NSAA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - March 11, 2015

[Alum-Ni]

The NSAA Board of Directors met March 11, 2015 at the Holiday Inn Downtown, Lincoln, Nebraska, with members present as follows:

District I - Mark Norvell, Fillmore Central
District I - Wendy Henrichs, Lincoln East
District II - Dr. Bob Reznicek, Boys Town
District II - Nolan Beyer, Millard Public Schools
District III - Jay Bellar, Battle Creek
District IV - Dr. Brian Maher, Kearney
District V - Alan Garey, Medicine Valley
District VI - Dr. Troy Unzicker, Alliance

Also in attendance were Rick Moses, Department of Education liaison; Rex Schultze, NSAA Legal Counsel; Julia Plucker, NSAA Lobbyist; Matt Heimes, Speech Director, Lincoln Southwest High School; Hugh McDermott, Principal, Lincoln Southwest High School; Jim York, Principal/Activities Director, Sandhills-Thedford High Schools; Henry Eggert, Superintendent, Thedford High School; and Darin Boysen, Nebraska Coaches Association.

The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m.

1. Moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. The Consent Agenda included: meeting agenda as presented; minutes of the February 18, 2015 regular meeting; minutes of the February 18, 2015 Legislative Commission; financial statements; and cooperative sponsorship renewals for Papillion-LaVista and Papillion-LaVista South High Schools for boys and girls swimming; and for Wakefield and Allen High Schools for wrestling. Motion Carried: 8-0

2. Moved to award the bid for Class A Boys State Golf Championships to Norfolk for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Motion Carried: 7-1 (For: Norvell, Reznicek, Beyer, Bellar, Maher, Garey, Unzicker | Against: Henrichs)

3. Moved to award the bid for Class B Boys State Golf Championships to Lincoln for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Motion Carried: 8-0

4. Moved to award the bid for Class C Boys State Golf Championships to Kearney for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Motion Carried: 8-0

5. Moved to award the bid for Class D Boys State Golf Championships to North Platte for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Motion Carried: 8-0

6. Moved to award the bid for State Play Production Championships to Norfolk for the 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years: Motion Carried: 8-0

7. The Board discussed heat acclimatization for fall activities.

8. Moved to approve heat acclimatization and the contact limitations mandates for football beginning with the 2015 season, to include the following clarification, "Games, scrimmages, and drills run in game-like conditions. These are the only times that players are taken to the ground." Motion Carried: 8-0

9. The Board discussed a 3-year plan in regard to the NSAA catastrophic insurance premium plan that looks at an incremental approach to schools absorbing all of the premium cost while implementing a decrease in district gate receipts earmarked for the catastrophic premium cost until a balance is met.

10. The Board discussed jamborees for softball, volleyball, wrestling, swimming, baseball, soccer and play production.

11. The Board discussed Volleyball State Championship admission prices.

12. Lincoln Southwest High School appeared before the Board to request a waiver of NSAA Bylaw 1.9.4 to allow Nebraska schools to participate in the NIETOC speech competition on Sunday, May 10, 2015. It was moved to grant the request. Motion Failed: 1-7 (For: Henrichs | Against: Norvell, Reznicek, Beyer, Bellar, Maher, Garey, Unzicker)

13. Sandhills-Thedford appeared before the Board to request that the cooperative schools be placed in NSAA District IV for legislative representation. It was moved to approve the request as long as the schools remain in a cooperative agreement. Motion Failed: 3-5 (For: Henrichs, Bellar, Maher | Against: Norvell, Reznicek, Beyer, Garey, Unzicker)

14. Moved to change the date of the May 2015 Board of Directors Meeting to Thursday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. in Omaha. Motion Carried: 8-0

15. Moved to approve the 2015-16 Board of Directors Meeting Dates. Motion Carried: 8-0

16. Darin Boysen appeared before the Board to discuss the Nebraska Coaches Association's intent to renew the lease on current office space. The Board asked that the NCA report back with a written request.

17. Moved to enter Executive Session at 11:27 a.m. Motion Carried: 8-0

18. The Board came out of Executive Session at 11:45 a.m.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be April 9, 2015 at the Association Office in Lincoln.

