NSAA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - November 12, 2015

[Alum-Ni]

The NSAA Board of Directors met on November 12, 2015 at the Association Office in Lincoln, NE with the following members present:

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 - Dan Keyser, Sutherland
District V - Alan Garey, Medicine Valley
District VI - Troy Unzicker, Alliance

Also in attendance were Rick Schultze, NSAA Legal Counsel; Karen Bowling, Nebraska Family Alliance; Sheri Rickert, Nebraska Catholic Conference; Amy Miller, ACLU; Barry Swisher, Barry Schaeffer, Charles Jones, Joe Kupper, Al Meier, and Ed Ross, 6-Man Football Delegation; Dave Peters, Principal, Elkhorn Mt. Michael; Jon Borer, Activities Director, Elkhorn Mt. Michael; student Sebastian Alegrett; Dennis Dolliver, Activities Director, Norfolk Public Schools; Mike Fuehrer, Norfolk Area Sports Council; Kim Kwapnoski, Norfolk Area Sports Council; Mitch Stine, Kearney Public Schools; Rick Petri, Kearney Catholic High School; Rich Broderson, University of Nebraska-Kearney; Brady Bonsall, University of Nebraska-Kearney; and Lynelle Fritzen, Kearney Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m.

1. Moved to approve the Consent Agenda that included the following:

- Agenda for the meeting as amended
- Minutes of the October 8, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting
- Minutes of the October 28, 2015 Committee on Classification
- Financial Report
- Approval of new cooperative sponsorships for Southern and Lewiston High Schools (football); South Sioux City and Ponca High Schools (girls soccer); Chambers, Ewing and Wheeler Central High Schools (football); Omaha Concordia and Omaha Street High Schools (football, boys basketball, girls basketball); Bancroft-Rosalie and Lyons-Decatur Northeast High Schools (football, volleyball, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys track & field, girls track & field, boys golf); Omaha Gross and Cornerstone Christian High Schools (boys soccer)
- Approval of renewal cooperative sponsorships for Boone Central and Newman Grove High Schools (football); Verdigre and Niobrara High Schools (football, volleyball, boys cross country, girls cross country, wrestling, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys track & field, girls track & field, boys golf); Sargent and Loup County High Schools (football); Ansley and Litchfield High Schools (football, volleyball, boys cross country, girls cross country, wrestling, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys track & field, girls track & field); Elgin and Pope John High Schools (football, volleyball, wrestling, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys track & field, girls track & field, boys golf); Humphrey and Lindsay Holy Family High Schools (football); Milford and Dorchester High Schools (football); West Boyd and Lynch High Schools (football, volleyball, boys cross country, girls cross country, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys track & field, girls track & field, boys golf); Bertrand and Loomis High Schools (boys cross country, girls cross country); Douglas County West and Omaha Concordia High Schools (softball); Alma and Southern Valley High Schools (softball); Nebraska City and Lourdes Central Catholic High Schools (boys cross country, girls cross country, girls golf, boys tennis); Clarkson and Leigh High Schools (girls golf)​

Motion Carried: 8-0

2. A delegation of 6-man schools appeared before the Board to provide clarification and answer questions about the future of 6-man football.

3. Mt. Michael Benedictine High School appeared before the Board to appeal the ineligibility of an international transfer student. Following a presentation of the evidence, those representing the school provided clarifying information and answers to Board member's questions.

4. Moved to approve the implementation of Unified Sports, Bowling for implementation during the 2016-17 school year, and preliminary approval of the competition manual for Unified Sports, Bowling with final approval in February 2016. Motion Carried: 8-0

5. Moved to approve the Investment Policy Statement and to proceed with the investment instruments recommended. Motion Carried: 8-0

6. Moved to approve an earlier date for the Class A five-team basketball district Motion Carried: 8-0

7. Moved to approve revisions on Approved Ruling 3.3.7(9) to include dance as follows:

Cheerleading, Dance, and Drill Teams. Due to potential liability in case of injury, mounts and pyramids by cheerleaders, dance, and drill teams during the subdistrict, district and state tournaments are prohibited. A mount is defined as any stunt where one individual is supported above the level of the floor by another individual or individuals. The height of the mount or pyramid, or the number of people involved, has no bearing on the type of stunt performed.​

Motion Carried: 8-0

8. Moved to approve revisions on Approved Ruling 3.5.1(d) regarding outside participation as follows:

A student may participate as an individual, without loss of interscholastic eligibility under the following conditions:

(a) As a member of a national team (and the actual direct tryouts) which is defined as one selected by the National Governing Body of the sport on a national qualification basis, either through a defined selective process of actual tryout for the purpose of international competition which requires entries to officially represent their respective nations.

