MSHSAA All Access Podcast

It’s hard to believe, but the Fall 2025 Championship Season is already upon us! Kicking things off is the 51st Girls Golf Championships, marking the beginning of an exciting season of competition and school spirit.Join us as we spotlight our first upcoming championship event. We’ll be sharing all the important details—from dates and locations to key reminders and what to expect throughout the championship season!

In this podcast episode we will give a brief update for the Ad-Hoc Committee regarding Transfers. Join us as we explain what current steps are being taken and how the committee has been working on ideas about the transfer rules and how those changes could be implemented through board direction and membership voting.

After serving two years in the armed forces, Jack returned to Columbia, MO, where he began his role as Assistant Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), a position he held for 15 years. In 1977, he became the MSHSAA Executive Director, a role he fulfilled until his retirement in 1992. Jack’s lifelong dedication to sports and education left a lasting impact, promoting inclusivity and sportsmanship across the state. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to enhancing high school activities. He took particular pride in the significant growth of women’s sports during his 30-year tenure, which effectively doubled the size of Missouri’s interscholastic athletic programs.We were fortunate enough to speak with Jack prior to his passing in January of this year, as we began preparations for the MSHSAA Centennial. Listen as he describes his path to the MSHSAA office and the programs and policies he oversaw during his tenure as Assistant and Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association.

Digging back into our MSHSAA Myths series, this episode focuses on the Championship Factor. How are schools that achieve consistent success year after year affected by it? Who developed the initial policies that were put in place? How has the association reviewed and adjusted its implementation over time? Join us as we explore how the association currently determines classifications based on the Championship Factor.

In this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, we visit with a few members of the MSHSAA Board of Directors as we kick off the 2025–26 school year with our first quarterly Board of Directors meeting and appeals session. Join us as we hear the perspectives of one of our newly elected members and compare them with those of a veteran board member. Discover how these individuals grow in their roles, the different viewpoints they encounter, and more in this episode!

In another episode of MSHSAA Myths, we take a look at postseason assignments and the process behind how and why district assignments are determined. A look back at the early days of interscholastic sports provides insight into the purpose and ideology that continue to influence today's practices. Join us as we explore and learn more about postseason assignments.

What was previously known as the MSHSAA 101 — the MSHSAA Annual Membership Update sessions is now underway, as members of the MSHSAA staff visit the eight board districts to share updates with administrators of member schools. Learn about the changes approved by our Board of Directors, along with other ballot results and important information.

In another episode celebrating the MSHSAA Centennial we will highlight one of our major projects we've been diligently preparing - a new page to the MSHSAA website all about the MSHSAA Centennial! Listen and find out what we have been putting together from a historical timeline to photos of the past and more!

Kicking off the year, we held our first Student Advisory Committee leadership meeting in conjunction with the August MIAAA Conference. During this time, we sat down with some of our senior members to reflect on their experience at the National Federation Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis this summer. Join us as we learn more about these amazing student representatives, what they learned at the summit, and how they plan to bring that knowledge back to their schools and communities.

The MSHSAA All-Access Podcast is launching a new series focused on common MSHSAA myths. Kicking off the series is our first episode, where we sit down to talk all about Class and District Assignments. Join us as we dive into how classifications and district assignments are determined—and why this information is released when it is.

The MSHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee met in August to discuss changes to be implemented based on the current recommendations approved by the MSHSAA Board of Directors. Join us as committee members Dr. Mark Halstead and Blaise Kriley share important reminders and updates for the upcoming school year.

A wet bulb globe thermometer, or WBGT, measures heat stress combining ambient air temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation into a single number to help monitor athlete safety and protocols when participating in outdoor activities. As awareness has increased due to catastrophic events involving exertional heat illness MSHSAA Board of Directors approved the use of the WBGT for measuring acceptable levels for all practices and contests. In this episode we share how we got here and what steps schools can do to ensure student health and safety.

In this heartfelt episode of the MSHSAA All-Access podcast, members of the MSHSAA staff come together to reflect on the life and legacy of Emry Dilday, a remarkable individual whose impact on the world of interscholastic activities has been both profound and enduring. Through personal stories, cherished memories, and meaningful anecdotes, the staff honor Emry’s unwavering dedication, his countless contributions to student athletics and activities, and the lasting impression he has left on schools, communities, and colleagues across the state. This episode serves not only as a tribute but also as a celebration of a life devoted to the growth and enrichment of young people through education-based activities.

Welcome to the 2025–26 school year! We are excited to kick off this historic year for the association with the MIAAA/MSHSAA Summer Workshop session! Each August, prior to the start of the school year, athletic directors from across the state assemble at the MSHSAA office for two days of professional development, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities.During this year’s workshop session, we took the time to interview the MIAAA Executive Director, Josh Scott. Join us as we talk about this amazing organization—why it is vital to Missouri schools and how much the role has evolved over the years.

