Coming off of a 1st and 2nd place finish at the 2012 Team Dance Illinois state finals in early March of this year, Barrington High School?s Varsity Broncettes knew the feeling of ultimate success. As a former three-year member and two-time captain of the team, it was a proud way to finish my senior year. Unfortunately however, the real gratification I wanted as an athlete never came with the three state championships earned over my high school career? until now.
The popularity and awareness of high-school dance teams has risen over the past few years, along with it?s recognition of becoming an official IHSA regulated sport.
Illinois High School dance teams have competed as a part of the Team Dance Illinois (TDI) association in their state series, for as long as competitive high school dance teams have been around. However, the state finals for TDI have never been recognized as an official IHSA championship because competitive dance has never received the ?sport status? from IHSA, until recently.
Due to the rising interest displayed by schools and athletic programs across the state, Tracie Henry, IHSA Coordinator of Special Programs made the executive decision to add the dance team state series to the list and make competitive dance for all high schools in Illinois an official IHSA sport.
?Based on the information we have received from our principals and athletic directors, they tell us when schools have interests like that. We can also keep track of that through our emerging sports.? -Henry
On October 11th of this year, a state series in competitive dance with an inaugural season starting in the winter of 2012-2013, was finally approved by the IHSA Board of Directors.
Although the official IHSA competitive dance state series has been approved, there are some concerns about the proposal that has not yet been finalized.
?The structure has not been completely approved as of this point,? Henry said. ?We haven?t approved a rubric, the score sheet or anything like that. There are some recommendations that our advisory committee has made, but we haven?t brought a final recommendation to our board at this point.?
Most likely this new proposal will change a lot of aspects of the competition for the dance teams and many coaches and dancers alike have voiced their opinions and concerns about this major move from TDI. Hannah Mills, senior on the Barrington Broncettes dance team, states that these changes are something to be worried about.
?Some people I?ve heard from, coaches, dancers, and faculty of TDI, are all very concerned that IHSA will take the ?art? aspect out of dance because of the fewer, more technical categories that are being proposed.?
Coaches across the state have also voiced concerns about the rise in difficulty for making it to state because there are less categories to compete in and one chance to qualify at sectionals, as before teams were able to qualify at any competition given they reached a certain score. Yes, this may make things more difficult but ultimately that?s how true athletics work.
Regardless of these concerns and a thanks to Tracie Henry and the collective Board, all high-school competitive dance teams across Illinois will now be able to compete as IHSA official athletes and hopefully gain the respect of other athletic programs and spectators as they have worked for it and deserve it.
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Source: http://iusportcom.com/uncategorized/making-the-leap-to-become-ihsa-official/
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