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What’s the reason for high school sports? Departments Executive Director’s Message ...................... IFC by Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, I wrote in the last journal about the need Questions & Answers ....................................... 1 MSHSAA Executive Director for administrators to communicate with their News .............................................................. 2-3 As the fall championships are wrapping coaches and vise versa. So, I would like all Administrative Information ............................. 4-8 up, with the new format for the football stakeholders involved in high school sports Board of Directors ........................................ 8-12 Winter Athletics ......................................... 13-17 championships, and sports advisory and activities to discuss some of the Spring Athletics ............................................... 19 committees are meeting, I have to ask the following topics. Society and parents place Activities .................................................... 20-24 question: Have we lost the understanding of great pressure on coaches and schools to Officials ...................................................... 25-28 what high school sports are for? I get scholarship dollars for their children. understand the desire to have championships The problem with that includes the Executive Staff and it is one of the reasons for the Missouri misconception that a scholarship is a cure State High School Activities Association to all, and the majority of students that DR. KERWIN URHAHN, Executive Director exist, but I believe society has lost sight of participate in high school sports will never Eligibility rulings, transfers, interpretation of Constitution and By-Laws, budget and finance, why schools have sports and activities. play in college. Next, coaches and directors insurance, litigation, legislative liaison. The new football format has allowed put tremendous pressure on themselves and GEORGE BLASE, Asst. Executive Director more students to participate in their students to win a Football, baseball, softball, camps and the football bracket of the championship, tournament, or clinics, all-star events, team hosts. STACY SCHROEDER, Asst. Executive Director championships; we increased the highest rating at a festival. Swimming and diving, academic competition, from having 77 games on the Lastly, administrators know that water polo, hardships, waivers, personnel, opening round of the playoffs to a run to the championships MSHSAA Leadership School program. 167 games in the first round. brings an excitement to the FRED BINGGELI, Asst. Executive Director Track and field, cross country, speech and However, it did created travel high school unlike any other debate, nonfaculty coaches, coaches for one school of more than five situation in education. These education, sports medicine, school classifica- hours one way to play on a are only a few of the issues tion, enrollments. school night. Also, the format schools, administrators, TIM THOMPSON, Asst. Executive Director Wrestling, golf, officials. has witnessed some teams that coaches, and directors face DAVINE DAVIS, Asst. Executive Director placed second in districts that when competing in sports and Music, volleyball, cheerleading, dance, came back during the bracket activities. performing groups, gymnastics, foreign and beat the first place team. With all that for a exchange, sanctions. KEVIN GARNER, Asst. Executive Director The question that has been posed to me is, backdrop, I would not give up the great Basketball, soccer, tennis, athletic directors “we already beat that team once, now they experiences I had while competing, liaison, waivers. win and we are done.” Many would say that coaching, or administering high school CRAIG LONG, Chief Financial Officer is fair because it is either win or go home, but sports and activities. We hear many times Budget and finance, vendor contracts and bids, advertising, corporate partners, awards, the new format does create some questions. that the difference between high school orders, buildings and grounds, technology. That being said, the format proposal came sports and non-school competition is JASON WEST, Communications Director from the football advisory committee because representing your school and community. Publications, media relations, public relations, they wanted a change. This is the first year The one point that I can not stress enough is television and radio rights, web site mainte- nance, records, statistics, sportsmanship for this format and it will be reevaluated that sports and activities supplement the programs & Summit, Distinguished Service during its fourth year in existence. educational program, and do not supersede Awards, Scholastic Achievement Awards, The other sports see the additional the instructional process. Many times Traditions, student services, video rentals. teams in the championship bracket for educators will use the phrase “the tail waging December 2008 (vol. 73, no. 2) football and they want that for their sports. I the dog.” It is my fear that we are moving more and more in that direction due to understand the coaches perspective because The MSHSAA Journal is published four times of the amount of pressure placed upon pressure from society to win and nothing less per year by the Missouri State High School programs to make it to the championships. is acceptable. There are many life lessons Activities Association. Therefore, we have baseball that wants a taught in sports and activities from working 1 N. Keene St., PO Box 1328 Columbia, MO 65205-1328 new format, two out of three games together and learning how to overcome (573) 875-4880, Fax (573) 875-1450 throughout the bracket until the final site. defeat. If not winning a championship is [email protected] Next volleyball would like to have two teams failing, then I know of no successful All photos by PhotoGliff, unless noted. come out of every district to sectionals and programs. There is not one program from a Printing by Kelly Press, Inc., 4430 Interstate then bring either four or eight teams to the school that has won the championship every Dr., Columbia, Mo. © 2008 MSHSAA, all rights year. So please discuss with all reserved. final site. Basketball has discussed bringing The Journal is available free to all dues- eight schools to the final site as well. There stakeholders in your school to determine paying senior highs, junior highs, officials and to are additional suggestions from other sports what is best for the educational process and all registered media. It is also available via advisory committees to expand the brackets. being able to enhance your school day and subscription for $8 per school year by calling Making many of these changes makes it year. the MSHSAA office. more difficult to conduct the championships without moving more into the school week. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Winter Questions & Answers The following are questions and answers pertaining to the MSHSAA Constitution and By-Laws and/or MSHSAA Board of Directors policy. These are provided as an aid in interpreting the rules and regulations which MSHSAA member schools have adopted. If you have a specific area and/or question which you would l ke explained, contact Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA executive director. Your attention is also called to the fact questions and answers regarding interpretations of the MSHSAA Constitution and By-Laws, which appear following the Constitution Article or By-Law they relate to in the MSHSAA Official Handbook. Question 1: May our high school basketball team scrimmage against an area junior college team or against a local city league team comprised of high school age players? Answer: No in both cases. A school team may compete only against teams representing an MSHSAA member high school or teams from schools that are members of a like state association. The only exception to this would be an alumni game when conducted in accord with provisions of By-Law 302. Question 6 details the position of the Association under the Amateur and Awards Standard This restriction applies to so-called scrimmages as regarding commemorative championship jewelry, such as in the sport of softball. well as to games. (By-Law 101) Question 4: Our school uses NovaNET for Exception: If an interscholastic contests is played Question 2: We have a person who lives in credit recovery, remedial and enhancement. Credit before the formal opening of school and a student our community who has been involved in earned will be placed on the student’s transcript and has become academically elig ble for the fall cheerleading for many years but has never attended count toward graduation. I would l ke to know if semester and is elig ble in all other respects he/she a college/university. Can this person serve as our courses through NovaNET could also count toward a may be eligible to participate under this provision head cheerleading coach? students elig bility? provided the student is properly enrolled in the Answer: Yes. The standards for athletic Answer: A course through NovaNET could member school. (By-Law 213-e & f) count toward a student’s academic elig bility under coaches do not apply to cheerleading and dance Question 6: Our school just won the Class 2 these conditions: team coaches. Any individual, however, hired to be State Softball Championship. Our Booster Club 1. The student is doing the work through the a school cheerleading coach who does not possess a would l ke to donate money to our school to enable school. valid professional

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