Bulletin by Howard Voigt

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Volume 82, Issue 1, Fall 2012

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10/9/12

THE BULLETIN Official Publication of the Minnesota State High School League 2100 Freeway Boulevard Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-1735 763-560-2262 http://www.MSHSL.org Information within this Bulletin may be reprinted only with the permission of the MSHSL.

Volume 82, Issue 1 Fall 2012 Editorial Staff Editor: Howard W. Voigt Assistant Editor: Ellen Rajkowski Contributing Editors: David Stead Kevin Merkle Lisa Lissimore Craig Perry Jody Redman John Millea Rich Matter Chris Franson Board of Directors Regions 1-2A Scott McCready, St. Charles Regions 3-4A Bob Grey, Montevideo Regions 5-6A Rick Bleichner, Breckenridge Regions 7-8A Mike Kolness, Ada-Borup Regions 1-2AA Mark Fredericksen, Waconia Regions 3-4AA Mike Manning, Rosemount Regions 5-6AA Dan Johnson, Hopkins Regions 7-8AA Tom Conzemius, Sauk Rapids-Rice State School Boards Assn. Roz Peterson, Lakeville Walter Hautala, Mesabi East MN Assn. of Secondary Principals John Hamann, Underwood Erich Martens, Sauk Rapids-Rice Boys Sports Mark Solberg, Cambridge-Isanti Girls Sports Shelly Hotzler, Jackson County Central MN Music Educators Assn. Lane Powell, Fillmore Central Speech Assn. of MN Chris McDonald, Eagan Governor's Appointees Lea B. Olsen, Minneapolis Mike Rusinko, Eden Prairie Laurie Esau, Orono Steve Eklund, Braham

Printed by Carlson Print Group 7490 Golden Triangle Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 The MSHSL Bulletin is published in Fall, Winter and Spring and is designed to meet the needs of the 525 member Schools.

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League Office Personnel The Minnesota State High School League Office has been established to provide special services to the member schools. Listed below are the office personnel: Extension / Voice Mailbox Executive Director - David Stead ........................ 480 Executive Assistant - Lynne Johnson ........... 490 Associate Director - Jody Redman ..................... 481 Administrative Assistant - Amie Symens ...... 491 Associate Director - Kevin Merkle ...................... 484 Administrative Assistant - Amanda Johnson 494 Officials Coordinator- Katie Vanderpoel ........ 496 Associate Director - Craig Perry ......................... 482 Administrative Assistant - Susi Hollenbeck ... 492 Associate Director - Lisa Lissimore .................... 483 Administrative Assistant - Sheila Robinson .. 493 Director of Information - Howard W. Voigt .......... 485 Assistant - Ellen Rajkowski ........................... 542 Assistant Director - Richard Matter ..................... 497 Accounting Assistant - Sharon Bahma ......... 541 Ticketing Assistant - Nancy Myers ................ 487 Assistant Director - Chris Franson ...................... 488 Web Site Coordinator - Nancy Etter .............. 551 Technology Assistant - Tracie Bressler ........ 552 Media Specialist - John Millea ............................ 554 Program Specialist - Amy Doherty ..................... 495 Office Manager - Kristi Vesall ............................. 489 Administrative Assistant - Yvonne Walsh ..... 486 Receptionist - Ann Bailey .............................. 540

When calling the League Office (763-560-2262), direct your requests to staff persons as designated: 7238 Accounts Payable .............................................................. Sharon Bahma Accounts Receivable ......................................................... Yvonne Walsh Activity / Late Registrations ................................................ Chris Franson Activity Section Assignments ............................................. Chris Franson Administrative Regions ........................................................... Dave Stead Archive Information ........................................................ Howard W. Voigt Athletic / Activity Director Advisory Committee ................... Kevin Merkle Board of Directors Information ............................................... Dave Stead Camps and Clinics .................................................................. Craig Perry Charter Officials Associations .............................................. Kevin Merkle Chemical Rule Interpretations ............................................... Craig Perry Cooperative Sponsorship ................................................. Lynne Johnson Debate & Music Judges ..................................................... Chris Franson Debate Judge & Music Judge Registrations ......................... Nancy Etter ExCEL Program ................................................................. Lisa Lissimore Fine Arts Rules Interp. (Debate & Music) .......................... Chris Franson Fine Arts Rules Interp. (One Act & Visual Arts) ................ Chris Franson Fine Arts Rules Interp. (Speech) ....................................... Chris Franson Gender Equity ......................................................................... Dave Stead General Information on MSHSL ............................................. Dave Stead Hall of Fame ....................................................................... Lisa Lissimore Insurance ................................................................................ Rich Matter Interstate Sanctions ................................................................ Dave Stead League Publications ...................................................... Howard W. Voigt Marketing and Promotions ................................................ Lisa Lissimore Membership Information .................................................. Lynne Johnson News Media Services .................................................... Howard W. Voigt Non-School Competition ........................................................ Craig Perry Office Management ................................................................ Kristi Vesall Officials Program .................................................................. Kevin Merkle One Act Play Judge Registrations ......................................... Nancy Etter One Act Play Judges .......................................................... Chris Franson PSAs and TV Visuals .................................................... Howard W. Voigt Registration of Officials ................................................ Katie Vanderpoel Results and Records ..................................................... Howard W. Voigt Rulebooks, Supplies, Awards ........................................... Yvonne Walsh Rules Interpretation Meetings ...................................... Katie Vanderpoel School Eligibility ...................................................................... Craig Perry Speech Judges .................................................................. Chris Franson Speech Judge Registrations .................................................. Nancy Etter Sports Medicine Advisory Committee .................................... Craig Perry Sportsmanship Program ................................................... Lisa Lissimore Spotlight on Scholarship Program .................................... Lisa Lissimore Student Ejections ..................................................................... Ann Bailey Student Eligibility .................................................................... Craig Perry Supplemental Allowances ...................................................... Kristi Vesall TEAM UP Advisory Committee .......................................... Jody Redman TEAM UP Program ............................................................. Jody Redman Ticket Assistant .................................................................... Nancy Myers Triple “A” Award .................................................................. Jody Redman Web Site Development ....................................................... Chris Franson Web Site Assistance ............................................................... Nancy Etter

Activity Rule Interpretations, Coach Incidents Reports, and Activity Advisory Committees

The MSHSL Logo is a registered mark of the organization and use in any manner is prohibited unless prior approval is obtained from the League.

Schedule of Board of Directors Meetings October 4 ................................. MSHSL Office Brooklyn Center December 6 ............................. MSHSL Office Brooklyn Center January 24 ............................... MSHSL Office Brooklyn Center April 4 ....................................... MSHSL Office Brooklyn Center June 3 ...................................... MSHSL Office Brooklyn Center Representative Assembly Meeting TBD ............... Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park

Adapted Athletics (Bowling, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Softball) .. Rich Matter Alpine Skiing / Boys’ & Girls’ .................................................. Rich Matter Badminton / Girls’ .............................................................. Lisa Lissimore Baseball ................................................................................. Kevin Merkle Basketball / Boys’ ................................................................. Kevin Merkle Basketball / Girls’ ............................................................... Lisa Lissimore Cheerleaders ...................................................................... Jody Redman Cross Country Running / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................ Lisa Lissimore Dance Team / Girls’ .............................................................. Kevin Merkle Debate ................................................................................. Chris Franson Football .................................................................................. Kevin Merkle Golf / Boys’ & Girls’ ................................................................. Dave Stead Gymnastics / Girls’ .............................................................. Jody Redman Ice Hockey / Boys’ & Girls’ ..................................................... Craig Perry Lacrosse / Boys' & Girls’ ........................................................ Rich Matter Music ................................................................................... Chris Franson Nordic Ski Racing / Boys’ & Girls’ .......................................... Rich Matter One Act Play ....................................................................... Chris Franson Soccer / Boys’ & Girls’ ........................................................ Jody Redman Softball / Girls’ .................................................................... Lisa Lissimore Speech ................................................................................ Chris Franson Swimming and Diving / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................... Lisa Lissimore Synchronized Swimming / Girls’ ....................................... Lisa Lissimore Tennis / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................................................ Craig Perry Track & Field / Boys’ & Girls’ .............................................. Jody Redman Visual Arts ........................................................................... Chris Franson Volleyball / Girls’ ................................................................. Jody Redman Wrestling ................................................................................. Craig Perry

Inside This Issue Dave’s Dialogue

Student’s Concussion Leads Her To Implore “When In Doubt, Sit It Out” ................................................ 2

News and F eatures Features

Prairie, Dawson-Boyd, The Blake School 4 Eden Win 2011-12 Challenge Cups Student Participation Shows Slight Increase .................................................... 6 National Participation Hits All-Time High ........................................................... 7 Important Questions To Consider About Coaching .......................................... 8

Rapids Athletes Help 10 Coon Barnum, Moose Lake Flood Victims 7.6 Million Reasons To Keep High School Sports ........................................... 11 Spotlight On Scholarship Recognizes The Best ............................................. 12 Some Female Pioneers In State Associations Pre-Dated Title IX ................... 14

Athletic Activities

Managing And Leading A High School Athletic Department: League Has Tools To Assist ..................... 18 School Menu Changes Too Harsh? ........................................................................................................... 19 Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Works To Minimize Risk To High School Athletes ...................... 20 How Much Hitting Will Football Players Do? — Football Coach Stresses Safety .................................... 23

Officials

2011-2012 Service Awards Presented ...................................................................................................... 25 Pilot Phase Of Promotional Level Program Under Way ............................................................................ 26

Also

Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes........................................................................................................ 30 Fall 2012 Calendars Of Meetings & State Events ...................................................................................... 32

www.MSHSL.org

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Dave’s Dialogue

Concussion led to pain and disappointment; student using the experience as lesson for others By Dave Stead Executive Director Hanna Haegele is an incredible young woman. She is a senior at Maple Lake High School and is once again active in cross country, basketball, and track and field; and, she sings in the school choir. As a junior at Maple Lake High School, Hannah suffered what she now knows was a concussion and suffered nearly all of the second semester. Her condition is known as a Post-Concussion Syndrome. Hannah wrote the following letter which was read at her school this fall at a meeting of players and parents. She speaks from her heart about her concussion experience and provides first-hand advice for others. Hannah has now returned to competitive running, plans to play basketball this winter and run track in the spring. Her post-high school plans include college with a possible major in sports journalism. Given her passion for others and her writing skills, I’m sure we’ll hear more about her in the future. Please take time to read Hannah’s story. This is worth sharing every season with every gathering of athletes, parents, and coaches.

Dave Stead

When In Doubt, Sit It Out When in doubt, sit it out. I can clearly remember one year ago hearing those simple words, “When in doubt, sit it out,” over and over again. I remember the catchy phrase being the cause of some laughter between myself and my friends. I remember the stories, the precautions, and the signs to watch for, and I remember thinking to myself, I highly doubt I’ll ever have a concussion, but if I do, I will make sure I sit it out. I told myself I would never let the game interfere with my life. I mean, after all, life was good, and I didn’t want to take the risk of losing any part of it. Why, then, did I disregard all of that on Dec. 15, 2011? Let me tell you the story. I don’t really recall much of the practice, but I do remember the first time I got hit in the head. Coach always said, “If the ball is on the ground, you are on the ground.” Well, I was on the ground and so was my head with my teammate sitting right on top of me. It barely fazed me. Then, a few drills later, I was frustrated by my constant mistakes. I was dribbling to my left, trying to get around a screen, and I felt a hit to my head. I’m not really sure what happened. I just remember foggily seeing the ball rolling into the back court. With my head throbbing, I dribbled it back. The only words I could find were “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.” And that’s how easy it was for me to make the decision that changed my teenage life dramatically. After that, I struggled to remember simple plays and I was ready to go home. That night was painful. Not only did my head hurt, but my mom brought up the dreaded word, “concussion.” After seeing the bumps on my head, she suggested that I do an ImPact test just to be safe, but dreading it, I said, “Well, Dean (Dean Adams, the athletic trainer) isn’t here on Fridays so he couldn’t do it, and after the game we have Christmas break with no games until the Holiday Tournament. I will be fine.” So it was settled; I was playing. Friday came and my head was worse than the day before. I remember the choir concert was coming, and the stage lights seemed 100 times brighter. Then I saw Mrs. Fynboh (assistant basketball coach and Spanish teacher) walk into the auditorium, and I thought, “Oh great, I hope she doesn’t see me squinting!” When she asked me how I felt I said, “Yup, I’m good to go,” and she said, “Great. I’ll tell (Coach) Ronnenberg.” Oh boy, I thought, what did I get myself into? If you have ever driven to BBE (Belgrade-Brooten-

Elrosa), you would know how painfully long it is. But unless you ride in a bus with a headache, you might not realize how BUMPY it is!!! Then warm-ups began. And, of course, the BBE band was in the front row blasting as loud as they could. My head was hurting and my stomach was turning, but with the game about to begin, adrenaline is the best medicine. Everything seemed to be good. We won the game, and I think I did alright. Finally, I could relax. That night my family went to Applebee’s to celebrate the victory. I am not a shy eater, and usually I would have eaten the whole plate of chicken wings myself, but this night I didn’t want much. I just didn’t feel good. After a nice break for Christmas, I felt much better, refreshed and renewed. I played my best game at our tournament, and I was feeling good. I stayed feeling good until after the break was over. Suddenly, I wasn’t feeling quite right again. At halftime of the St. Cloud Cathedral game I just wanted a garbage can. In the second half, I was not focusing at all. My head was all over the place, and in the final seconds my heart sank when I misjudged a pass that cost us the game. In the days and weeks afterward, I still wasn’t feeling myself. I had no energy, and I was not in a good mood. Then, one day at school, it was too much. I could barely make it through the end of the day, and there was no way I could practice. So I walked to Coach Ronnenberg’s office and explained that my head hurt. He told me to go home and get some rest. I went into the doctor, but I was told everything was fine. I still wasn’t feeling better though. One day during practice I went into the bathroom because I STILL didn’t feel good. By this time, the anxiety of how I was feeling was really building up. Later that week, we played our game at Holdingford. Little did I know this would be my last game of the season. We won by a lot. But after the game, I STILL did not feel good, and I was in a bad mood. When Coach kindly made a joke about how poor my free throws were looking, I started crying. I am not an emotional person, and I never get offended by a quick joke. But at the time, in that moment, my head was in a million different places. I wasn’t me.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

See Sit on Page 3

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News & Features Sit .................................................................................... continued from Page 2 It was then when I really hit bottom. Everything seemed to be wrong. I didn’t know which end was up. Many times I had considered quitting the sport that I had worked so hard at for so many years because I couldn’t get through how I felt. I decided to have a talk with the coaches and my mom, and it became clear that I was a changed person. At the time, I was unhappy and frustrated and blamed other things and other people for my problems. I wish I could take it all back, because I said and did everything out of frustration. They suggested I take a break to re-group and that I check in with Dean and take an ImPact test. I failed my very first test. An epic failure. Everything was off. Reaction time, symptom score, memory, it was all wrong. Finally, I found the answer to all of the lingering and unanswered questions. Because of my decision to not sit out back in December, I had something called Post-Concussion Syndrome, which is exactly what Minnesota Twin Justin Morneau had gone through. I was not prepared for the treatment plan to help me recover, but what I was even less prepared for was the dramatic impact the symptoms would have on my life. Often times we take the regular things in our life for granted including, most often, our health. If we only knew that our health can change in an instant and our health impacts every aspect of our lives, maybe we would be more cautious. I know you are all here at this meeting because you are a Maple Lake athlete ready to compete and fight for the Irish, the team we love. But let me ask you a question. Imagine that your team is in a playoff game against your rival school. The score is tied and you only need a spark to change the momentum. You could be the one to knock down a three-pointer, but instead you are on the bench. You don’t have a cast and you appear to be perfectly fine. People in the stands are wondering why you are sitting on the bench and not on the floor helping your team. Inside, your head is pounding, your mind is racing, and all you want to do is go home and sleep. Then imagine the pain, not physical pain but the emotional guilt, when your team loses the game. What if you had been in there? Why did this happen to you? I believe everything happens for a reason, and I know now the purpose of my sitting on that bench is to help prevent someone else from being that person. I made a poor decision to play in one game when I was not feeling right, and it cost me many more important games during my basketball season. But that was not all. After many appointments, therapy, and retaking ImPact tests, I was able to join the track team. As happy as I was to have that part of my life back, each and every day was a struggle. I still had a hard time in school, and when I got to track, I was amazed and disappointed how difficult it was for me. At practice, I had a hard time even doing half the work I was used to. Finally, the end-ofschool-year stress, track, and prom took me back to a place I didn’t want to go. Concussion symptoms again.

