It's time to vote! The 2024 MSHSAA Annual Ballot is now available for schools to submit their votes during our governance period of our the year. There are many topics being presented to our member schools to consider, find out what is on the horizon for the association and what changes are being considered as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year.

In this podcast episode we reminisce over the 2024 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships. Dr. Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director sits down with Daryl Bradley, MSHSAA Assistant Executive and Jason West, MSHSAA Communications Director, to review everything from team finishes for each class to behind the scenes on exactly what is involved in running this spectacular event!

There is a lot to celebrate in Missouri when it comes to Girls Swimming & Diving! We had several records broken in the Girls Class 2 Swimming Championships and joining us on our wrap up podcast is the Rockhurst Boys Swim Coach, Paul Winkeler. who was recently named the national 2022-23 NFHS Boys Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year! We'll highlight all the winners and share some of our favorite stories from 49th Annual Girls Swimming & Diving Championships!

The stage is set! It's time to talk about our next upcoming Championships - The MSHSAA Show Me Showdown Basketball Championships! What's new this year? Well, quite a bit actually! In this episode we share all the details from dates to location and everything else leading up to the Championships!

The Area Meetings are an annual process in the MSHSAA governance procedures, where MSHSAA executives visit with school administrators at each of our Board Districts and present topics the MSHSAA Office and Board of Directors are seeking the opinions on from its membership. In this episode we will briefly summarize many of the topics we presented in January and explain a little more about this key process within the association.

It's time for the Big Show! The 2024 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships are just around the corner and thousands of athletes will converge on Mizzou Arena for an epic showcase of champions! Tune in as we get ready for the 94th Boys Wrestling Championships and the 6th Girls Wrestling Championships where legendary battles lie ahead!

The first Championship of the Winter season is the Girls Swimming & Diving Championships. The 49th Championship will feature 11 swimming events and a diving championship over the course of three days for 2 separate classifications. Listen as we share more details and behind the scenes sneak peek into this upcoming Championship!

It's our final Championship Review for the 2023 Fall season! In this episode we recap all 7 games from this year's championship from scores and stats to key moments from each game. Join us and listen as we wrap up our final fall championship!

The 56th MSHSAA Boys Soccer Championships involved a good mix of new or fairly new teams to the championship along with some well seasoned returnee's. Held in Fenton, MO at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park - this years Championships had its fill of excitement, thrills and nail biting moments! In this episode we will review all of the championship results and highlight team and player statistics!

Diving into our next Championship review we will discuss all the highlights and special mo0ments from our 2023 MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships! Joining us on this wrap up episode is St. Louis University High School Head Swimming Coach, Lindsey Ehret. Listen as she visits with us as we go over this historic event!

Held at the beautiful Gans Creek Recreation Center in Columbia, MO, the 2023 Boys and Girls Cross Country Championships took place over the course of two days of great weather and even faster competition! In this episode we'll go over the race winners, team finishes and talk all things cross country when it comes to this spectacular event!

The 49th MSHSAA Girls Volleyball Championships saw lots of newcomers along with some returning volleyball power houses come together for some smoking hot competition! In this episode we'll go over all of the final results, highlight some historical facts regarding school programs and talk about some of our favorite moments from this years Championship!

The 48th MSHSAA Fall Softball Championships was an absolute nail biter from start to finish. This championship had it all! Packed full of highs and lows from questionable weather all weekend to some first Championship appearance celebrations, this was certainly a spectacular 2 days. Listen as we look back at all the action!

The 2023 MSHSAA Girls Golf Championships was definitely one for the record books! With two golfers earning a hole in one to a new state record, we recap our Fall Girls Golf Championships and go over each class of results and team finishes. Listen for a special addition as we included the top five finishers from one of our locations to talk about their experience at the Championships.

Our last Championship preview - The 2023 Show Me Bowl Football Championships! Held on the University of Missouri Faurot Field, the Show Me Bowl is going to be three full days of high school football! Listen to find out schedule information, a little information of our current postseason structure and more!

Our first championship of the year was also a first for new Associate Executive Director, James Melton. In this episode we will give an overview of the results for each class of competition, share some interesting facts about our schools and their history in the sport of tennis, and even talk with a student athlete and get her perspective on what making it to the State Championships was like for her.

Only a few fall Championships remain! In this episode we talk about the Boys Soccer Championships coming up on November 17th and 18th, held at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park. St. Louis hasn't always been home to the Championships and in this podcast we'll visit past venues, share a little about the current venue and our event schedule.

The 87th Annual MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships scheduled for November 9-11 at the St. Peter's Rec Plex, is an amazing event packed full of action! In this episode we talk about how athletes qualify for both the swimming and diving portions of the event, why the event is hosted in St. Peters and so much more!

This weekend hundreds of athletes and thousands of spectators will descend upon the Gans Creek Recreation Area to participate in the MSHSAA 2023 Cross Country Championships! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Doug Fessler, and MSHSAA CFO/COO Craig Long, sit down and give a brief history and explanation of our upcoming championship as we prepare for yet another beautiful weekend of athletics!

It's time to bump, set, dig and dive as we prepare for another MSHSAA Championship! In this episode Dr. Jennifer Rukstad visits with Associate Executive Director, Toni Hill, the newest executive to oversee the Volleyball Championships. Get all the details as they highlight our upcoming 49th Girls Volleyball Championships!

Pitching into our next Championship Preview we bring you the 2023 MSHSAA Fall Softball Championship! 20 teams representing 5 classes will land in Springfield, MO to participate in the 48th MSHSAA Fall Softball Championship at Killian Softball Complex. Listen as we highlight this upcoming championship!

A hot topic being discussed throughout High School Basketball is the decision to incorporate the "Shot Clock". Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Asst. Executive Director, Doug Fessler, explain further what other states are doing, how they feel about implementing the use of the shot clock, how do schools participate, etc. as we prepare the membership for an upcoming survey.

In this episode we talk about our upcoming Girls Golf Championships! Find out how athletes qualify for the State Championships, what courses will we be using this year, and other important details surrounding the event. Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director, Doug Fessler, discuss all the details in this championship preview!

The first Championship of the year is almost here! In this podcast episode we sit down with one of the newest Executive Directors, James Melton, as he prepares for the 49th Girls Tennis Individual Championships, followed by the Girls Team Tennis Championships. Both held in Springfield, MO at Copper Tennis Complex.

Ever wonder how a Championship location is determined? What process does MSHSAA have when selecting a site? What kinds of things are taken into account when making that decision? In this podcast episode we visit with the MSHSAA Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer, Craig Long, as he explains the how, what and why when it comes to locating a home for the MSHSAA Championships.

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.