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All-Sectional and All-State Process

The instructions and nomination form are here. Do not contact the IHSA about this process; contact Matt Laird.

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Directions for Sectional Hosts

  1. After seeding is completed, the All-Sectional part of the meeting will begin. Each coach with a nominee will have one minute to present a case for their nominee. Only coaches present at the seeding meeting may submit candidates for All-Sectional honors.
  2. Each coach should submit a copy of their application/letter to the Sectional Host (you). Only those coaches submitting application/letters that night will be recognized as All-Sectional.
  3. Each school’s representative will cast a single ballot for fifteen players, in order from best to fifteenth best. Coaches are allowed to rank students from their own school. Schools only get to vote if they have competed in at least six varsity matches this school year before the meeting and players are only eligible for All-Sectional honors if they have played in the equivalent of six varsity matches.
  4. Collect the ballots and publicly tally the votes; each coach’s ballot will be revealed. Each nominee will receive points in the order listed on each ballot. The best player (listed first) on a ballot receives 15 points, the second best (listed next) receives 14 points, and so on down to 1 point for the last listed player.
  5. The top fifteen vote-getters in your Sectional will be named All-Sectional. You should give the coaches of these players their certificates that night.
  6. Inform coaches that the top six vote-getters in a Sectional will be eligible for All-State honors. These players’ applications will be forwarded for consideration by the All-State selection committee. Honorees will be notified in early March.
  7. Inform coaches that if their player did not finish in the top group for All-State consideration, and they feel that the coaches present did not give their player due consideration, they may personally send a copy of their nomination form and essay with a cover letter to Nick Pitz, 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL 61265. They must include the name of the Sectional Host school. Inform them that they should only do this if they feel certain that a bona fide All-State candidate was overlooked or intentionally denied an opportunity for consideration. Borderline cases will likely not be considered in this way.
  8. Give the coach of the player who finished first in the voting for All-Sectional honors the envelope with the application/letters and report sheet in order for them to mail it from school the next day. This is to avoid the disqualification of players that has occurred when sectional managers failed to mail in results in a timely manner. Instruct that coach to send them to Nick Pitz, 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL 61265, no later than February 15, 2010.
  9. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding this procedure, contact Matt Laird by email at mlaird1@gmail.com.

Rules and Procedures

  1. The IHSSBCA All-Sectional and All-State recognition program is fully supported by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) as a way of recognizing the very best Scholastic Bowl players in Illinois.
  2. At each IHSA Sectional’s seeding meeting, after seeding is completed, the All-Sectional part of the meeting will begin. Each coach with a nominee or nominees will have one minute to present a case for (each of) his/her nominee(s).
  3. Each school’s representative will cast a single ballot for fifteen players, in order from best to fifteenth best. Coaches are allowed to rank students from their own school. Schools only get to vote if they have competed in at least six varsity matches this school year before the meeting and players are only eligible for All-Sectional honors if they have played in the equivalent of six varsity matches.
  4. The Sectional Manager will collect the ballots and publicly tally the votes; each coach’s ballot will be public. Each nominee will receive points in the order listed on each ballot. The best player (listed first) on a ballot receives 15 points, the second best (listed next) receives 14 points, and so on down to 1 point for the last listed player.
  5. The top fifteen vote-getters in a Sectional will be named All-Sectional. Coaches of these players will receive All-Sectional certificates that night. Each coach should submit a copy of their application to the Sectional host. Only those coaches submitting applications that night will be recognized as All-Sectional.
  6. The top six vote-getters in a Sectional will be eligible for All-State honors provided they have also competed in the equivalent to at least fifteen matches. These players’ application/letters will be forwarded for consideration by the All-State selection committee. Honorees will be notified in early March.
  7. The coach of the player who finished first in the voting for All-Sectional honors will be charged with taking the envelope with the application/letters and report sheet and mailing it from school the next day. This is to avoid the disqualification of players that has occurred when sectional managers failed to mail in results in a timely manner.
  8. If your player did not finish in the top group for All-State consideration, and you feel that the coaches present did not give your player due consideration, you may personally send a copy of your nomination form and essay with a cover letter to Nick Pitz, 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL 61265. Include the name of the Sectional Host school. Please do this only if you feel a bona fide All-State player has been ignored. Borderline cases will likely not be considered in this way. Do this only if you are certain that a bona fide All-State candidate was overlooked or intentionally denied an opportunity for consideration.
  9. There will be a total of 40 players honored as All-State: 20 from each class (A and AA). Within each class, 10 will be named First Team All-State, and 10 will be named Second Team All-State. Coaches who serve on the committee are barred from voting for their own players, with the average of other coaches’ votes being added in to avoid harming the chances of a player being selected just because their coach volunteered.
  10. Late application/letters will not be considered.
  11. Don’t fax your application/letters to the Sectional Manager. To nominate a player, a representative of that school must be present at the Seeding Meeting. If the head coach cannot be present, then an alternate representative must be sent to the meeting with the application/letters. Faxed applications will not be considered unless there are extenuating circumstances cleared with both the sectional host and the All-State Program Director.
  12. In addition to being able to nominate up to three students from his/her own school, a coach can nominate one student from another school if that school has fewer than two nominees. If a school is not represented at the seeding meeting, then it is at the discretion of the All-State Program director as to whether players from that school will be allowed to advance to consideration for All-State.
  13. IHSA rules permit you to electronically submit your team’s record to the Sectional Manager, and in fact require you to do so if you or another school representative can’t attend. Note, however, that you must attend to participate in this program.
  14. Keep a copy of your application/letter for your reference. Original application/letters cannot be returned.