February 18, 2003
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved the makeup of one Strategic Planning Action Team, tied up loose ends, and acted on recommendations from nine advisory committees at its regular meeting in the IHSA Office Tuesday (Feb. 18).
Action Items
Action Team -- The Board heard a report regarding the action team to review structure, governance and operational procedures of IHSA. Its first meeting will be Thursday (Feb. 20) in the IHSA Office. Members of the action team will include will include Executive Director Marty Hickman, Asst. Executive Director Susan Hinrichsen and Asst. Executive Director Scott Johnson from the staff and the following: James Antos of Chicago (Brother Rice), Don Billington of Genoa-Kingston, Jill Bullo of Aurora (West), Andy Carmitchel of Highland (H.S.), Lynn Chism of Piasa (Southwestern), Jack Drollinger of Palatine (Fremd), Herschel Hannah of Peoria (Woodruff), Ray Heilman of Quincy (Notre Dame), Larry Houston of Tamms (Egyptian), Joyce Kenner of Chicago (Young), Jeanette Nuckolls of Normal (Community), Randy Skaggs of Danville (Schlarman), Chuck Slagley of Galena and Linda Yonke of Elmhurst (York).
Girls Badminton -- The Board approved a modified time schedule for the 2003 Girls State Final Badminton Tournament to be held at Downers Grove (North) on Friday-Saturday May 16-17, 2003. The opening ceremony begins at noon, May 16, with three rounds of competition in singles and doubles to follow. Saturday quarterfinals will begin at 10:00 a.m., semifinals at noon, and finals at 2:00 p.m.
State Series Assignments -- The Board authorized the IHSA staff to make three-year assignments of state series sites beginning with the 2003-04 (next) school term. This is a change that is being made to utilize a new computer assignment program written by Asst. Executive Director Scott Johnson.
Emerging Sport Cooperative Teams -- The Board approved a change in the Emerging Sport Policy to allow member schools to form cooperative teams. This year, St. Charles (North) and St. Charles (East) will form cooperative teams in boys and girls Lacrosse.
Advisory Committee Recommendations
The Board acted on recommendations from nine Advisory Committees at its regular meeting Tuesday.
"Our advisory committees meet on an annual basis, usually soon after the completion of the state series in that sport or activity," said IHSA Executive Director Dr. Martin L. Hickman. "Each advisory committee assesses the terms and conditions for its state tournament series, and all other facets of the sport or activity which may apply to the site of its state final event, and which may apply during the regular season."
Following is a recap of Board action regarding each of the committee reports and Terms and Conditions recommendations:
Cross Country
1. Approved a recommendation to use computer chip scoring at the state final meet. The Board postponed awarding a bid for computer chip scoring services until June of 2003, pending reconfiguration of the Detweiller Park course, development of new finish line procedures, and a new time schedule for the four races.
2. Did not approve a recommendation to charge member schools with qualifiers for the state final meet a user fee for computer chips to be used in scoring the meets. The Board approved cost of computer chip scoring to be part of the regular state final meet expense.
3. Did not approve a recommendation to continue to conduct the Award Ceremony at the Peoria Civic Center. The Board voted to conduct the Award Ceremony at Detweiller Park beginning with the 2003 state final meet.
4. Tabled a recommendation to run the Class A races at 9:00 a.m. and 10 a.m. with an award ceremony beginning at 1:30 p.m., with the Class AA races at 11:00 a.m. and noon followed by an award ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m. The Board authorized the IHSA staff to develop a state final time schedule reflecting computer chip scoring and award ceremony both at Detweiller Park. The Board approved a recommendation from the Athletic Administrator Advisory Committee to rotate the Class A and Class AA race starting times on an annual basis. In 2003, the Class A races would be run first, and in 2004 the Class AA races would be run first.
5. Approved a recommendation to finish the state final races, the sectional races and the regional races at the mouth of the chute. During the regular season, local managers have the option to use either the mouth or the neck of the chute.
6. Approved a recommendation to include water among the approved legal items for use in the state series.
Football
1. Did not approve a recommendation that all schools be classified by their actual enrollment.
2. Approved a recommendation that the pairings of quadrants for the semifinals be a blind draw.
3. Approved a recommendation that the host school for the semifinal game, if both schools have hosted an equal number of times in the current playoff series, shall be the school with the highest qualifying criteria.
