MSHSAA All Access Podcast

In this podcast episode we discuss a little bit about the changes that have occurred over the past few years in regards to how MSHSAA uses it's social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. How does it all happen, who does it, and what is the primary purpose behind each and every post?

August marks the start of a new school year, and with that comes fall sports and activities! In this podcast episode we visit with members of our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to discuss their responsibilities within the association as well as share some of the important factors that make their role so vital when it comes to the mental health and physical safety of the student athletes in Missouri.

We start the 2023-2024 school year off introducing our newest Executive staff members! Interested in who will be the new Music person? Who is handling officials? What roles, responsibilities and backgrounds do our newest staff bring to the association? Find all that and more in our first episode of the year!

Our final Spring Championship review - The 2023 Girls Soccer Championships! This was a historical year for many schools that had never been to the Girls Soccer Championships - listen as we go over all the winners, hit on some pretty interesting facts and statistics, and celebrate a spectacular end to the 2023 Spring Season!

A week of action all summed up in one podcast! The 2023 MSHSAA Baseball Championships, held at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, MO, is a week of non-stop action as 24 teams representing the 6 classifications of baseball bring all they have to southwest Missouri in the hunt for the Championship trophy. For some this was the first trip ever and others having a well established presence at the championships. Listen as we highlight our favorite moments and stories from this years games!

August 7th, 2023 marks the "first allowable practice" for the students participating in sports in the member schools belonging to MSHSAA. Although many students have been actively participating in summer camps and programs, this date is a significant one for many of our students and coaches. It's a new year! Time for new experiences, friendships and much, much more. It's go time!

A unique aspect of Softball in Missouri is the option for schools to select which season they would like to play - Fall or Spring, and each season has it's own Championship. The MSHSAA Spring Softball Championships are held in the same location as the fall, and eight schools representing two separate classifications battle it out for that Championship title! In this episode we will highlight all the teams, plays and memories that made this years event a success!

The MSHSAA Track and Field Championships is one of the largest events MSHSAA hosts. Held this year at the Licklider Track in Jefferson City, MO, the 2023 Championships was full of jumps, throws, dashes and more. Sit back and enjoy as we highlight all the team champions and individual competitors!

We continue our review on our Spring Championship season by catching up on all the action that took place at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, MO. This event was action packed with some amazingly talented young men. Listen as we hit all the stats and results of this years Championship!

The 2023 Boys Golf Championships are our first sport to kickoff the Spring Championship Season. In this episode we take a look back at each of the sites, how the results played out and thank some key players that helped make this years Championships a success!

Getting back on track with our Spring Championship reviews, we go to our final spring activity championship - the 2023 MSHSAA Scholar Bowl Championships. This 2-day event, held on the historic University of Missouri campus, puts the greatest of minds across the state in head to head competition for the Championship Title! Listen as we take a look back and talk about how this years teams performed and share some great stories from the event.

It's a MSHSAA Podcast Takeover! The MSHSAA staff had a little fun while the bosses were away and decided to record our own podcast! If you have ever been to a MSHSAA Championship event, it is very likely you have encountered one or two MSHSAA staff members during your visit. In an effort to highlight some of the background players we made a podcast about ourselves, what we do, and if we are working a MSHSAA Championship where you might see us in action!

It was three gorgeous days on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, MO for the 2023 MSHSAA State Music Festival! In this podcast episode we talk a little more about this years festival with Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and outgoing Assistant Executive Director, Davine Davis, along with incoming Associate Executive Director, James Melton. You'll hear an interesting perspective as Davine Davis discusses her last festival before retiring, and the realization of the magnitude of the festival as it now will be under the lead of James Melton.

In this podcast episode Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director, along with Communications Director, Jason West, and Asst. Executive Director, Marty Marsh, review the 2023 Speech, Debate and Theatre Championships - listen as they share some fun stories and heartfelt moments that make the SDT Championships a spectacular event!

NIL stands for Name, Image and Likeness. For years, the NCAA has used the name, image and likeness of college athletes to promote NCAA athletic programs and drive revenue. Trickling down into the high school landscape, state associations are tasked with defining NIL for their own student athletes. In this episode we asked representatives from California, Tennessee, Kansas and the National Federation of High Schools to join us and talk about an issue that is affecting high schools nationally.