Of all the symptoms of a concussion (headaches, fatigue, and light sensitivity), none compare to the worst symptom of all—regret. So much of my life had been taken away from me, but it was all my fault. No one can change the past, but we can change the future.

www.MSHSL.org

I can’t change what happened to me, but I can hope to prevent it from happening to anybody else. There is no shortage of news about concussions, but we are always the first to think those stories will never happen to us. Well, it can. Last season I participated in one track meet. Again, the one decision I made on Dec. 15 not only cost me half of my basketball season, but an entire season of the sport I had been doing since seventh grade. When you put in that many years of hard work and dedication and end up sitting at home on the day your team achieves the goal you have been wanting for so long, it’s more than frustration. It’s tears, pain and heartbreak. I was so happy for everyone; yet so heartbroken inside. Of all the symptoms of a concussion (headaches, fatigue, and light sensitivity), none compare to the worst symptom of all—regret. So much of my life had been taken away from me, but it was all my fault. No one can change the past, but we can change the future. So this is my motivation in sharing my story with everyone even though it has never been easy to open up about something I would rather just forget. I can’t change what happened to me, but I can hope to prevent it from happening to anybody else. There is no shortage of news about concussions, but we are always the first to think those stories will never happen to us. Well, it can. You are all here because you will be playing sports this year, so these are the Top 5 messages I ask all of you to keep in mind: 1) You are in control of you. Coaches, referees and parents can help, but ultimately you need to be in control of your own health. 2) Know the symptoms of concussion. If you are educated about what to look for, you will have an easier time knowing when to stop and get checked out. And, remember, it IS NOT how hard you get hit. Any bump can be serious. 3) If you sustain a concussion, do not rush back into anything. Listen to your coach, your trainer, and your doctor and do exactly what they say. Take time right away so it doesn’t end up taking more time later. 4) No time is a good time to get a concussion, but the time to get it checked out is RIGHT AWAY. If you don’t, you could end up losing more than a week or two. You could lose seasons. 5) Lastly, and most importantly, if you know someone who is going through a concussion, be supportive. It is not easy for them, but it is easier to recover if you are in good spirits and if you have people to lift you up. If someone needs help in school, please be there for them and always remind them they will get better. I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me in my healing process. I am so grateful to live in a supportive community and have wonderful coaches, teachers, teammates and others who did everything possible to help me. I hope that by sharing my story, you can see the serious side of concussions and make sure you make the right decisions so that you all can stay in the game and always be Irish Strong! Good luck to all of the athletes and teams this upcoming year. Sincerely, Hannah Haegele

Fall 2012 Bulletin

News & Features

Eden Prairie, Dawson-Boyd, The Blake School win Challenge Cups By Lisa Lissimore Associate Director

Dillon Danielson (right), personal banker from Wells Fargo in Marshall, presents the traveling crystal Cup to Dale Vanderwerf, former Dawson-Boyd athletic director and long-time coach. and earned 766 Challenge Cups points. The Eagles won state championships in football, boys’ soccer, and girls’ volleyball. Eden Prairie’s dance team and both the girls’ and boys’ lacrosse teams each finished second at state, plus several swimmers, gymnasts, Alpine skiers and wrestlers placed first in their respective sports. Other points came from the school’s adapted soccer and floor hockey teams, the baseball and boys’ Photographs courtesy of Bruce Arvold

For the sixth time in nine years, Eden Prairie High School has won the Minnesota State High School League large school Challenge Cup competition. Eden Prairie is the only school—large or small—to achieve this milestone. Other schools earning top honors for the 2011-12 school year are four-time Challenge Cup winner The Blake School of Minneapolis and first-time winner DawsonBoyd. Created in 2003 and sponsored by Wells Fargo, the League’s premier corporate sponsor, the Challenge Cup is a statewide, year-long competition among Minnesota high schools. Points are awarded to schools based on their success in section and state fine arts and athletic tournaments. The school earning the most points at the end of the year in each classification—A, AA and AAA—receives the traveling Challenge Cup. This is only the second time that the Cup has been awarded to three schools. Previously it went to two schools representing Class A and AA schools. During the 2011-12 school year, Eden Prairie participated in 25 state tournaments

Dale Vanderwerf hoists the 2012 Challenge Cup in front of the Dawson-Boyd student section at a recent home football game.

basketball teams, and participants in speech, debate, boys’ tennis and boys’ golf. The 2012 Cup is Eden Prairie’s fifth consecutive. Other Class AAA schools finishing in the top five include Minnetonka (578 points), Edina (540 points), Eastview, Apple Valley (539 points), and Wayzata (511 points). The Class AA trophy moved across town from Breck High School of Golden Valley to The Blake School of Minneapolis. The Bears earned their 521 Challenge Cup points by winning the girls’ lacrosse, girls’ tennis, and girls’ soccer tournaments. They also had individual champions in girls’ cross country running, boys’ swimming and diving, and girls’ and boys’ track and field. Team members from debate, speech, boys’ and girls’ Alpine skiing, boys’ cross country and boys’ tennis also contributed to the school’s success. The Blake School won the Challenge Cup in 2005, 2007 and 2009. They were runners-up in 2008. St. Cloud Cathedral (348 points), Breck (284 points), Rochester Lourdes (246 points), and Detroit Lakes (245 points) rounded out the top five schools in Class AA. Dawson-Boyd is the new Class A Challenge Cup winner. With 138 points, the Blackjacks won the Class A Prep Bowl, finished third in boys’ golf and fifth in girls’ dance team. They also placed fifth in the doubles competition at the girls’ tennis tournament. Other Challenge Cup points came from runners in girls’ track and field and three wrestlers who placed second at state. Minneota, the 2011 Cup winner (127 points), Ada-Borup (128 points), Nevis (75 points), and Bethlehem Academy, Faribault (74 points) are the other small schools to finish in the top five. The Challenge Cup champions will be recognized at ceremonies early this fall. The three schools will be presented with a traveling crystal Challenge Cup, which moves each year to the winning schools. Previous Challenge Cup winners include St. Cloud Cathedral—2004 and 2006; Eden Prairie—2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011; Lakeville—2004 and 2005; The Blake School— 2005, 2007 and 2009; Wayzata—2007; Perham—2008; Breck—2010 and 2011; and Minneota—2011. For a complete list of all the schools that earned Challenge Cup points for the 2011-12 school year, go to the League web site at— www.MSHSL.org—and click on the Recognition tab.

2012-13 college entrance exam schedule ACT: Oct. 27, Dec. 8, Feb. 9, April 13, June 8.

SAT: Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 26, March 9, May 4, June 1.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

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News & Features

What’s in a name?

Editor’s Note: At the beginning of every meeting of the League’s Board of Directors one member is asked to offer the Reflection. This is the Reflection offered by Jill Lofald of Duluth at the February 2012 Board meeting. Her term representing the speech community ended this past summer. By Jill Lofald Good morning. What’s in a name? “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.” Anybody recognize that quote? That’s from Romeo and Juliet – a play that I teach in my English 9 class. Juliet is trying to convince herself that the boy she loves, if he had another name, could still be the boy with whom she could fall in love. She implies that names aren’t important. I really respect Shakespeare, but I have to disagree with him on this point. I really believe that names are everything; that names are really important. In fact they are so important that if you are in my classroom; be it my ninth grade classroom or my seniors, on the first days of class I play the name game. Yep, it’s a tradition. Classes know that they’re going to play it. They think that they are going to be able to write the

names down, but I take those pens away. The name game goes like this: David would say, “Hi my name is David and I like doughnuts.” The item has to be something that starts with the first letter of the students’ first name. And then Mindy would have to say, “His name is David and he likes doughnuts. My name is Mindy and I like marshmallows.” And then Mark would have to say, “His name is David and he likes doughnuts. Her name is Mindy and she like marshmallows. And, my name is Mark and I like money.” That’s the name game and by the time we’ve gone all the way around my classroom, I know their names. And, if I know their name I have a great chance of building a relationship and teaching them. My father was a man of few words, but I can remember sitting in his car just before going into the family bank to take out a loan so I could go to college. We didn’t have a lot of money and taking out a loan was really a big deal. I was just a mess. My dad reached over, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, “I couldn’t give you a lot of things, Jill. We didn’t have a lot of money or a big fancy home; but the one thing I have given you that you can always be proud of is your name.” Your name. Wow. That just stuck with me, and if I was going to misbehave; I thought twice about the consequences because my father told me to be proud of my name. Which leads me to the Minnesota State High School

My father was a man of few words, but I can remember sitting in his car just before going into the family bank to take out a loan so I could go to college. We didn’t have a lot of money and taking out a loan was really a big deal. I was just a mess. My dad reached over, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, “I couldn’t give you a lot of things, Jill. We didn’t have a lot of money or a big fancy home; but the one thing I have given you that you can always be proud of is your name.” League. What a name. What an incredible name. And, I am so proud to be associated with that name. It stands for many things, but if I could pick just three, I’d pick these: First, the League stands for character. The people involved in this organization, the leaders, the staff, those who serve on committees, and the volunteers at tournaments are people of character. That came into focus this past month when hockey injuries and the penalty structure were at the forefront. That’s when the League could have been in a position where people didn’t trust us or didn’t believe in us. But instead, because there is character in every aspect of our organization, our name and the resulting changes were affirmed, and we can continually be proud of the reputation and character of our organization.

Which leads me to the Minnesota State High School League. What a name. What an incredible name. And, I am so proud to be associated with that name. It stands for many things, but if I could pick just three, I’d pick these: First, the League stands for character. The people involved in this organization, the leaders, the staff, those who serve on committees, and the volunteers at tournaments are people of character. ... The second thing that impresses me is the intelligence of our members. ... The third thing I’d choose is creativity. I love the creativity of this organization. www.MSHSL.org

Fall 2012 Bulletin

The second thing that impresses me is the intelligence of our members. I know some of you just might think that’s just something that comes with the territory, but because I work with high school kids I know that intelligence is a thing to value. It just doesn’t come naturally. Again, I am reminded about the intelligence in this organization. It’s not just the people who work in the building; the people who volunteer; those who serve on committees and the Board. Our member schools are filled with intelligent people making the right decisions and the tough calls, when difficult issues are presented. The third thing I’d choose is creativity. I love the creativity of this organization. Every meeting I learn about some new initiative or some new program one of you around the board table has thought about because you are all such creative thinkers. You think outside the box. That creativity enhances the programs for our athletes and fine arts students. The resulting discussions provide a springboard for new and innovative ideas that support our school programs encompassing those three core areas. So, when I think about a name, about what’s in a name, I have to disagree with Juliet, even though Romeo and Juliet is my favorite play. You know what’s in a name? It’s everything. So, I thank all of you for being an integral part of the Minnesota State High School League. That’s a name I am so proud of.

News & Features

Student participation shows slight increase The total number of student competitive athletics participations reported for the 2011-2012 school year increased slightly compared to the 20102011 school year. However, it is very important to note that the League’s participation figures are always best “guess-timates.” Best “guess-timates” are formulated based on the number of schools that reported participation figures (only 65 to 70 percent) compared to the number of schools that reported nothing. The total number of participations (duplicated participants) for 2011-2012 was COMPETITIVE ATHLETIC ACTIVITY Adapted Bowling – CI (Co-ed) Adapted Bowling – PI (Co-ed) Adapted Floor Hockey - CI (Co-ed) Adapted Floor Hockey - PI (Co-ed) Adapted Soccer - CI (Co-ed) Adapted Soccer - PI (Co-ed) Adapted Softball - CI (Co-ed) Adapted Softball - PI (Co-ed) Badminton, Girls’ Baseball Basketball, Boys’ Basketball, Girls’ Cross Country Running, Boys’ Cross Country Running, Girls’ Dance Team, Girls’ – Jazz Dance Team, Girls’ – High Kick Football - 11-Man Football - 9-Man Football - Total Golf, Boys’ Golf, Girls’ Gymnastics, Girls’ Hockey, Boys’ Hockey, Girls’ Lacrosse, Boys’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Skiing, Boys’ Alpine Skiing, Girls’ Alpine Ski Racing, Boys’ Nordic Ski Racing, Girls’ Nordic Soccer, Boys’ Soccer Girls’ Softball, Girls’ Fast-Pitch Swimming and Diving, Boys’ Swimming and Diving, Girls’ Synchronized Swimming, Girls’ Tennis, Boys’ Tennis, Girls’ Track and Field, Boys’ Track and Field, Girls’ Volleyball, Girls’ Wrestling TOTAL PARTICIPATIONS

The total number of participations (duplicated participants) for 2011-2012 was 224,254, an increase of slightly less than 1 percent, compared to 223,545 participations for 2010-2011. 224,254, an increase of slightly less than 1 percent, compared to 223,545 participations for 20102011. Girls’ participations increased by 1,062 while boys’ participations decreased by 353. Football remains the activity involving the most boys—25,861.

Schools 37 28 51 59 65 48 64 48 19 426 467 456 339 339 162 172 340 93 433 381 363 182 274 240 71 78 114 115 111 113 241 221 415 148 194 21 192 226 432 434 452 343

Teams 33 27 17 13 19 11 18 10 19 372 427 421 293 292 150 159 308 74 382 342 326 142 156 122 57 63 84 86 96 99 192 185 369 123 151 14 169 200 355 358 415 250

2011-2012 Boys 168 58 172 98 162 75 205 85

The total number of football teams increased by eight 9-man teams and declined by 14 11-man teams, from 384 total teams to 378. The next highest participation sports for boys are track and field (16,120), basketball (13,481), and baseball (13,322).

