Representative Council Wrap-up: Fall
December 20, 2011
EAST LANSING – The appointment of its newest member and the adoption of four lacrosse regulations were among actions taken by the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association during its annual Fall Meeting, Dec. 2, in East Lansing.
Yale Public Schools athletic director Maureen E. Klocke was appointed to the 19-member council for a two-year term and brings with her more than 16 years experience as an athletic administrator.
She’s served in her current position since August 2005, and during her tenure has led in the hosting of MHSAA post-season tournaments for eight sports, including Regionals for girls basketball and volleyball. Previously, Klocke served as Capac’s athletic director for nine years and prior to that was interim athletic director for Memphis schools for seven months. She also coached basketball, volleyball and softball during her time at Memphis.
Also, Perry High School principal Paula Steele was re-appointed for a two-year term. Steele joined Perry’s district this summer after previously serving in the same position at East Lansing High School.
The Representative Council is the legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities; and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
Also at the Fall Meeting, the following Girls Lacrosse Committee recommendations were adopted for the 2012 season:
--A game interrupted by events beyond the control of authorities may be continued from that point of interruption either later that day or on another date. This alters a national women’s lacrosse rule stating an interrupted game must be played from the beginning if rescheduled for another date. A game continued over two days will count as just one date on those teams’ schedules, while it will count as two of the team’s scheduling dates if the game is played, interrupted, and then played from the beginning on another day.
--Teams may play two regulation games in one day, to not exceed 120 total minutes played. This is in addition to the current rule allowing three games in one day with not more than 20-minute halves. This addresses a preference by some teams to play two full games at a tournament instead of three shortened games.
--A student or coach disqualified for unsportsmanlike conducted must be withheld by her or his school for at least the next day of competition for that team, consistent with MHSAA rules for other sports. This alters the national women’s lacrosse rule stating those who are disqualified must be withheld from the next two games.
--The unruly actions of spectators will not result in a card being assessed to their team’s coach. The national rule does assess a card to the head coach as punishment for spectator misconduct.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.
Reminder: Prepare to Beat the Heat
July 28, 2016
Second Half editor
The heat wave that’s traveled across Michigan during these last few weeks of July is another reminder of the importance of preparing for activity in hot weather in advance of Michigan High School Athletic Association fall practices kicking off the new school year early next month.
Each year, the MHSAA provides information to its member schools to help them prepare for hot weather practice and game conditions during the late summer and early fall. Football practice can begin at MHSAA schools August 8, followed by first practices for all other fall sports August 10.
The topic of heat-related injuries receives a lot of attention at this time of year, especially when deaths at the professional, collegiate and interscholastic levels of sport occur, and especially since they are preventable in most cases with the proper precautions.
“Like many things that remain constant from year to year in educational athletics, preparation for hot weather activity is something we must continue to emphasize for our returning athletes and also a new class taking the field for the first time,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “If we take the precautions we should and plan as we should, we will avoid more of these tragedies in school sports.”
A number of member schools continue to follow the MHSAA’s Model Policy for Managing Heat & Humidity, which while not mandated for member schools was adopted as a rule for MHSAA postseason competition in 2013. The plan directs schools to begin monitoring the heat index at the activity site once the air temperature reaches 80 degrees and provides recommendations when the heat index reaches certain points, including ceasing activities when it rises above 104 degrees.
To also assist in acclimatization, football practice rule changes adopted in 2014 allow for only helmets to be worn during the first two days, only shoulder pads to be added on the third and fourth days, and full pads to not be worn until the fifth day of team practice. The policy in detail can be found on the Football page of the MHSAA Website.
Heat, hydration and acclimatization also are again focuses of the MHSAA’s required preseason rules meetings for coaches and officials. The online presentation discusses the need for good hydration in sports, regardless of the activity or time of year. The MHSAA requires all head varsity, varsity assistant and subvarsity coaches at the high school level to complete a rules and risk minimization meeting requirement.
The model heat & humidity policy is outlined in a number of places, including the publication Heat Ways, which is available for download from the MHSAA Website. Roberts reminded that the first days of formal practices in hot weather should be more for heat acclimatization than the conditioning of athletes, and that practices in such conditions need planning to become longer and more strenuous over a gradual progression of time. He noted that schools also must consider moving practices to different locations or different times of day, or change practice plans to include different activities depending on the conditions.
The Health & Safety Resources page of the MHSAA Website has a number of links to various publications and information and a free online presentation on preventing heat illness from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Also accessible through the MHSAA Health & Safety page are resources from Sparrow Health System, a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, which lends expertise on-site at various MHSAA tournament events and provides an online “Ask the Experts” feature to connect MHSAA.com users with Sparrow sports medicine caregivers.
“It is important for participants and their parents as well as coaches and administrators to become informed on how best to prepare for activity in hot weather,” Roberts added. “All involved need to be knowledgeable about proper hydration and the dangers of practicing and competing when the heat and humidity are too high.”