Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association
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| Abbreviation | WIAA |
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| Formation | 1905, 113 years ago |
| Type | Volunteer; NPO |
| Legal status | Association |
| Purpose | Athletic/Educational |
| Headquarters | 435 Main Avenue South Renton, WA 98057 |
| Coordinates | 47°28′37″N 122°12′18″W / 47.477°N 122.205°WCoordinates: 47°28′37″N 122°12′18″W / 47.477°N 122.205°W |
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Region served
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Washington |
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Official language
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English |
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Executive Director
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Mike Colbrese |
| Affiliations | National Federation of State High School Associations |
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Staff
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15 |
| Website | wiaa.com |
| Remarks | (425) 687-8585 |
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of February 2011, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists of nearly 800 member high schools and middle/junior high schools, both public and private.
Founded in 1905 to "create equitable playing conditions" between member teams, the WIAA plans and supervises interscholastic sports and activities approved and delegated by the various school district boards of directors. The organization emphasizes the importance of interscholastic sports and activities in the "total educational process" while recognizing that education is the primary responsibility of its member schools.
The WIAA creates and governs rules to establish uniformity of standards in sports and activities; to protect the safety and health of students; to shield students from exploitation by special interest groups; to provide fair and equal opportunities to all students participating; and to encourage good sportsmanship. A stated goal of the organization is to promote diversity of its membership at all levels.
The organization also provides member schools an open channel of communication with other members to organize any events and activities, as well as to resolve any issues. In addition, the WIAA recognizes achievement and excellence of member teams and individuals participating in sports and activities.
Primary funding for the WIAA is through ticket sales for state championships and other events. Additional funds are secured through corporate sponsorships, memberships fees, and small percentages of the sales of merchandise related to the organization and its member schools. As a private organization, the WIAA does not receive funding via tax dollars and is not financially supported by the State of Washington.
The WIAA oversees athletics and fine arts in Washington state. As of February 2011, the organization hosts 83 state championships for the following sports and activities:
Classification is based on student body enrollment in grades 9–11) and used by the WIAA to maintain fair and equal competition between its member high schools. The organization places member schools into one of six tiered classifications based on enrollment ranges: 1B, 2B, 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A. The enrollment ranges are evaluated by the WIAA Executive Board biennially and finalized for a two-year period. Enrollments of single-gender schools are doubled for classification purposes.
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Wikipedia