8,137

15,408 14,805 26

Total 302 92 287 166 273 124 339 144 654 13,322 13,481 11,630 6,878 5,421 3,863 4,495 23,823 2,045 25,868 5,879 4,096 2,381 5,589 3,658 3,021 3,108 981 772 1,795 2,246 8,830 8,090 11,215 3,811 5,404 417 5,018 6,308 16,120 15,408 14,805 8,163

119,639

104,615

224,254

13,215 13,481

Girls 134 34 115 68 111 49 134 59 654 7 11,630

6,878

23,816 2,045 25,861 5,879

5,421 3,863 4,495 7 7 4,096 2,381

5,589 3,658 3,021 3,108 981 772 1,795 2,246 8,830 8,090 11,215 3,811 5,404 417 5,018 6,308 16,120

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Schools 36 25 51 59 64 48 64 48 17 427 462 457 338 338 160 169 360 80 440 376 359 181 270 243 68 76 111 114 111 113 238 219 418 141 194 21 191 225 426 431 451 340

Teams 32 24 14 17 19 11 43 36 17 373 428 420 291 290 149 157 318 66 384 340 324 140 158 124 54 60 78 78 95 98 191 185 369 123 150 14 169 200 352 355 415 248

Track and field is the sport involving the greatest number of girls—15,408 in 2011-2012 on 358 teams. The next highest participation sports for girls are volleyball (14,805), basketball (11,630), and fast-pitch softball (11,215). League member schools are asked to submit their participation numbers to the League office at the end of each season, but some schools do not comply. League staff then includes best “guess-timates” for those schools that did not submit their See Increase on Page 7 2010-2011 Boys 163 55 188 108 153 64 199 81

8,165

15,283 14,910 24

Total 287 86 288 165 231 113 328 139 593 13,458 13,468 11,144 6,451 4,952 3,832 4,431 24,083 2,068 26,151 6,037 4,188 2,372 5,640 3,672 2,929 3,032 975 773 1,704 2,084 8,907 8,117 11,500 3,828 5,292 399 5,176 6,320 16,101 15,283 14,910 8,189

119,992

103,553

223,545

13,449 13,468

Girls 124 31 100 57 78 49 129 58 593 9 11,144

6,451 4,952 3,832 4,431 24,083 2,068 26,151 6,037 4,188 2,372 5,640 3,672 2,929 3,032 975 773 1,704 2,084 8,907 8,117 11,500 3,828 5,292 399 5,176 6,320 16,101

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News & Features

National participation hits all-time high Boosted by continued growth in several girls’ sports, participation in high school sports increased for the 23rd consecutive year in 2011-12, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Based on figures from the 51 NFHS-member state high school athletic/activity associations, which includes the District of Columbia, sports participation for the 2011-12 school year reached an all-time high of 7,692,520 participants— an increase of 24,565 from the previous year. “In this time of ever-increasing financial challenges in our nation’s high schools, we are greatly encouraged to know that participation in high school sports continues to rise,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “With more than 55 percent of students enrolled in high schools participating in athletics, the value of these programs in an education-based setting continues to be significant.” An additional 33,984 girls participated in high school sports last year, making the all-time record total 3,207,533. This also marks the 23rd consecutive year for an increase in the number of

female Most Popular Boys’ Programs participants. Schools Participants Outdoor track 1. Basketball .................................. 18,099 1.Football – 11-Player ................. 1,095,993 and field 2. Track and Field – Outdoor ....... 16,218 2. Track and Field – Outdoor ......... 575,628 (468,747), 3. Baseball ..................................... 15,838 3.Basketball .................................... 535,289 basketball 4. Football – 11-Player ................. 14,241 4. Baseball ...................................... 474,219 (435,885) and 5. Cross Country Running ........... 14,155 5. Soccer ......................................... 411,757 volleyball 6. Golf ............................................ 13,624 6. Wrestling ..................................... 272,149 (418,903) 7. Soccer ....................................... 11,600 7. Cross Country Running ............. 248,494 continued to be 8. Wrestling ................................... 10,407 8. Tennis .......................................... 159,800 the top three 9. Tennis .......................................... 9,841 9. Golf .............................................. 152,725 participatory 10. Swimming & Diving ................... 7,001 10. Swimming & Diving .................. 133,823 sports for girls, with volleyball Most Popular Girls’ Programs up 9,571 participants Schools Participants from 2010-11. 1. Basketball .................................. 17,768 1. Track and Field – Outdoor ......... 468,747 Soccer 2. Track and Field – Outdoor ....... 16,143 2. Basketball ................................... 435,885 (370,975) 3. Volleyball .................................. 15,569 3. Volleyball .................................... 418,903 surpassed fast4. Softball – Fast Pitch ................. 14,142 4. Soccer ......................................... 370,975 pitch softball 5. Cross Country Running ........... 13,970 5. Softball – Fast Pitch ................... 367,023 (367,023) as 6. Soccer ....................................... 11,127 6. Cross Country Running ............. 212,262 the fourth 7. Tennis ........................................ 10,058 7. Tennis .......................................... 180,870 most-popular 8. Golf .............................................. 9,667 8. Swimming & Diving ................... 160,456 girls sport, up 9. Swimming & Diving ................... 7,221 9. Competitive Spirit Squads ........ 108,307 9,419 from last 10. Competitive Spirit Squads ........ 4,916 10. Lacrosse ....................................... 74,993 year, while (272,149), tennis (159,800), golf continued to climb, boys’ cross country running (212,262), (152,725) and swimming and participation figures dipped for tennis (180,870), swimming and diving (133,823) all down from the first time since the 1992-93 diving (160,456), competitive last year. Baseball (474,219), school year, down 9,419 from the spirit squads (108,307) and soccer (411,757) and cross 2010-11 number of 4,494,406 to lacrosse (74,993) completed the country running (248,494) all had 4,484,987. Seven of the top 10 top 10. Along with soccer and increases from the previous year, boys sports registered drops in volleyball, cross country running, with soccer registering the largest participation, with 11-player competitive spirit squads and increase of 13,406. football (1,095,993), outdoor lacrosse all had increased track and field (575,628), participation from 2010-11. basketball (535,289), wrestling While girls’ participation See Participation on Page 9

Increase ............................................................................... continued from Page 6 participation numbers based on their enrollment and/or SPIRIT SQUADS 2011-2012 2010-2011 previous participation figures. Schools Total Schools Total The accuracy of the League’s annual participation Cheerleading (Non-Competitive) 235 3,395 232 4,780 survey is dependent upon all member schools supplying Drill / Related Units 51 619 54 661 accurate numbers to the League office. Howard W. Voigt, League director of information, coordinates collection of TOTAL PARTICIPATIONS 4,014 5,441 the data and works closely with League Assistant Director Chris Franson in devising best FINE ARTS 2011-2012 2010-2011 “guess-timate” formulas to attempt to arrive Speaking: Schools Teams Total Schools Teams at reasonable participation numbers for those Debate 65 65 681 60 60 member schools that do not provide the data. “Just is in past years, the annual increases One Act Play 295 292 3,010 283 277 and decreases are probably more a matter of Speech 329 314 5,784 323 305 how we tweaked the data we did get to come Total Speaking Arts: 9,475 up with our ‘guess-timate’ formulas from year Visual Arts 202 3,168 202 to year,” Voigt explained. TOTAL PARTICIPATIONS 12,643

Football remains the activity involving the most boys—25,861. Track and field is the sport involving the greatest number of girls—15,408. www.MSHSL.org

MUSIC Bands Orchestra Vocal TOTAL PARTICIPATIONS

Fall 2012 Bulletin

2011-2012 Schools Total 419 32,004 218 4,058 428 33,542

2010-2011 Schools Total 418 31,878 219 4,126 430 33,332

69,604

69,336

Total 704 2,929 5,802 9,435 3,038 12,473

News & Features Expanding our view, twisting our lens, redefining our purpose Important questions to consider By Jody Redman Associate Director With the start of another school year, we are provided with a fresh start and an opportunity to provide great experiences for the students we coach. As we begin this new year and reflect on this opportunity please take a moment and ask yourself the following simple question: “Why do I coach?” Why do I coach? To positively impact the students who participate on our teams, we must start by identifying our coaching purpose. In doing so, we purposefully identify the road we want to take to get to the place we want to be, instead of ending up down an unintentional path, wondering how we got there. We spend a considerable amount of time on the technical and tactical aspects of the sports we coach, but there is so much more to consider. Joe Ehrmann, author of A clear coaching InSideOut Coaching, states, “Coaching shouldn’t start with the purpose will assist X’s and O’s but with the Y’s. This WHY should be a clear and us in focusing on concise statement defining the the students we are impact we are trying to make in our players’ lives. WHY directs entrusted with the expenditures of our time, energy, and effort and provides a rather than on the final destination. Answering the question ‘Why do I coach?’ can X’s and O’s, help a coach identify selfish winning and losing, agendas and develop a purpose that transcends personal, and will make us vocational, financial, or egodriven needs. WHY prompts us to aware of the true answer the questions of when and how to use the power of value that comes coaching to affect players for from coaching their lifetime.” A clear coaching purpose will opportunities. assist us in focusing on the students we are entrusted with rather than on the X’s and O’s, winning and losing, and will make us aware of the true value that comes from coaching opportunities. We have to get intentional, twist the lens and focus on the WHYs of what we do. Why do I coach the way I do? Coaches have an incredible opportunity to dramatically influence their students’ lives. Take a How have the moment and think back: How did your high school coaches impact coaches in your you? We can all name the coaches that we couldn’t wait to spend past impacted the time with and those whose way that you coach practices dragged on, those who were heroes in our lives and today? Look in the those we despised. Why do you coach the way you do? How have mirror. Good or the coaches in your past impacted the way that you coach bad, how much of today? Look in the mirror. Good or bad, how much of how you how you coach is coach is based on what you based on what you learned from them? Ehrmann defines the coach learned from them? who strips away fun as a

Jody Redman Transactional Coach, one who uses questionable tactics, manipulation and threats to achieve goals. “When players perform well, they are rewarded,” he writes. “When they don’t perform well, some kind of punishment is inflicted, be it yelling or the withholding of praise, playing time, or participation.” The coaches we aspire to be are Transformational Coaches. Ehrmann defines these coaches as those who inspire, motivate, and produce positive change in their student-athletes. They understand the needs of young people and “offer individual support and encouragement for each player and have a clear vision for the desired impact on their players’ lives. And not surprisingly, a Transformational Coach, even in organized athletics, allows and encourages young people to simply play.” Spend a few moments and think about the coaches you played for and identify the experience. Was it a Transactional one in which you only got something when you proved your value and worth, or was it Transformational, an experience from which you consistently grew? Now that you are the coach, what type of experience are you providing the students who play for you? What does it feel like to be coached by you? Identifying whether we are Transactional or Transformational will determine how it feels to be coached by us. Students who have played on a team will remember the time spent with their coach and have stories and memories of their Through every experiences. Through every experience and interaction, we experience and are creating pathways in our students for future responses, interaction, we are solutions, and attitudes. creating pathways Positively or negatively, we will forever be a part of each person’s in our students for life that we have had the privilege of coaching. We are modeling how future responses, to interact, how to treat others, how to deal with conflict, how to solutions, and help others succeed, how to show attitudes. appreciation, how to do our best, how to do things we don’t want to do, and how to work with other people. We are leaving our imprint on the students we interact with for a lifetime. What will our coaching legacy be with the students who played for us? Will it be a legacy of Transaction or Transformation? Will it be defined only by the outcome on the scoreboard or more intentionally by the process and the path that we experienced together? Much of this is determined by defining success.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

See Purpose on Page 9

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News & Features Purpose ............................................................................... continued from Page 8 How do you define success? Success can be determined in many ways. Unfortunately in our culture, it is most often defined by the outcome on the scoreboard. Our job as educators is to make students aware of additional possibilities. Ehrmann urges us to “define success before we measure it. If we measure ourselves against ourselves, we can determine if we are truly successful. This is especially important in our ‘win at all cost’ sports culture where success is defined only by winning and in the vast majority of situations, we are left to feel that we didn’t measure up.” Focus your definition of success on the aspects of coaching we can control: improvement in performance rather than our record, providing a fun environment for participation, and making our students better people, not just better athletes. How’d Ya Do? Teaching students Teaching students to answer the question, “How’d Ya Do?” to answer the with more than “we won” or “we lost” is the first step to creating question, “How’d Ya awareness in them on how to Do?” with more define success. By focusing on the following WHY values as the than “we won” or outcome and a new way to answer the “How’d Ya Do?” “we lost” is the first question, we teach them the true purpose of participation: step to creating 1) To have fun; awareness in them 2) To learn; 3) To help others succeed; on how to define 4) To improve; 5) To conduct yourself well; success. 6) To appreciate the opponent; 7) To do your best; 8) To learn life skills (Star Qualities); 9) To learn from both winning and losing.

Choose intentionally, define your purpose, reflect on how it feels to be coached by you, and why you coach the way you do. Commit to making success about the WHY values and not the final score. Give students the positive experience we as coaches longed for as young people involved in high school athletics.

Focus your definition of success on the aspects of coaching we can control: improvement in performance rather than our record, providing a fun environment for participation, and making our students better people, not just better athletes. Redefining our focus As coaches, we know there are important lessons to be learned through participation in high school athletics programs. By expanding our view, twisting our lens and redefining our purpose, we can provide a positive learning experience that will influence the students on our teams for a lifetime. Face it—with less than three percent of our students going on to play college or professional sports, we are not providing these opportunities to help them get scholarships or professional careers. A greater and more important purpose of our programs is to provide opportunities to make ethical, caring, empathetic people. It is an incredible opportunity and responsibility, one that we as coaches need to approach with conscious intent. We have the power over young people to either do a tremendous amount of good or a tremendous amount of harm. If students who played for us can define winning and losing as an outcome of the WHY and not the purpose of the WHY, then we as coaches have been successful. The key is being intentional, utilizing teachable moments, and holding ourselves as coaches accountable to the WHYs. Choose intentionally, define your purpose, reflect on how it feels to be coached by you, and why you coach the way you do. Commit to making success about the WHY values and not the final score. Give students the positive experience we as coaches longed for as young people involved in high school athletics. This is the first installment of a periodic series. The next installment will take an in-depth look at the WHY values of “How’d Ya Do?” Troy Urdahl, activities director at St. Anthony Village and an instructor for the League’s coaching education course, contributed to this article. Other resources in this article are from InSideOut Coaching by Joe Ehrmann and How’d Ya Do, a Top 20 Training Concept.

Participation......................................................................... continued from Page 7 Lacrosse, which ranks No. 11 in participation among boys’ sports, topped the 100,000 mark (100,641) with about 5,000 additional participants. Wrestling continued its rise in popularity among girls, with almost 1,000

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additional participants, up to 8,235. Participants by state stayed true to last year’s order, as Texas and California once again topped the list with 808,806 and 781,912, respectively, followed by New York (389,475), Illinois

(346,896), Ohio (333,349), Pennsylvania (317,869), Michigan (308,080), New Jersey (259,219), Florida (257,282) and Minnesota (238,363). Twenty states registered increases in participation in 2011-12. The participation survey has

Fall 2012 Bulletin

been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 201112 High School Athletics Participation Survey is available on the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

News & Features

Coon Rapids athletes help Barnum, Moose Lake flood victims By Ellen M. Perrault Tears of anguish turned to tears of joy for residents of Barnum and Moose Lake as they realized a bus full of Coon Rapids High School athletes were in town to help with flood recovery efforts on June 29. When a call went out for volunteers to help victims of the flooding in northern Minnesota, Scott Storrick, Coon Rapids tennis coach, contacted head football coach Jon Young and track coach Russ Sullivan and asked if their athletes would volunteer to help. Storrick related that without hesitation both men said it was a good idea. The men spread the word about the opportunity and about 40 athletes and alum signed up for the trip. Storrick contacted Kottkes’ Bus Service to rent a bus. When Kottkes’ General Manager Mike Pipenhagen heard about the request, he offered to donate a bus and trailer for the day. Pipenhangen also found a driver, Jim Kelley of Andover, to donate his time for the day. “What Kottkes’ did was just outstanding,” Storrick said. “And the driver was phenomenal; he got his hands dirty with us.” Parents donated food and beverages for the trip, including a parent who is a master chef at the Hilton who made box lunches and great desserts. Both communities are located southwest of Duluth; Moose Lake has about 2,500 residents and Barnum is a town of less than 600. With more than one-third of Moose Lake impacted by the flooding and water filling basements in Barnum, the students had their work cut out for them. Students working in Moose Lake removed bleachers and gutted the locker room in the city’s hockey arena. Students in both cities did demolition work in people’s homes, removing flooring, dry wall and other items touched by the floodwater. Storrick, an industrial technology teacher, said groups of students went from house to house asking people if they needed help. “Jon took a group to a trailer park in

Above: The students assisted in gutting a locker room in the Moose Lake ice arena. Right: The Cardinals posed for a group photo before heading back home.

“Jon took a group to a trailer park in Barnum. Jon and three of the boys walked up to a woman and asked if she needed help. She thanked them and said, ‘yes.’ As soon as she saw six other football players come around the corner to help she started crying.” Barnum,” Storrick said. “Jon and three of the boys walked up to a woman and asked if she needed help. She thanked them and said, ‘yes.’ As soon as she saw six other football players come around the corner to help she started crying. “The kids were great; they were rock stars. A lot of people heard this big As one group hauled out ruined belongings, another group waited group was in to enter to do the same thing. town and drove out of their way to come and thank us.” “When we got into town The students’ work was so appreciated by the cities’ residents because many of them everything seemed OK and didn’t have time to get contractors in to do the demolition work or they didn’t have the we wondered where the money. Young estimates the students did damage was, but then we between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of work during their day of service. got into people’s homes “One lady broke into tears and said we saved her home,” said Young, a special and realized, ‘Oh, this is education teacher. “It was incredibly rewarding.” where it is.’ No one had Young also shared the story of how the flood insurance so they students worked to take apart a 500-pound cast-iron boiler in a basement. The boiler was needed the support of so big the house was actually built around it. The students had to take others.” it apart to remove it from the home. Seeing the work the students’ “It was really rewarding to see the pride of did for others was very powerful for work ethic and the selflessness our kids Young. exuded on that day,” he said. “It was hot, smelly, gross, and dirty work. They got to swing axes and use sledgehammers. Some kids had never done that kind of work before; it was pretty neat.” Joe Rising, a member of the football team who is a junior this year, was one of the students on the trip. The son of Judy LeMoine and Ron Rising, said he went on the trip to help others and because he thought it would be eye-opening to see the damage. Rising spent time tearing down drywall and removing carpeting and appliances from homes. He was one of the students who See Flood on Page 11

Fall 2012 Bulletin

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News & Features 7.6 million reasons to keep high school sports By Bob Gardner I’m not quite sure what qualifies a former college basketball coach to assess the state of high school sports, but last week (May 7) in USA Today’s online edition, the following headline caught my attention: “Former college coach proposes ending high school sports.” Wow! This article, which originally was published in the Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal, contained thoughts and ideas of Len Stevens, a former college basketball coach and current executive director of the RenoSparks Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Stevens suggests we should “kick it (high school sports) to the curb” and go the way of the European model focusing solely on club sports. The author of the article, Dan Hinxman, suggests that Mr. Stevens’ thoughts might be preposterous, ludicrous and, perhaps, downright offensive to some individuals. Mr. Hinxman is correct. As the head of an organization that provides leadership to 51 state high school associations, 19,000 high schools and more than 7.6 million student-athletes involved in high school sports, I am pleased to report that funeral arrangements have been cancelled.

