Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Activities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears athletics and activities update: controversial game clock call, lacrosse rollout and esports growth
Summary
The board received updates on a disputed ending to a Crimson Cliffs–Dixie basketball game and wider athletics issues including lacrosse field painting, official shortages, drill-team judging concerns and a potential move to sanction esports.
The Washington County School District board received an athletics update at its Jan. 27 working session that covered a disputed basketball ending, preparations for lacrosse, a statewide official shortage, drill-team judging concerns and the growing popularity of esports clubs.
Rusty (staff member) summarized a January high-school basketball game between Crimson Cliffs and Dixie in which officials restored 0.6 seconds to the clock after a stoppage, leading to two free throws that decided the contest. Rusty read a text the district said an official had sent to a coach the next day: “I'd like to talk to you about last night's game to apologize ... I feel terrible about what I did.” The coach’s written response, read into the record, said in part: “Officials are part of the game. It was an unfortunate mistake ... You've always been a classy individual and I have tremendous respect for you.” The official’s apology and the coach’s reply were presented by staff as an example of integrity under pressure and as a teaching moment for student-athletes.
District staff also briefed the board on lacrosse preparations: a vendor will paint field lines (work expected around Feb. 10), and the district is planning lines so they can be removed after the season if desired. Administrators warned the board of a possible shortage of officials for lacrosse (three officials per boys game, two for girls were discussed), and explained that districts may need to cluster games at single locations or run staggered schedules to ensure officials are available.
Esports drew notable attention. Rusty said roughly 200 students across the district currently participate in esports clubs, with roster sizes varying by school (examples mentioned: Hurricane ~15, Desert Hills ~30, CHS/CT numbers cited by staff). The board discussed that moving esports from club status to a sanctioned UHSAA sport would introduce new costs and requirements — devices, transportation, coach stipends and liability — and that UHSAA is still negotiating platform and software arrangements. Staff recommended a cautious approach; board members asked principals to assess readiness before approving a change to a sanctioned sport.
Other items in the athletics update included: drill-team judging and perceived bias in subjective sports, recognition of student Megan Kerr — described by staff as a statewide arts award winner who will be honored at an upcoming 4A tournament event — and an update that some girls’ and boys’ programs may need schedule adjustments because of shared fields and officials.
Why this matters: administrators said these issues affect student opportunities, game-day logistics, budget planning and equity across schools. The district emphasized that many athletics questions will require further operational planning, including who pays for equipment and how to schedule matches if officials are limited.
Ending: The board asked staff to continue work on officials’ availability, lacrosse scheduling and to collect principals’ assessments on whether to pursue UHSAA sanctioning for esports.
