Virginia High School League
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The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike many similar organizations in other states, it does not count private or religious schools among its membership; non-public schools belong to other organizations, the largest of which is the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. It is among the organizations that elect to sponsor championships in academic activities.
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[edit] History
The VHSL was started in 1913 by members of the Washington and Jefferson Literary Societies of the University of Virginia. Its original intent was to serve as a debating league for the state's high schools. Over the course of the 1910s, it expanded to over 250 schools and added championships in oral reading, baseball, basketball and track and renamed itself the Virginia High School Literary and Athletic League.
After World War II, it adopted other sports and began standardizing officiating practices for high school sports. In 1969, it merged with the Virginia Interscholastic Association, which was a similar organization that served black schools around the Commonwealth. Girls' sports were added around this time.
[edit] Organization
It is headquartered in Charlottesville.
The VHSL has over 300 member schools and conducts championships in 25 different sports. 150,000 students participate in its activities.
It is directed by an Executive Committee elected from the principals and superintendents of the various Virginia school districts. Day to day affairs are handled by the Executive Directors and Assistant Directors.
Its 300 members are organized into three groups based on enrollment: A, AA and AAA. Each of the three groups are split into four regions, which are each split into three or four districts, which have four to eleven teams. The largest third of schools are in Group AAA, the next largest third in Group AA, and the smallest third in Group A. Unlike many state associations, districts and regions are fixed and the same for every sport if possible.
Redistricting and regrouping occurs every two years. AAA schools are typically above 1,500 students, AA schools are typically from 700 to about 1,500 students, and A schools are below 700 students. Schools can however choose to play up or down a group if they wish. Several schools in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas elect to play in Group AAA instead of Group AA due to a reluctance to travel long distances. In Southwest Virginia, some schools elect to play up a class in Group AA due to traditionally being part of that class and the potentially higher revenues in sports like football and basketball (in which they are frequently competitive and have won state titles). Schools can be granted a special dispensation from the VHSL to play down in Group A or AA due to being so far from the nearest schools in their class and being relatively close to the dividing line (so a school with 800 or 1,600 students might get this dispensation, while a school with 1,000 or 2,000 students would not.)
In football, each region is further split into two divisions based on school size, so statewide champions are determined in Divisions 1 through 6 (Divisions 1 and 2 are the Group A schools {with Division 2 consisting of schools in the larger half); 3 and 4 the AA schools; and 5 and 6 the AAA schools.}
[edit] Championships
Offered for boys and girls: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Indoor track, Outdoor track, Soccer, Swimming/diving, Tennis, Volleyball
Offered for boys: Baseball, Football, Wrestling
Offered for girls: Cheerleading, Field hockey, Gymnastics, Softball
(Boys' and girls' sports will allow members of the opposite gender to participate in some circumstances.)
Academic activities: Creative Writing, Debate, Drama (one-act plays), Forensics (a variety of individual events), Magazines, Newspapers, Scholastic Bowl (a variety of quizbowl), Yearbooks
Academic activities are coed and not considered varsity athletics by most schools. Academic activities are usually awarded different letters and merits from athletics.
Creative Writing, Magazines, Newspapers and Yearbooks are judged after samples are sent in; the other activities involve one-day competitions of some sort at the District, Regional and State levels. Many Debate and Scholastic Bowl teams will participate in either VHSL District-sponsored regular seasons and/or independent, outside tournaments.
[edit] List of Regions and Districts
Group AAA
Group AA
Group A