What Mr. Stevens probably doesn’t know is that many of those countries employing the “European model” would trade their model in an instant for the educationbased philosophy of high school sports in the United States. After listening to my report at the 9th International Session for Educators at the International Olympic Academy in Greece last summer, representatives from many nations marveled that our programs receive little or no government support in our schools, and the universal wish of the delegates from other nations was that their programs could be more like ours. Mr. Stevens suggests that since club sports have been growing in the United States we should end high school sports and go exclusively with club sports, which “would answer a lot of problems and put the high school focus back where it belongs – on education.” What Mr. Stevens doesn’t account for is that if sports were removed from American high schools, the focus would not be on education. The focus would be

on trying to locate students who abruptly left school – dropouts – when sports were taken away. And, by the way, the education component is the singular unique component of the U.S. model. Student-athletes learn much more than how to set a screen in basketball or cover the first-base bag in baseball. While the number of teacher-coaches has dwindled, most schools that employ out-ofschool coaches require those individuals to complete an education course, such as the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course. On the other hand, club sports lack an educational component. These programs exist solely for the purpose of improving one’s athletic skills and, through that process, hopefully landing a college scholarship. The team concept rarely exists and there is no overall philosophy to help prepare students for life after school, which is a major goal of education-based sports within the schools. Mr. Stevens also noted that no one attends games anymore.

Really? A survey conducted by the NFHS last year indicated that more than 510 million people attended high school sporting events during the 2009-10 school year. On Friday nights in the fall, there are 7,000 high school games being played every week. On winter nights – two to three times a week – there are about 18,000 girls’ and boys’ basketball games being played. More than 7.6 million high school students compete in high school sports, and those numbers have risen for 22 consecutive years. How many of those 7.6 million kids would still be around if the only option was to join a club team? The clubs only want the very best athletes, and fees can range from $5,000 to $10,000 a year to be involved with a yearround traveling team. A large majority of high school students who are involved in sports are there to have fun, to be with their friends, to compete and learn and to be a part of a team. Kids have a need to be needed and to be a part of something positive, to be involved with their peers and coaches who care. Many students involved in sports do not have a support system at home – their high school teammates and coaches are their See Reasons on Page 13

Flood .................................................................................. continued from Page 10 “I told people who didn’t go that day they should have come. They really missed out. We felt super good about the work we did. I wish I could have stayed longer.” helped remove the boiler from the home in Moose Lake. “When we got into town everything seemed OK and we wondered where the damage was, but then we got into people’s homes and realized, ‘Oh, this is where it is,’” Rising said. “No one had flood insurance so they needed the support of others. Barnum is an older community but everyone came together. They had a system where they would write down what houses needed help and then tell people where to go.

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“The people in the town were very nice. They were very grateful for what we were doing.” In addition to helping people, Rising said it was a good bonding experience for members of the football team. The students were given certain amounts of time to do their work. One of the final houses they worked in, the students had 45 minutes to remove carpeting from a large house. Rising said the team worked together and got the work done on time. It was an impressive feat and the coach was happy with their work. “I told people who didn’t go that day they should have come,” Rising said. “They really missed out. We felt super good about the work we did. I wish I could have stayed longer.” Libby Storrick, the daughter of Scott and Amy Storrick who is a 2012 Coon Rapids graduate, also went on the trip. A member of the tennis, basketball and lacrosse teams, she went on the trip because her dad was involved and she thought it would be nice to help out. Storrick was part of the group that gutted the locker room in the Moose Lake Arena. She

Fall 2012 Bulletin

“When we were eating lunch, a woman thanked us. Another woman said, ‘If there are any problems in Coon Rapids, we’ll come to help you.’” also worked in houses to remove moldy wood and tile. Storrick said she was surprised how appreciative people were of the students’ help. “When we were eating lunch, a woman thanked us,” Storrick said. “Another woman said, ‘If there are any problems in Coon Rapids, we’ll come to help you.’” Ellen M. Perrault is a communications specialist with the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

News & Features Spotlight on Scholarship

Recognizing the best for doing their best By Lisa Lissimore Associate Director You can help us shine the spotlight on Minnesota youth who push themselves to do their best in the classroom, in the arts, and in athletics by participating in the Spotlight on Scholarship Program. Sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League for 17 years, this year-round recognition program honors high school students for outstanding academic performance in two distinct ways: individually and collectively. 31,343 certificates distributed Through the Spotlight on Scholarship certificate program, the League provides certificates to every athlete and fine arts participant in the state who has a “B” average or better. More than thirty-one thousand students representing 203 schools received certificates during the 2011-2012 school year. This brings the total number of students who have represented their school in this program to 587,968. Following is a breakdown of the distribution of Spotlight on Scholarship certificates over a 10 year period:

To participate in the Spotlight on Scholarship certificate program schools must: 1) compute the grade averages of each student at the end of each activity season; 2) record this information on the reporting form; and 3) send the form to the League office and staff will send the appropriate number of certificates to each participating school. Other program criteria requires that: 1) Students must be a member of a varsity, junior varsity, or “B” squad (sophomore) athletics, or fine arts team. 2) Cheerleaders, dance teams, and students in adapted athletic programs are eligible for this award. School administrators must verify that students who participate in adapted athletic

Lisa Lissimore programs are progressing in their individual program at the expected rate. 3) The grade-point averages of each student be computed from the grading period ending closest to the end of each activity season. 4) Each school must use its own system for computing the grades for each student. 5) Certificate order forms (one per school) be submitted by the school principal or athletic director at the end of each grading period. Each order form must include the principal’s signature. Teams also recognized In addition to honoring students for their individual efforts, the Spotlight on Scholarship Program provides banners to League member schools whose varsity fine arts and athletics teams collectively achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. One-hundred and seventy-eight schools now have banners hanging in their gymnasiums. Member schools should follow these guidelines when completing the application for a Spotlight on Scholarship banner: 1) This is a varsity team award. Junior varsity and “B” squad teams are not eligible. 2) The grade-point average for all varsity athletic and fine arts teams must be computed at the end of the school year and reported to the League. 3) Each school is required to use its own system for computing team grade-point averages. 4) The athletic team grade averages must include every member of the official varsity team, including team managers. If the varsity team includes students in grades seven through nine, their grades must also be included in the team average. 5) The team grade averages for track and field, swimming and diving, synchronized swimming, chess, and gymnastics must include members that enter the first level of state qualifying competition. 6) The grade-point averages of debate, one act play (cast/crew members) and speech teams must include every member of the team that enters the first level of the state qualifying competition. Students involved in music (instrumental/vocal/individual/group) quality by entry at the section/state level. General information about the Spotlight on Scholarship program can be found on the League’s website under the “Recognition” tab. The program report forms are posted on the website’s administrative side.

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News & Features Other recognition programs to consider We’re counting on you to nominate members from your school community – students, coaches, fine arts directors, contest officials – for the following League-sponsored recognition programs. For nomination forms and additional information about these programs go the League website and click on the Recognition tab and then click the link for the program you’re interested in. ExCEL Award This program recognizes high school juniors who are active in fine arts and athletic activities, who show leadership qualities, and who are model citizens in their communities. Each school is encouraged to nominate two students—one boy and one girl—for this award. Nominees must be: ● a junior in high school; ● making satisfactory progress toward graduation requirements; ● participating in a Leaguesponsored fine arts and/or athletic activity; ● hold a leadership position in their school; ● work voluntarily in the community;

● meet League General Eligibility Requirements (Bylaw 206). ExCEL award recipients will be selected by an independent panel of judges from schools throughout Minnesota. Award recipients will be recognized on KSTC-TV, Channel 45 during the broadcasts of the Minnesota State High School League winter tournaments. They also will take part in an on-court award ceremony during the State Girls’ Basketball Tournament in March. The ExCEL nomination form is posted on the administration side of the League’s website. Nominations will be accepted through December 14, 2012. We’re counting on you to help us recognize student leaders in your school who are making a difference. Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award The Triple “A” program was created in 1988 to recognize high school students who excel in the arts, athletics and the classroom. Seniors who have a “B” or higher grade-point average and who participate in Leaguesponsored athletic and fine arts activities are eligible for nomination. Nominations are limited to two qualifying students per school—one boy and one girl. Triple “A” state award recipients

(four total) will receive a fouryear $1,000 scholarship. Region award recipients will be recognized on KSTC-TV, Channel 45 during the broadcasts of the Minnesota State High School League winter tournaments. They also will take part in an on-court award ceremony during the State Boys’ Basketball Tournament in March. Triple “A” nomination forms are posted on the League website under the “Recognition” tab. Students must complete their nomination materials online, print them out and submit them to their school’s activities director. The timelines for this year’s program are: ● Date TBD by Individual Administrative Regions—Final date for student nominations to be submitted to region secretaries or region committee designee; ● Feb. 19, 2013—Deadline for region winners to be submitted to the League office; ● March 23, 2013—Triple “A” Recognition Luncheon and Ceremony.

League’s member schools and a committee of athletic, fine arts, and educational leaders. Nominations are solicited in nine categories: athlete, coach, official, administrator, fine arts participant/director/adjudicator, activity/athletic director, and contributor (someone who has made outstanding contributions to high school activities in some capacity other than those previously mentioned, including such areas as sports medicine and sports media). All candidates for the Hall of Fame must be at least 35-years of age. They may be retired from their field or still active. Hall of Fame nominations will be accepted through Dec. 14, 2012. The induction ceremony will be held Sunday, May 19, 2013. The 2013 inductees will be the 20th group to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The 186 Hall of Fame members are listed on the League’s website under the “Recognition” tab. Nomination forms and instructions are also posted there.

Hall of Fame Established in 1991 and housed at the League office, members of the Hall of Fame are selected through a multi-level process that includes the

Reasons ............................................................................. continued from Page 11 lifeblood. This concept simply does not exist through club sports. At our recent National Athletic Directors Conference in Indianapolis, several high school athletic directors talked about their days as high school athletes and the importance of these programs. Monica Maxwell, a middle school athletic director from Indianapolis, said, “I knew I wanted to get out of my neighborhood. If it wasn’t going to be through athletics, it was going to be through the military . . . I think that story – my story – is a story of many athletes. They know that their ticket out of their neighborhoods is going to be athletics.”

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Lanness Robinson, an athletic director from Tampa, Florida, said, “If I didn’t maintain a 3.5 grade-point average, my mom wouldn’t let me play sports. That’s the only reason I tried because otherwise I didn’t care. I believe that athletics is the greatest dropout prevention program that we have . . . I think the three most identifiable people on the school campus . . . are the head football coach, the principal and the quarterback. What does that say about school? I’ve read stories where schools have actually made the decision to cut programs and I think in most cases, they reinstate athletic programs because they found that it doesn’t work.”

John Evers, a retired athletic director from Indiana, said “When good things happen – if a team is making a great playoff run – the community comes together. That’s not something you often get outside of athletics. I’ve never seen a town rally around a chemistry class, but I have seen them rally around a team of kids doing something special.” Becky Oakes, director of sports at the NFHS, said in a recent issue of High School Today, “Students enjoy the schoolcommunity identity that comes with playing in high school. In general, high school coaches will treat each student as part of the team and the community; this is the selling point that high schools have far over any club team.”

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Certainly, there are challenges in many states, mainly due to funding issues. But even in those situations when funds become tight, more often than not the community responds because it sees the value of these programs for young people. With all due respect to Mr. Stevens, there are 7.6 million reasons we’re going to keep sports within our schools. Editor’s Note: Bob Gardner is executive director of the Indianapolis-based National Federation of State High School Associations, the national leadership organization for high school athletic and activity programs. The Minnesota State High School League is a member.

News & Features Title IX 40 years later

Female pioneers in state associations led the growth of girls’ sports By Bruce Howard Not only did the passage of Title IX open a whole new world for girls to compete in high school sports, it also created new opportunities for females in the areas of coaching, administration and state high school associations. As high schools began opening the doors for girls to compete in sports in the early 1970s, state associations began to hire female administrators to direct statewide events for girls. Looking back, there were several leaders in state association offices who played significant roles in the early growth of high school sports opportunities for girls—women who etched their names in history. Seven of those individuals have been inducted into the NFHS’ National High School Hall of Fame, and any discussion about the history of girls’ high school sports in the United States has to start with the incomparable Ola Bundy of Illinois. Known by many in the Midwest as the “First Lady of America’s Girls Interscholastic Athletics,” Bundy became the first state association female administrator when she joined the Illinois High Ola Bundy School Association (IHSA) staff in August 1967. During her storied 30-year career, the late Bundy administered statewide events for girls in the sports of volleyball, track and field, tennis, bowling, badminton, golf, field hockey, swimming and gymnastics. In addition, Bundy helped write the Illinois State Board of Education Sex Equity Rules, which are standards for all secondary schools in Illinois, and which have served as a model in many other states. “No one in Illinois, and possible the country, did more to promote interscholastic athletic programs for high school girls than Ola Bundy,” said Marty Hickman, IHSA executive director who served on the administrative staff with Bundy during the latter years of her tenure. “She was a tireless fighter and advocate for young women. Ola led the crusade from participation in the Girls Association “She was a Athletic (GAA) to participation in a full-blown tireless interscholastic program for high school girls in fighter Illinois. and “We are proud to offer a wide variety of advocate interscholastic programs for high for young school girls in Illinois; and while many deserve women.”

credit for where we are today, Ola will always be considered the valedictorian of the class.” In the western part of the United States, Sharon Wilch of Colorado was the early leader in the fight for girls’ sports. Wilch joined the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) Sharon Wilch staff in 1969, and was one of the first administrators in the nation to form a summit for state educators on how to effectively deal with equity issues. During her outstanding 27-year career at the CHSAA, Wilch was involved in organizing and operating every sanctioned CHSAA activity. She also was involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee in the sports of gymnastics and swimming, and she was chair of the NFHS Girls’ Gymnastics Rules Committee for 15 years. Three other states also beat the Title IX clock with the hiring of future Hall of Fame leaders—Dorothy McIntyre (1970) in Minnesota, the late Claudia Dodson (1971) in Virginia, and Karen Kuhn (1971) in Wisconsin. Dorothy McIntyre McIntyre’s remarkable 32-year career began in 1970 when the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) hired her to assist schools in developing girls’ sports programs. McIntyre was involved in tournament management for the Claudia Dodson sports of girls’ tennis, girls’ volleyball, girls’ basketball, and girls’ and boys’ track and field. “The early pioneers who promoted bringing girls’ sports teams into the schools met with resistance, apathy and eventually some Karen Kuhn support,” McIntyre said. “In Minnesota, our hard work resulted in the MSHSL approving our recommendation that the League sponsor girls’ sports as they did for boys sports. That was in 1969, well ahead of the passage of Title IX. “I was hired in 1970 to help schools develop teams. The landscape was still pretty bare with a scattering of school teams experimenting with some competition in various sports around the state. So we

