Inside MSHSAA’s New Medals: Design, History & the Partnership with Collegiate Awards

On the MSHSAA All Access podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and CFO/COO Craig Long welcome Frank Boster of Collegiate Awards to discuss the history and scale of MSHSAA trophies and medals and reveal the association’s newly redesigned medals. They explain MSHSAA’s long-standing bidding process and vendor partnerships, the production volume (nearly 30,000 engraved medals plus additional music medals, thousands of plaques, and hundreds of trophies), and how Collegiate’s in-house laser engraving supports fast turnaround. The group details how the new Missouri-shaped medal evolved from the centennial design, featuring topographic relief, the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, “Established 1926,” the MSHSAA logo with eight stars for board districts, and updated ribbons, along with how the medals are manufactured and engraved.

Building Student Leaders: Lee’s Summit North’s Student Activities Advisory Council (SAC)

In this MSHSAA All-Access episode, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad interviews Lee’s Summit North Athletic/Activities Director Mike McGurk about the school’s Student Activities Advisory Council (SAC). McGurk explains how the program evolved over the past 13 years from a liaison group into a leadership development “train-the-trainer” model that equips about 30 students across sports and activities to bring lessons back to their teams and clubs. He describes how students are selected for representation and balance, including bringing in freshmen to build leadership early. The conversation highlights book studies, monthly student-led community service projects, role-play scenarios, and structured debriefs that teach trust, accountability, feedback, and learning from failure, along with examples of student growth and alumni returning to share real-life applications.

MSHSAA Annual Membership Update: Transfer Exceptions, Coaching Requirements, Championship Factor & 2027–28 District Changes

This episode explains MSHSAA’s annual membership updates required for member-school principals and activities administrators, held in early September across eight board districts, and previews key topics for the new school year. It covers by-law changes including new transfer exceptions (military, nonresident parent employee, and refugee/asylum with I-94), expanded preseason non-school competition allowances across all sports, expanded cooperative sponsorship participation beyond the regular season, and sport-specific updates (team tennis jamborees, speech/debate contest and start-time changes, Scholar Bowl competition-date limits, and dance contest increases). It also outlines revised coach/director minimum requirements with a five-year NFHS-based training progression, board policy updates to the championship factor using a depreciating point system and removing the two-class cap, a new sending-school response-time policy for transfers, postseason streaming and media credential updates, a pilot point-based district seeding system for 2026–27 leading to implementation in 2027–28, district host-site selection changes beginning 2027–28, officials reminders, girls flag football reaching provisionally interscholastic status for a 2027 vote, enrollment type reviews, and a possible special ballot to expand the board from 10 to 11 members and increase at-large positions.

Athlete Wellness Beyond Injuries: Athletic Trainers on Mental Health, Identity & Support Teams

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, executive director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad welcomes Sports Medicine Advisory Committee athletic trainers Brent Holtgrewe (Greater St. Louis) and Jason Pyrah (southwest Missouri) to discuss athlete wellness as fall sports begin. They describe how athletic trainers support students through injuries and often become trusted, non-transactional adults who can notice mental health concerns, identity struggles, fear of letting others down, bullying, or issues at home. Holtgrewe emphasizes relationship-building, trend-spotting, and collaboration with counselors, nurses, and administrators to connect athletes to resources, while Pyrah explains communicating appropriately with coaches to protect athletes during recovery. Both note growing awareness and reduced stigma around mental health and sports psychology, and they encourage helping athletes define what “mental recovery” and a personal reset look like.

MSHSAA Myths: How Class & District Assignments Are Determined (2.0 Differential, Enrollment & Geography)

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer uekstad continues the MSHSAA Myths series by explaining how class and district assignments are created before the championship factor is applied. Assistant Executive Directors Lou Mazzocco and Doug Fessler describe how the number of classifications varies by sport, driven by registered schools and the 2.0 differential goal that the largest school in a class is no more than twice the smallest (with Class 1 protected by a percentage cap). They outline how enrollment rank-order, ties, and efforts to keep differentials similar across classes shape class cut lines. The episode then explains district assignment using numerical balance (district sizes differ by no more than one) and geographic representation, noting ripple effects from small enrollment shifts, travel realities, and staff review to ensure consistency.

