The Coaches' Comment

President's Message

Hello Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports!

I hope this finds you well. As I write my first President’s message, I find myself experiencing some familiar feelings you may or may not have experienced. Think back to a time when you were an athlete below a tremendous athlete on the depth chart. You watched them, admired them, and saw them succeed; then, they graduated, and you realized it would be you who would need to step up to try to fill their shoes. If this scenario doesn’t apply to you, think of a time when you were an assistant coach under a hall of fame caliber coach; and, again, you watched, learned, and enjoyed success. Then, that person retired, and you got the opportunity to follow in their huge footsteps. Either way, I hope I have painted a picture for you of how I am feeling at this time.

For 25 years, Hall of Fame Coach/Educator Terri Ward of Niwot, has served as a member and president of CCGS. Her tremendous efforts and record-setting service to this and numerous other organizations has earned her many Hall of Fame accolades. This spring, she stepped down to start enjoying retirement. That is where I come in: I have been CCGS Vice President for 15 years and have recently been elected the President of Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports. I will be honest, I’m not sure I can come close to filling her shoes; but I do know this: I have had someone before me that I have watched and learned from, and I will succeed because of the path they have laid before me. I have been so fortunate during my time as an educator/coach. Specifically with CCGS, I have been able to work amongst the giants of our chosen field. This is why it was hard for me to consider accepting this position. For many years, I have advocated for a female coach to lead this great organization. I felt that I could never be a capable leader, but a colleague of mine, Khara West, the CCGS Softball Chair, challenged my thinking. She reminded me that as members of CCGS, we are all coaches of girls’ sports and, as such, are all advocates of an underserved population. She acknowledged that she never had female coaches during athletic career, but she did have coaches who believed in her, who pushed her to be her best, and who wouldn’t let her settle. That is what the coaches who support Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports all do in their day-to-day interactions with their athletes and colleagues. So here I am, representing you as the President of Colorado Coaches of Girls Sport. I continuously admire and respect the work that you all do to make the experience for female athletes a unique one. Thank you for all you do as we begin our 53rd year of CCGS.

Last year, we celebrated 52 years of CCGS and 50 years of Title IX. CCGS, as a nonprofit organization, continues to grow and evolve. At a recent board meeting, we committed to continue with our goals set in 1970 in hopes of becoming a more valued asset in the coach’s toolbox and athlete’s experience. Our goals include:

1. Provide equal representation for the female athletes in the state of Colorado.

2. Provide statewide communication to all middle, junior, and senior high school coaches involved in girls’ athletics.

3. Provide additional state-sanctioned All-State Games for senior girls.

Obviously, CCGS has been an integral part of promoting the female athlete and those who choose to coach them. We are excited at the prospects of hosting the 2022-23 all-state softball, volleyball, and basketball games with zero restrictions.

We recognize that CHSAA has always been a partner in celebrating and promoting females in athletics and appreciate our continued relationship. We desire to uphold our vision of continued statewide communication. Our sports chairs, Khara West-Softball; Lisa Schumacher-Volleyball; and Dave Huss and Merci Ames-Basketball, have been invited to sport specific CHSAA committee meetings to report and contribute. They are not voting members of a committee but are valued contributors. CHSAA has also been kind enough to include our all-state ballot in the bulletins as a valuable resource for all coaches. By working with CHSAA, our sports chairs can reach out to coaches statewide to ensure communication, to provide scholarship opportunities, to recognize and honor coaches, and, of course, to have statewide representation at the all-state games.

Finally, we will be working to celebrate all sports with female participants and those that coach them. We are currently looking at a variety of proposals. CCGS wants to be an agent of support and promotion. We are seeking people to volunteer at the games, to help at the administrative level, or to provide any feedback you might wish to offer. Thanks again for all you do for the participants and coaches of this great state!

Sincerely,

David S. Walck

President of Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports

Assistant Principal/Activities Director

Fossil Ridge High School

CCGS Needs YOU!

The Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports are so fortunate to have Dave Walck assume the role as president. His exceptional leadership abilities and vast experiences as an educator, coach, administrator, and member of various CHSAA committees, coupled with his innovation and passion for women’s athletics will undoubtedly help our organization to grow and evolve. Part of his vision is the restructuring of the executive board. Consequently, board positions may be modified to move people into more specialized, defined roles. Perhaps, even new positions will be created; but this is where you come in. As a member of CCGS, we welcome your involvement. The strength of an organization is contingent on the support and involvement of its membership, and we need your help in supporting and promoting the female athletes in Colorado. Whether it involves your wanting to help with the executive board, helping the sports chairs with the all-state selection process, or working at the all-state games as a table worker running the clock, keeping score, or announcing, we welcome your help however big or small. In fact, you wouldn’t even have to work all day at an all-state event. For example, if you have an athlete competing in the 1A games, you might want to stay to help keep the clock for the 2A game. We welcome any kind of assistance that you choose to offer: in the spirit of Terri Ward, our former president, this is a great opportunity for you to provide unique opportunities for our all-state participants, their coaches, and their families. As a volunteer, you most likely will receive more than you give; and it is incredible to witness firsthand the exuberance and gratitude of the athletes and their families. If you are interested in volunteering for a particular sport, please email the appropriate sports chair: Khara West, softball; Lisa Schumacher, 1A-3A volleyball, Shane Forrest, 4A-5A volleyball; Dave Huss, 1A-2A basketball, Merci Ames, 3A-4A basketball, and Chris Kemm, 5A-6A basketball. Email addresses are available at the end of this newsletter.

Softball Sports Chair Letter

IMPORTANT DATES & VOTING INFORMATION…2022

Hello Softball Coaches!

I hope that this letter finds you enjoying the wonderful sport of softball as you are in the midst of your season.

As most of you know, the all state softball games started with CCGS in 1987 and have been a great way to recognize female athletics across the state. Additionally, the games have carried female athlete recognition across the country. However, these games do not happen without the help of all of you. For this I cannot thank you enough.

IMPORTANT DATES: Please mark you calendars for the following:

Your League Meeting: Take a ballot to your (end of the season) league meeting.

Google link/Ballot (this is view only, you will have to make a copy in order to type in this)

** Fill out ballot (please type) at your end of season meeting and email or email it back to me by Friday Oct 21st**

Selection Meeting:

Date: Oct. 23, 2022
Location: Virtual - Zoom meeting; current members will receive a passcode to the meeting
Time: 9:00 am

You can update your membership; Head coach = $30, Asst Coach = $15 (it needs to be current in order to vote or coach in the games; only one vote per team)

payment through website …https://ccgs.sportngin.com/register/form/098260734
create an account

All-State Softball Games:

Date: Sunday, November 6, 2022
Location: Games at Lutz Complex/Fields (~I-70/Kipling in Arvada)
Time: 10AM check in for all Athletes; team building/pictures, 12:30 ceremony - games to follow

Ballot and voting: The only requirement is that the athlete is a SENIOR.

The number one slot is an automatic entry to the games. (so that we support our philosophy of having all-state representation)
The ballot consists of 3 non-pitcher slots. Players in slots 2 – 13 will be voted on during the selection meeting on Oct 11 – their ballot position has no impact on the decision – it will strictly be done by votes
Players not selected for the game will be used as alternates only if needed … DO NOT tell the athlete that they have made the team – feel free to express that they have been NOMINATED if you choose.
If you have a player who is placed on the ballot for selection, you will need to pass along information to her if she is selected. Therefore, you or a representative should be at the meeting.
We will NOT have a banquet.

I cannot express the gratitude that I have for you. Not only with the help that you give me each year in making the games a success, but, most importantly, for all the work that you do for your softball players. The impact is endless (it makes up for the pay ☺).

Please join us for the selection meeting so you can talk up your player & get them into the games.

I will see you virtually on Sunday Oct 23, 2022 starting @ 9 am.

I wish you the best in your season.

Respectfully,

Khara West Brittney Gutierrez

khara.west@bvsd.org Brittney.gutierrez@bvsd.org

Volleyball Sports Chair Letter

Welcome to the 2022 Season, one that will be hopefully free from Covid restrictions and that will provide numerous positive experiences for our volleyball athletes throughout the state. According to a recent NFHS survey, volleyball is the second-most popular girls’ sports in the nation. Thanks to all of you for your unrelenting efforts in promoting our sport. We are all aware of the many sacrifices you make and the challenges you face but please never forget to celebrate that you are in a unique situation to positively impact your athletes’ lives as “one coach will impact more people in a year than most people do in a lifetime.”

