High-School-Today-January-2011.Pdf

Cheerleading Safety Course Now Available Online! C Professional Development Coaching Education C The Standard in Cheerleading Legal Liability Training C Part of the NFHS Coach Certification Program C CEU and College Credits now available! Get Certified! Over 20,000 High School and College coaches have! Developed and produced in conjunction with the NFHS and is presented by AACCA Executive Director Jim Lord along with outstanding video content and additional resources such as a sample emergency plan. National Convenient start/stop at any point and continue later Federation of State High School from the same point in the course. Associations The online course is available at www.nfhslearn.com NFHS REPORT Standards for Measuring Success Not Based on Number of Victories BY ROBERT B. GARDNER, NFHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND NINA VAN ERK, NFHS PRESIDENT As we write this report, the annual rhetoric continues about the need a higher grade-point average than non-students. Those in high school for establishing a college football playoff to replace the Bowl Champi- sports also had fewer absences and disciplinary referrals than non- onship Series (BCS) method of determining a national champion. athletes, and 99 percent of the athletes surveyed graduated, as op- We have no reason or desire to enter the debate about the pre- posed to 91 percent for non-athletes. ferred method of determining the top college football team, but the Similar results were recorded in Kansas, with higher GPAs and a alarming undercurrent is the pressure placed on college coaches – higher percentage of graduation among student-athletes. Only six pressure in the form of winning being the only option – and the con- percent of the 2,016 students who dropped out of Kansas schools in cern that this mindset works its way down to the high school level. the 2008-09 academic year were athletes. Many college coaches have incentive-laced contracts whereby they These are but two examples of the measuring stick for successful can earn additional sums of money for a certain number of victories, high school coaches – helping students to succeed in school and in a conference title or an appearance in a BCS bowl game. This extends life. High school sports provide many students a reason for being or to basketball as well with NCAA tournament selections and ad- an identity. They can be somebody and be a part of a team without vancement providing the measuring stick. necessarily being the star of the team. In college basketball and football, the focus on winning is so in- Unlike their NCAA counterparts, high school coaches cannot re- tense that the top Division I coaches in those sports are paid more cruit outside their local school district. They must develop the players than their respective university presidents. In announcing the new they have to reach their potential – both in the classroom and on the contract given to Tom Izzo, the Michigan State University men’s bas- field or court. ketball coach, the MSU athletic director said that Izzo provides so In the NFHS Coach Education Program’s online course, Funda- much value to the state of Michigan and to Michigan State University mentals of Coaching, the term “teacher-coaches” is used to describe that coming up with his true worth is difficult. high school coaches. From a philosophical standpoint, “successful” This is by no means an attempt to throw stones at the NCAA Di- coaches at the high school level are those who have a student-cen- vision I model. It is, rather, a message to high school leaders through- tered focus rather than a focus on winning at any price. out the country that interscholastic coaches who are teaching the While some want to measure success by the number of victories more than 7.6 million student-athletes in high school sports must be or state championships, principals, superintendents and school boards judged, assessed and rewarded on accomplishments and contribu- should judge, assess and reward high school coaches based on the tions other than their winning percentages and state championships. successful implementation of the following educational components: The measuring stick for success at the high school level must re- citizenship, life skills, healthy lifestyles, learning and sportsmanship. main different from the NCAA Division I model. While winning as The emphasis should be on helping students recognize the proper at- many games as possible is a goal for all high school coaches, the final titude toward competition and winning to be in line with the educa- outcome of a contest – in the long run – is not the all-determining fac- tional mission of interscholastic athletics. tor for judging success. We salute the thousands of high school coaches who, indeed, are Success at the high school level has more to do with preparing teacher-coaches. Although