CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Earl Gillespie, a member of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) staff for 34 years and executive director from 1986 until his retirement in 1994, is one of 13 individuals selected for induction into the 2005 class of the National High School Hall of Fame July 2 in San Antonio.

Other inductees include athletes Sean Elliott, who played 11 years with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA; Ty Detmer, who last year completed his 13^th season in the NFL; Chad Hennings, who played on three Super Bowl teams with the Dallas Cowboys; Patty Sheehan, who won 35 events on the LPGA tour; and LaTaunya Pollard, 1979 Miss Basketball in Indiana.

Gillespie is one of two administrators being inducted, along with Sandy Scott, retired executive director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and the first female to head a state association on a full-time basis.  Also being inducted are three coaches, one contest official and two individuals in the fine arts field.

The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials, administrators, fine arts coaches/directors and others for their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school athletics.   This year's class increases the number in the Hall of Fame to 314.

Besides Gillespie, other Virginians in the National High School Hall of Fame include former E. C. Glass (Lynchburg) basketball coach Jimmie Bryan (1983), Southwest Virginia contest official Greever Crouse (1987), former Granby (Norfolk) wrestling coach Billy Martin (1987), former Washington-Lee (Arlington) athletic director John Youngblood (1988), former Clintwood football coach Ralph Cummins (1990) and former VHSL assistant director Claudia Dodson (2004).

Born on August 19, 1929, in Wildwood, Tennessee, Gillespie graduated from Coeburn High School in 1948.  After a tour of duty in the United States Air Force, he graduated from Washington & Lee University and earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Virginia.  He then returned to Coeburn to coach football, baseball and basketball and serve as the school's athletic director.

In 1961 Gillespie assumed duties as the first assistant executive secretary of the VHSL, a post he held until being named the League's executive eirector in 1986.  He was also the state's first supervisor of officials.  Noted for his work over a 30-year period as a basketball and football official; he continues to contribute as an ACC basketball officials observer.

Especially noteworthy among his accomplishments are spearheading the efforts to create a state athletic directors association; expanding the playoffs in football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, tennis and wrestling; promoting growth in girls athletic programs; instituting a catastrophic insurance plan for student athletes, area eligibility meetings for administrators, corporate sponsorship to benefit the League, and the Virginia High School Hall of Fame; and overseeing construction of the VHSL's headquarters building.

Gillespie's contributions at the national level included service as a member and vice-president of the Executive Committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations; as the senior member of the National Federation's Football Rules Committee; and as a member of its Basketball Rules Committee, Baseball Rules Committee, Insurance Committee and Appeal Board.

Numerous organizations have honored Gillespie, and he has received Outstanding Service Awards from the Virginia High School Coaches Association and the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; awards for service to the National Federation's Football and Baseball Rules Committees; and Distinguished Service Awards from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association.  In 1994, he was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.

Gillespie is married to the former Sylvia Parsons of Wise.  They have a daughter, Kim, of St. Petersburg, Florida; and a son, Anthony, of Charlottesville.

Charlottesville--The VHSL Executive Committee voted 18-4 today to align all girls tennis playoff seasons in the spring, starting in 2004-05.

 A primary factor in the decision was the consensus that alignment in the spring would be least disruptive for student athletes, as only one group, AAA girls, will be forced to make a change.  The four principals representing AAA schools cast the negative votes. 

 “We believe this action is in the best interests of the League as a whole and will have less of an impact on student athletes than any other option,” said Ken Tilley, VHSL executive director. 

 “Most other states play both boys and girls tennis in the spring, and it works well for them.  There will no doubt be an adjustment period in Virginia, but that would be the case no matter how the seasons are aligned.”

 The decision resolves the final issue to be addressed under the 2000 court decision requiring that sports seasons in basketball, volleyball and tennis be aligned for Group A, AA and AAA girls by the 2004-05 school year. 

 The lawsuit was based on charges of discrimination under Title IX because girls in schools moving from one group to another as a result of enrollment changes were forced to change sports participation because of differences in when the sports were played; boys were not similarly affected because all boys sports were aligned across all three groups. 

 In compliance with a court order, the Executive Committee voted in December 2000 to align all girls volleyball seasons in the fall and basketball in the winter to coincide with the most common scheduling nationwide.  Those changes took place this school year.

 Because the court order allowed for all girls tennis playoffs to be held in either the spring or fall, the League has had an ongoing discussion of when tennis should be played.  Presently, Group AAA girls play in the fall, while A and AA girls play tennis with boys from all three groups in the spring.  Today’s action places tennis for boys and girls in all three groups in the spring.  

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