OPELIKA —
Opelika head baseball coach Zach Blatt is hosting the Opelika Baseball Youth Camp, June 19 through 21 at Bulldog Park on the Opelika High School campus. The camp is for anyone ages 6 to 12 and costs $75 per camper. The fee includes baseball drills, games, a 100-foot slip-n-slide and a camp T-shirt. You can register by contacting Blatt at ohsbaseball@opelikaschools.org, or call OHS at 334-745-9715. You can pay by cash, check or school bucks.
FOOTBALL
Opelika varsity football will hold a spring scrimmage Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. This is Erik Speakman’s sixth spring game as head coach of the Dogs.
The scrimmage will be the OHS offense versus the defense, instead of a game between another school. The scrimmage will be the official end of athletics for the 2022-23 school year.
TIDBITS
The following is my opinion about state legislators trying to take over the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).
The Alabama High School Athletic Association oversees athletics for over 700 middle schools and high schools in Alabama. The state of Alabama is one of the leaders in the United States when it comes to high school athletic associations across the country.
The AHSAA is governed by the member schools, not an individual. The schools choose the people who will serve on the Central Board of Control and the Legislative Council. These two committees work together, passing new rules and/or bylaws, and make recommendations and rulings based on those bylaws and rules. The superintendents, principals, athletic directors and coaches from member schools are eligible to be on these boards if nominated and elected by members.
Alvin Briggs is wrapping up his second year as executive director of the AHSAA, succeeding Steve Savarese, who retired in 2021. Assistant Director Kim Vickers is second in command and supervises the remaining assistant directors and staff at the AHSAA.
Alabama State Sen. Chris Elliott (R – Baldwin County) introduced seven bills/pieces of legislation aimed at the AHSAA. It appears Elliott is making an unprecedented move to take over the Alabama High School Athletic Association because of a few rulings that went against a high school in his district. If the member schools disagree with a ruling, the schools can appeal the ruling to the district board, and then the central board of control.
Remember, member schools of the AHSAA make the rules and bylaws, not legislators. One of seven bills passed, making all schools take cash along with online tickets for regular season games and playoff games. The other bills did not have enough votes to come out of committee, or they did not come up for a vote.
Briggs, along with high school coaches and administrators, spent several days in the Alabama House of Representatives speaking against these laws to the committee members. The AHSAA does not receive funding from the state of Alabama Legislature. The association operating funds come from playoff ticket sales. The AHSAA will receive 20% of the proceeds from each ticket purchased for playoff and championship games and have several corporate partners that help offset revenue expenditures.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association does not need to be under the control of our state legislators. They have enough problems to solve besides worrying about high school athletics and how they operate. The member schools do a super job of overseeing the AHSAA.
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1319, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.