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continued working, “The early expanding our efforts and encouraging schools pioneers to develop teams as quickly as they could. who “Our first state promoted tournament for girls was track and field in bringing 1972—the year that Title IX was passed. girls’ Even Congress had no idea what it had passed sports would end up with a teams into focus on equity in athletics and would the change the face of sports by the end of the schools decade. I enjoyed each and every ‘first’ state met with tournament, but my resistance, favorite memory was watching the flag being apathy raised at the very first MSHSL State Girls’ and Basketball Tournament in 1976.” eventually Dodson joined the Virginia High School some League (VHSL) in 1971 support.” and was one of the nation’s recognized leaders for girls’ athletics during her 30-year career. Only a few schools in Virginia had organized sports when Dodson joined the VHSL staff, and there was only one sport in which girls could earn individual championships (gymnastics), but no team competition existed. From that beginning, Dodson developed a statewide program that featured 32 state championships in 13 different sports for girls. She was the first woman to serve on the National Basketball Rules Committee for the NCAA, NAIA and NFHS. She also was the first woman to serve on the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee. “Claudia Dodson stood at the forefront with a handful of state association administrators who were trailblazers in developing programs and opportunities that benefited hundreds of thousands of female athletes, coaches, athletic directors and officials,” said Ken Tilley, executive director of the VHSL. “We all owe Claudia Dodson and her colleagues a huge debt of gratitude for making a difference in so many lives. What an incredible legacy they have given us.” Also in 1971, Karen Kuhn was helping to launch girls’ sports in Wisconsin. When she joined the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) in 1971, there were state meets for girls in swimming and diving, track and field, and gymnastics. Under Kuhn’s guidance, that number increased to 11. “When I was hired in 1971, girls See Title IX on Page 15

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News & Features Title IX................................................................................. continued from Page 14

Pioneers for girls’ sports (Top L-R): Patricia Roy, Bonnie Northcutt, Alice Sullivan, Margaret Davis. (Middle L-R): Myrna Johns, Cecelia Jackson, Suzanne Martin, Virginia Yankoskie. (Bottom L-R): Mildred Ball, Sheryl Solberg, Brigid DeVries, Susan True. interscholastic sports were just getting started as state associations had changed their constitutions to allow girls sports,” Kuhn said. “Many schools, however, were critical of their state association for moving too quickly in organizing statewide competition. After five to 10 years with the help of Title IX, the programs arrived and continued to advance. “My best memory from the 1970s was in May of 1976 when our WIAA Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field Tournaments were combined. … This change allowed a field event coach, for example, to work with both the female and male shot putters—and these athletes to then cheer for all their competing classmates at meets. Female athletes were now being given the same recognition as their male counterparts.” Two more Hall of Fame members made their appearances in state associations in the mid-1970s—Ruth Rehn in South Dakota (1974) and Sandy Scott in New York (1975). Rehn championed the cause for 34 years in South Dakota until her retirement in 2008. She was responsible for the addition of basketball, volleyball, cross country and competitive cheer/dance as girls’ sports in South Dakota. Rehn was a pioneer nationally with some of her statewide changes. South Dakota was the first state to experiment with the use of a smaller basketball for girls, which eventually was adopted at the national level. Rehn also led the way in volleyball by experimenting with the use of rally scoring and the libero player. She also assisted with the switch of seasons in girls’ basketball and girls’ volleyball in South Dakota. Scott joined the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) in 1975 as an assistant director and then made history 15 years later when she became the first female in the nation to lead a state athletic/activity association on a full-time basis. Scott orchestrated the growth of athletics for high school boys and girls in New York, including increasing the fiscal control of state tournaments and the number of state championships that the NYSPHSAA offered. Although they might not have had the national impact of the aforementioned seven leaders, five other women helped jump-start girls programs in their states in the early 1970s. Patricia Roy, who served 27 years as an assistant commissioner with the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), started her work in 1972 and was a pioneer of girls’ athletics in the Hoosier state. As the IHSAA’s first director of girls’ athletics, Roy was the leader in the implementation of girls’ athletics programs in Indiana schools

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during the 1972-73 school year. Bob Gardner, currently executive director of the NFHS, worked with Roy during his years with the IHSAA and saw first-hand her contributions to girls athletics programs. “Pat Roy led Indiana into girls sports with passion, vision and courage,” Gardner said. “She often met resistance from those who did not want to share the stage with girls’ programs. She persevered and developed a sports program for girls that made a difference in the lives of thousands of young ladies. “Pat stood courtside in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse when the doors opened for the first-ever Indiana Girls’ State Basketball Finals in 1976. She did not know if the girls would draw (a crowd). It did not take long for the answer. The seats started filling—the girls program had arrived. Pat Roy’s dedication paved the way.” In Texas, Bonnie Northcutt was the early leader after her hiring by the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) in 1972. “Bonnie was a role model, especially for girls and women,” said former UIL Executive Director Bill Farney. “She was a pioneer showing how effective women could be in positions like hers at a time when not many women across the U.S. held them.” The late Dolores Billhardt was the early leader in Ohio. Billhardt joined the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) in 1971 and was instrumental in starting girls’ programs in field hockey, volleyball, gymnastics, basketball and softball. Nationally, she served on NFHS rules committees in softball, volleyball and basketball. She died in a tragic car accident in 1988 after 17 years on the OHSAA staff. In Rhode Island, Alice Sullivan wore many hats while building the foundation for girls’ sports. She was a teacher and coach at East Providence High School, but she was the recognized expert on girls’ athletics across the state and helped the Rhode Island Interscholastic League implement statewide programs. In New Jersey, Flo Peragallo joined the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in the early 1970s and served for 20 years. On the other side of the country, Margaret Davis joined the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section in 1974 and is credited with the implementation of girls’ sports programs in that area of California. She later was associate executive director of the CIF state office and had a profound impact on girls’ sports during her tenure. In addition, two other women helped start programs in Michigan and North Dakota in the early 1970s but had short tenures. Joan Warrington helped start programs for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, and Mary Anderson did the same with the North Dakota High School Activities Association. In the second half of the 1970s, there were seven others who joined state high school associations and played significant roles in developing programs for girls. They are Myrna Johns (1976) of Idaho, Cecelia Jackson (1976) of Florida, Suzanne Martin (1977) of Michigan, Virginia Yankoskie (1977) of Oregon, Mildred Ball (1977) of Indiana, Sheryl Solberg (1978) of North Dakota, and Brigid DeVries (1979) of Kentucky. And no review of the magnificent growth of girls’ high school sports would be complete without mention of the tremendous contributions at the national level by Susan True, who served as NFHS assistant director for 17 years and was the national leader in the sports of gymnastics, volleyball, field hockey, swimming and diving, water polo and spirit. In addition to her work in the rules-writing area and with national governing bodies, True was instrumental in starting the NFHS Equity Committee, which helped to produce diversity on NFHS rules committees and throughout other NFHS programs. While the passage of the law by Congress in 1972 opened the door for girls to play high school sports, those opportunities would not have been available without the tremendous efforts of these leaders—and others who followed in their footsteps—in state association offices. Bruce Howard is director of publications and communications for the NFHS and editor of High School Today. Published in the May 2012 issue and reprinted with permission.

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News & Features

GrandStadium tournament experience just one facet of Rosemount’s curriculum Rosemount High School is no stranger to the Minnesota State High School League football tournament semifinals. For the third year in a row Irish students were on the field, soaking in all the energy and passion of the moment, the wow of the big play. No, the Irish students were not playing in a game; instead they were part of the GrandStadium webcast team for the event. Students from Rosemount’s broadcast journalism and digital film production classes were behind the scenes providing the crew and talent for the live webcast of the games and it was no less exciting than if they were players on the field. Senior Michael Gubbels, a backup cornerback for the Irish, was glad to be back at the Metrodome. He recalls being on the field as a player in 2010, trying to take in everything, trying to stay focused on what the team was trying to accomplish in the game. Now he can add another perspective to his Prep Bowl experience. In 2011 he got to run the camera and interact with the players as an on-field reporter. Gubbels, who planned to attend Iowa State this fall, used his experiences as a player during interviews to ask pertinent questions and help the athletes feel at ease on camera. This was Gubbels’ first time working a webcast and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “When I was a player, everything on the field seemed so chaotic and a bit surreal,” Gubbels said. “When you are filming, you are capturing one moment. And that was cool, getting over the shoulder of a player for a shot, to get their point of view. “Then when you see a shot that you captured up on the video board, you get so excited you just want to try something else. With the GrandStadium crew, they let you try different shots and be creative.” Senior April Bailey is happy to be back to the Prep Bowl, too. She worked with the GrandStadium team in 2010. Bailey, who is considering a career in broadcasting, loves being able to work hands-on with every available position from grip to on-field reporting. “This is a wonderful experience,” Bailey said. “Yes, I have to get up super early (5 a.m.) and work a really long day (10-12 hours), but I get to try new things. And with this being my second time here at the semifinals, I feel like I know what is going on. I love working in the truck doing slo-mo, coordinating people, working as a director. It is hard work, but it is some of the most rewarding work I have ever done. It is definitely a great thing to have on a resume, too.” Bailey, who is undecided about college, but plans to major in video production

Photographs courtesy of GrandStadium

By Cyndi Nightengale

Students involved in GrandStadium webcasts of League state tournaments have numerous opportunities for hands-on experience, including camera work. wherever she lands. Experiences such as the football tournament are just one of many that Gubbels and Bailey cherish. At Rosemount, they have had other video production projects they won’t soon forget. They are grateful for two teachers who put together a curriculum to ensure students keep their hands in video and broadcast production, whether it is in the classroom or field work. James Norris, a broadcast journalism instructor and Mark Hubbard, who teaches digital film production, are not only showcasing the basics of video and broadcast production, but they have also set up an environment to get the students’ creative juices flowing. About 80 students are enrolled in classes with Norris and Hubbard, who made arrangements for the Metrodome “field trip” with GrandStadium. The 2011 semifinals were the school’s third year at the Metrodome. There are 30 editing systems available to the students at the school, so they can get started on their projects right away. Norris

Sideline reporting and interviews are incorporated into the student’s experiences during GrandStadium webcasts.

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and Hubbard do their best to stay current on the latest technology and software. They teach the basics of each and let the students take it from there. The students seem to respond well to the ebb and flow of their time in class. “It’s a pretty awesome class,” said Bailey. “You get to do what you want. It is a really nice blend of structure and unstructured time. We all know the rules, but you get to be a part of all the creative aspects. “The longest days are film days for ‘Irish Update,’ but having the independence to do your work and see how well it turns out gives you a lot of pride. It feels good.” Said Norris: “Each day is a progression for the ‘Update.’ We air the show every week to the school. It is a seven- to 10-minute production with four story slots and lots of crew work. The students want to be there and they want to create. I love the energy and passion of the students.” Hubbard agrees, adding that the students get so much more. “We are teaching creative problem solving—how to do this and that, where the resources are to get to the solution. Our goal is to empower them to move forward,” said Hubbard. They have achieved so much success at Rosemount, students from other schools in the district have enrolled in the classes. Essentially, the course work is all production based, meaning the students are creating and airing shows and films that are viewed weekly at the school. There is also a film festival at IMAX, where students can premiere their film projects. These classes require a lot of outside work, but most of all creativity. Once a project has begun, the students team up and tackle all aspects of crew details for the project from start to finish. Along the way, Norris and Hubbard are there to encourage and guide students through the technical and creative process. In other words, the students learn the process of empowerment. GrandStadium is part of that process. “By taking them out of the classroom and out of their comfort zone, the students grow,” Norris said. “The value of getting high school students involved in real world experiences is great. This is good for them.” If you would like your high school to participate in the GrandStadium webcasting program, find more information at info.grandstadium.tv, or call 612-208-6650. There is no cost to the program and travel and related expenses are reimbursed by the Minnesota State High School League Foundation. Cyndi Nightengale is a freelance writer for cynbadmedia.com.

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Athletic Activities Managing and leading a high school athletic department: League has tools to assist By Craig Perry Associate Director In the world of athletic administration, no two days are alike for high school athletic directors. The many hats worn each day are varied, and as a manager and leader you seamlessly move in and out of your responsibilities and duties. On any given day your tasks could include game site preparation, a meeting with booster club members, confirming transportation departure times, checking up on a student injured in a contest last night, conducting a performance review with one of your coaches, or finding a way to stretch limited budgets. But with these continual changes there is one constant: the daily review of student eligibility and the maintenance of school and League rules, policies and bylaws. Simply put, you ensure your school remains a member school in good standing. And to help you, the League has prepared a number of tools to assist you in this process. A number of informational documents and tools are available on the League website. For example, in the General Section of the Rules and Policies for each sport or activity are the following items to help you do what you do more efficiently and with more information. ● Forward ● Athletic Director’s Checklist ● Coaches Responsibility: Student Eligibility Checklist ● Competition Index for Heat and Cold ● General Information ● Lightning/Threatening Weather—Board Policy ● Multiple Level Teams at the Sub-Varsity Levels ● Official Balls for MSHSL Tournaments ● Official Squad Size Chart ● Revenue Sharing Plan for School Reimbursement ● Substitution in League Tournaments ● Thermal Injury Risk Recommendations ● Concussion Legislation Athletic Director’s Checklist A good document to start with is the Athletic Director’s Checklist. This document is intended to serve as a reminder of important events and reports prior to, during and at the completion of each athletic season. The following checklist is intended to serve as a reminder of important events and reports. It is recommended that you list the date each item is completed. _____ If a serious injury should occur to a student under the conditions of the MSHSL Catastrophe Policy, please notify the MSHSL. _____ Each head coach has been instructed to review the section of the Athletic Rules and Policies information for their activity. _____ Confirm that all coaches B-squad and above have completed the sport-specific or fine arts online rules interpretation meeting for their activity (currently online rules interpretation meetings are not required for tennis and cross country). The schedule is posted on the League website. _____ Collect a copy of the emergency action plan for all training and competition sites from each coach at every level. _____ Eligibility Information Brochure Statements have been read, explained, and discussed with the students by the principal, superintendent or athletic director. _____ Eligibility Information Brochure Statements are signed by parents and on file for each participant in your program. _____ Certification of a physical examination is on file for each participant in the athletic program. Physicals are good for three years. _____ Students have been listed on a Master Eligibility List three days before the first contest. The Master Eligibility Lists is to be kept on file in the school. _____ Eligibility status of all transfer students has been submitted online and approved by the MSHSL.

