10/01/13 – September Board of Control Meeting Review

October 1, 2013 Athletic Department Blog Updates

The following is a review of the items discussed at the September KHSAA Board of Control Meeting and the status of those issues. The Board meets six times per year, and each time, the membership will be updated as far as actions by the Board. While many of them attempt to communicate with you on a regular basis, I also want the schools informed of a consistent summary. All documents related to this meeting can be found online at http://portal.ksba.org/public/Agency.aspx?PublicAgencyID=4374&AgencyTypeID=1&BeginDate=9-1-2013&EndDate=9-30-2013.

BOARD MEETING – September 18, 2013

Following the normal procedural issues convening the meeting, the Board recessed for the Emerging Sports and Sport Activities Committee to meet.

The Emerging Sports and Sport Activities Committee met and had only one item on its agenda, the Triennial Survey of 2013. Chairman Alan Donhoff led a discussion regarding the sports and sport activities that had received enough votes to merit discussion by the Board. The Board policy is that when an sport/sport activity has 10% of the schools in three different basketball regions desire to participate in state play sponsored by the KHSAA, the Board shall consider adoption. Based on the survey, the sports of Field Hockey (32), Lacrosse (42 boys, 39 girls) merited further discussion. The sport activities of Dance (54), Rifle (49 boys, 46 girls), and Ultimate Frisbee (48 boys, 45 girls) merited further discussion.
Following discussion, the committee moved to the full board the motion that “Based on the survey, direct steps to begin discussions with current organizing group to bring Field Hockey in as a KHSAA sanctioned sport in 2014-2015. Assign staff to meet with representatives of both boys and girls Lacrosse organizations to discuss possible ramifications of KHSAA management; Immediately begin steps to coordinate with organizing groups for a possible reinstitution of a championships in Rifle Marksmanship as a Sport Activity; Continue review of alternative possibilities for championship in Dance and Ultimate Frisbee including gathering of data from other states.” This is not final action as staff will bring back information based on the directive. Unless there exists enough information presented by staff findings to warrant reconsideration, this action will be implemented. There is a great deal of concern about cost, particularly from the sports, at this time. While the activities have very minimal cost, there still may be reason to hesitate. Further discussion at a later meeting.

FULL BOARD MEETING – September 18, 2013

The Board as part of its consent agenda, approved the following reports:

• The minutes from the July Board of Control meeting;
• The Transfer Reports from July 1 to August 31;
• The Appeals Report from July 1 to August 31; and
• The report of other schoolrulings from July 1 to August 31.

The Board as part of its reports of Board Business, approved the following reports:

• The Cash Disbursements from July 1 to August 31;
• The Income Statement from July 1 to August 31;
• The General Ledger Report from July 1 to August 31;
• The Basketball Region Officials Rotation for 2014 through 2016; and
• The Soccer Camp Reconcilliation.

In other items, the Board considered and approved:

• Accepting Rawlings Sporting Goods as Title Sponsor of State Baseball;
• Acknowledgement of the voluntary extension of the Rawlings Ball Adoption Agreement for Baseball, Basketball, Football and Softball for an additional five years. Softball and Baseball will be Worth products, and a vehicle will be developed to accept complaints from schools about any Rawlings product and getting that information to Rawlings;
• Extension of the Baseball hosting agreement with the Lexington Legends for an additional four years with an option to extend four more years after that point by mutual agreement; and
• Acceptance of a proposed Title Sponsorship agreement for the boys’ state basketball tournament.

The Board then was briefed on the results of meetings between the Commissioner and KDE reps, as well as reps of other groups, about the implication of the Redbook changes, and was briefed on the status of the adoption of the changes to 702 KAR 7:065.

The Board then was asked to enter into discussion on several interpretative and procedural topics related to rules enforcement as follows:

The following items were supported without formal action following discussion:

• For 2013-2014, the staff will continue to work with schools who want to waive uniform requirements on a one-time basis for specific causes, provided that the opponent adhere to the uniform color requirements. This has become problematic as now more and more causes are wanting uniform waivers and this places the schools in contradiction to uniform requirements as well placing the Association in a position of violating its own rules regarding compliance with NFHS rules. For the future, such waivers are not to be granted, but staff will work proactively with groups to either help identify other means of promoting causes or with a method of taking what would have been spent on the commemorative uniforms and replacing that with a donation of the same value to that cause.
• Eliminate the KHSAA Golf Outing and attempt to hold another type of function as deemed necessary (due to negative gate receipts)
• Further discussion to be had through interpretations with schools about play out of season. If more than half of the team is present, coach cannot be there, and play cannot be school based or school sponsored (including booster groups).
• Direct schools to discontinue handshake lines /formal postgame handshakes, etc. unless they can properly be supervised, and remind the schools that officials are not involved. (Only two comments, Keepers: Suggested possible pregame handshakes if problems, Donhoff: clarification about officials role);
• Media policies as implemented were discussed.

The following items were supported with specific action taken:

• Change the penalty in ejections for unsportsmanlike conduct in football to 2 games for a coach, 1 game for a player, due to the comparative length of the season. (no negative votes)
• Sanction the play by Australian travel teams for 2013-2014 only to compete against Kentucky schools in basketball, only to the extent of already signed contracts. The Commissioner will notify the group and in the future, such play will not be allowed. These particular teams are NOT school based, but rather are club teams. (4 negative votes)

The next meeting will be held in November, with the following topics to be reviewed:

• Discuss of Proposal Specifications, State Softball Beyond 2014
• Recommendations and adoption of enrollment parameters to be used for football alignment (2015) and options to / not to allow for playing up into another class.
• Final approval of any alignment changes in Tennis
• Consideration and Approval of any changes in composition of Region 15 for baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball.

The next meeting of the Board of Control is November 11, 2013 at the KHSAA.