It's a new school year and today marks the first day for Fall sports practices! In just a few short weeks competition will soon begin. This short episode is simply a welcome and thank you to all of the individuals that dedicate so much time and energy into the students of Missouri!

We are taking another look at how the association will move forward following the passing of Senate Bill 63 and its impact on schools across Missouri. Listen as we share the next steps being taken to prepare all of our members for this upcoming law change, and the actions underway to ensure that all schools comply and understand how to navigate this shift in student eligibility and participation.

In this episode, Dr. Rukstad provides a brief explanation of a new bill signed into law on July 9 — Senate Bill 63. Who does it impact? What are its provisions? How will MSHSAA adapt to serve its members? We answer many of these questions and more in this summary of what lies ahead for the association as it heads into the 2025–26 school year.

Join us in welcoming our newest Assistant Executive Director - Mr. Alex Huck! MSHSAA is thrilled to have Alex join the MSHSAA staff and all the experience and expertise he brings with him! Find out more about Alex, what role will he have with the office and more!

100 Years in the Making – The Centennial Celebration 🎉Join us for a special episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast as we celebrate a truly historic milestone — 100 years of legacy, community, and impact.In this centennial celebration episode, we talk with Patrick Dell as he discusses the daunting task of arranging a special rendition of our National Anthem to commemorate this historical moment.Listen for all the details and subscribe now and be part of the celebration!

Our last episode of the 2025 Spring Championship season will highlight the Girls Soccer Championships. Listen as we share all the results for this years event and introduce the newest MSHSAA staff member who will take charge of Girls Soccer for Missouri!

Next up to bat in the 2025 Spring Wrap-Up Series: we're swinging for a homer as we cover the '25 Baseball Championships! Weather was certainly a factor throughout April and May, but that didn't stop the participating teams from celebrating moments they won’t forget. Listen in as we go through each class and share all the results from this historic event!

In its second year as a MSHSAA interscholastic sport, the Boys Volleyball Championships welcomed four new teams competing for the title at their new home — the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau! This year's competition was fierce, with every dig, serve, and spike leaving it all on the court. Tune in as we go over the results and highlights!

There was plenty of action on the diamond during the 2025 Spring Softball Championships! This year’s event saw many changes—from a different venue to schedule revisions due to a massive amount of rainfall that hit the Springfield area leading up to and during the championships. But this year’s teams didn’t let that curveball deter them from giving it their all, battling adversity every step of the way. Tune in to see how each team finished and what we have to look forward to in the upcoming softball championships!

Over the course of two weekends, almost 4,000 competitors showed up and gave everything they had at the 2025 Track & Field Championships! We witnessed fierce competition as athletes set new records—some even challenging national marks. With each throw, jump, dive, and sprint, an unforgettable championship was made. Tune in as we celebrate new records and team finishes in this action-packed episode!

Next up in our wrap up series of the 2025 Spring Championships, we take a swing at reviewing all the results from this years event highlighting all the individual champions along with team results! This year we re-wrote the record book with several players reaching personal accolades and setting multiple records! Join us in celebrating these amazing athletes!

We are covering all of the results from our Spring championships and to start us off is the Boys Tennis Championships. Singles & Doubles action started us off this spring as the following week saw some tough Teams competition. Listen as we review all the winners and special accolades that was achieved at this years battle on the courts!

It's the final championship preview of the season! In this episode, we highlight the upcoming Girls Soccer Championships as we return to Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton to catch all the action from 16 teams across four classes battling it out on the pitch! Listen for all the details and more!!

We are nearing the end of our spring championship season and as we approach June we get to talk about the next championship coming up - Baseball! Once again we will be at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark as we start our week off with Class 1 and 2 competition and move through the classes as the week progresses. Join us in celebrating our next event with this episode!

In this podcast episode we celebrate our youngest MSHSAA sport championship - Boys Volleyball! Although young under the MSHSAA activities, boys volleyball has a rich and impressive history and we are pleased to see the growth of the sport. As we prepare for the 2nd ever MSHSAA championship we will highlight the new home for the championships and share all the details in this episode!

We have a few changes this year for the Spring Softball Championships! We'll talk about those changes along with some exciting things happening at Killian Softball Complex that has caused this years event to relocate. Find out where the championships will be held and more in this episode!

Celebrating our final spring activity championship we are focusing on the 2025 Scholar Bowl Championships and shining a light on this special activity and the results of this years championship event! We had lots of returning teams and saw several new teams this year - find out who made it, how they finished and then get the coaches POV behind how this activity enriches everyone that gets involved!