Craig Perry

In the world of athletic administration, no two days are alike for high school athletic directors. The many hats worn each day are varied, and as a manager and leader you seamlessly move in and out of your responsibilities and duties. ... But with these continual changes there is one constant: the daily review of student eligibility and the maintenance of school and League rules, policies and bylaws. _____ Notify game officials in advance of contests. Be sure only registered officials are hired for those activities requiring registered officials. _____ Review schedules and game limitations for all sports. _____ League dues for each sponsored activity must be paid on or before October 1. Schools cannot compete in section or state tournaments unless dues are paid for that activity. _____ Ensure that state and national sanctions have been approved for those contests requiring sanctions. _____ Conduct staff meetings for coaches to review philosophy and rules and regulations of MSHSL. _____ Keep school’s pages on the League website current with rosters, schedules, results and statistics. _____ Submit team pictures for State Tournament programs by deadline date if your team is a potential entry. _____ Late registrations for activities must be made by September 15 - Fall; December 15 - Winter; March 15 - Spring. _____ You have reviewed the daily and season participation limits with your coaches and players. _____ Roster Verification form has been electronically submitted to the League prior to the first varsity game for each sport. _____ Confirm a background check for all coaches has been completed. _____ Confirm officials for varsity and lower levels have successfully completed concussion education training. _____ Confirm you have a signed and completed summer coaching waiver form on file for all coaches who will be coaching members of their high school team during the summer waiver period. As you can see, this document will serve as a good checks and

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See Tools on Page 19

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Athletic Activities School menu changes too harsh? By Ryan Johnson Schools across the country are back in full swing and not all of the kids are happy about it. This fall kicks off the new U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Federal School Lunch policies. The cookies and sweets that once occupied many school cafeteria menus have been replaced by more fruits and vegetables. That’s not a bad thing, right? However upon further review, I’ve noticed that we may be getting a little too extreme with the changes. For example, many schools are now no longer even serving ketchup. I’m left wondering if this is the best solution to curb childhood obesity. What about mandating more exercise? After hearing my middle school children rant about wheat crust pizza and nothing to slather their chicken nuggets in, I decided to investigate a bit for myself. A quick Internet search led me to the USDA website—School Meals Regulation—where a report with the heading Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program outlined the following summative info regarding the new practices. For the Cliff Notes version of the report, schools are required to increase fruits and vegetables, offer a meat alternative, provide fat-free and low-fat milk, incorporate whole grains, reduce sodium, and eliminate meals with trans fats. This new school meals initiative comes on the heels of

the 2010 Alliance School Beverage Guidelines Final Progress Report, which in general called for the removal of fullcalorie beverages, and reduced-sized servings of caloric beverages in schools across the country. All in all, the reduction of liquid calories was applauded in most circles as an effort to reduce the obesity trends in the youth across the country. So, now the sugary sodas in our school vending machines have been replaced by diet versions. Which, interestingly enough, sometimes contain a higher amount of sodium. In the district that my children attend, all condiments have been removed from the schools. No ketchup, no BBQ sauce, and hold the mayo. Cookies have also been removed from the menu as well as 2% milk. Classroom teachers can no longer reward kids with treats, and birthdays are no longer celebrated with cupcakes or snacks either. Though much of that decision has to do with the prevalence of nut allergies, to me, I see a trend developing in our schools. And so do

the kids. Across the country there is an uprising from kids to “brown bag it.” Twitter accounts and Facebook pages are popping up everywhere. Their goal is to boycott school lunches until they can have their cake and eat it too. Well not quite, but you get the point. I find myself pondering a lot of aspects of this recent development. We can mandate what a kid eats in the lunch room, but we can’t control what the buy from the vending machine a mere 20 feet from the lunchroom, let alone what they go home and graze on after school. The government is not educating the kids, they are simply removing the entire thought process of healthy choices. And as a physical education teacher, I wonder why there isn’t a federal policy on everyday physical education? To be honest, I am finding myself on the side of the kids. I say give the kids their ketchup with a side of physical education. Ryan Johnson is head strength and conditioning coach at Wayzata High School. He is also a frequent blogger for Training &

Conditioning magazine where this column originally appeared. He can be reached at: Ryan.Johnson@wayzata.k12.mn.us. Reprinted with permission. FEEDBACK: I too am an educator at a secondary school in New Jersey. I agree, that there needs to be more done in the way of educating the students (and their parents) about nutrition and exercise. I also believe, however, that the cafeteria is a role model for nutrition, and is therefore (somewhat) accountable for setting good examples. We can’t control what students put in their brown bags, or how many times a week they eat fast food. We can, however, educate by example. Our cafeteria serves French fries and pizza every day. This sends a message that it’s ok to eat theses foods on a daily basis, which, in my opinion is wrong. It is time to change today’s “traditional cafeteria fare” from a “fast food focus” to more sound offerings like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean unprocessed meats, and healthy fats. Although this is only part of the total nutrition equation, it is, I believe, a necessary component. Let’s face it, no one likes change, or to be told (in this case) what to eat. Audrey Tannenbaum ME.d, A.T.,C., CSCS Florence Township Memorial High School Florence, New Jersey

Tools ................................................................................... continued from Page 18 balances to help you operate your programs. Additionally, if you have not done so already you should visit with your head coaches and review a number of these educational tools together. The “Coaches Responsibility: Student Eligibility Checklist” is a good starting point. Working together with your coaches you can help to maintain your programs by properly administering the League’s rules, policies and bylaws. Wednesday Webinars Beyond the documents available on the League website, League staff will be hosting informational webinars on the second Wednesday of every month. The topics from month to month will vary and they will include current issues, upcoming events, and they will also include leadership and management components. The webinars will be 60 minutes or less and also provide attendees the opportunity for questions and answers with League staff. Below you will find the upcoming webinar topics and dates. Oct. 10, 2012: Bylaw 111 – Transfer; Bylaw 205 – Chemical

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Eligibility; New AD Workshop – State Tournaments 101, Recognition Programs, Q & A Nov. 14, 2012: Sportsmanship & Fan Behavior; Bylaw 206 – Student Code of Conduct; Q & A Dec. 12, 2012: Tournament Classification and Section Assignments; Bylaw 209 – Non-School Competition Jan. 9, 2013: Bylaw 111 – Transfers; Coaches Education; Q & A Feb. 13, 2013: New AD Workshop – Topics TBD; Other Topics TBD; Q&A April 10, 2013: Coaches Education; Other Topics TBD; Q & A Service, education and efficiency are the focus points of League staff when we work with school athletic administrators and member schools. We recognize the many hats you wear and your role as a school leader. It is our goal to help you do what you do better and with more information, while at the same time also help you manage your programs more efficiently. Regardless of what hat you are wearing or the task at hand, using the tools available on the League website and participating in the Wednesday Webinars will help you best serve the needs of your students, coaches and school community.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Athletic Activities

Sports Medicine Advisory Committee works to minimize risks to high school athletes By William O. Roberts, M.D., M.S. As we begin a new school year, the League’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee continues to monitor and discuss issues that impact Minnesota’s high school athletes. Here are several issues the committee has been closely involved with developing and monitoring: Emergency Action Plan—Anyone Can Save A Life This pioneering cardiac arrest protocol has been expanded to create a general emergency action plan that can be implemented in your schools to respond to collapsed athletes from the range of problems that occur on the field of play, from heart attack to heat stroke to concussion. A rehearsed and orderly response plan will reduce response times and increase the potential for survival. The program is designed for athletes, but will more likely, from a risk perspective, be applied to coaches and fans. The program will be available to all Minnesota schools. It is also being adopted by several other states, a testament to the innovation coming out of the Minnesota State High School League. Heat stress and WBGT The Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has recommended that heat stress be measured using wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which combines ambient temperature, relative humidity, and the radiant heat of the sun to give a measure that most accurately reflects risk to athletes. The WBGT can be determined using local ambient temperature and relative humidity utilizing the chart on the League website. This takes the place of the Heat Index, which tends to underestimate the heat stress of conditions at the upper ends of ambient temperature and relative humidity; potentially allowing high school athletes to compete or practice in unacceptable risk conditions.

Sports Medicine

Dr. William Roberts Concussion gear With the introduction of state laws requiring removal from activity and evaluation of athletes for potential concussion injuries, companies are responding with products to augment the protective value of helmets, padding the head in non-helmeted sports, or providing a measure of impact to a player’s helmet. These products have not been shown to change the outcomes of head impacts or to reduce the incidence of concussion. The Sports Medicine Advisory Committee does not currently endorse the use of these products and is concerned that the introduction of the devices may provide players a false sense of security regarding head and brain safety. Reducing head impact through coaching proper technique and enforcing game play rules, along with player respect and restraint, is the most effective means of reducing high school sports head and brain injury. William O. Roberts, M.D., M.S., is a professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Division of Sports Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, and also is chair of the League’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

Psychological preparation is key to Olympic performance

Research documents factors influencing athlete, team and coach per formance performance Olympic coaches must get athletes in the best physical, technical and emotional condition of their lives while not overtraining them and manage a totally complex environment full of distractions,” said Daniel Gould, Ph.D., CC-AASP, Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University. This was a consistent finding over three Olympiads in a series of comprehensive research projects commissioned by the United States Olympic Commission (USOC) and executed by Dr. Gould, who is a Fellow and Past President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). The team of researchers conducted individual and focus group interviews and surveys examining factors associated with Olympic success and failure involving athletes and coaches. “We looked at a broad spectrum of physical, psychological and environmental factors associated with performance success,” said Dr. Gould, who is sharing the findings in clinics and psychological skills

training workshops with American athletes and coaches, as well as international organizations. Research provides valuable knowledge, strategies for preparing to perform well at the Olympics. When the public watches the Olympic Games they can see the performance factors influencing an athlete’s outcome, however, many other factors influencing performance take place behind-the-scenes. Research showed how the influence of such behind-the-scenes issues as a snoring roommate, attendance at the Opening Ceremonies, transportation snafus, and family concerns can play a major role in the final results. The conclusions and solutions provide a lesson that can be applied to all levels of athletes, as well as non-athletes to apply in daily lives. Dr. Gould shared key lessons from the research:

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Dealing with distractions One of the biggest performance detractors leading up to and at the Games is dealing with all types of distractions. These can range from athletes from less popular sports meeting some of the most visible athletes in the world in the Olympic village dining hall, to traffic problems that disrupt an athlete’s normal training time. Other distractions include having a roommate that snores or having an event scheduled towards the end of the Games but living in a village where most athletes are finished competing and are in celebration mode. Research showed that better athletes and teams, while optimistic, went in expecting some distractions and made a commitment that they would not let those distractions interfere with what they needed to do to optimally prepare for performance, and be See Performance on Page 21

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Athletic Activities Help to ready field for play unexpected, appreciated The following note was sent to Executive Director Dave Stead. Dave, I want to share a great story from this past weekend. St. Charles hosted the 1AA East Subsection softball semifinals and finals, as we have done for the past several years. The semis started on schedule at 11:00 using adjacent fields. As both games were approaching the final inning, the skies grew dark and we knew that we were in for a storm. Luckily we got the final outs finished just before the thunder, lightning, and rain. Teams and fans scattered, took shelter, and waited as we still hoped to play the championship game once it blew over. Well, it rained very hard for the next 90 minutes, but we knew that we could get the field playable once it stopped raining, so we sat around and waited. The next part of the story is why I love high school activities so much. It finally stopped raining and within seconds we had the grounds crew from St. Charles working on the field as would be expected, but beyond that we had all three umpires, the local radio announcer, coaches from teams not playing in the game, and multiple ADs in attendance helping to remove water from the field. All of this without any prompting from the host team. People involved in high school activities are simply hard-wired to help out when needed. It was a long and tiring day, but one very enjoyable day as well. The championship game started two hours late, but was finished on its scheduled day which didn’t seem possible at one point. I witnessed once again the great lessons learned and memories created by MSHSL-sponsored activities. I am looking forward to a fun 3-4 weeks of upcoming spring tournaments. See you then. Scott McCready, Athletic Director St. Charles High School

Performance ....................................................................... continued from Page 20 prepared for the bureaucracy and intense media coverage. Expect the unexpected While more successful performers went into the Olympics with a positive attitude and frame of mind, at the same time, they also anticipated some unexpected events, and when they did, would employ some already learned coping strategies (e.g., a wrestler steps out of bounds, takes a deep breathe, and refocuses on what he needs to do to make a certain move work, such as say the word “penetrate,” before returning to the center of the mat to resume action). Less successful athletes often had gone into the Games expecting everything to be perfect and when these issues arose they got distracted and lost some or all of their performance focus. Develop and stick to your routine “We heard repeatedly from coaches and athletes that more successful athletes and teams set pre-performance physical and mental preparation routines. They did not feel that they had to mentally and physically prepare differently than if they had entered the first round of the competition against lesser opponents or were in the finals facing their archrival. This point was illustrated by one athlete who said, ‘More than anything, athletes need to have already a routine established and they need to stick to that routine and take refuge in that routine because at the Games, everything changes.’ Participants emphasized that it was especially important to avoid last minute changes – no easy task in an Olympic environment where a wide range of changes occur from one’s normal and competitive environment,” explained Dr. Gould.

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Opening Ceremonies – energizing or energy zapping? “Deciding whether to attend Opening Ceremonies can be very a difficult decision for Olympic athletes if they are going to perform within 24 to 48 hours of those ceremonies. Our research revealed that it could be a wonderful, exhilarating experience and worked to motivate some athletes. Others, however, found all the standing around zapped their energy and resulted in lackluster performance. It should be discussed with the athletes, taking care to examine the potential positive versus negative consequences,” Dr. Gould added. The influence of family and friends “A factor that we did not anticipate coming out of our research was the importance of the influence family and friends can have on athlete and team performance. For many athletes having their parents and friends at the Games is a tremendous source of enjoyment and a form of social support that helps them perform,” said Dr. Gould. However, for others, parents and friends can unknowingly serve as distractions, constantly asking questions about performance outcomes, next opponents or the ramifications of wins and losses. As the issue was identified, a solution followed: provide some education or guidance so families and friends can understand what their roles are relative to helping their athlete perform his or her best at the Games. For example, suggestions included setting up a system for getting family and friends tickets, having a plan to deal with family and friend communication during the Games and informing parents that there will be times that their athlete will have opportunities to see them at the Games, but other times that the athlete will need to limit contact with them for performance enhancement reasons.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

A summary of findings According to Dr. Gould, the most important findings coming out of the research provided lessons for coaches to consider relative to how they want their athletes to be feeling and focused in the time leading up to and during the Games. These include: ● Developing and maintaining a good attitude ● Being prepared to deal with distractions and unexpected events ● Expecting the unexpected ● Sticking with their routine ● Considering whether to attend Opening Ceremonies ● Dealing with the Olympic village ● Having a plan for dealing with family and friends ● Being ready to handle the media Dr. Gould also indicated that many of these lessons can be applied to athletes competing at other levels, such as high school teams competing in regional or state championships, or for individuals performing in other highly evaluative and important situations. Examples of non-sport performance include a dancer performing a major recital, an executive giving a critical presentation, and a surgeon performing a very difficult medical procedure. Editor’s Note: This a May 2012 news release published by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), which promotes ethical practice, science and advocacy in the field of sport and exercise psychology. Founded in 1986, AASP is an international, multidisciplinary, professional organization that offers certification to qualified professionals in the field of sport and exercise psychology. With more than 1,500 members in 39 countries, AASP is a worldwide leader, sharing research and resources with the public via its website www.appliedsportpsych.org.

Athletic Activities

Everyday inspiration from special athletes By Fran Bradley Did you see the inspiring story recently in the Post-Bulletin sports section about Pine Island senior Kathryn Lubahn? She was shown competing in the shot put from a special chair with the help of her fellow teammates. Kathryn is one of five Minnesotans competing in wheelchair track and field events. Born with spina bifida, Kathryn is not about to let her disabilities stop her from achieving her sports goals. Now that these events have been sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League, Kathryn’s participation is part of the total track and field team events and can add scores to her school’s totals. Quite a story—thanks, Donny Henn for bringing it to our attention. For me this is just another case of “inspiration by special people.” I have had the honor and privilege to attend many adapted sports events in which participants have either physical or cognitive impairments. Our 15year-old grandson, Cullen, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is wheelchair-dependent. His adapted floor hockey team had a great season, culminated by a third-place finish at last

winter’s state tournament. His adapted softball team is so far undefeated and will do well (from Grandpa’s biased point of view) in their state tournament June 12. You can be sure that Grandma and Grandpa will be cheering wildly for our grandson’s team. My hat is off to the many volunteers who make these adapted sports work so well for these incredible young people. They open the door of opportunity for young people with so much to offer. With rules and facilities adjusted to maximize the abilities of physically and cognitively impaired youngsters, these sports events are every bit as exciting as any regular high school events. We have had many nail-biting experiences with both wins and losses. The athletes compete with every ounce of their energy and skills. Some fly around the floor in their “athletic” wheelchairs; others move around nimbly even with their impairments. Our grandson is among those with power wheelchairs who

Free NCAA eligibility course available The NCAA Eligibility Center Coaching Education course has been jointly developed by the Eligibility Center and the National Federation of State High School Associations. The course is designed to educate teachers, coaches, parents, and counselors about the NCAA’s initial eligibility requirements. After completing the course, you will be more

prepared to advise your studentathletes about the necessary steps to become certified to compete in NCAA Divisions I and II athletics. Coaches can complete a course immediately and will have up to one year to review and access all printable resources. It is one of six free courses offered at www.NFHSLearn.com.

block floor hockey shots as goalie or play on base in the softball game. The athletes are well coached and play well together as a team. I know I would not be able to perform at their level. Beyond the athletics, there are so many other inspiring and often tear-jerking (yes, I will admit it) aspects to these athletic events. At a recent adapted softball game, a young girl tapped the softball off the tee and ran to first base with the biggest smile you have ever seen. When she got there before the throw, she jumped for joy and got a loud cheer from the fans. You could see how much this opportunity to compete meant to this young athlete and her teammates. On another play, an outstanding athlete who holds the record for most goals scored in a season in floor hockey was playing shortstop for my grandson’s softball team. An opponent hit a weak grounder to this boy and he fumbled the ball just long enough to allow the hitter to make it to first base safely. No doubt, the shortstop

could easily have fielded the ball and thrown out the runner. His team was in the lead and he chose to allow the runner to have the special opportunity to reach base. Another bunch of happy tears! We can learn so much from these talented, special young people. Rather than complain about physical or mental challenges, they live life to its fullest. Little things that so many of us take for granted become gratifying experiences. Focusing instead on what they can do rather than their limitations, they accomplish inspiring achievements. In a world overwhelmed with super athletes and supermodels, let’s take time to see people with special needs doing inspiring everyday things. Volunteer if you can, enjoy and support if you can’t. Allow yourself to apply the lessons to your life. Perhaps our challenges aren’t so insurmountable after all. Maybe we can embrace and enjoy the little things in life a lot more. Fran Bradley is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. His column appears monthly in the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Reprinted with permission.

