Minnesota State High School League



Minnesota State High School League

Board of Directors Meeting

January 24, 2013

Meeting Synopsis

Action Items

← Twenty member schools were considered for placement in one competitive class lower than enrollment would dictate. The schools appealed on varied grounds that included demographics, current and past participation levels, and economics among others. In order to make an appeal, for team sports only, a minimum of 50 percent of the school’s students must qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. Board policy initially places schools in competitive classes based on total enrollment as supplied by the Minnesota Department of Education, minus 40 percent of the number of students that qualify for free of reduced lunch. The appeals were reviewed by the Athletic Directors Advisory Committee and recommendations were made to the Board. The recommendations were unanimously approved, but will not be made public until noon on Friday, Jan. 24, to allow League staff time to contact the schools to advise them of the Board action.

← Several refinements related to the policy for seeding section tournaments were approved. One of three methods is required to be used for consistency across administrative regions. One revision deletes the requirement that a high and low seed be discarded when seven or fewer rankings are made in the face-to-face seeding option. Another related to the same option removes the first tiebreaker of head-to-head competition if the winner of that game was determined by forfeit. A second or third alternative would be available to break ties. A second seeding option utilizes electronic ranking. The identical provisions related to seven or fewer schools, or win by forfeiture that are applied in the face-to-face option are also applied in the electronic option. The third seeding option that can be used is a point system based on the Quality Ratings Formula employed by Minnesota-.

← The Board approved a modification of the penalty for violation of the NFHS rule prohibiting track and field athletes from wearing jewelry. Basically, it states that if a meet official notices jewelry on an athlete, the jewelry must be removed prior to competition. It adds a provision that if jewelry isn’t noticed until after competition is completed, no penalty will be applied. The NFHS rule could disqualify an athlete from further competition if jewelry is worn after a warning from a meet official. The League attempted to get an experimental exemption from the NFHS jewelry rule, but the request was denied by the NFHS. The League’s rationale stated, among other issues, that communication between coaches and officials is a challenge due to the venue of the activity, and that exemption would allow meet officials to focus on the competition rules rather than jewelry because jewelry doesn’t impact advantage or safety of the athletes.

← At the recommendation of the Marketing and Communications Committee, the Board approved another two-year extension of the League’s premier partnership with Wells Fargo. The current school year is the 10th for the partnership with Wells Fargo.

← The Marketing and Communications Committee also recommended and the Board approved that staff negotiate ball contracts with three manufacturers — Baden, Spalding and Wilson — for the sports of baseball, basketball, football, softball, tennis and volleyball. Approval makes the specified balls official only for state tournaments and they are not required for subsection, section or regular season play. Revenue from the agreements will be used for coaches education, officials training, school reimbursements, and other League initiatives.

← The Board approved a motion that will allow staff to write a grant proposal to seek up to $20,000 from the Minnesota State High School League Foundation to help fund three conferences for coaches in August 2013. Titled “Beyond the ‘X’s and ‘O’s: A Coaches ‘Y’ Conference,” two separate sessions will be presented at Bethel University in St. Paul on Aug. 1 and a third will be presented at Grand Rapids High School on Aug. 7. One of the primary reasons for conducting the conference in partnership with the state coaches association and athletics directors association is to provide an opportunity for hundreds of coaches who do not meet the statutory requirement to serve as a head coach to receive League training that is normally only offered periodically on Saturdays.

Discussion Items

• Associate Director Kevin Merkle briefed the Board on a number of issues impacting football. One concerns the amount and kind of contact that players may have during the summer months. The coaches association is concerned that there are no guidelines that regulate football practice and scrimmages during the summer like there are during the regular season. The second issue concerns current player participation limitations which are no more than six quarters times the number of varsity contests played. The coaches believe that a better limitation might be based on quarters per week or similar short period of time. Merkle said specific proposals will be presented at a future date. Merkle also indicated that discussion needs to continue about alternatives for the scheduling of football games.

• Staff reported that a one-day staff development opportunity for activities/athletics directors will be presented June 25 as part of the Minnetonka Summer Institutes. League legal counsel Patrick Kelly will be one of the presenters.

Board Committee Reports

← Executive Committee

The committee approved a special meeting for 9 a.m. March 8 at Xcel Energy Center to consider competitive section assignment of member schools for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. Discussion continued about revising the League’s mission statement and adding a tagline. Ultimately it was determined that the current mission statement needs no revision, but chose “Education and Leadership for a Lifetime” as a tagline.

← Eligibility Committee

The Board adopted six separate eligibility recommendations from the committee to censure coaches for violations of bylaws, three related to Bylaw 304-Ineligible Player and three related to Bylaw 307-Undue Influence on Students. A number of other actions, including acceptance of a corrective action plan, independent hearing examiner recommendations, and application of mandatory forfeitures were also approved.

← Audit/Finance Committee

The Board approved the financial statement for the month of December. The committee recommended and the Board approved the now completed annual financial review by the state auditor’s office.

← Communications and Marketing Committee

The committee heard details about negotiations with Wells Fargo for renewing its partnership and for future contracts with ball manufacturers, all of which resulted in Board motions and approvals.

← Technology/Coaches and Officials Education Committee

Staff briefed the committee on ongoing training clinics for contest officials, as well as development of curriculum for coaches education. Details were also shared about the “‘Y’ Conference” that the League is co-sponsoring.

Extra points

← Lobbyist Roger Aronson reported on the current legislative session. He said the governor’s budget proposal calls for a 3 to 3-1/2 percent increase in K-12 funding. He also said that hot button issues include security and bullying.

← Executive Director Dave Stead reported that Associate Director Jody Redman will soon receive an award from the Medtronic Foundation. Dubbed “Heroes in the Making,” Redman’s work with the Anyone Can Save A Life program is being honored. He also had Program Specialist Amy Doherty speak about the current FIRST Robotics challenge that involves flying discs and pyramid climbing. Doherty has also spoken with a representative from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association about Minnesota’s involvement in robotics as an activity.

Correction

• In the Board Synopsis issued following the Dec. 6, 2012, meeting, it was incorrectly stated that a presenting partnership for a state trap shooting tournament would debut in June 2013. The first such tournament will not be held until June 2014.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the League Board of Directors is Thursday, April 11, 2013, at the League office. A special meeting is scheduled for March 8 at Xcel Energy Center.

Revised 1/28/2013

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