CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico set to retire this summer

Paul Angelico, Commissioner for the Colorado High School Activities Association since 2010, has announced his retirement from the Association, CHSAA President Eddie Harnett has announced. He will leave his position on June 30. Angelico has been in education for the past 40 years as a teacher, coach and administrator.

“For nearly three decades Colorado Paul Angelico has been an extremely strong advocate of student involvement in high school athletics and activities. Through his direction, the Colorado High School Activities Association is seen as the leader in guiding, regulating, and encouraging interscholastic athletics across the state. Through his leadership as an athletic/activity administrator, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is valued as a leader in interscholastic athletics nationally,” Hartnett said. “Because of his ability to support and to value all stakeholders’ — students, coaches, parents, staff, and community members — Paul will be missed as our Commissioner in the future. The CHSAA Board of Directors wishes Paul well on his future endeavors.”

“It’s time for me to retire. The CHSAA needs to continue to be on the leading edge of progress, and in order to be able to move forward, it will take newer people with new energy who will be around to see long-term goals through – goals such as a new classification system – that I don’t see myself being able to do justice to,” Angelico said.

CHSAA has long been considered a leader in high school sports and activities and that reputation continued under Angelico’s watch, with CHSAA taking a national lead in coaching improvements and in the area of student participant safety.

CHSAA adopted the Inside Out Coaching Initiative in 2014 which embraces the concepts that winning and losing are merely by-products of an approach that develops good citizens and creating the person rather than the athlete. He also helped create a stronger bond between the Colorado High School Coaches Association and CHSAA. In addition, under his guidance CHSAA became a national stalwart in the formation of the NFHS Network, an alternative to linear television for airing high school sports. Now more than 45 state associations are members and Angelico sits as the chair of the holding company, representing the NFHS.

Among other accomplishments under Angelico’s tenure are the development of CHSAANow.com, the organization’s internal media outlet, the current classification system, the school refund concept, speech’s coaches workshop, numerous computer and IT upgrades within the CHSAA office, including CHSAA.org and numerous interactive forms.

Angelico, a 1972 graduate of Wasson High School, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Business and Economics in 1977. He also competed for the Bears’ mens’ gymnastics team.

Prior to joining the CHSAA in 1990, Angelico was activities director and business manager, girls’ gymnastics coach and student council advisor for Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs (1979-89). Prior to his stint at Air Academy, Angelico was a business education teacher, boys’ and girls’ gymnastics coach, student council advisor and activities director for Coronado High School (1977-79).

Angelico, 62, was president of A & R Sports Corporation’s gymnastics school in Colorado Springs (1977-82) and served as chairman of the Colorado Springs Gymnastics Games Committee which hosted 20 national and international gymnastics competitions for the United States Gymnastics Federation.

Angelico has been with the Association since 1990, serving as Assistant Commissioner until 2002 when he was named to the Associate Commissioner’s post, the position he has held since. His duties over that time have included staff liaison for gymnastics, boys’ & girls’ tennis, boys’ & girls’ swimming, speech, lacrosse, Coaching Education and Registration, Classification and League Organization Committee, Budget and Finance, office manager and wrestling.

Angelico also served on a number of National Federation of State High School Association committees.

CHSAA’s eighth commissioner is the recipient of the USGF Service Award, a three-time recipient of the Air Academy High School Principal’s Award (1986, 1988, 1990) and was team caption for his gymnastics teams at UNC and Wasson.

Angelico is married (Janet) and has one son, Michael.

Previous CHSAA Commissioners include John Casey (1921-1926), R. W. Truscott (1926-1948), Glenn T. Wilson (1948-1966), Ray C. Ball, Jr. (1966-1986), Ray Plutko (1986-1990) Bob Ottewill (1990-2002), and Bill Reader (2002-2010).

A nationwide search to replace Angelico will begin immediately, Hartnett added. The position description and announcement is posted on CHSAANow.com/apply and will close February 14, with an announcement on Angelico’s successor to come at the organization’s April Legislative Council meeting.

Paul Angelico At A Glance

Education

1972: Wasson High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1977: University of Northern Colorado, B.S. Economics and Business; Teaching Certificate

Professional Career

1977-79: Coronado High School – Business Education Teacher/Activities Director/Gymnastics Coach/Student Council Advisor
1979-89: Air Academy High School – Activities Director/Business Manager/Student Council Advisor/ Gymnastics Coach
1977-82: President, A & R Sports Corporation – Gymnastics School
1990-2002: Assistant Commissioner, Colorado High School Activities Association
2002-2010: Associate Commissioner, Colorado High School Activities Association
2010-2016: Commissioner, Colorado High School Activities Association

Professional Committees/Activities