MSHSAA All Access Storyteller Series: Rylee Allred Chases History in Missouri Girls Golf

In this MSHSAA All-Access podcast episode, Andrew Kaufman launches a new storyteller series by interviewing Ash Grove senior golfer Rylee Allred and her coach, Grant Williamson. Allred shares how she started golf at age nine, her competitive drive, and how she’s helped grow the girls golf roster at Ash Grove from one player to two. The conversation highlights her accomplishments, including shooting three-under, a handicap of three, and winning three Missouri state championships—putting her in position to become the first four-time state champion as the Class 1 Girls Golf Championship heads to Paradise Point in Smithville. Williamson discusses her focus, resilience, humility, and what has made her run so rare, while Allred talks about enjoying high school sports and her goal to play golf in college.

Missouri Students Reflect on the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit

In this All-Access Podcast episode, MSHSAA leaders and Student Advisory Committee members Keely Gorman (Licking HS) and Blayde Lindsay (Brookfield HS) recap their experience attending the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis, alongside Associate Executive Director James Melton and Dr. Jennifer Rukstad.

They highlight building fast, meaningful connections with student leaders from across the country and internationally, the impact of in-person learning versus online content, and leadership takeaways centered on mental wellness and resilience—especially Molly Kennedy’s “Flip Your 20” concept. The group discusses how Missouri hopes to bring ideas back to create its own student leadership summit, emphasizing community beyond competition, sportsmanship, leading yourself first, and continually asking students what they need.

MSHSAA Myths: How the Appeals Process Really Works (Transfers, Hardships & Eligibility)

On the MSHSAA All-Access podcast, Associate Executive Directors Toni Hill and James Melton explain MSHSAA's multi-level appeals process - often used for student transfer eligibility - to address the myth that the association has ultimate rule. They outline how a receiving school submits a transfer form, the sending school responds, and staff review documentation to grant full eligibility or issue restricted eligibility (such as 365-day ineligibility if there is credible evidence of athletic motivation/undue influence, or sub-varsity limits in sports played in the prior 365 days). If a school disagrees, it can present additional evidence to an appeals committee of member-school representatives in a closed student-record hearing, and then, if needed, to the board of directors, where discussion and voting occur in front of the family. They emphasize confidentiality, the volume of hardship applications, and the emotional weight of the hearings.

MSHSAA Myth Series: How the Championship Factor Works (2026–27 Changes Explained)

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Lou Mazzocco explain Missouri’s championship factor and the board-approved changes taking effect in 2026–27. They describe the shift from a static six-year point system to a depreciating model that weights recent postseason success more heavily, including new point values (e.g., a state championship starts at 10 points and declines over six years) and a new five-point threshold that typically reduces the bump from a single title to three years. They also note the removal of the two-class cap for teams accumulating many points. Finally, they clarify the “order of operations” for classification—initial enrollment breaks, applying championship factor moves, then rebalancing by sliding schools down—addressing why some placements may appear to jump two classes.

First Day of Fall Practice: How an AD/Head Coach Prepares & Why Engagement Matters

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad opens the 2026–2027 MSHSAA All-Access Podcast season on the first allowable day of fall practices and interviews Will Christian, athletic director at Lebanon High School and head football coach, about managing both roles. Christian emphasizes the importance of a strong support team, summer preparation in June and July, systematic organization, clear communication, and maintaining compliance with requirements like physical exams, transfers, and safety protocols such as heat acclimation and wet bulb readings. They discuss how Missouri’s school start-date law creates a two-week gap between practice and school this year, offering more scheduling flexibility. Christian explains handling cuts in certain sports by guiding students toward other activities and reinforcing that education-based athletics prioritize engagement, mentorship, belonging, and life impact over championships.