Memories that will last a lifetime The following letter to the editor was published in the Chaska Herald. The Drakes of Blackduck High School wish to thank the community of Chaska for the wonderful hospitality in hosting the Class A baseball tournament. Athletic Park is a beautiful venue and our team created memories that will last a lifetime. We commend the organizers, site managers and the grounds crew for making our stay a memorable one. We only hope that we will earn our way back next season. Thanks Chaska. Go Drakes! Dwight Kalvig, Head baseball Coach Blackduck High School P.S. Blackduck finished fourth in the tournament in their first appearance.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

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Athletic Activities How much hitting will football players do? By Tim Engstrom It’s about football season, and I have to ask you, at least the readers who are parents of boys, will you let them play football? A few weeks ago I listened online to a June conversation at the Aspen Ideas Festival between several football experts. The topic was “Can Football Be Saved From Itself?” They mentioned how even some former football stars, such as Troy Aikman and Kurt Warner, aren’t letting their sons play football because of issues with concussions. Sure the sport also has issues with painkillers, social woes, you name it, but brain injuries are the big deal right now. And the Aspen talk was about a month after legendary linebacker Junior Seau shocked the sports world by committing suicide. Believe me, I like watching football. Skol Vikings! I even played football in high school, but I wasn’t very good, so I warmed the sidelines. It was the only varsity sport available for boys to play in the fall at my tiny high school, and boys were expected to go out. Still, the knowledge I gained thanks to taxpayers, aids me nowadays, um, as a fan, I suppose. I know things like the numbering scheme, how to use the threads to throw a spiral, the proper way to hit a tackling dummy or even the single-wing offense. But we have a lot more knowledge of the repurcussions of football now than we did back then. It’s an issue for parents. It wasn’t then. In Aspen, Chris Nowinsky, co-director of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, made an interesting point about brain injuries: “You know, I think, the big question going forward is, you know, we have to agree and we

have to appreciate that the football that we played for the last 50 to a 100 years was far too dangerous, for anybody involved. I mean in the brain bank, you know, it’s not a great way to study people postmortem to figure out how many people have this, you know, 18 to the first 19 NFL former players we studied have it. “Every college football player we studied has it. We found it in high school football players as young as 17. It’s bad, and so what we’re—now that we finally have agreed that this is real, we’re trying to figure out, can football survive? And what we’re—the way we’re doing it is not unlike the cigarette industry. We’re going with light cigarettes. Well, what if we cut the number of hits to the head in half and we treat the concussions and we educate and the medical care gets better? “Fingers crossed, that works, but, you know, that’s all you have, is hope. The science isn’t there to say where we’ve taken it or where we’re going to take it, we’ll be safe enough.” Then later, when asked about solutions, Nowinsky addressed the idea of hit counts. “You know, the No. 1 thing you can do to make youth football safer is to lower the exposure, and over half the exposure comes in practice. So what we’ve been pushing forward, the NFL was actually the first to move on this. They can only have one day of hitting a week in

practice, and the Ivy League said, all right, two days is the max. Pop Warner then went to three hours a few weeks ago. “So no more—you went to 10 hours a week of kids colliding to three hours. That’s going to dramatically reduce it. And one of the things that we are pushing through Sports Legacy to advance that discussion of, you know, less is more is something called the hit count. “Basically we—now that we have sensors and helmets, we can count how many times people are hit and we saw it happen in baseball of pitch counts. “There is a little bit of evidence that said you can wear out your elbow if you throw too many times. … “And we’ve sat around and said, gee, I think your brain is more important than your elbow. And so why don’t we limit how many times you get hit in the head and maybe mandate rest in between hitting days. And I think that’s—again, that’s the fastest way to get to lower trauma. Is it enough? It’s still high. And then you’re getting into—you have to diagnose your concussions. “We’ll miss 90 percent of them because children don’t know to speak up. We don’t have the technology to see them.” Interesting, huh? I like football, but I also very much care about the athletes we cover. If you are going to allow your son to go out for football, might I politely suggest you ask a coach about the number of days and hours a week the boys will hit during practice. Albert Lea Tribune Managing Editor Tim Engstrom’s column, Pothole Prairie, was published Aug. 14, 2012. Reprinted with permission.

Football coach stresses safety In the Aug. 14 edition of the Albert Lea Tribune, Tim Engstrom’s column “Pothole Prairie” addressed a serious issue in football: concussions. I would like to take this chance to inform our readers of how seriously we take this issue in our Tiger football program. I will also take this opportunity to address other issues in his column. First and foremost in our program we want our players to be safe. We outfit our players with high quality helmets. We stress to them the importance of wearing a form fitted mouth guard as that also will help with the prevention of concussions. If there is a collision it’s important that these two protective measures are taken. We also teach our players the proper technique in tackling. In the summer of 2011, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill that all coaches had to take a course on concussions. This was for all coaches in all sports. Not only that, but all officials that work for the Minnesota State High School League are also required to take the concussion course.

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The course stressed identifying the symptoms of a concussion. Coaches and officials are more aware of these symptoms, and we hope that this will help in the early detection of a possible concussion. If a player is removed from a game by an official, coach or medical staff, that player cannot return to the contest until they are cleared by medical personnel. This is a state high school league rule and a good one. In Albert Lea we have two athletic trainers that work with our athletes. Afton Wacholz and Lynn Scheevel do a wonderful job of caring for our athletes. Our athletes are given a baseline concussion test that is taken on the computer. If an athlete is suspected of having a concussion they will take that concussion test again. The athlete’s baseline numbers will be compared to the athlete’s current numbers. That will give our trainers a great indication of the athlete’s health. Again, and I stress, our athletes are not allowed to practice or compete until they are cleared by medical staff. I was however, disappointed to read that Tim

Fall 2012 Bulletin

didn’t gain anything from being out for football. He thanked the taxpayers for knowing things such as “numbering scheme, how to use the threads to throw a spiral, the proper way to hit a tackling dummy or even the single-wing offense.” It was unfortunate to read that. Football taught me the concept of teamwork, how to deal with adversity, how to set goals, how to be a leader, and football built friendships. For those players that go through Albert Lea football, it’s my hope that you take away from your experiences more than learning numbering schemes, how to throw a spiral, the proper way to hit a tackling dummy or even any offensive scheme we may run. I want you to look back and hope you gained valuable life learning skills, experiences and friendships the way I did. Max Jeffrey, Head Football Coach Albert Lea High School Published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Albert Lea Tribune and reprinted with permission.

Athletic Activities Coach disputed own team’s goal, takes loss

Hobey Baker winner endorses Minnesota’s hockey model

The following note was sent to Associate Director Kevin Merkle. Hi Kevin, I wanted to let you know about a very sporting act in a match that occurred in the Twin Cities last night. I don’t know if the parties involved will end up reporting this to you, but you and the League should hear about it because this is the exact kind of behavior and example we should be asking of coaches in Minnesota. I know about it because the coach who did this was my brother, and he took a lot of anger and heat for what he did from his own players and parents. It would be nice, I don’t know how, if the High School League could make some sort of gesture or effort to commend what he did, to reinforce his actions. My brother, Dave, coaches the girls’ varsity soccer team at Holy Angels. They’ve started the season 0-2, and after last night’s game, are 0-3 for the first time in his six years coaching there. At the very end of regulation last night in their game with Minnehaha Academy, one of his players launched a shot. According to him and the trail assistant referee standing in front of him, the ball had clearly not entered the goal when the scoreboard hit 0:00 and the horn sounded. The referee checked with the lead assistant, then awarded the goal and announced the game was over. Dave and the trail AR immediately agreed that the decision was wrong and the game should not end on what was clearly an incorrect decision. They approached the referee and the lead AR and told them that there was no way the ball entered the net before time expired. Mind you, Dave’s stance was such that he was taking away his team’s apparent victory and sending the game into overtime. In overtime, Minnehaha Academy scored and won the game by a single goal. Dave’s parents and some of his players were very upset at his gesture, but frankly, that’s as noble an act as you will see from a coach who told me before the game that he really felt pressured to get a victory. He’s never started 0-3 before in his years of coaching. He could have walked off the field and kept quiet, but he did what he felt was right. Even though I wasn’t involved in this game at all, I thought you should hear about it and maybe check with one of the participants to get confirmation. I don’t know if the League has an award for a sporting act, or even if there is some way to mention this in the magazine you guys send out. Obviously there are bigger incidents (like that school that saved the basketball referee’s life with the AED two years ago), but I just don’t think amazing acts of sportsmanship that place what’s right ahead of getting a win should go unrecognized. Doug Marshak, D.V.M. Duluth

The following letter was published in a recent issue of Minnesota Hockey magazine. Dear Minnesota Hockey: I recently had the honor and privilege of being named the 2012 Hobey Baker Award recipient as the top men’s college hockey player. Wow! Just typing that sentence and reading it over and over causes all kinds of wonderful emotions and thoughts in my head. But more so than anything, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to be from Minnesota, especially Duluth. I put my skates on for the first time in the warming house at the Duluth Heights outdoor rink when I was four. And some of the other four-year-old kids that were putting their skates on for the first time next to me in the warming house that winter are still some of my best friends today, 18 years later. We grew up on the outdoor ice rinks and then eventually the indoor ice rinks in the Duluth area. My friends and I are extremely lucky to have been coached by so many wonderful people who instilled in all of us a passion and respect for the game. I was fortunate enough to play in the state high school hockey tournament and eventually play for my hometown Bulldogs, being part of a memorable team that won the school’s first national championship. But it all started with the foundation that was built for me by the community hockey system that Minnesota has. In recent years, I’ve been able to play on teams with players from all over North America. After talking about our childhood hockey experiences, I quickly realized that hockey elsewhere is not quite like hockey in Minnesota. As a Mite and Squirt playing for Duluth Heights, all I wanted to do was beat the other Duluth neighborhood teams, including Piedmont Heights, Glen Avon, Portman, Congdon Park, Woodland, etc. Then at the PeeWee and Bantam level I played for Duluth East, which increased my list of rivals to places such as Cloquet, Grand Rapids, and Hibbing. Then came high school hockey at Duluth Marshall and games against Hermantown. The only thing better than a high school game against Hermantown was a win against Hermantown! All of this was done with my friends. All of this was done while living in the same house where I’d fall asleep as a fouryear-old dreaming about hockey. All of this was done while continuing to play soccer at a high level throughout high school. No, I didn’t join an all-star team of 10-year-old kids in the winter and go to tournaments in Quebec City or Buffalo. I played with kids from across the alley and down the street and a big road trip was a tournament in Coleraine. I didn’t move away at age 14 to pursue my hockey dreams. Instead I stayed home to play the game I love with my friends, and had a blast doing it! I did develop. I developed as a hockey player and as a person. And for that I want to thank everyone who is involved in hockey in Minnesota. The coaches at Duluth Heights that picked me up when I fell as a four-year-old. The people connected with Minnesota Hockey that oversee all of the community associations in the state. I truly appreciate all that you have done for me and for other young hockey players in Minnesota. I encourage you to keep doing it because hockey in Minnesota works and is indeed special. From the bottom of my brand new Hobey Baker award, thank you! Jack Connolly

Fall 2012 Bulletin

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Officials

2011-2012 Service Awards presented The Minnesota State High School League has recognized scores of officials for their continued work on behalf of the studentathletes of the state. Awards are presented to them according to their length of service. The service award recipients for the 20112012 school year were: 50 Years Allen Colligan, Dent; Larry Gallagher, Crystal; John G. Lieser, St. Cloud. 40 Years Scott Forbes, Edina; Lyle Gillen, Jasper; Micheal Hamilton, Elgin; Keith Johnson, West Saint Paul; Terry Knauf, Cold Spring; Ed Roepke, Gonvick; Kathleen Callaghan, St. Anthony; Ronald Hamann, Apple Valley; Donald Nolander, Albert Lea; Elaine Taggatz, Eden Prairie; James Zgonc, Virginia. 30 Years Charles Behrens, Hayfield; Brian Bond, West Fargo; James Carlson, Coon Rapids; Rick DeGardner, Vadnais Heights; Mike Drury, Thief River Falls; Jeanne Ekegren, Crystal; David Gratz, Fairmont; Donald Hanson, Taconite; Duane Hoecherl, Bloomington; Paul Hoehn, Milaca; Dick Irish, Preston; Katherine King, Minneapolis; Susan Lohse, Elbow Lake; James Northenscold, Mankato; William J. Peterson, Cook; Kevin Pfingsten, Fairmont; James Repke, Clearwater; Jim Sailer, Brooklyn Park; Mark Schleisman, Slayton; Brent Stahlecker, Crookston; Tom Steve, Sartell; Bruce Tilton, Wyoming; Doug Veith, Inver Grove Heights; Steve Walker, St. James; Roger Willhaus, Minneapolis. 20 Years Ethan Anderson, North Mankato; Brian Bakke, East Grand Forks; Dave Bell, Greenwald; Jerry Berg, Kasson; Curtis Beyer, Minnesota Lake; Thomas Bolduc, Princeton; Douglas Boyer, St. Peter; James Budin, Shakopee; Patrick Carey, Farmington; Bernard Carlson, Rochester; Kenneth Cooper, Shoreview; Brett Corrigan, Cottage Grove; Myron Damberger, Annandale; Steve Dengerud, Grove City; Ralford Dixon, Minnetonka; Patti Duellman, Winona; Tom Eaton, Albert Lea; Mary Lou Erickson, Alexandria; Doris Ferguson, St. Paul; Jac Fleming, Virginia; Chris Friese, St Francis; William Gahler, St. Paul; Sherrie Rae Gayken, Owatonna; Andres Gomez, Finland; Susan Hall, Duluth; Tammy Handevidt, Jackson; Darin Haugland, Inver Grove Hts; Thomas Holmes, Edina; Gerald Ide, Lester Prairie; Connie Kiedrowski, Oakdale; Jake Kloeckner, Owatonna; Russell Koch, Brook Park; Jeff Kuyava, Duluth; Kenneth LaChance, Eagan; Richard Lahn, Zimmerman; Katy Leppa, Glenwood; Tim Mackey, St. Cloud; Kelvin Matteen, Carlton; Mike Mattson, Cohasset; Craig Maurer,

