IHSA Announcements

October 10, 2006

Board Reelects Jim Woodward President,
Acts on Advisory Committee Recommendations

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors reelected Jim Woodward, principal of Anna-Jonesboro High School, president of the Board at its regular October meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the IHSA Office. Mr. Woodward, who represents Division 7, has served as president since 2005 and has been a member of the Board since 2003.

Reelected vice president was Ron Conner, principal of Clinton High School, representing Division 5. Mr. Connor was first elected to the Board term in 2003. Jim Quaid, principal at Oak Park (Fenwick), was reelected secretary. Dr. Quaid is an at-large Board member representing private school principals and has also been a member of the Board since 2003.

Election of officers came after the canvass of ballots in this year's Board elections. Three Board members were elected to full 3-year terms.  Mr. Woodward was reelected to a 3-year term representing Division 7.  Mr. Conner was reelected to a 3-year term representing Division 5. Anthony Rainey, principal at Chicago (Luther South), was elected to a 3-year at-large term representing minority principals.

After the canvass, Greg Bradley, principal of Mt. Zion High School, was reappointed to a 3-year term as treasurer of the IHSA.

Other Action

Grouping and Seeding Policy: The Board approved a change to the way some teams are distributed to regional sites. The change applies only to Class AA sectional complexes in bracketed team sports involving Chicago-area schools. In those sectionals, the No. 1-4 seeds will continue to be distributed to separate regional sites, as will the No. 5-8 seeds.  The change comes in the way the remaining seeds are distributed. The previous policy required that they be distributed geographically. The new policy allows them to be distributed so that the bracket can play out with “true seeds.” For example, the No. 16 seed will be paired with No. 1 team, even if this means assigning the No. 16 seed to a more distant regional.

Board Acts on Terms and Conditions Recommendations

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors acted on recommendations for Terms and Conditions and administrative procedures from eight advisory committees at its regular October meeting Tuesday in the IHSA Office.

"Our advisory committees meet on an annual basis, usually soon after the completion of the state series in that sport or activity," noted 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 the Board action Tuesday:

Girls Badminton

1. Approved a recommendation combining the functions of the sectional complex meeting and the sectional meeting, which had been held separately, into a single day.

Boys Baseball

1. Approved a recommendation from the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee to adopt language similar to softball that allows super-sectional games to be rescheduled if sectional play has not been completed.
2. Approved a recommendation from the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee to eliminate the Hitting Derby competition.

Girls Softball

1. Approved a recommendation to eliminate the Hitting Derby competition.
2. Approved a recommendation setting the standard starting time for regional quarterfinal games at 4:30 p.m. This time may be changed at the manager’s discretion, with approval from the IHSA Office.
3. Approved a recommendation allowing a regional or sectional host to schedule the semifinal round as a doubleheader.
4. Approved a recommendation allowing teams to use the International Tie-Breaker in regular-season competition.

Boys/Girls Track and Field

1. Tabled a recommendation to move the date of girls sectional meets from Friday or Saturday of Week 45 to Wednesday of Week 45, and the date of boys sectional meets from Friday or Saturday of Week 46 to Wednesday of Week 46.
2. Approved a recommendation to eliminate the 800-meter medley relay event from the girls track & field state series, effective this school term.
3. Approved a recommendation allowing the IHSA Office to assign only two officials (meet referee and starter) to sectional meets when the assignment of a third official (assistant starter) is impractical.
4. Approved a recommendation to change the following qualifying standards:
   • Boys Class AA 300-meter intermediate hurdles from :39.8 MT and :40.04 FAT to :39.6 MT and :39.84 FAT.
5. Rejected a recommendation that would have prohibited the wearing of watches during competition. Watches are allowed by NFHS rule.
6. Rejected a recommendation to run the two sections of the 3200-meter run in each class consecutively.

Boys/Girls Water Polo

1. Approved a recommendation increasing the number of water polo balls provided to each sectional site from two to three.

