May 21, 2003
A series of penalties involving Hillside (Proviso West) High School and its boys basketball coach, Chris Head, for violations of Illinois High School Association (IHSA) sport season and open gym by-laws, were announced today by Executive Director Dr. Martin L. Hickman. The school has been informed of the findings and penalties.
Penalties
Proviso West head boys basketball Coach Chris Head has been suspended from coaching at any IHSA member school until January 24, 2004. Coach Head is prohibited from having contact with any IHSA member school's boys basketball program in any respect and at any level during his suspension. This means, for example, he may have no contact with players or other members of the coaching staff at a game or practice site, including the locker rooms, and he may not transport team members or in any way provide them with supervisory or instructional services related to the boys basketball program during his suspension.
Proviso West High School is prohibited from sponsoring any summer programs related to boys basketball for the (upcoming) summer of 2003. For example, Proviso West may not sponsor a summer basketball camp, provide transportation to summer league contests or clinics, nor may any boys basketball coach utilize the twenty-five contact days that are outlined under the provisions of By-law 3.153.
Proviso West High School is placed on probation through the end of the 2003-04 school term.
Proviso West High School is required to submit a plan of action by June 15, 2003, detailing the steps Proviso West High School will take to insure that its boys basketball program is in full compliance with all IHSA By-laws. Failure to submit an appropriate plan, as determined by the Executive Director, will lead to the suspension of the boys basketball team from the 2003-04 (next year's) state tournament series.
Findings
On numerous occasions in the fall of the current school term, scrimmages were organized for Proviso West High School boys basketball players prior to the permitted organization date set forth in IHSA By-law 5.041. In many cases, the school's coaches informed key players who then informed other team members of the dates and locations of the scrimmages. On other occasions, conditioning sessions for members of the Proviso West High School boys basketball team were organized by school personnel. Coach Head and members of the boys basketball coaching staff supervised these sessions. There is no evidence that these programs were open to the general student population of Proviso West High School. The school acknowledged that there were no announcements or flyers publicizing these events as open gyms or conditioning programs available to all students at the school.
It was determined in discussions with students and staff of Proviso West High School that instruction in basketball took place at these sessions held at the high school, at MacArthur Elementary and at a private facility in Maywood. Coach Head and other members of the basketball coaching staff were directly involved in providing instruction. The instruction was more prevalent at the off-campus sites. It was common for members of the coaching staff to break students into groups and to work on specific basketball plays and skills.
The school allowed its boys basketball team to form and organize for participation in the Back to School Basketball Tournament at Loyola and the Columbus Park Fall League. Coach Head personally organized the teams and selected the players from the school to participate in both of these events. The school further demonstrated its involvement in organizing the team by paying the associated entry fees. This spring Coach Head has been coordinating and selecting students from Proviso West to participate in various spring league contests. Coach Head paid the entry fees for these spring events and expected to be reimbursed by the school. The school's athletic director indicated that reimbursement to Coach Head would come from an activities fund account at Proviso West. (Payment of entry fees for non-school athletic programs is not allowable and is discussed in Illustration 57 on page 33 of the 2002-03 IHSA Handbook.)
Coach Head provided transportation to the Columbus Park League and the North Park Tournament. The school reported that Coach Head checked out school vans on September 21, September 28, September 29 and October 19, 2002. Information provided by the school indicates on September 21 the van was going to Columbus Park; the September 28 and 29 data indicates that Coach Head took the van to North Park College; and, on October 19, two vans were checked out by Coach Head, though there is no destination listed. On April 1, April 3, April 4 and April 5, school vans were checked out for the Downers Grove Spring League. On April 11 and 12, vans were checked out to two assistant coaches for basketball.
Coach Chris Head was previously sanctioned and served an 11-game suspension during the 1999-2000 season for violating the season limitation rule while he was head coach at Chicago (Westinghouse).
Text of By-laws That Apply
2.010 Compliance With Rules
(a) Members of this Association must comply
with the rules as stipulated in the Constitution
and By-laws of the Association in all matters
pertaining to athletic and activity programs,
competitions and other events, with or against any
other school, whether it is a member or non-member
of the Association.
2.090 Season Limitation in Athletic
Activities
No school belonging to this Association shall
organize its teams, practice, scrimmage or
participate in any interscholastic sport outside
of the season limitations as prescribed in Section
5.000 of these By-Laws; nor shall any person who
coaches any sport at a member school, coach or
supervise a non-school team in any interscholastic
sport composed of students from that school,
except within the guidelines promulgated by the
IHSA Board of Directors.
3.160 Open Gym Limitations
3.161 Schools may open their gymnasiums or
facilities for recreational activities to students
or other persons who reside in or outside their
district, under the following conditions:
a) A variety of recreational activities are
available during the course of the year.
b) There is no coaching or instruction in the
skills and techniques in any sport at any time.
c) Participation is voluntary and is not required
directly or indirectly for membership on a high
school squad.
d) Comparable opportunities are afforded to all
participants.
5.041 Boys Basketball Season Limitation
a. No school belonging to this Association
shall organize its Boys Basketball teams, practice
or participate in interscholastic contests earlier
than Monday of Week 19 or later than Saturday of
Week 37 in the IHSA Standardized Calendar.
b. A member school may conduct its first
interscholastic contest in Boys Basketball no
earlier than Monday of Week 21 in the IHSA
Standardized Calendar.
c. A member school shall not permit any team to
participate in an interscholastic Boys Basketball
contest prior to the date of its first varsity
team game.
Comments From Executive Director Hickman:
"Under IHSA By-laws, the school is held responsible for violations committed by its personnel. I find that the school has failed to adequately regulate its boys basketball program to ensure compliance with IHSA rules."
"In addition, the school should have taken formal steps to investigate the allegations made by the parent of one of its students. The parent provided relevant facts, including dates and times, that should have at least heightened the school's awareness to potential violations of IHSA By-laws. Had the school completed an investigation regarding the possible rules violations in the fall, additional violations in the spring might have been avoided."
"Probation in the Illinois High School Association does not deprive the school of any of its privileges as an IHSA member school. Rather, it is a status of official warning that any further violation of IHSA by-laws or other rules or policies of the Association could bring more serious consequences."
"Coach Head's involvement in organizing the Proviso West High School basketball team outside of the season limitations, in light of the fact that he had been previously suspended from coaching at another school for not complying with this same season limitation rule, cannot be overlooked. This is a very serious violation and a blatant disregard for the Association rules. Every coach has an obligation to observe the season limitation rule in their sport."