Page 153 - 2022-23 By-Laws
P. 153

National Federation of State High School Associations

                          Part VI: National Federation of
                         State High School Associations
           Indiana was admitted in 1924.  The National Federation was organized in 1920 and
        now consists of 50 member state high school associations.  Canadian Federation and 9
        Canadian provinces are presently affiliated.
          These associations have united to secure the benefits of cooperative action which elimi-
        nates unnecessary duplication of work and which increases efficiency through the pooling
        and coordinating of efforts of all who are engaged in high school athletic activities.
          The legislative body is the National Council made up of one representative from each
        member state association.  Such representative must be an officer or a member of his/her
        state board of control.  The executive body is the Executive Committee of eight members
        elected by the National Council from the membership of the Boards of Control, Com-
        missioners and Executive Secretaries of member state associations from eight territorial
        sections as outlined in the constitution.  Terms are stag-
        gered and for three years.
          The growth in size and influence of the state high
        school associations and their National Federation
        insures some degree of teamwork on the part of 22,000
        high schools and this teamwork has enabled them to
        formulate policies and plans for improving high school
        athletic conditions and to make these plans function.
        The National Federation probably represents the larg-
        est closely knit organized body of athletes in the world.
        The opportunities for contributing to the welfare of the
        high school athletic program are unlimited.
          The Federation was organized primarily to secure
        proper adherence to the eligibility rules of the various
        state associations in interstate contests and meets.  As
        the prestige of the national organization grew, a pro-
        gram for the sanctioning of interstate meets was developed.  This later led to definite action
        relative to national and sectional athletic events.  At the present time, no national athletic
        meet or tournament is sanctioned.  Meets or tournaments, which involve the schools of
        more than one state, are sanctioned in accordance with definite limitations in connection
        with the distance to be traveled, the type of sponsor, the amount of school time involved,
        and extent to which such events interfere with smaller meets which insure participation by
        greater numbers of those who need the training. The scope of the National Federation work
        has broadened so that all high school athletic and many non-athletic groups profit through
        an exchange of experiences and a pooling of interests.
          The activities of the National Federation are based on the belief strong state and
        national high school athletic organizations are necessary to protect the athletic interests of
        the high schools, to promote an ever increasing growth of a type of interscholastic athletics
        which is educational in both objective and method and which can be justified as an integral
        part of the high school curriculum, and to protect high school students from exploitation for
        purposes having no educational implications.  To accomplish these things, it is necessary
        for educators to exercise teamwork on a nationwide scale.












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