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Legislative resolution could ask LHSAA to make cheer, dance, lacrosse sanctioned sports
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BATON ROUGE — A resolution moving through the Louisiana Legislature could determine whether high school cheer, dance and lacrosse become sanctioned sports.
House Concurrent Resolution 10, introduced by Rep. Roger Wilder, would ask the Louisiana High School Athletic Association to bring these three activities under its authority. The resolution passed in the House Education Committee and will go before the full House of Representatives next.
For a sport to become sanctioned, at least 80 schools must express interest in participating.
Lacrosse faces a tough challenge because there are only 19 lacrosse teams in the state, with just a few in the Capitol region.
Dance and cheer were previously explored for sanctioning but weren't approved due to a lack of interest.
"Non-sanction essentially means you're not having to follow all of the guidelines and bylaws in our handbook that you would if you were a sanctioned sport," Ethan Anderson of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association said. "Things don't go through bylaws to make changes, post-season, how you can play, eligibility standards. All of that is separate when you're in a non-sanctioned sport."
If the activities become sanctioned, schools would be required to follow guidelines set by the National Federation of State High School Associations, such as coach certification and safety rules.
The cheer coach at Central High School, Amy Stevens, said they already follow those rules.
"All high schools must follow NFHS National Federation of High School cheer rules," Stevens said. "They actually adopted USA cheer rules around 2019, and so those rules have been in place. If you aren't competitive, or you are, you still should be following NFHS rules, which dictate safety."
Rep. Wilder wrote the resolution after speaking with a member of the Denham Springs High School Jackettes dance team, Riley Pertuit, and her mother, Kelly.
WBRZ spoke with the mother-daughter duo about the moment Riley realized she wanted to do something.
"I wasn't able to get treated until after they finished wrapping the football players' ankles with tape. We're not given the things that other athletes are given to be treated if something does happen," Riley Pertuit said.
Some coaches say they weren't consulted about the resolution.
"When I was talking to a few coaches, they were like, 'Who is this? Like, who are these people? You know, where did they get these ideas?' And that is frustrating because had they come to our state group, had they had an understanding of our organizations and our teams, this doesn't even make sense to do, or that anything that we want," Amy Stevens said.
Anderson said the association tries to work with schools on legislative issues.
"We've dealt with plenty of legislative issues in the past and we do our best to try and make those work," Anderson said. "At the end of the day, we try to work with our member schools and make sure their priorities are met."
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