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(NOTE: On July 1, Evan Excell officially retired from his position as executive director of the Utah High School Activities Association. Long-time assistant director Dave Wilkey took over as the top official at the UHSAA. The newspaper will take a look at the past and the future of the governing body of prep sports in the state through the eyes of these two men in a two-part series today and next week.)
Jared Lloyd
It's been nearly 110 years since Salt Lake was awarded the first Utah state high school football title in 1898.
Now 130 high schools in the state have athletes competing in 22 different events during the school year, from the first girls soccer games in mid-August to the final out of the baseball state tournament at the end of May.
The Utah High School Activities Association is in charge of all of the action, and over the years, the people who have worked there have seen just about everything.
July 1 marked a turning point for the UHSAA as executive director Evan Excell retired after 14 years leading the association and Dave Wilkey took his place after 30 years as an assistant director.
Their combined 44 years of experience in dealing with the best and the worst of the Utah high school sports scene gives them a unique perspective on the evolution of prep athletics in the state.
"We didn't get many weekends off when I started here," Wilkey recalled. "We were a two-man band, and while we didn't have soccer or softball, we did have gymnastics, so we had only one fewer sport. That meant each of us were working on three times as many events.
"In those days we had fewer rules. Our handbook was a lot thinner and though there was still plenty of intensity and passion, people were more willing to accept the rules and live by them."
In 1994, after years of working as a coach and an athletic director at schools in various part of the state, Excell decided to take a risk and apply for the executive director position.
"It had always been principals that got the job before," he explained. "I was a long shot but I got the job. I wondered what I was doing, if I could do it, but it's been a wonderful experience."
During their tenures, both Wilkey and Excell have seen the UHSAA facing many of the same issues year after year.
"Growth has always been difficult," Excell said. "We had 102 schools in 1994 and now we have 130. By 2013, we could be closer to 150.
"That makes realignment a huge challenge, and though I don't know if we're doing it right, I know we put a lot of thought into it and try to get the best for everyone while knowing it's not possible to please everyone."
Another issue that gets ugly on a regular basis is dealing with transfers.
"It was on the first agenda of my first meeting at the UHSAA," Wilkey said. "We try to write rules that are consistent with the philosophy that players don't transfer for athletic reasons. But it's been a challenge from the get-go."
It's been a problem that has plagued Utah Valley over the years and created a number of tough situations for the UHSAA staff.
"People in Utah Valley are very passionate about their activities and sports," Excell said. "We had our difficulties with regards to recruiting and transfers.
"Looking back, you think of things like American Leadership, Scott LeFrandt, Michelle Harrison, Stef Zimmerman, Dave Houle and Provo and Timpview. We've had some tough things to deal with."
But both administrators pointed out that they could think up similar stories for every area of the state, since those are often some of the most challenging issues they have to deal with.
Other concerns that have become increasingly prominent are legal and legislative issues, as well as the growth of alternative education programs.
"We take pride in the fact that if a student resides in Utah, there's a way for him or her to be eligible to participate in high school sports," Excell said.
But with the difficulties have also come many rewarding and successful experiences in dealing with high school athletics.
"The biggest thing is the expanded opportunities that are available for kids," Wilkey explained. "We have five classifications here and that means a huge number of kids get to experience state tournaments, more so than (in) any other state."
The association also takes pride in the success of the consolidated state tournaments and the fact that they've been able to keep prices low.
"Volleyball, baseball, softball, golf, wrestling, all of these have become much more fan-friendly," Excell said.
"We've also only had one ticket price increase of one dollar across the board while I was here and I feel that keeping ticket prices down is a big accomplishment."
Wilkey said that during the transition (at the office), they found a 1980 state basketball ticket stub that cost four dollars, meaning that in 28 years the price has only gone up by two dollars.
Many Utah County fans have taken advantage of the prices to head to the tournaments and support a number of great teams.
"Utah Valley has been pretty competitive and won its fair share of championships," Wilkey said. "I remember the games in the Marriott Center and we had a lot of people there."
Those memories and plenty of others will stick with Excell has he steps down from his post and moves on to a new phase of life.
"I'm leaving with no regrets," he said. "I feel good about what has been accomplished and how."
Next week the two men will turn their focus from the past to the future and what the next few years will bring for the UHSAA and high school sports here. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) |