we have no question about Tom Izzo’s students for their lives after sports than the number of victories or worth to Michigan State University, we would suggest that there are state championships. Two studies from NFHS member state associa- many high school coaches scattered throughout the country whose tions are published in this issue on pages 34 and 35 and document value to their respective communities matches or exceeds Izzo’s be- the value of high school athletic programs. cause of the difference they are making in the lives of young people NFHS | www.nfhs.org/hstoday A study of 26 high schools in Arkansas indicated that athletes had – helping them to get set for life. 1 HighSchool™ THE VOICE OF EDUCATION-BASED ATHLETIC AND FINE ARTS ACTIVITIES TODAY Contents 14 Welcome We hope you enjoy this publication and welcome your feedback. You may contact Bruce Howard or John Gillis, editors of High School Today, at [email protected] or [email protected]. VOLUME 4, NUMBER 4 COVER STORY EDITORIAL STAFF Sports Law Year-In-Review: 2010: Decisions on legal issues that Publisher.......................Robert B. Gardner Editors ..........................Bruce L. Howard impact school athletic programs are summarized. – Lee Green .....................................John C. Gillis Production.....................Randall D. Orr Advertising....................Judy Shoemaker Graphic Designer...........Kim A. Vogel Online Editor .................Chris Boone PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Superintendent..............Darrell Floyd, TX Principal........................Ralph Holloway, NC High School Today, an official publica- SUBSCRIPTION PRICE tions Committee, but the publisher cannot be re- 11 State Associations..........Treva Dayton, TX tion of the National Federation of State One-year subscription is $24.95. Canada add sponsible for loss or damage. $3.75 per year surface post age. All other foreign Media Director ..............Robert Zayas, NM Reproduction of material published in High High School Assoc ia tions, is published subscribers, please contact the NFHS office for School Today is prohibited with out written per- Fine Arts........................Steffen Parker, VT eight times a year by the NFHS. shipping rates. Back issues are $3.00 plus actual mission of the NFHS executive director. Views of Athletic Director ............David Hoch, MD postage. the authors do not always reflect the opinion or Coach ...........................Don Showalter, IA EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES Manuscripts, illustrations and photo graphs may policies of the NFHS. Legal Counsel................Lee Green, KS National Federation of be submitted by mail or e-mail to Bruce Howard, Guidance Counselor ......Barb Skinner, IN State High School Associations editor, PO Box 690, Indianapolis, IN 46206, Copyright 2011 by the National Fed eration of Contest Official..............Tim Christensen, OR PO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 <[email protected]>. They will be carefully State High School Associa tions. All rights re- Telephone 317-972-6900; fax 317.822.5700 considered by the High School Today Publica- served. High School Today | January 4 FEATURES HST ONLINE 10 ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION Participation Fees Fail to Deter Popularity of School-based Sports: Although more schools are initiating “pay-to-participate” programs, school- based sports continue to thrive. –Mike Dyer 12 ATHLETIC PROGRAMS You can access previous issues online Increasing Participation in Athletic at www.nfhs.org/hstoday. and Activities Programs: A major goal for schools should be to provide opportunity for as many students as possible to participate. DEPARTMENTS –Dr. David Hoch, CMAA 1 NFHS Report 22 6 Quick Hits COACHING Interesting Facts and Information Why Train Middle School Sports Coaches?: Training middle school 20 Above and Beyond Alabama Schools Rush to Help coaches is crucial to future success of Central-Hayneville After Fire interscholastic sports. –Tim Flannery 24 Fine Arts Forensics Teachers Play Role in Developing Future Business Leaders 28 Sports Medicine 30 Proper Hygienic Principles Needed to Combat ADMINISTRATION CA-MRSA, Other Skin Infections Use of Facilities Rental Plan Should be Clearly Defined: School districts 33 Ideas That Work North Carolina School’s Parent Meetings Provide need a defined plan for use of various Fun, Social Atmosphere facilities. –Dr. Darrell G. Floyd 34 Did You Know? • Arkansas, Kansas Surveys Validate Importance of High School Athletics • Survey of State Association Policies on Player and Coach Ejections 20 24 34 39 In the News 40 Voices of the Nation NFHS | www.nfhs.org/hstoday 5 QUICK HITS The Cost WOODWIND SECTION OF THE ORCHESTRA C D E F B H A G Item Average Price Low High (E) Tenor

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