As you probably know, the Colorado Volleyball State Championships have returned to the Denver Coliseum and will be held on November 10 through 12. Because of this change in venue, the volleyball all-state selection meeting will be held on Sunday, November 13th, at Aspen Creek K-8 School, 5500 Aspen Creek Drive, Broomfield, CO at 9:30 a.m. Only current CCGS members can vote, so you must renew your membership to be a voting member. Memberships can be renewed at our website, colocgs.org. For renewal, click on the blue Member Registration tab.

We are excited to return to an in-person selection meeting as it provides better opportunities to discuss the merits of the nominated athletes, to discuss issues that you would like the volleyball chairs to present to CHSAA’s volleyball committee meeting, and to celebrate in person our coaching membership. The league nomination ballot 2022 CCGS All-State Volleyball Ballot must be submitted no later than Friday, November 4th, BEFORE the regional tournament. Please make every effort possible to submit your ballots prior to this date as, often times, our sports chairs are participating in the state tournament and must have the ballots compiled and printed before Wednesday, November 9th when they leave for the tournament. If for some reason, you cannot make the November 4th deadline, please contact your respective sports chair. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL BALLOTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY USING THE GOOGLE FORM. YOU WILL NO LONGER EMAIL YOUR NOMINATION BALLOTS TO THE SPORTS CHAIRS.

Please submit one ballot for multi-class conferences and make sure that all the information on the ballots is accurate. It is especially important that you provide phone numbers for each nominated athlete. Your league ballot should be submitted by your volleyball league AD or a representative league coach.

Practice for this year’s games will be held at Ft. Collins High School, 3400 Lambkin Way, Ft. Collins, CO 80525 on Saturday, November 19th. The games will follow on Sunday, November 20th at Fossil Ridge High School, 5400 Ziegler Road, Ft. Collins, CO 80528. More specific information regarding practice and game times will be provided at a later date. Our 1A-3A sports chair is Lisa Schumacher at schumacherl@re1valleyschools.org from Sterling High School, and our 4A-5A sports chair is Shane Forrest at Cheri.Forrest@mcsd.org from Montrose High School. Please contact them if you wish to help with the all-state nomination and selection process. Additional contact information for Lisa and Shane is available on the nomination ballot.

We wish you the greatest successes for the remainder of the season and hope to see you at the state tournament, whether as a participating coach or a spectator supporting the stellar athletes and coaches in our great state; but don’t go to state expecting to see those colorful balls flying around the courts as the Wilson approved volleyballs for CHSAA competitions are now white! We also look forward to seeing you at the selection meeting and at the all-state games; our hosting these games is a tradition dating back to 1978. Once again, if you would like to volunteer to work at the games, please contact either Lisa or Shane. Thanks again for all that you do in promoting girls’ sports.

Basketball Sports Chair Letter

CCGS All-State Basketball Information 2022-23

Since 1978, the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports (CCGS) has honored outstanding female basketball players at the CCGS All-State Basketball games. We are proud to continue to offer this unique, pioneering experience for young women in Colorado. There will be a couple of changes to our event this year; and when they are finalized, we will be sure to send along all of the details. Below are some important dates and times for you to keep in mind as we start the new season.

Important Dates & Info:

2023 State Basketball Tourney: March 9th-11th; various sites

CCGS Basketball Selection: March 12th 9:30 am; sites TBD

CCGS Basketball All-State Games: March 18th & 9th;*Grandview HS (tentative)

A bulletin with the ballot and other relevant information will be sent out prior to the 2022-2023 season. Questions? Contact one of the sports chairs below.

Sport Chair Contact Information

Dave Huss 1A & 2A Basketball: hussd@re1valleyschools.org

Merci Ames 3A & 4A Basketball: mames@strasburg31j.com

Chris Kemm 5A & 6A Basketball: coachckemm@gmail.com

Remember, with your help, we can carry on this nationally recognized and proud tradition. Be sure to check out our website and social media pages for more info and opportunities to join.

Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports Website

CCGS Facebook

CCGS twitter

It is Time to Renew Your Membership

The Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports memberships are current for the school calendar year; therefore, everyone needs to renew their memberships for the 2022-23 sports seasons in order to be a voting member at the all-state selection meetings. Renew your membership at our website colocgs.org by opening the blue Member Registration tab. Dues are $30 for head coaches and $15 for assistant coaches. Please direct any questions to our membership chair, Monica Tuz, at monica.tuz@bvsd.org .