Alaska School Activities Association
Encyclopedia
The Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) is the regulating body for Alaska
high school
interscholastic activities and is Alaska's member to the National Federation of State High School Associations
.
The organization is headquartered in Anchorage
.
The tournament, hence the name, takes place usually during the last half of the month of March, and has, at times in the past, taken place during the Anchorage School District’s spring break.
During this event, thousands of people from all over the state of Alaska pour into Anchorage to cheer their respective local teams on, or to simply take in the basketball action. Previously, before the 2006 basketball season, the frenzied tournament action spanned across as many as three different venues in Anchorage over the course of four days with games played from as early as 8 a.m. AKST to late into the evening (sometimes with the final game of the day ending after midnight). However, beginning with the 2006 season and beyond, the tournament format was altered to accommodate week-long, early Monday through late Saturday play with the majority of games at all classifications played at Sullivan Arena
.
Sullivan Arena
, primarily a hockey venue, is reconfigured to contain two full-sized basketball courts for the tournament week.
ASAA high school football
holds one major claim to fame over other states in the United States
with Alaska annually playing host to the very first high school game in the nation, held usually around mid-August during summer vacation. Because of this, and the fact that the football regular season lasts around eight games, ASAA state championship football games are played earlier than anywhere else in the nation as well, with tournament games taking place in mid-to-late October.
Currently, 15 teams play at the 4A classification in the Cook Inlet
and Railbelt conferences, while 14 teams play at the 3A classification in the Northern Lights and Greatland conferences.
The Whalers
of Barrow High School
are the northern-most high school football team in the United States.
over the course of two weeks. First week games feature a pair of 4A semifinal games and the 3A state championship game, while the second week of play consists of the 4A state championship game. Both classification champions are given a traveling trophy to be defended the following season.
ASAA also regulates the statewide student government association, the Alaska Association for Student Government (AASG).
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
interscholastic activities and is Alaska's member to the National Federation of State High School Associations
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association...
.
History
The Alaska School Activities Association was founded in 1957 by the State Board of Education as the Alaska High School Activities Association when the need arose for a regulating body in local and regional basketball tournaments. By 1973, separate regions were formed for basketball competition and by 1987 ASAA became fully independent from the State of Alaska. Currently, ASAA serves as the organizing body for over 190 schools with 35,000 students. The current executive director is Gary Mathews.The organization is headquartered in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
.
ASAA classifications
| Classification (non-football and non-softball) | Number of students | Number of schools at classification |
|---|---|---|
| 4A | 401 and above | 23 |
| 3A | 101-400 | 27 |
| 2A | 51-100 | 35 |
| 1A | 5-50 | 106 |
| Classification (football and softball) | Number of students | Number of schools at classification |
| 4A | 851 and above | 15 |
| 3A | 5-850 | 14 |
March Madness – Alaska style
ASAA's March Madness state basketball tournament is one of the largest yearly prep sports events in Alaska, mainly because of basketball's unrivaled popularity in rural and urban areas alike. The tournament showcases the eight best teams (selected by region-wide divisional tournaments) from 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A classifications in standard, separate, two tiered brackets that accommodate 5th place, 3rd place, and championship games.The tournament, hence the name, takes place usually during the last half of the month of March, and has, at times in the past, taken place during the Anchorage School District’s spring break.
During this event, thousands of people from all over the state of Alaska pour into Anchorage to cheer their respective local teams on, or to simply take in the basketball action. Previously, before the 2006 basketball season, the frenzied tournament action spanned across as many as three different venues in Anchorage over the course of four days with games played from as early as 8 a.m. AKST to late into the evening (sometimes with the final game of the day ending after midnight). However, beginning with the 2006 season and beyond, the tournament format was altered to accommodate week-long, early Monday through late Saturday play with the majority of games at all classifications played at Sullivan Arena
Sullivan Arena
The George M. Sullivan Arena is an arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The arena opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 8,700 for basketball, 6,251 for hockey...
.
Sullivan Arena
Sullivan Arena
The George M. Sullivan Arena is an arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The arena opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 8,700 for basketball, 6,251 for hockey...
, primarily a hockey venue, is reconfigured to contain two full-sized basketball courts for the tournament week.
High school football
The ASAA sanctions high school football at the 3A “small school” and 4A “large school” classifications. Some other teams play independent from the 3A and 4A classifications and cannot participate at either state tournament.ASAA high school football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
holds one major claim to fame over other states in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with Alaska annually playing host to the very first high school game in the nation, held usually around mid-August during summer vacation. Because of this, and the fact that the football regular season lasts around eight games, ASAA state championship football games are played earlier than anywhere else in the nation as well, with tournament games taking place in mid-to-late October.
Currently, 15 teams play at the 4A classification in the Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
and Railbelt conferences, while 14 teams play at the 3A classification in the Northern Lights and Greatland conferences.
The Whalers
Whalers
Whalers may refer to:* Danbury Whalers,US ice-hockey team in the Federal Hockey League* Eden Whalers, Australian Rules Football team* Hartford Whalers, former US ice-hockey team* New Bedford Whalers, name of three US soccer teams...
of Barrow High School
Barrow High School
Barrow High School is a public high school in Barrow, Alaska, United States, operated by the North Slope Borough School District. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the school had 214 students.-External links:* * * *...
are the northern-most high school football team in the United States.
First National Bowl
The culminating state tournament football games, sponsored by First National Bank of Alaska, take place at the Anchorage Football StadiumAnchorage Football Stadium
The Anchorage Football Stadium is a 4,500-seat stadium in Anchorage, Alaska used for American football, track and field, and soccer. Anchorage Football Stadium is located next to Mulcahy Stadium and Sullivan Arena...
over the course of two weeks. First week games feature a pair of 4A semifinal games and the 3A state championship game, while the second week of play consists of the 4A state championship game. Both classification champions are given a traveling trophy to be defended the following season.
Activities
ASAA regulates the following interscholastic activities:- All-State Art Festival
- All-State Honor Music Festival
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Cross-Country
- Drama, Debate, and Forensics (serves as the statewide organizing body for the National Forensic LeagueNational Forensic LeagueThe National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
) - Football
- Hockey
- Nordic Skiing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Solo and Ensemble Music Festival
- Swimming and Diving
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- World Language
- Wrestling
ASAA also regulates the statewide student government association, the Alaska Association for Student Government (AASG).