The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) is the governing body for sports competitions among all public and some private high schools in the state of
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
. It is a member of the
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. NFHS's headquarters are located in White River State Park in Indi ...
. The MPA offices are located in
Augusta.
History
First established in 1927 as the State Principals' Association, it became the Maine Principals' Association in 1992 as a result of a merger between the Maine Secondary School Principals' Association (est. 1951) and the Maine Elementary Principals' Association (est. 1975).
Athletic Classifications
Schools competing under the MPA are grouped into (at most) four classes, with different enrollment cutoffs for each sport (Broken down by seaso
Fall
Winter
Spring
Schools are reclassified every two years. The classification thresholds are currently being adjusted and would go into effect for the fall 2013 sports season. A school may petition the Association to play in a class above or below its enrollment figure. Currently, most sports are split into "Northern" and" "Southern" regions.
Championships are played at several locations around the state including
Fitzpatrick Stadium (football) and basketball championships between the
Cross Insurance Center
The Cross Insurance Center is a 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena in Bangor, Maine, United States. The arena holds up to 8,500 people for concerts, and features an attached 2,000-person convention center. It was built at an estimated cost of $65&nb ...
,
Augusta Civic Center), the
Portland Exposition Building and the
Cumberland County Civic Center
Cross Insurance Arena (formerly Cumberland County Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena located in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977, at a cost of US$8 million, it is the home arena for the Maine Mariners (ECHL), Maine Mariners of the ECHL. There a ...
depending on class and geographical region.
The MPA uses a mathematical system called heal points to determine tournament standings, the latest heal points and an explanation on how to determine the points can be foun
here
Currently basketball, soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse and tennis are the only sports to have separate male and female teams, baseball is male only and softball is female only. Girls ice hockey became a sanctioned sport as of the winter 2008 season.
[http://www.sunjournal.com/story/239625-3/LocalSports/Girls_hockey_makes_jump/ ]
Other programs
Other activities the MPA also sponsors include debate, drama, National Honor Society, science fair, speech, Student Council, and E-Sports. In addition to interscholastic events, the MPA offers a "Professional Division", which provides opportunities for education and professional advancement for elementary, middle/junior high and high school principals, assistant principals, technical education center directors, assistant directors and other administrators who function primarily as building principals or assistant principals.
References
External links
Official site{{NFHS
Organizations based in Augusta, Maine
Organizations established in 1927
Sports in Maine
High school sports associations in the United States
Education in Maine
1927 establishments in Maine