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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