4. Did not approve a recommendation to create a ticket plan to provide for the sale of single-day tickets to the state final.
5. Approved a recommendation clarifying for the state series that the game time will be determined by the host school.
6. Approved a recommendation that all noisemakers will not be allowed in Memorial Stadium for the championship games. Noisemakers except for horns and whistles are not prohibited at playoff games prior to the championship games.
7. Modified an administrative recommendation regarding that the interpretation of By-law 5.063 regarding participation in the Chicago Prep Bowl. Participation in the Chicago Prep Bowl series will be limited to public schools within the Chicago city limits, Catholic schools within the Chicago city limits, and historic Chicago Catholic League members Burbank (St. Laurence), Oak Park (Fenwick) and Wilmette (Loyola).
Boys/Girls Golf
1. Tabled a recommendation that the girls golf state series be conducted in a two-class format beginning with the 2003 state series.
2. Tabled a recommendation that the distribution of teams in the existing two-class boys golf state series be altered from the traditional (60-40) format to a split of the school entered on a 50-50 basis. The smallest 50 percent of the schools entered in boys golf will be Class A and the largest 50 percent of the schools entered in boys golf will be Class AA.
3. Tabled a recommendation that beginning with the 2004-05 school term, the distribution of teams in the girls golf state series be a split of the schools entered on a 50-50 basis.
4. Did not approve a recommendation for boys/girls golf that the sectional tournaments in 2003 be held on Monday, Oct. 13 (Columbus Day).
5. Approved a recommendation for boys/girls golf to use of the shotgun start on Friday (first day) of the state final tournament.
6. Did not approve a recommendation for boys/girls golf stipulating that the role of the observer is to tally scores and report information to the rules committee when called upon to do so.
7. Approved an administrative recommendation for boys/girls golf that the IHSA Office schedule practice tee times for all teams and individuals advancing from the sectionals on the respective state final courses.
8. Approved an administrative recommendation in boys/girls golf that the coaches meeting be conducted at the golf course during the Thursday practice rounds.
9. Approved an administrative recommendation in boys/girls golf that the IHSA Office assign housing to state final competitors.
10. The Board heard a report that Illinois State University will not provide a driving range for the 2003 girls state final at the ISU Golf Course. The Board expressed a desire that the state final golf sites have a driving range and instructed the IHSA staff to seek an alternative site.
Boys/Girls Tennis
1. Approved a recommendation to reflect United States Tennis Association (USTA) policy in placement of seeds in the sectionals and State Final.
Boys/Girls Volleyball
1. Approved a recommendation in girls volleyball to restructure the playing schedule of the combined state final. The change is designed to keep teams from having to play the early matches or the late matches each day of the state final. The playing schedule will alternate the Class A and Class AA match times every other year. The schedule for the 2003 state final will be:
Friday Quarterfinals
8:30 a.m. -- Class A
9:30 a.m. -- Class A
11:00 a.m. - Class AA
Noon - Class AA
3:30 p.m. - Class AA
4:30 p.m. - Class AA
6:00 p.m. - Class A
7:00 p.m. - Class ASaturday
8:30 a.m. -- Class AA (Semifinal)
9:30 a.m. - Class AA (Semifinal)
11:00 a.m. - Class A (Semifinal)
Noon - Class A (Semifinal)
3:30 p.m. - Class AA (3rd Place)
4:30 p.m. - Class A (3rd Place)
6:15 p.m. - Class AA (Title)
7:30 p.m. - Class A (Title)
2. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls volleyball for players to warm up in their game uniform.
3. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls volleyball to change the warm-up timing by reducing it one minute to a 5-5-5-2 format.
4. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls volleyball effective for the 2003-04 school term to change the team reimbursement schedule. Each team participating in the state final will receive $2.00 per mile for one round trip. Schools will receive a reimbursement flat rate based on mileage as follows: 0-150 miles $500, 151-300 miles $1,000, over 301 miles $1,500.
Officials
1. Approved grants to five officials associations totaling $1,408 to be used in recruiting officials and training them. IHSA and the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) allocate a total of $7,000 annually for officials associations to use in this manner.
2. Approved a recommendation that a philosophy on assigning officials to postseason contests be developed by IHSA and be provided to all officials.
