IHSA Announcements

February 22, 1999

Asst. Executive Director Mary Struckhoff To Join National Federation Staff

BLOOMINGTON — Asst. Executive Director Mary Struckhoff informed the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors Monday (Feb. 22) at its regular meeting that she has accepted a position on the staff of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) beginning Sept. 1.

Struckhoff, an IHSA administrator since July 1, 1996, has been the administrator in charge of the IHSA Officials Department since joining the staff. At the National Federation, Struckhoff will be the administrator responsible for the sports of basketball and softball and a training program for the men and women who officiate all high school sports across the country. Under her direction, operation of the IHSA Officials Department has been enhanced in the areas of recruitment, training, promotion and state series assignment procedures.

"A major responsibility of the National Federation is to write the playing rules for the nation's interscholastic sports, and to train those who officiate high school athletics," said IHSA Executive Director Dave Fry. "This new position is perfect for Mary, and she is most qualified to assume these responsibilities on the national level. All of us in Illinois are quite proud of her accomplishments working with the officials training in our state, and of the refreshing new direction the IHSA Officials Department is heading since she became its administrator."

While administering the IHSA Officials Department, Struckhoff also has been a major college women's basketball official, working in seven conferences, including the Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA and Missouri Valley.

Struckhoff also is the IHSA administrator in charge of boys and girls swimming and boys and girls tennis. She joined the IHSA staff from Chicago (Maria) High School, where she was it's physical education chairperson and athletic director. The St. Louis native earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS in 1982, and her master's in physical education/sports administration from Western Illinois University in 1990.

She is the fifth administrator from Illinois to become a member of the National Federation staff. Previously, L. W. Smith was the Federation's first executive director, Charles W. Whitten was the second, and H. V. Porter its third. Thomas Frederick served the Federation for many years as an assistant director responsible for football and other sports.

Fry said the IHSA will begin the search for her replacement immediately. "General responsibilities for this position will include administration of several IHSA State Tournament Series programs for boys and girls and other administrative duties in the general operations of the Association," Fry said. Candidates have until April 19 to submit applications. Target date for the start of the appointment is July 1.

Struckhoff's departure will be the second from the IHSA administrative staff this coming summer. Associate Executive Director Don Robinson will retire July 1. The interview process for his replacement will be concluded by mid-March and his replacement is expected to be named at the April 27 board meeting. The other position is anticipated to be filled at the June board meeting.

Other Action

Officials Fees: Athletic officials fees in all sports in which the IHSA conducts state tournament series will be changed beginning with the 1999-2000 (next) school term. A comprehensive plan recommended by the Officials Advisory Committee establishes a uniform formula for fees to be paid at the various levels of competition within each state series. The plan sets the highest fees in the structure for the state final level and then pays a percentage of the state finals fees for the different levels worked below it. The new formula will increase the amount of fees paid by IHSA to state series officials next year by approximately $69,000. Total budget for athletic officials fees would rise to $544,850.

Membership Dues: The Board voted not to assess membership dues for the 1999-2000 (next) school term. Currently, member schools pay annual dues of $25. This action is part of the Board's plan to complete the IHSA headquarters building expansion project which is currently under way. Previously, the Board voted to utilize any funds in the historical year-end distribution of membership dividends and/or host school allowances to pay for the improvements.

Football Contract Policy: The Board approved policy changes for football contracts which will impact schools in the following manner:
  1. If both schools mutually agree to dissolve the contract, each can contract for a new game as a point counting game in the playoff point system, provided the contract is entered into prior to the third week of the season.
  2. If a contract is not mutually dissolved, the Executive Director shall determine the breaching school. The school in breach shall receive a forfeit loss in the point system for that week, and it is the only game that week which may count for playoff points. The school not in breach shall receive a forfeit win over the school found to be in breach in the playoff point system for that week. Both schools may schedule new games to replace the one they were scheduled to play, but the game will not count in the point system for either school.
  3. If a school is found to have signed two contracts for the same week, the first contract signed shall be the contracted game used in the playoff point system.

March Board Meeting: The Board moved the date of its 1999 March meeting from March 22 to March 20. It will be held at the hotel Pere Marquette in conjunction with the 1999 Class AA Boys State Final Tournament.

Eligibility Rulings

  1. 1) The Board sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student is ineligible at El Paso until June 13, 1999, for noncompliance with the transfer by-law.
The student transferred from Bloomington (Central Catholic) to El Paso in September of 1999 without a move on the part of his custodial parent. It also was not his first transfer from a private to a public high school.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items which the Board discusses, but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the February, 1999, agenda:

IHSA Office Building Expansion: The Board heard a report of the plans to expand the current headquarters building by the Felmley-Dickserson Company. Development of construction plans are under way and the schedule calls for the Board to approve final plans for the expanded building at its April, 1999, board meeting. Bids will be let shortly thereafter and construction would commence June 1 and is projected to be completed in January of 2000. Remodeling of the existing structure's interior would commence in February of 2000 and be completed in August of 2000.

Admission Fees: The Board had lengthy discussion regarding concepts to adjust admission prices for IHSA state series events, which could provide new revenues for the Association and member schools which host the state series events.

National Federation Authenticating Mark Program: The Board heard an update report of the status of the National Federation's authenticating mark program. At its January meeting, the Board voted to delay IHSA member schools' compliance with a mandate appearing in the playing rule books of the National Federation of State High School Associations for the 1999-2000 school term that high school contests may only be played if the National Federation "Authenticating Mark" appears on the puck or the ball used in the contest. The Board's action delays schools' compliance on any level in any sport until not earlier than the 2000-01 school year. A decision regarding future compliance will be made at a date to be determined by the Board. (A more detailed report of the status of this program is presently on the IHSA Web Site under the headline "IHSA Delays 'Authenticating Mark' Rule".)

Football Issues Committee: The Board heard a report from the special committee organized to address football playoff participation and the impact of the football playoffs on conference alignments. The committee met for the first time Feb. 16.

Sportsmanship/Ethics Committee: The Board heard a report on discussions by the committee at its Feb. 9 meeting on preliminary plans for the Sportsmanship Summits during the 1999-2000 (next) school term.

Women and Minorities Action Team: The Board heard a report of the Strategic Planning Action Team, including preliminary recommendations to increase the presence of women and minorities on the IHSA Board of Directors and Legislative Commission. The action team recommendation is to increase the size of the Board by two at-large principals appointed by the Board, one of which is a minority and the other a woman, with both Class A and Class AA membership represented. The Legislative Commission recommendation is to increase its size by seven at-large minority and female members appointed by the Board of Directors representing each of the seven Board divisions. The action team also offered an Advisory Committee Policy Statement which affirms appointments to them in a composition which addresses ethnicity, gender, demographics and the IHSA's classification structure.