The final championship of the 2022-2023 school year is the MSHSAA 38th Girls Soccer Championships scheduled for June 2nd and 3rd. Soccer has a rich history in our larger metropolitan areas of the state. One of those areas is home to the championships, World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, MO. MSHSAA Executive Director, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, and Assistant Executive Director, Marty Marsh, sits down for one more championship preview to lead into our final event. Listen as they give an overview of what to expect along with some special recognition for the people that make this event a success.

A great American tradition, and one of the oldest sports in the association, is highly participated in by the member schools of the Missouri State High School Activities Association. Starting on Memorial Day, May 29th, the 2023 MSHSAA State Baseball Championships will begin at US Ballpark in Ozark, MO. 24 teams representing 6 classifications will play 2 games in the hunt for the championship. Listen as Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director, Doug Fessler, preview our next upcoming championship!

Tucked between two weekends of Track & Field Championships, the Spring Softball Championships will take place on May 22nd and 23rd at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, MO. Listen as Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director, Doug Fessler, sit down to discuss and highlight another Spring Championship!

The MSHSAA 2023 Track & Field Championships is one of our largest events held throughout the year, not just in school participation or number of athletes, but the number of spectators that come watch this championship that bring an atmosphere like no other! In this podcast episode we'll highlight all of the jumps, throws and runs in this championship preview as MSHSAA Executive Director, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director, Lou Mazzocco dig into what is Track and Field in Missouri.

Boys State Tennis is one of the oldest sports with the Missouri State High School Activities Association, having it's first state Championship for Individuals in 1926, doubles play would be incorporated the following year. Team Tennis, as we know it today, was later added in 1988 although teams prior to that were recognized based on singles and doubles results. But Tennis, like Golf, is not like or other sports. Listen as Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director, and Kenny Seifert, Assistant Executive Director sit down and serve up some pretty interesting details about this unique event!

In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast we talk about the upcoming 83rd Boys Golf Championships! One of MSHSAA's earliest championships, the sport of golf in Missouri grew significantly in the 1950's and even saw a seasonal switch from a fall sport to spring in the 1959-60 school year. Now, boys golf has grown to a total of 5 classifications, which means 5 courses, 5 sets of workers, etc. Curious how MSHSAA gets that done? Listen as Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director, and Assistant Executive Director, Greg Stahl, take a swing at explaining all that is coming up with our Boys Golf Championships!

Scholar Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Academic Team - whatever you call it the best and the brightest will soon converge on the University of Missouri Campus for our final activity Championship - Scholar Bowl! MSHSAA's youngest activity - Scholar Bowl first became a MSHSAA sanctioned event in the 1995-1996 school year with the first Championship being held at Stephens College in Columbia in May of 1996. At that time it was known as Academic Competition. Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Stacy Schroeder sit down to celebrate this unique event and share some little known facts about MSHSAA's youngest activity.

Next week close to 10,000 students, over a 3 day period, will converge on the University of Missouri campus to perform at the 2023 MSHSAA State Music Festival. Throughout the months of March and April thousands more students performed with their bands, choirs and orchestra's at State Large Group festivals all around the state. As we look forward to celebrating the achievements of these students and preparing for the individual and ensemble performances to occur next week, we talk about all the festival, how it works and more.

To kick off our Spring Activities Championships, we sit down to talk about our Speech, Debate and Theatre Championships that will take place April 20-22 in Springfield, MO. Listen as we discuss what is Speech and Debate, how do students qualify and much more!

Closing out our Winter Championship season is the second weekend of Boys and Girls Championship Basketball for Classes 4, 5 and 6. In this podcast episode, we review all the highlights and key moments from the Show-Me Showdown II, and share some of our favorite stories with MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Assistant Executive Director Doug Fessler, Communications Director Jason West, and Sports Announcer, former coach and basketball guru Jeni Hopkins.

The Class 1 and 2 Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships was definitely one for the record books! In this podcast episode we revisit the memorable moments from the girls state meet from February. MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad; Associate Executive Director Stacy Schroeder; Communications Assistant Scott Lunte and former Blue Springs Swimming and Diving Coach Bill Shalley, dive into all the amazing things that was observed at this years girls championships!

An addition of another class of Girls competition, a new format for all classes, how did it all work? What pros and cons were discovered? In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast, MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Assistant Executive Director Greg Stahl, Communications Director Jason West, and one of the best voices in Wrestling announcing, Dorothy Mayabb, all sit down and go back over the 2023 State Wrestling Championships, Reminisce with us as we share our favorite stories from this years championships and why we consider this event such a special championship.