 

[SPbObRT]

Why doesn't the Lincoln east rep want golf in Norfolk,I don't get that they have hosted girls state for years so why the no vote.

 

[DonlugoQ]

I suppose that she is just representing her constituents. Probably not anything against Norfolk.

 

[runningback43]

I think that all four classes in golf should play in Lincoln.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

Just because ??

 

[runningback43]

Makes for a more fun event. Kids become good friends with other kids during the golf season. A lot of those times those kids are from different classes. Nice to have everybody together, that way you can get together with other kids from another team and do things together. You don't see state volleyball, state basketball or state track spread out all over the state. Why do that in golf.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

You would have to hold it on four different courses and you wouldn't see anyone from another class, unless you happen to be in the same Hotel, sorry but the idea and reason sounds like your in 8th grade. Also courses have to put in for doing state golf, it doesn't make the course any money, it probably loses the course money.

 

[runningback43]

Used to have the four classes on the four public courses in Lincoln. Worked just fine. Like I said earlier, you can get together with other schools after the round and do something together. Made for a better experience for the golfers and felt more like a state tournament. Now it doesn't feel much different than just a normal tournament. If this is fine for the golfers, then let's have Class A track in Omaha, B in Kearney, C in North Platte and D in Scottsbluff. We could also have Class A basketball in Lincoln, B in Kearney, C in North Platte and D in Scottsbluff.

 

[hailvictors2]

Something that was passed and hasn't generated any discussion are the heat/contact limitations. A few of the major changes include:

1- Athletes may not participate in more than 1 practice during the first 5 days.

2- Teams are no longer allowed to go full pads on day 3. They are limited to helmets only on days 1 and 2 and helmets/shoulder pads on days 3-5.

3- Beginning on day 6 teams may have 2 practices a day, but a day with 2 practices must be followed by a single practice day.

4- Contact limitations and definitions were approved. The definitions are:
Air- Players run a drill unopposed without contact
Bags- Drill is run against a bag or another soft-contact surface
Control- Drill is run at assigned speed until the moment of contact; one player is pre-determined the "winner" by the coach. Contact remains above the waist and players stay on their feet.
Thud- Drill is rin at assigned speed through the moment of contact; no pre-determined "winner". Contact remains above the waist, players stay on their feet and a quick whistle ends the drill.
Live Action- Games, scrimmages and drills run in game-like conditions. These are the only times that players are taken to the ground.

5- Day 1-2 allowable contact is "Air" and "Bag" only- This is the same as last year I think.
Day 3-5 allowable contact is "Air", "Bag", and "Control"
Day 6-14 "Air", "Bag", and "Control" contact is unlimited. "Thud and Live Action" contact is restricted to 30 minutes per practice, no more than 2 consecutive days, only one practice per day on a schedued 2-a-day, and 2 scheduled scrimmages not to exceed 90 minutes each.
Day 15-remainder of season- "Air", "Bag", and "Control" contact is unlimited. "Thud and Live Action" contact is limited to a maximum of 4 days per week including games, no more than 2 consecutive days, and a maximum of 30 minutes per practice.


Obviously these are all being passed down from the national level and are made with player safety involved. That said, I think the NSAA is going to cause more harm than good by mandating these changes without compensating teams with additional practice time before their first contest. The first week of games should be moved back a week, or teams should be allowed to start practice a week earlier. My 2 biggest concerns are that players will not be in "game shape" on August 28th and that kids will now be less prepared for live contact and tackling on August 28th, making them more likely to injure themselves in games. The demand that these new rules be instituted by all schools is a direct slap in the face to the professional judgment of head coaches across the state. Long story short, the NSAA is saying that they don't trust coaches to keep kids safe on their own so they are making rules to do so.

 

[runningback43]

I might be mistaken, but I believe that the majority of the schools in Nebraska followed similar heat acclimation procedures last year. They were not mandatory last fall, they were just recommended.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

runningback43 I see what your saying. I think it really comes down to the bid process and who wants it the most.

 

[SPbObRT]

Actually its a pain in the behind,you have to find volunteers the weather might be 70 or it might be 30 with 40 mph winds,greens superintendent has to work extra hours to get the course looking good and your members lose 2 days of golf. But at the end of the day it is what it is.