IHSAA Executive Committee

Friday, March 26, 2010
Indianapolis, Ind.

PRESENT
Vice-Chairman Janis Qualizza, Nancy Alspaugh, Steve Cox, Nathan Dean, Jim Diagostino, Bob Falls, Robert Faulkens, Phil Ford, Tim Grove, Ken Howell, Jed Jerrels, John Marks, Geoff Penrod, Joe Santa, Debb Stevens, Commissioner Blake Ress, Assistant Commissioners Bobby Cox, Phil Gardner, Sandy Searcy, Theresia Wynns, Communications Director Chris Kaufman, Sports Information Director Jason Wille, and Attorney Bob Baker.
 
MINUTES
The revised minutes of the February 19, 2010 meeting were recommended for approval.  A motion for approval was made by Steve Cox; seconded by Geoff Penrod; motion passed 15-0.

APPROVE THE SOCCER COACHES PROPOSALS
The Executive Committee took the following action in response to proposals presented by the Indiana High School Soccer Coaches Association during the February meeting:

Beginning with the start of the IHSAA soccer tournament series, the player and coach cautions total zero. Throughout the course of tournament play, players/coaches who accumulate two cautions as defined in the regular season policy would be required to serve a one game suspension.  Any additional cautions beyond that point will also result in a one game suspension.

Jim Diagostino made a motion to table the proposal to the June Executive Committee Meeting; Nathan Dean seconded the motion; motion approved 15-0.

IHSAA C EUGENE CATO SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Commissioner Ress reported on the scholarship banquet to be held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on April 29th, in conjunction with the Methodist Sports Medicine awards ceremony.  Scholarship recipients and their parents will be guests of the IHSAA at this event. 

TRANSFERS
Associate Commissioner Gardner reported on transfers that have been ruled upon during the 2009-10 school year.  This report included the following actions as of February 28, 2010:

Full eligibility 2,735 90.3%
Limited eligibility 278 9.2%
Ineligible      15   0.5%
Total transfers 3,028  


SPORTSMANSHIP

Assistant Commissioner Wynns reviewed the slight increase of unsportsmanlike conduct reports that have been received by the Association. 

FINANCIAL REPORT

1.     Assistant Commissioner Searcy presented a financial report for the girls and boys swimming & diving tournament series’.  Overall, both tournaments show an decrease in total attendance, which is reflected in the overall net revenue.
2.     Assistant Commissioner Cox reported on the financial status of the wrestling tournament series. The IHSAA net decreased approximately 8% from last year’s figures revenue.

LTITGATION
Attorney Robert Baker updated the Executive Committee on the current status of pending litigation against the Association.

PENALTIES ASSESSED
The following penalties were assessed for various violations of the IHSAA By-Laws:

Ben Davis High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-2.2 (Girls’ basketball player participated on team coached by assistant high school coach during school year out-of-season)
1.     The Ben Davis High School girls’ basketball program is issued a warning.
2.     The assistant coach involved in this violation is reprimanded for allowing this violation to occur.

Bremen High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 18-1 (Academically ineligible wrestler participated in conference meet)
1.     The Bremen School wrestling program is issued a warning. 
2.     The student athlete involved in this violation shall be suspended and declared ineligible for further competition until he meets the minimum standards for academic eligibility.
3.     In accordance with Rule 3-9 of the IHSAA By-Laws, the schools which this ineligible athlete competed against shall be notified of this violation.  Additionally, his matches shall be forfeited and the team scores recalculated after removing the ineligible athlete from the officials results.

Cascade High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-2.6 (Football coaches providing instruction during open facility sessions
1.     The Cascade High School football program is issued a warning. 
2.     Coach Josh Hagenow is reprimanded for allowing this violation to occur.   

Crown Point High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-1.2a (Two boys’ basketball players participated on a non-school team during the season)
1.     The Crown Point High School boys’ basketball program is issued a warning. 
2.     The student athletes involved in this violation shall be suspended for the final regular season game and the first game of the sectional.
3.     The administration of Crown Point High School is commended for its reporting and handling of this matter.

Culver Academies
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-2.6 (Open facility sessions for boys’ tennis were held in a non-school facility
1.     The Culver Academies boys’ tennis program is issued a warning. 
2.     The IHSAA understands that the use of the non-school facility has been discontinued.

Delta High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 19-7 (Foreign exchange student participated in several girls’ swimming meets without a transfer being approved
1.     The Delta High School girls’ swimming and diving program is issued a warning. 
2.     It is absolutely mandatory that the “IHSAA Foreign Exchange Student Transfer Report” be submitted and acted upon by the Association prior to a student athlete being allowed to participate in a contest at their new school. 
3.     In accordance with Rule 3-9 of the IHSAA By-Laws, the schools which this ineligible athlete competed against shall be notified of this violation.  Additionally, the meet scores shall be recalculated after forfeiting the ineligible athlete’s places in these meets.