Journalism

1. Approved a recommendation increasing the event fee paid in sectional and state competition from $5 to $10 per event.
2. Approved a recommendation decreasing the number of judges used for each event in sectional and state final competition site from three to two.
3. Approved a recommendation reorganizing the events as follows:

News Media

1. Approved a recommendation prohibiting media members from storing carrying cases, computer equipment, photography equipment and other items on the playing surface or adjacent to it.
2. Approved a recommendation explaining that credential requests from Internet-only media will be reviewed by the IHSA Office and that requests from individual team Web sites, recruiting Web sites, and Web sites whose primary interest is selling photos or video footage will not be considered.

Officials

1. Approved a recommendation to allocate grant money to 17 different officials associations in sums ranging from $100 to $500. The grant money is to be used by associations for recruiting, mentoring, education/clinics and sportsmanship programs.
2. Approved a recommendation removing the requirement that members of the Observers Program not be seeking a postseason assignment in the particular sport.
3. Approved a recommendation establishing the following fee schedule for officials assigned to a state series contest that is postponed or suspended:

   a. An official is notified before arriving at the site: No compensation.
   b. An official arrives at the site and the contest is suspended/cancelled before it begins: A show up fee is provided to the official which is one half of the game fee. Mileage reimbursement for miles over 100 round trip.
   c. Contest is started, then is suspended until the next day: Official gets full fee for the started game and then a full fee for the completion of the game the next day. Mileage reimbursement for miles over 100 round trip.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items that the Board discusses, but upon which it takes no action.  Following is a report of those on the October, 2006, agenda:

Amendment Proposals: The Board received an update on the 8 proposals received so far for consideration by the Legislative Commission during the annual referendum process. The deadline for submission of proposals is Oct. 17. The Legislative Commission will meet twice to consider each proposal. The first meeting is Nov. 6, when the commission members will hear the pros and cons regarding each proposal. The second meeting is Nov. 27, when the Legislative Commission will vote whether to place each respective proposal on an electronic ballot for consideration by all member schools. Between the first and second meetings of the Legislative Commission, the IHSA will conduct 28 Town Meetings/Principals Rules Meetings throughout the state. The principal of each member school (or designee) is required to attend one of these meetings. During the Town Meeting portion of the combined meetings, each proposal before the Legislative Commission will be reviewed and the pros and cons of each proposal will be discussed. If the Legislative Commission votes to place a proposal on the ballot, the 760 IHSA member schools will have the opportunity to vote for or against the proposal via electronic ballot. Deadline for voting is Dec. 29. A simple majority of votes cast on each ballot proposal will approve or defeat it.

Town Meeting Update: The Executive Director reported that following the presentation of the by-law amendment proposals, the IHSA staff will review the three- and four-class structures for 2007-08 and will gather feedback on how classes will be split in two-class sports and activities.

Journalism Award: The Executive Director reported that he and Assistant Executive Director Susie Knoblauch attended the Illinois Journalism Education Association Conference and accepted the organization’s “Friend of Journalism” award on behalf of the IHSA.

NFHS Hall of Fame: The Board heard a report that nominations for the National High School Hall of Fame for the class of 2007 close Nov. 15. Anyone can nominate a person for the National High School Hall of Fame. The categories are as follows: High School Male Coach, High School Female Coach, High School Contest Officials, Former High School Athlete, State Association Executive Director, State Association Governing Board Member, State Association Information Director/Assistant Director, Media Representative, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Representative, National School Boards Association (NSBA) Representative, High School Activities Administrator and High School Fine Arts Coach/Administrator. Each state may nominate one person in each category. There is a limit of one inductee per state per year.

IHSA/IESA Luncheon: The Executive Director reviewed plans for the annual IHSA/IESA Luncheon, to be held October 17 at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center in Springfield.  The annual luncheon is held during the Illinois Principals Association conference.

Sports is Education Foundation:  The Executive Director noted that members of the IHSA staff will participate in the Sports is Education Foundation symposium on November 9 in Chicago.

Joint Conference: The Executive Director noted that several members of the IHSA administrative staff will represent the Association at the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Conference in Chicago on November 17-19.