(b) In an Olympic Developmental Program, which is defined as a training program or competition. (1) Conducted or sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), or (2) Directly funded and conducted by the USOC member national governing body on a national level (e.g NGB national championship and direct qualification therefore); or (3) Specifically authorized by a national governing body involving only athletes previously identified by some qualifying procedure by the national governing body as having potential for future participation in regional, national or international competition in the sport involved. (4) Coaches from schools involved with an Olympic Development Program must adhere to the organized practice rule.

(c) While representing the National Federation as a member of its United States national entry in an International School Sport Federation event.

(d) In an athletic contest sponsored by a non-high school organization, provided the individual has qualified prior to the sports season through actual competition in a meet or series of meets which were designated in advance by the sponsoring organization as qualifying meets. Times, distances, placement or performance in high school competition shall not be considered as qualifying criteria.

(e) Provided in a, b, c, and d, such participation has been approved by the high school principal and the Nebraska School Activities Association. The high school principal and the coach of the sport involved must approve the request for a waiver of Section 3.5 The school then may request a waiver from the NSAA, including documentation on how prequalification was met, with a maximum of one (1) non-school event per season for an individual student. If the student(s) has not qualified for the competition through actual competition in a meet or series of meets which were designated in advance by the sponsoring organization as qualifying meets, or the competition is not part of the United States Olympic Development Program, a waiver may be granted provided the student(s) does not represent his/her school in varsity competition. Students must miss the school event(s) immediately following the outside participation activity unless there are not the required number of regularly scheduled scool events remaining; in which case, the additional events would need to be made up in advance of the outside participation. Request for the certification of distances or times attained in state meet competition shall be submitted by the individual along with information on how these marks are to be used. In order to be considered, the use of such marks must meet established minimum qualifying standards and competition must be open to any athlete meeting such standards. Certification of times or distances will not be given if qualification is based upon placement in a contest sponsored by the membership of the NSAA.​

Motion Carried: 8-0

 

[Alum-Ni]

9. Moved to approve revisions of Approved Ruling 3.1.1 in regard to end of season non-varsity participants as follows:

A season begins on the first day of allowable practices for that sport, as designated in 3.1.1.2 below. The season officially ends with the conclusion of the State Championship in that sport. Students may not participate in outside group instruction or competition once the season officially begins, and outside group instruction or competition may not commence until the school varsity team has been completely eliminated from further participation in that sport.

Students who are not listed on the NSAA District entry form may participate in outside group instruction or competition of the same sport before the varsity school team has been completely eliminated from post-season competition. Those students who have participated in outside group instruction or competition following their regular season schedule would not be eligible to be placed on the District or State entry form of the same sport and would not be allowed to practice with the varsity team.​

Motion Carried: 8-0

10. Representatives from the Norfolk community appeared before the Board to present a bid to host future NSAA State Cross Country Championships. Following a presentation, representatives provided clarifying information and answers to Board member's questions.

11. Representatives from the Kearney community appeared before the Board to present a bid to host future NSAA State Cross Country Championships. Following a presentation, representatives provided clarifying information and answers to Board member's questions.

12. Moved to approve a 5-year bid to Kearney for the NSAA State Cross Country Championships. Motion Approved 7-1 (For: Henrichs, Norvell, Beyer, Reznicek, Keyser, Garey, Unzicker | Against: Bellar)

13. Moved to approve the Nebraska Department of Education enrollment numbers for the 2016-17 classification of NSAA activities and the classification of football for 2016-17 and 2017-18. Motion Carried: 8-0

14. Moved to authorize a Public-Private School Study Committee and authorized placement of district representation on the committee. Motion Carried: 8-0

15. Executive Director Dr. Tenopir reported on building debt refinancing; the State Track hosting agreement; coach education courses and reimbursement.

16. Moved to enter into Executive Session at 2:10 p.m. for the purpose of hearing pending litigation and strategies on a possible transgender participation policy. Motion Carried: 8-0

17. Moved to exit Executive Session at 4:30 p.m. Motion Carried: 8-0

18. In Open Session, the Board further discussed the hardship ruling for Mt. Michael Benedictine High School. The Board moved to adopt the findings of fact and determination to uphold the Executive Director's ruling. Motion Carried: 8-0

There being no further items, the Board adjourned the meeting at 4:35 p.m.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held December 19, 2015 at the Divots Conference Center, 4200 W. Norfolk Ave., Norfolk, NE.[/I]