Ready....Set....Go!! We are running through our previews of spring championships at lightning fast speed and on deck is our Track and Field Championships held at Jefferson City High School. This event has plenty of action at every twist and turn as athletes from around the state push their limits, reach personal bests and compete for a team trophy. We'll share all the details and more in this episode!

We are swinging right into our next championship preview episode - highlighting the 2025 Boys Golf Championships! Find out what locations will be hosting this years championships and any changes or special notes on our next upcoming event!

We are talking about our largest participated activity during this review episode of the 2025 MSHSAA State Music Festival. Thousands of students from around our fine state descended upon Columbia for three days of harmonious excitement and celebration. Be sure to listen as we go over all the details and special moments from this years festival!

Starting off our Spring Sport Championship season is the 2025 Boys Individual Tennis Championships followed by Team competition the following week. We'll talk about the changes that were made this year to the schedule and other details about this upcoming championship in this episode!

It was a historical year for the MSHSAA Speech & Debate Championships with the first year of an additional class of competition and a record number of participating schools and students! We'll review all the winners and special moments in this episode as we continue to march through our spring activity season!

It's time to bring the drama as we highlight our first activity championship in this wrap-up episode - the Theatre Championships! Listen as we go over all the results and take a look at some of the historical moments being made in the first year of this stand-alone event!

Spring in Missouri can bring plenty of weather surprises. During one stormy morning, while sheltering in the new MSHSAA studio during a tornado alert, we recorded an impromptu episode with a few of our guests. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look into the world of high school sports in Missouri and highlights how our officials continue to grow and network to enhance the experience for students.

We are highlighting our final activity championship event - the MSHSAA Scholar Bowl Championships! It's a battle of the brains during this unique event! Be sure to listen for all the details.

As we have moved through our governance series we have discussed the process for which the association by-laws and recommendations are determined, how those items are determined, and how they become part of the MSHSAA By-Laws. In this episode we go in depth over each topic that was recently voted upon by the membership. Find out what topics the membership currently have their sights on in this episode!

It’s time to talk about our next upcoming championship! In this episode, we’re highlighting our most highly attended event — the MSHSAA State Music Festival.Thousands of students, representing the largest number of schools for any championship, will descend upon the University of Missouri campus to perform for a chance at the highest rating — a Gold Medal.Check out all the details in this episode!

Following right after the Theatre Championships are the Speech & Debate Championships. This is the first year these championships have been separated. Listen for all the details and info on our next spring activity championship!

Bringing all the drama for our first spring activity championship we present the 2025 MSHSAA Theatre Championship Preview! This is the first year the Theatre Championships will have their own stand-alone event and we are thrilled to share all the excitement in this episode!

In this episode, we will review the coaches selected for the 2023-24 NFHS MSHSAA Sport Coach of the Year, specifically highlighting our Spring Sport Coaches. We are also pleased to announce the coaches recognized as Section and National Coaches of the Year. Congratulations to all the coaches who represent the state of Missouri as leaders in their field!

We are wrapping up our second weekend of Show-Me Showdown action in this episode going over the results from the Class 4, 5 & 6 Championships. Find out who the winners were and what special moments were made during the tournament.

In this episode we will go over the final results of the 2025 MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown Basketball Championships for Classes 1, 2 and 3. Find out how the games played out, who won, what historical moments were made and so much more!

Taking another look behind the scenes of our MSHSAA Music Festivals, we get the perspective of the Music Festival Manager and the role in facilitating the festivals. Joining us in this podcast are two seasoned managers with years of experience running the MSHSAA festivals - listen as we highlight this heavily participated event in the spring season of MSHSAA activities!

In this episode we sit down with two currently active MSHSAA Adjudicators and discuss their integral role in the aspect of music education in the schools of Missouri. We take a behind the scenes look at some of the rewards that can come from the experience the students live through as they seek feedback from these individuals along with how this also feeds back into the role many of these judges hold as educators. Listen as we celebrate the impact of music in our schools!

It was an exciting 4-days of action on the mats in the Mizzou Arena as athletes from around the state came to participate in the 95th Boys and 7th Girls Wrestling Championships. In this episode we will go over all the winners, highlights and special moments. Don't miss this episode as we also celebrate our four-time champions and those to keep an eye on for future tournaments!

Starting off our winter championship season is the 2025 Girls Swimming & Diving Championships! This event was held in February at the St. Peters Rec-Plex in St. Peters and in this episode we will go over our results and records, along with hearing from the voices of the athletes themselves as they share some words of advice to future championship athletes!