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香蕉视频直播檚 unknown what they will do moving forward, or what type of influence they香蕉视频直播檒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.

香蕉视频直播淲e are very disappointed that the BCSS Governance proposal was adopted,香蕉视频直播� Eberhardt told the Cloverdale Reporter via email. 香蕉视频直播淲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.香蕉视频直播�

Jordan Abney, BCSS executive director, said he香蕉视频直播檚 thrilled the proposal passed.

香蕉视频直播淚t was a lot of years of work from a lot of different people,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a very strong mandate and clear message about the direction the membership wants to go.香蕉视频直播�

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Abney said he was surprised at the 香蕉视频直播渂ig margin香蕉视频直播� by which the vote passed. The proposal needed 66.7 per cent of 香蕉视频直播測es香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檛 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.

香蕉视频直播淥f that, there were six abstentions and 80 schools didn香蕉视频直播檛 vote,香蕉视频直播� he explained. 香蕉视频直播淪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.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淭he legislative assembly will come together quickly. The transition from the commissions to the SACs (sport-advisory committees) will also help with zone reps香蕉视频直播攚e have invites going out to various commissioners香蕉视频直播攁nd other committees will be formed.香蕉视频直播�

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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香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 think the student athlete experience is going to change drastically, especially for the high-profile sports,香蕉视频直播� Abney explained. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙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.香蕉视频直播�

He added after the transition to the new model, they香蕉视频直播檙e going to look at ways to help improve all sports.

香蕉视频直播淥ur commissions香蕉视频直播攖hat are essentially being phased out here香蕉视频直播攈ave really focused on championships,香蕉视频直播� he noted. 香蕉视频直播淏ut only about 13 or 14 per cent of student athletes make it to championships. So there香蕉视频直播檚 a whole swathe of kids that don香蕉视频直播檛 make it that far that we are also responsible for. So we香蕉视频直播檙e going to take a look at that and look at how we can serve all 70,000 student athletes.香蕉视频直播�

Walter van Halst, commissioner for boys rugby and a teacher at Cloverdale香蕉视频直播檚 Lord Tweedsmuir, said he香蕉视频直播檚 disappointed with the result and 香蕉视频直播渧ery disturbed香蕉视频直播� by a voting process that he says wasn香蕉视频直播檛 transparent.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know what I香蕉视频直播檓 going to do now,香蕉视频直播� he indicated. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I香蕉视频直播檓 very worried about the future of high school sports in British Columbia香蕉视频直播攚hich were already in decline.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淏ig drop in the last five to 10 years, and that香蕉视频直播檚 bad for kids because it means less teams that kids can play on.香蕉视频直播�

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.)

香蕉视频直播淲hen coaches aren香蕉视频直播檛 valued, it香蕉视频直播檚 bad for kids, because fewer people will be willing to volunteer. And this new model doesn香蕉视频直播檛 show appreciation for community-coaches.香蕉视频直播�

He said he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 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.

香蕉视频直播淭hese people volunteer because they香蕉视频直播檙e passionate about their sport. They feel appreciated and empowered. And that香蕉视频直播檚 why they do it.香蕉视频直播�

Van Halst also thinks the voting process wasn香蕉视频直播檛 entirely transparent.

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香蕉视频直播淢any of the ADs, or principals香蕉视频直播攂ecause I香蕉视频直播檝e heard some principals were voting in place of their ADs香蕉视频直播攚ho voted in advance didn香蕉视频直播檛 know exactly what they were voting for,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he people who voted Saturday (May 1), didn香蕉视频直播檛 either because no one knows how many stakeholder groups were consulted.香蕉视频直播�

Two days before the AGM, that the B.C. Teachers香蕉视频直播� Federation, one of the stakeholder groups listed as being involved in the new legislative assembly, wasn香蕉视频直播檛 asked to be part of the new model. BCSS responded with a statement from their board of directors that said, 香蕉视频直播淎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.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淲hat was in the bylaws 香蕉视频直播� was never changed or altered at all,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat was voted on in the advance voting was exactly what was voted on in the live voting.香蕉视频直播�

He also said the voting system was very secure. 香蕉视频直播淓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.香蕉视频直播�

He said a lot of the people that were against the new proposal and unhappy about the change have since contacted Abney to say 香蕉视频直播渏ob well done香蕉视频直播� and have told him they are looking to move forward together.

香蕉视频直播淚 think the margin of victory, over 73 per cent, is a strong mandate from our membership 香蕉视频直播� our focus right now is looking forward on how we now put this into action and ensure we香蕉视频直播檙e ready to go for the fall.香蕉视频直播�

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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