To all IHSCGA Stakeholders:
The IHSCGA Executive Board has been very busy processing many of the proposed items submitted over the past 2 years regarding balancing of numbers between different classifications, creating new classifications to remedy this situation, and creating scenarios to alleviate the stress of potentially being reclassified. As promised, we have had several meetings to discuss these issues, and we are very excited to present a few changes to how we will approach our State Events at the end of our season.
Cadet and Festival Classes
Cadet and Festival Classes will continue to operate as they have in 2023. Divisional Finals will take place on March 9, 2024.
Regional A
There has been much discussion over the past 2 years about the large number of groups in Regional A. Ideas that were presented include possibly adding “sub-divisions” within the class. We decided that we were not in favor of adding additional classifications within the same judging criteria. We did, however, come up with a way to recognize more groups at the end of the season. For the 2024 season, IHSCGA will operate Regional A Class using the following guidelines:
- Regular season contests will be operated in the same way as they were in 2023 – dividing all Regional A groups into rounds, and placing groups within each round.
- Seeding of Regional A groups will also continue as it has – by taking the most recent contest score plus add-on.
- State prelims will take place on March 2, 2024 for this season.
- All Regional A groups will perform at prelims at the same site. Groups will be divided into 6 rounds evenly based on seeding score.
- All Regional A guards will advance to a State Finals event. All groups will be divided into 6 even rounds. Groups will be seeded within these rounds based on their score from prelims the prior week.
- Each round will be judged as a separate contest.
- Each round will award the first place group with a “Round State Championship”
- All round champions will be automatically be reclassified into Class A for the following season (this is not much of a change from before – previously the top 5 were reclassified – 6 round champions would essentially result in the top 6 being reclassified.
- Each round winner will receive a “champion” banner
- The top 3 groups from each round will receive medals.
- All finalists will receive a patch
- This contest will take place on March 9.
- Positives for this restructuring include:
- Allows more groups to receive recognition within a class that traditionally has a large number of participants.
- Alleviates some of the competitive stress of this class, allowing it to be more about training.
- All groups would be able to participate in the final event of the season for this class.
- All groups in Regional A prelims will be adjudicated by the same panel of judges.
Class A
- Regular season contests will be operated in the same way as they were in 2023 – dividing all Class A groups into rounds (if number of entries warrant), and placing groups within each round.
- Seeding of Class A groups will also continue as it has – by taking the most recent contest score plus add-on.
- State prelims will take place on March 2, 2024 for this season.
- All Class A groups will perform at prelims at the same site. Groups will be divided into 2 rounds evenly based on seeding score.
- For State Finals, ALL Class A groups will perform!
- Groups will be divided into 2 even rounds. Rounds assignments and order of performance will be determined by the scoring from the previous week’s prelims contest.
- State semi-finals will no longer exist.
- Each round winner will receive a “champion” banner
- The top 3 groups from each round will receive medals.
- All finalists will receive a patch
- This contest will take place on March 16.
- Positives for this restructuring include:
- Equality for all groups to perform in the final event of the season.
- All Class A participants will be deemed “State Finalists”.
- Alleviates some of the fears and stressors of potentially being reclassified into Class A. There will not be instances of a likely Regional A Finalist being reclassified with little to no chance to make finals in Class A (this has, rightfully so, been a huge concern for many).
- All groups in Class A prelims will be adjudicated by the same panel.
Open/World
- There will no longer be a qualifying score for Open or World Class Finals. All groups will advance.
- The State Prelims event will still take place. Groups will perform at State Finals in reverse order based on scores from State Prelims.
- Groups in Open and World Classes will perform at State Finals in a single round.
Registration will open on September 1, 2023. You will be able to complete registration on your CompetitionSuite page.
We are very excited about these changes, and look forward to a fabulous 2024 season. Thanks for all for their feedback in helping to lead to some of these changes, which will undoubtedly continue to enhance the opportunities for our students within the IHSCGA. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Mike Bolla
President – IHSCGA, Inc.
