Virginia High School League

The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike many similar organizations in other states, it does not count private schools among its membership. It is among the organizations that elect to sponsor championships in academic activities.

History

It was started in 1913 by members of the Washington and Jefferson Literary Societies of the University of Virginia. Its original intent was to serve as a debating league for the state's high schools. Over the course of the 1910s, it expanded to over 250 schools and added championships in oral reading, baseball, basketball and track and renamed itself the Virginia High School Literary and Athletic League.

After World War II, it adopted other sports and began standardizing officiating practices for high school sports. In 1969, it merged with the Virginia Interscholastic Association, which was a similar organization that served black schools around the Commonwealth. Girls' sports were added around this time.

Organization

It is headquartered in Charlottesville.

The VHSL has over 300 member schools and conducts championships in 25 different sports. 150,000 students participate in its activities.

It is directed by an Executive Committee elected from the principals and superintendents of the various Virginia school districts. Day to day affairs are handled by the Executive Directors and Assistant Directors.

Its 300 members are organized into three groups based on enrollment: A, AA and AAA. Each of the three groups are split into four regions. Redistricting and regrouping occurs every two years. Several schools in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas elect to play in Group AAA instead of Group AA due to a reluctance to travel long distances.

In football, each region is further split into two divisions based on school size, so statewide champions are determined in Divisions 1 through 6 (Divisions 1 and 2 are the Group A schools, 3 and 4 the AA schools and 5 and 6 the AAA schools.)

Championships

Offered for boys and girls: Basketball, Cross country, Indoor track, Outdoor track, Soccer, Swimming/diving, Tennis, Volleyball

Offered for boys: Baseball, Football, Golf, Wrestling

Offered for girls: Cheerleading, Field hockey, Gymnastics, Softball

(Boys' and girls' sports will allow members of the opposite gender to participate in some circumstances.)

Academic activities: Creative Writing, Debate, Drama (one-act plays), Forensics (a variety of literary competitions), Magazines Newspapers, Scholastic Bowl (a variety of quizbowl), Yearbooks

External links

• Virginia High School League
• VHSL Record Book, includes list of past champions
• Virginia Preps, a discussion site of VHSL activities. It is not sponsored by the VHSL.
• Members of VHSL Group A
• Members of VHSL Group AA
• Members of VHSL Group AAA