Minnesota State High School League Celebrates 100 Years

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - It's been the backbone of high school sports for 100 years, and the Minnesota State High School League has been celebrating its history for the past several months.

Dave Stead is reflecting these days on the MSHL.

"It was interesting to me to take a look back and see what some of the changes were," he said. "Three sports is all we had at the time. We've grown now to 42 different sports."

While high school sports have been around since the early 1900s, the State High School league started in 1916. Girls sports existed, then were taken away, then were brought back in the '70s.

"As schools struggle the steps, they begin to understand that the value of being involved in girls activities is not just something that's been required by the law," Stead said. "It was something that is good for kids, good for schools and good for school communities."

That's part of what has made this project so much fun: looking back at progress.

"Railroad fare for the schools to take the train into the Twin Cities was 100 bucks for the whole team," Tim Leighton said. "Yearly membership to the High School League was $2."

Stead and the High School League were the pioneers for adaptive athletics in the country.

"In Minnesota, when you walk through the front door of a school, everything that everyone has the opportunity to have, you have as well," Stead said.

Opportunities has been what the league has been all about, provide as many places for kids to participate as possible. Places to grow self esteem, to feel they have a place they belong.

"There is something for everyone with the Minnesota State High School League," Leighton said.

These extra-curricular activities matter a lot to a lot of people. That's something that hasn't changed for more than 100 years.