December 10, 2009

OHSAA Board of Directors Update – December 10, 2009

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association held its regularly scheduled December Board of Directors meeting Thursday in Columbus. The following are highlights of action taken by the Board. Complete minutes will be posted at ohsaa.org later in December.

-          The Board approved a modification in the starting and ending dates in football for 2013, 2014 and 2019 that will move the seasons one week later (and keep the state championships consistently being held the week after Thanksgiving weekend). In 2013 and 2019, practice will begin August 5, the first contest may be held August 26 (most will wait until Friday, August 30) and the state finals will be December 6 and 7. In 2014, practice will begin August 4, the first contest may be held August 25 (most will wait until Friday, August 29) and the state finals will be December 5 and 6.

-          The regional sites were approved and drawings for the regional and state tournaments were conducted in girls and boys basketball for 2010. That information will be posted soon on the basketball page of the OHSAA web site. The girls state tournament is March 18, 19 and 20 and the boys state tournament is March 25, 26 and 27. Both will be held at Ohio State’s Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

-          The Board placed 11 items up for referendum vote of the membership that will take place between May 1 and 15, 2010. The Board may place more items up for vote at future meetings. Approved to be placed up for vote are: 1.)  Constitution 8-1-1, Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws — Modifies that the Board of Directors may immediately change a bylaw or article in the constitution so that the OHSAA will be in compliance with Ohio law if there is proposed or adopted legislative action or a court order that modifies an existing bylaw or article of the constitution (the proposed and court order references are the modifications); 2.) Bylaw 4-3-1, Enrollment and Attendance, Exception 6 — Clarifies that schools’ partial enrollment policies for home schooled students requires that at least one of the courses be taken at the brick and mortar school; 3.) Bylaw 4-3-1, Enrollment and Attendance, Exception 7 — Adds a new exception that grants eligibility for students enrolled in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) school that is established under the Ohio Revised Code; 4.) Bylaw 4-4-1, Scholarship — Provides a definition of “grading period” to add clarity; 5.) Bylaw 4-4-4 and 4-4-5, Scholarship — Modifies that students enrolled in the first grading period after advancement from the eighth grade must have received passing grades in a minimum of five of those subjects in which the student received grades during the preceding grading period in order to be eligible; 6.) Bylaw 4-6-3, Residence (Parents Out of State) — Adds a new exception that grants eligibility to students enrolled in an Ohio school pursuant to the Interstate Compact of Educational Opportunities for Military Children; 7.) Bylaw 4-7-2, Transfers, Exceptions 1 and 3 — Clarifies the exceptions by noting that the bona fide legal change of residence must of have taken place within the last calendar year; 8.) Bylaw 4-7-2, Transfers, Exception 4 — Adds the stipulation that a student may gain eligibility at a new school not only if the school he/she attends closes but also if it discontinues its high school program after grade nine; 9.) Bylaw 4-7-2, Transfers, Exception 11 — The Board of Directors has already approved this change so that the OHSAA would be in compliance with Ohio state law pursuant to Constitution Article 8-1-1, Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, since legislative action modified an existing bylaw. The OHSAA would ask the membership to ratify this change, which is as follows: “During the period of time, and only if, a school district ceases to sponsor its entire interscholastic athletic programs, a student from that district may transfer to any other school district/system and have her/his eligibility restored upon application to the Commissioner’s Office. Furthermore, if the district from which such student transferred resumes with its sponsorship of interscholastic programs and the student wishes to transfer back to the district from which she/he transferred, she/he may do so and have her/his eligibility restored in accordance with Exception 6 of Bylaw 4-6-2, and notwithstanding Bylaw 4-7-3, provided the transfer back occurs prior to the start of the next school year following the school year in which resumption of sponsorship of interscholastic programs occurred. In consideration of all applications for the restoration of eligibility pursuant to this Exception, the Commissioner’s Office shall give due consideration to all factors relating to the transfer and particularly the timing of the transfer in relation to the effective date on which sponsorship of interscholastic athletics ceases and/or resumes;” 10.) Bylaw 4-7-3, Transfers — Modifies the bylaw by noting that the student that transfers within 50 miles is ineligible in that sport for the remainder of that sport’s season if the student participated in a regular season interscholastic contest (rather than the word “contest,” which would include a scrimmage or preview), and 11.) Bylaw 4-7-5, Transfers — Adds a note to this bylaw, which is pursuant to state or federal statutes addressing unsafe schools or academically poor performing schools, that the student is entitled to one transfer only under the provisions of this bylaw.

-          The Board approved a recommendation from the OHSAA 7th-8th Grade Committee that a statement be released that provides direction to member schools regarding other middle school organizations and their relationship with the OHSAA. The statement is as follows:

     “The OHSAA has been asked by several member schools to clarify the relationship between the Middle School Athletic Association (MSAA), The Ohio Athletic Committee (OAC) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). The MSAA and the OAC are not affiliated with the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

     “Participation in events sponsored by the MSAA, the OAC and similar organizations must comply with the Bylaws and Sports Regulations of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Students participating outside of the OHSAA defined sports seasons in events sponsored by outside organizations would not be covered under the OHSAA catastrophic insurance policy, and any and all participation must be in compliance with all OHSAA non-interscholastic sport participation rules.”

-          Sites and dates for regional and state tournaments in baseball, softball and track & field were approved.

-          Recommendations from the state track and field coaches association were approved. The shot put for 7^th and 8^th grade girls will be six pounds and coaches must be recertified in the pole vault every three years. Both measures begin with the 2010 season.

-          The Board approved a recommendation that criteria be followed for courses to be considered authorized for the Coaches Education Program. The criteria are: 1.) The course must be portable; 2.) The course should be designed for interscholastic athletics; 3.) The course must be affordable; 4.) The course must be accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education; 5.) The course must include the eight domains of coaching competencies as established by National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), which is posted on the NASPE web site (www.naspeinfo.org), and 6.) The course must include the 40 standards established by National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

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