Fort Wayne Canterbury High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a tournament violation (Dressed more than allowable 12 players for girls’ basketball tournament game)
1.     The Fort Wayne Canterbury High School girls’ basketball program is issued a warning.
2.     Coach Scott Kreiger is reprimanded for causing this violation to occur.  Any future, similar incident will result in more serious repercussions.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 19-3 (Girls’ track athlete participated in two indoor meets without a transfer being approved)
1.     The Fort Wayne Bishop Luers High School girls’ track and field program is issued a warning. 
2.     It is absolutely mandatory that the “IHSAA Athletic Transfer Report” be submitted and acted upon by the Association prior to a student athlete being allowed to participate in a contest at their new school.
3.     In accordance with Rule 3-9 of the IHSAA By-Laws, any team points earned by this ineligible athlete shall be forfeited and team scores, if kept, shall be recalculated.  The schools she competed against shall be notified of this violation and the recalculated results.

Gary Roosevelt High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 9-16 (Boys’ swimming coach removed team from sectional meet after one event)
1.     The Gary Roosevelt High School boys’ swimming program is issued a warning.
2.     Coach Clay Leek is reprimanded for causing this violation to occur.
3.     Future, similar incidents may result in a more serious penalty such as suspension of the school’s membership in the Association.

Gary West Side High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a Tournament violation (Boys’ basketball player that was not on entry list participated in sectional)
1.     The Gary West Side boys’ basketball program is issued a warning.
2.     Coach Winston Garland is severely reprimanded for knowingly violating an IHSAA tournament rule.
3.     Gary West Side is assessed a $200 fine for knowingly playing an illegal player in the boys’ basketball tournament.
4.     Any future, similar incidents of knowingly disregarding an IHSAA rule will result in more severe consequences.

Gibson Southern High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 9-13 and 15-2.6 (Assistant softball coach conducted open facility sessions at a non-school venue on Sundays)
1.     The Gibson Southern High School softball program is issued a warning.
2.     Coach Gary May is severely reprimanded for allowing these violations to occur.
3.     The IHSAA supports and accepts as appropriate the two game suspension of both Coach May and his volunteer assistant coach.

Harrison (West Lafayette) High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 9-13 (Baseball coach arranged a Sunday practice session for selected players)
1.     The Harrison High School boys’ baseball program is issued a warning. 
2.     Coach Brent Harmon is severely reprimanded for causing this violation to occur.
3.     The IHSAA accepts and supports as an appropriate penalty, the suspension of Coach Harmon for the first five games of the 2010 baseball season.
4.     Due to the suspension of the coach, the student athletes involved in this violation will not be penalized.

Lake Central High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-2.2a (Seven boys’ soccer players participated on same non-school team during school year out-of-season)
1.     The Lake Central High School boys’ soccer program is issued a warning. 
2.     The student athletes involved in this violation shall be suspended from participation in two boys’ soccer matches at the start of the 2010 soccer season.  It is the school’s prerogative to stagger these suspensions over the six matches of the season.

Logansport High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 3-10 (Girls’ track athlete participated in practice without a completed physical form being turned in)
1.     The Logansport High School girls’ track and field program is issued a warning.
2.     Coach Randy Kuhn is reprimanded for allowing this violation to occur.  This is a health and safety issue and it is absolutely imperative that “IHSAA Pre-Participation Evaluation” be completed and on file for all student athletes prior to their participation in a practice.

Muncie Central High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 19-3 (Boys’ basketball player participated in a varsity game without a transfer being approved)
1.     The Muncie Central High School boy’s basketball program is issued a warning. 
2.     It is absolutely mandatory that the “IHSAA Athletic Transfer Report” be submitted and acted upon by the              Association prior to a student athlete being allowed to participate in a contest at their new school.
3.     Yorktown High School shall be notified of this rule violation and if Muncie Central High School was victorious, the game shall be forfeited.

North Vermillion High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 15-3.3, 17-7.4, 20-1 (Transfer report included false information that was knowingly provided by alleged custodial parent and implicated boys’ basketball coaches-PROBATION)
1.     The North Vermillion High School athletic program is placed on probation for the 2010-11 school year. This probation is a severe type of warning.  It is official notice that serious violations have occurred, are a matter of record and future, similar incidents will not be tolerated.
2.     It is the understanding of the IHSAA that Da’Marion Moore has transferred back to the school he previously attended.  However, he has been declared permanently ineligible at North Vermillion High School.
3.     Due to (a) the thoroughness of the investigation conducted by the North Vermillion Community School Corporation and (b) the resignations of Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Michael Ahrens and Varsity Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach Bill Blair, there will be no additional penalty assessed North Vermillion High School.

South Bend Washington High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a violation of Rule 50 (Baseball coach conducted practice session prior to Monday of Week 37)
1.     The South Bend Washington High School baseball program is issued a warning. 
2.     Coach John Kehoe is reprimanded for allowing this violation to occur.  Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable explanation for a rules violation.

Tipton High School
Commissioner Ress reported the following action as a result of a Tournament violation (Wrestler competed in sectional without being on sectional entry list)
1.     The Tipton High School wrestling program is issued a warning. 
2.     Coach Cal Warner is reprimanded for allowing this violation to occur.
3.     In accordance with Rule 3-9, the sectional host (Hamilton Heights HS) has been notified that the team scores shall be recalculated after removing this ineligible wrestler from the official results.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

1.     Format of Volleyball Tournament Series
2.     Meeting with the Presidents of Coaching Associations (April 21st)
3.     House Bill #1168
4.     For the Good of the Order

A motion to adjourn the March meeting of the IHSAA Executive Committee was made by Phil Ford; seconded by Geoff Penrod; motion passed 15-0.  The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be at IHSAA headquarters on May 3, 2010 (also annual meeting of Board of Directors).