3. Did not approve a recommendation that IHSA establish a rating system of non-varsity officials by officials who are Certified.
4. Did not approve a recommendation to provide schools and assigners access to the percentile rating of coaches and officials on all officials in the respective sport.
5. Did not approve a recommendation to provide each certified official with the list of names of officials they have rated.
6. Did not approve a recommendation to allow Certified officials to rate other officials once a month. This would allow a Certified official to rate an official more than one time during a season. Coaches are required to rate each official after each contest.
7. Approved a recommendation to change the open date procedures to provide that officials post their open dates and not the dates they are working.
8. Did not approve a recommendation that would allow officials to renew their license at each of the state final tournaments.
9. Did not approve a recommendation that gives an official a $10 credit toward his/her annual licensing fee for each new official recruited.
10. Approved a recommendation that the conviction policy that is published in the Sports Officials Handbook be reviewed by legal counsel.
11. Approved a recommendation requiring each official seeking promotion to have four of the six promotion cards given to coaches and officials be returned to the IHSA Office.
12. Approved a recommendation that the uniform location for the new IHSA Officials Patch be 2-3 inches below the shoulder.
13. Approved a recommendation that IHSA send each licensed official a report of the current insurance coverage that is made available by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for recognized officials associations conducting clinics and education programs.
14. Approved a recommendation that the IHSA Officials Department send a review of the officials rating data in the Top 15 List and how it is used by IHSA staff in the assignment of post season officials to all member schools for review by administrators and staff at the schools.
15. Did not approve a recommendation that assigners with less than six schools be allowed to list only five officials on the Top 15 List.
Sportsmanship/Ethics
1. Tabled a recommendation that IHSA and IESA continue to conduct a series of three Leadership/Sportsmanship Summits for junior high and high school students during the 2002-03 school term. The Board instructed the IHSA staff to refer this recommendation to the new Sportsmanship Advisory Committee.
2. Tabled a recommendation to restructure the fee schedule for participants in the summits in the following manner: 0-5 students $30, 6-10 $50, 11-15 $70, 16-20 $90, 21-25 $110, 26-30 $130, 31 plus $150. Students will not receive a t-shirt for their participation. The Board instructed the IHSA staff to refer this recommendation to the new Sportsmanship Advisory Committee.
3. Tabled a recommendation that the Sport A Winning Attitude (SAWA) Reports be listed on the IHSA web site to recognize the schools and players nominated. The Board instructed the IHSA staff to refer this recommendation to the new Sportsmanship Advisory Committee.
Sports Medicine
1. Approved a recommendation that an ad hoc committee be formed to look at IHSA summer participation guidelines to see if additional safeguards can be developed to ensure the safety of the athletes.
Athletic Administrators
1. Received the report of the Oct. 9 meeting of the advisory committee.
Eligibility Rulings
1. Sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student is ineligible to participate in swimming and diving at DeKalb High School through the end of the 2002-03 boys swimming and diving season. The student was ineligible the first semester of 2002-03. During that time, he swam with the local YMCA swim team rather than practice with the DeKalb team.
Discussion Items
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items the Board discusses, but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the February, 2003, agenda:
Wrestling Weight Control Plan -- The Board reviewed the power point presentation regarding the new Wrestling Weight Control Plan. The educational components reviewed were: 1) Overview of the complete Weight Control Plan; 2) Certified Body Fat Tester Training Program; 3) Nutrition Education Presentation. The plan will be implemented beginning with the 2003-04 school term.
State Series Entries -- The Board received a status report of the number of schools entered in all sport and activity state series this (2002-03) school term.
NFHS Volleyball Rally Scoring -- The Board heard a report regarding changes in the National Federation volleyball rules and rally scoring. Beginning in the spring of 2003, member schools will be allowed to participate in NFHS experimental a 2 games out of 3 games rally scoring format during the regular season. The sideout game scoring format will continue to be played in the boys/girls state series until the 2004-05 school term.
Boys Baseball -- Because of a scheduling conflict on the weekend of the 2003 Class AA Boys Baseball State Final Tournament, it will be moved from Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva. The Board heard a status report regarding potential sites for the June 13-14 event. The Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League use Elfstrom Stadium as their home field, and are scheduled to be at home that weekend.