While preparing to start the second weekend of the MSHSAA State Basketball Championships for Class 4, 5, & 6 schools, in the early quiet hours on Thursday morning in Great Southern Bank Arena, we took some time to review the Class 1, 2, 3 Championships. MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Asst. Executive Director Doug Fessler, Communications and Media Director Jason West and Denny Hunt, Executive Director of the Missouri High School Basketball Coaches Association, all sit down and share what they viewed at the championships, highlight some neat stories and celebrate all the accomplishments of the participating teams.

MSHSAA would like to thank the community of Springfield and our volunteer Team Hosts, or as they like to call themselves, Team Ambassadors. What exactly is a Team Ambassador and what do they do? Listen as we visit with several of our team hosts and learn more about their very important roles into making the Championships run smoothly for the teams.

In this episode podcast we visit with the Dr. Mark Hecquet, Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO, Lance Kettering, Executive Director of the Springfield Sports Commission and Becky Oakes, Team Ambassador Coordinator for the State Basketball Championships. As we make the move back to Columbia, MO for the 2024 MSHSAA State Show Me Showdown Basketball Championships, we thank the Springfield community and its members as we gear up for an exciting two weeks of basketball action to finish out our winter sports season.

It's March! That means the 2023 Show-Me Showdown MSHSAA Basketball Championships are just around the corner! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Doug Fessler talk all things basketball as we look forward to our final year of the current hosting campaign with Missouri State University and Great Southern Bank Arena.

In this second episode of our RefReps series, we visit with Leeanna Meador, Principal at Tipton High School, and talk about what they are doing with the RefReps program and how it has impacted their students and community. Tipton High School is one of several schools that are receiving the free instructional seats for this amazing new officiating education system. Listen as they share how they use RefReps in their regular curriculum and how the students have responded to the opportunity.

The 2023 MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships brings one of the greatest displays of sport culminated into a brief few days. There have been many changes in Wrestling lately, primarily with the growth of Girls Wrestling. Being it's own sport now for a few years has caused some changes to the current structure of the championships. Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Greg Stahl talk about how Wrestling is moving forward in Missouri and share some important details about this years Championship.

In this podcast episode, Kenny Seifert, MSHSAA Assistant Executive Director and Officials Program Coordinator, sits down with Kyle Armstrong, Founder and CEO of RefReps, to talk about an exciting new program MSHSAA has partnered to pilot in our member schools. RefReps is a standardized, digital course curriculum with detailed instructor guides & course maps, interactive assessments, materials and more. Listen as we share how this program is just a step towards educating the next generation of officials.

In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast we talk about the upcoming 48th MSHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving Championships. Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director and Stacy Schroeder, MSHSAA Associate Executive Director sit down to celebrate the female athletes that participate in swimming and diving, talk about how our meets run and highlight some of the special people that make this event such a successful championship.

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director and Marty Marsh, Assistant Executive Director sit down and discuss the new MSHSAA Student Advisory Committee, the representative voice of the students within our membership schools. Listen as they discuss why are we developing this committee, what will these students do and more.

In our final episode covering our Area Meeting Topics we discuss a number of items including student postseason eligibility, specifically Championships that have an individual qualifying aspect and possible changes to the current postseason hosting format for Basketball. We also briefly discuss how NIL (name, image, likeness) could impact high school athletics; our upcoming Student Advisory Committee and close with some information regarding this years Wrestling Championships format.

In this episode of our Area Meeting Topics series we discuss a few more items that are being brought to our membership. This week we talk about our current officials ratings system, what exactly is an emerging sport and some exciting opportunities coming in the future in the way of officials education.

In the Area Meeting Topics Series we'll be discussing the hot topics in our state in regards to interscholastic athletics and activities. This 3-part series will cover the possible Questionnaire and Ballot Items the membership will provide feedback and thoughts prior to voting upon.

In this final episode of the 'Transitions' series, we sit down with retiring Assistant Executive Director, Kenny Seifert, and discuss his duties with the association and reflect on what being a part of MSHSAA truly means.

In this episode we talk with Greg Stahl as we discuss his upcoming retirement.

In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast we sit down with Assistant Executive Director, Davine Davis, as we highlight her career with MSHSAA and gain a little insight into what she does and what is on the horizon for her as we celebrate her upcoming retirement.

Get to know our Executive Director, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and listen as she shares her background and discusses the transitions the Missouri State High School Association is undergoing as three Assistant Executive Directors take advantage of their PSRS retirement eligibility.