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Northfield; Tim McGowan, Woodbury; Jodi Miller, Bloomington; Kirk Misialek, E Grand Forks; Kenneth Nielsen, Apple Valley; Daryl Oja, Grey Eagle; Lee Overmoen, Mankato; Jeff Pasco, Hutchinson; Raymond Peterson, St. Michael; Valerie Pitzen, Stacyville; Brad Plaman, Bloomington; James Powers, South St. Paul; Richard Prince, New Hope; Kerryl Quaintance, Winona; David Rech, Brooklyn Park; Lee Reiersgord, Edina; Bradley Rekstad, Cottage Grove; Peter Renneberg, Eagan; Mark Ricker, Clear Lake; Scott Ryan, Hutchinson; Philip Schenck, New Ulm; Gregory Schley, Brainerd; Ronnie Schneider, Roseville; Steven Schneider, Woodbury; Andy Schultz, Lakeville; Gary Sipe, Rockford; Gary Slarks, Owatonna; Joel Solie, Redwood Falls; Bernie Staelgraeve, Winona; Traci Swenson, Oakdale; James Tate, Marshall; Peter Thaldorf, Eagan; Paul Wackler, Howard Lake; Corey Wagner, Hayfield; Gary Wendorf, Rush City; Steve Wolvin, Coon Rapids; Michael Yager, Waconia; Anthony Zuk, Roseville. 10 Years David Addy, Brooklyn Park; Daniel Adkins, St. Paul; Steve Ahlvers, Lakeville; Gary Albrecht, Mahtomedi; Dawn Alexander, New Hope; Michael Allinder, Minneapolis; Jesse Anderson, Farmington; Matt Anderson, Minneapolis; Michael Andreas, Starbuck; Todd Andrix, Owatonna; Tariq Aouche, Minneapolis; Karen Ashley, Parkville; Waheed Ayinde, St. Paul; Jeff Baker, Becker; Tim Bass, Slayton; Ronnie Baumann, Lester Prairie; John Beard, Excelsior; Stephen Beilby, Rochester; Jerome Benson, Lake City; Patrick Bergquist, Duluth; Trace Birno, Chaska; Brian Bistodeau, Zimmerman; Franklin Bowstring, Deer River; Odell Braaten, Lake Park; Raymond Brown, Hugo; Gene Brudno, Maple Grove; Peter Budner, Golden Valley; Ross Burau, Becker; Marc Carrier, Waconia; Ahmed Charai, Maplewood; Erik Christensen, Northfield; Brian Christopherson, St Bonifacius; Mathew Coequyt, Minneota; Robert Coleman, Minneapolis; Tammie Coleman, Belle Plaine; Wallace Connaker, Pine City; Aaron Cook, Monticello; Mark Cooper, Roseau; Kristine Dahnke, Hammond; Dean Dalen, Waconia; James Delich, Anoka; Dan Delmonico, Oakdale; Robert Determan, Circle Pines; Dave Donahue, Rochester; Jeremy Donais, Fargo; Steve Dostal, Roseau; Brandon Drescher, Austin; Richard DuBois, Hudson; Larry Ebert, Winona; Gregory Elijah, Rochert; Timothy Evan, Byron; Anton Fehrenbach, St. Paul; Anthony Feigum, Glenwood; Dan Feigum, Elk River; Richard Fleming, Mankato; Gene (Wayne) Folkers, Crookston; William Foot, Red Wing; Dale Foster, Woodbury; Mike Foster, Cass Lake; Kathleen Furniss, Burnsville; David Garshelis, Cohasset; Nikki Gaulrapp, Minneapolis; Bou Gazley, Rochester; Dave

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Gervais, Minneapolis; Mark Gibeau, Coleraine; Ron Giles, Rochester; Heather Goldade, Roseville; Dan Gormley, Richfield; Marshall Graham, Bemidji; Daniel Gueningsman, Lester Prairie; Ryan Gunderson, Blaine; Derek Gustafson, Grand Forks; Jason Haase, Savage; Todd Haider, St Louis Park; Cory Hainy, Fairmont; Amy Hajek, Austin; Donald Hamann, Laporte; Philip Hansen, Detroit Lakes; Dennis Harris, Eagan; Jeff Haubrich, Luverne; Tom Heidrick, Eagan; Matt Hibbison, Cold Spring; Peter Hinrichs, St. Paul; Glen Hinz, Rosemount; Bradley Holcomb, Overland Park; Manami Holmes, Blooming Prairie; Dennis Holsman, Jr., Hill City; James Holt, Richfield; Kevin Horst, Stillwater; David Hovde, Coon Rapids; Dennis Hughes, Brooklyn Park; Gretchen Hyink, Grand Rapids; Brian Ingram, Woodbury; Patrick Irlbeck, Sanborn; Eric Johnson, Sauk Rapids; Michael Johnson, Andover; Michael Johnson, Two Harbors; Mark Jorgenson, Newfolden; Christina Katke, Blaine; Brian Kelly, Rochester; Patrick Kenney, Minneapolis; Mark Kill, Saint Paul; Joe Killoran, Buffalo; Mike Klima, New Germany; Brenda Knick, Big Lake; Kiel Kreidermacher, Duluth; Mathew Kukar, St. Louis Park; Jason Kurtzbein, Montevideo; Kevin Kuznia, Stephen; Scott LaBine, Argyle; Jason Lagergren, Duluth; Ron Laituri, Bemidji; Davis Lamppa, Virginia; John Lamprecht, Burnsville; Timothy Lange, Caledonia; Gary Larson, Duluth; Jeffrey Larson, Inver Grove Heights; Pete Larson, Bagley; Steve LeBoutillier, Westbrook; Elizabeth Lee, Ironton; Chuck Lister, Grand Rapids; James MacGillis, North Oaks; Mitch Madland, Winona; David Maher, Crystal; Patrick Mahoney, Hutchinson; Scott Malluege, Apple Valley; Stephanie Malone, Minneapolis; Michael Malterud, Bagley; Paul Marchetti, Grand Rapids; Monte McBride, Rochester; Frank McKay, Apple Valley; James McLaughlin, Red Lake Falls; Ronald Mead, Rogers; Rory Merlino, Maplewood; Jeremiah Miller, Wayzata; Doug Moberg, Hibbing; Loren Molenaar, Raymond; Mike Monita, West Saint Paul; Sharon Monson, Adams; Stephen Muscanto, Roseville; Chad Nelson, Ramsey; Jeff Nessler, Mankato; Katherine Nieters, Maplewood; Cliff Okerlund, Apple Valley; Robby Ott, Bowstring; John Paisley, Falcon Heights; Randy Palmer, North Mankato; Nathan Panning, Woodbury; John Parenteau, Hibbing; Erik Pederson, Minneapolis; Kevin Perry, Anoka; Justin Peterson, Alexandria; David Przybyszewski, St. Cloud; Kevin Purinton, Maplewood; Patrick Rach, Plymouth; Charles Rasche, New Ulm; Amy Rath, Lakeville; Philip Rendina, Minneapolis; Bob Roers, Moorhead; Jim Runyan, Verndale; Kevin Ryks, Aurora; Mike Saari, Mora; Lucas Schaaf, Brooklyn See Awards on Page 28

Officials

Pilot phase of promotional level program under way By Kevin Merkle Associate Director As outlined in the Spring 2012 Bulletin and as included with the registration information sent out to all officials, the new Promotional Level Program is now in its “pilot phase.” We appreciate the patience and understanding on the part of all officials as we go through this transition. The primary purpose of the program is to implement more training for officials and offer more incentives for officials to work toward improvement, specifically focusing on newer and younger officials. Veteran officials are being grandfathered in at either Level 2 or Level 3 and will have the opportunity to move up or maintain that rating level. Newer officials, those with five years or less experience, will need to meet additional training and experience requirements in order to advance to Level 2 or Level 3. The basic differences in the three levels are listed below: Level 1 – Qualified ● Eligible for regular season varsity contests and first round of section events. ● Meet all initial requirements—register, pay, complete online rule meeting, pass annual rules test, pass background check. ● Complete League’s beginner-level sport specific training within first three years. In some sports this requirement may be met through other organizations. ● Remain at this level by completing training once every three years. Level 2 – Certified ● Eligible for regular season varsity contests and all levels of section events. ● Meet all requirements of Level 1. ● Score 90 percent or better on annual rules test. ● Attend League’s advanced clinic or equivalent once every three years. Drop back to Level 1 if this requirement is not met. ● At least 40 coaches ratings with an average score of 4.5 or above (exceptions for some sports). ● A score of 4.8 or above by a League-trained observer will count as five ratings and raise the average by three-tenths of one point. Similarly, a rating of 5.5 or above will raise the average by one-half of a point. Level 3 – Approved ● Eligible for regular season varsity contests and all levels of section and state tournament events. ● Meet all requirements of Level 2. ● Score 95 percent or better on annual rules test. ● Complete advanced training or equivalent once every three years. Drop back to Level 2 if this requirement is not met. ● At least 70 coaches ratings with an average score of 5.3 or above (exceptions for some sports). ● A score of 5.3 or above by a League-trained observer will count as five ratings and raise the average by three-tenths of one point. A rating of 6.0 or above will raise the average by one-half of a point. All officials should note that the program is being piloted this year and is not in full effect until the 2013-14 school year. We know there

Kevin Merkle are details that still need to be worked out. As we receive questions and discuss the program with officials we will continue to refine the program. Recently, fall sport officials were notified of their initial placement. Those officials with five years of experience or less are at Level 1; those with six or more years of experience have been placed at Level 2; and any official who has worked a state tournament within the past three years will start at Level 3. Officials were notified that appeals will be accepted and were given the specific information about how to file an appeal. Winter sport officials will be notified of their initial placement in December and the same will occur for spring sport officials in April 2013. Sometime after the first of the year the process and timeline for applying to be reclassified will be released. Officials who want to move up a level will have to take the initiative to file an application to make that happen. The information filed will be reviewed and the change will be made if the qualifications are met. We expect that a number of Level 2 officials will quickly qualify to be placed at Level 3. Officials should be aware of several key aspects to this program. First, in sports where training clinics have not yet been developed or have only recently been developed, the training requirement will not be in effect (Swimming, Girls’ Dance Team, Hockey, Track and Field). Second, in some sports coaches ratings will not be required since they are just not conducive (Track and Field), and in some sports the number of coaches ratings needed for advancement will be adjusted (Football, Lacrosse), where there are fewer events per season. In football where five-person crews work together, three of the five will have to meet the requirements to work at a particular level, and the coaches ratings will be based on the ratings given to the referee of that crew. Finally, at least for the time being, Adapted Sports and Synchronized Swimming officials will only have one level (Level 1) and all officials will continue to be eligible to work the state tournament. Additional details are included in the pre-season mailing to all registered officials. Officials who have any questions or concerns about this program are respectfully requested to not call the office, but instead to e-mail those questions or concerns to: officials@mshsl.org.

Officials Advisory Committee key contributor Since the mid-90s the League has had an Officials Advisory Committee. The committee is made up of a representative from each sport for which there are officials, as well as a representative for female officials, a representative for minority officials, plus two athletic directors. The committee meets twice annually to discuss, review and make recommendations

for changes in the officials program. Committee members serve three year terms. Officials who have questions, concerns or suggestions in regard to the officials program are encouraged to share concerns or suggestions with their representative on the committee. Also, officials who are interested in serving on this committee are encouraged to contact the League office.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Members of the 2012-13 Officials Advisory Committee and the areas they represent are: Name Represents Tom Stephan, Jr. .................. Adapted Athletics Brad O’Donnell ......... Class A Athletic Director Gary Revenig ........... Class AA Athletic Director Ken Sargent ........................................ Baseball See Committee on Page 28

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Officials Why charter officials associations? For many years the League has had a charter program with the local officials associations throughout the state. The charter program is simply an agreement between the League and the associations to work together toward the betterment of high school officiating throughout the state. Charter associations agree to host at least one membership meeting or training session per year and to abide by the rules and regulations of the League’s officials program. Charter associations are able to send representatives to preseason meetings at the League office on a biannual basis, as well as other special meetings for officiating leaders. Another major benefit is that charter associations are able to recommend their top officials for state tournament assignments. Membership in the program is free and is accomplished through a simple application form. First, check to make sure that your association is not already a charter association. If not, e-mail Katie Vanderpoel (kvanderpoel@mshsl.org) and she will e-mail the forms. Associations should note that it is necessary to renew the charter agreement on an annual basis. Thanks to all of the local officials associations in Minnesota, and especially to those association leaders.

Hosting officials: Show your appreciation All member schools are reminded to do what they can to be a great host for officials. Officials have a difficult job and they are certainly not overpaid. There are simple things that schools can do that help make the job of officials easier, while also helping them to feel appreciated. Anyone performs more effectively when his/her efforts are appreciated. A Guide to Hosting Officials will be sent to all schools as part of the all-school mailing in October. This guide outlines a number of things that schools can do, including having someone to greet officials when they arrive, providing a clean, secured area to dress and keep their valuables, and providing simple refreshments such as water. Perhaps the most simple and yet most important offering would be a simple “Thank you” after the event. This is especially meaningful when it comes from players and coaches. Not every school can do everything that is recommended in the Guide to Hosting Officials, but if every school would just try to do one or two things that they are not currently doing the impact

would be great. We need to keep the officials we have, and these are simple things that will be of great benefit in the retention of officials. Thanks for hosting officials in the best way possible and finding ways to show your appreciation for the service that they provide.

Winter sport training clinics set The League continues to provide training clinics for officials throughout the state. Additional information about these clinics is included in the pre-season mailing to all officials. All clinics are free, but officials are reminded to pre-register for clinics. This can be done online in the Official’s Corner. All clinic attendance is also tracked in the Official’s Corner. Officials will be required to attend a training clinic at least once every three years. The schedule: Basketball (Registration at 5 p.m.; clinic begins at 5:30 and will end by 9 p.m.) ● Nov. 28 at Little Falls High School ● Nov. 14 at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School ● Nov. 15 at Mankato East High School ● Nov. 8 (tentative) at Maple Grove High School Gymnastics (Registration at 5 p.m.; clinic begins at 5:30 and will end by 9 p.m.) ● Nov. 7 at Bloomington Kennedy High School ● Nov. 12 at Rochester Mayo High School ● Nov. 14 at Alexandria High School Hockey Required training for all hockey officials will be conducted at local association pre-season meetings. Those unable to attend those in-person meetings will be required to attend make-up sessions that will be provided online or via webinars. Wrestling ● Oct. 27 at Elk River High School in conjunction with the Wrestling Coaches Clinic (Registration at 8:30 a.m.; clinic begins at 9:00 and will end by noon) ● Nov. 14 at Rochester Century High School (Registration at 5 p.m.; clinic begins at 5:30 and will end by 9 p.m.)

Awards ............................................................................... continued from Page 25 Park; Chad Schroeder, Rochester; Travis Schuett, Welcome; Sammi Schultz, Byron; Chris Schuver, Sauk Rapids; Ron Seibring, St. Cloud; Kevin Selfors, Sauk Centre; Kelly Shanahan, St. Louis Park; James Slinkard, New Prague; Jayme Smrstick, Rosemount; Craig Steffen, Faribault; Mathew Stephens, St. Cloud; Don Stob, Milaca; Steven Stoltz, Mahtomedi; Brady Storhaug, Golden Valley; Shane Sturges, Brooklyn Center; Mike Summerbell, Andover; Martin Sveen, St. Charles; Eric Swenson, Pine Island; Sarah Tangen, Zumbrota; David Taus, Mountain Iron; Julie Teslow, Harmony; George Thomas, Winona; Robert Thomas, Coon Rapids; Kristian Thonvold, Minneapolis; Mark Thorsett, Staples; Kevin Thurston, Nicollet; Jeanne Tolzman, Waterville; Glen Trembath, Clearbrook; Rick Turner, Hawley; David Vigen, Thief River Falls; Paul Vlahutin, St. Paul; David Vonesh, East Grand Forks; Eric Walberg, Cold Spring;

Kathy Walker, St. Joseph; Steve Walker, Brooklyn Park; Tim Wangen, Winona; Amy Wardell, South Saint Paul; Geoffrey Warren, Rochester; Deborah Welch, Forest Lake; Robin Whinnery, Red Wing; Kevin White, Duluth; Aaron Widboom, Eagan; Michael Wienen, Thief River Falls; Larry Wilson, Austin; Larry Winkelman, Morris; Brad Wright, Monticello; Don Zeyen, Prior Lake; Bradley Zimmel, Morris; Rey Zimney, Pierz. The League appreciates the dedication and work of all of its registered officials and urges each to recruit and mentor more. Congratulations to all of these officials who have earned years of service awards! Thanks for your service to the student-athletes of our member schools!

Committee ......................................................................... continued from Page 26 Jim Budin ......................................... Basketball Katie Ohlund ....................... Girls’ Dance Team Steve Beckman .................................... Football Ellie Berg ............................. Girls’ Gymnastics Dave Delmonico .................................... Hockey

Chris Jessen ...................................... Lacrosse Brenda Holmgren Female Officials Recruitment Pat Rock ........... Minority Officials Recruitment Jim Engelking, Jr. .................................. Soccer Linda Edmison ........................... Girls’ Softball

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Michael Bougie .................. Swimming & Diving TBD ................. Girls’ Synchronized Swimming Greg Utecht ................................. Track & Field Di Ette Marx ............................. Girls’ Volleyball Bill Olson ........................................... Wrestling

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Officials Osseo player earns big-time fan in Staples The following note was sent to Executive Director Dave Stead by Osseo Activities Director Ray Kirch. Dave, A little lengthy but a good story about the impact of our high school sports and our high school athletes on our youth. Ray, Read this e-mail sent from a family in Staples-Motley after we won the state tournament. Very heartwarming. We gave him Ian’s jerseys and then see the photo of him wearing the jersey. Thought you might like this. Tim Theisen, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Dear Coach, We are a family in Staples that is very active in our basketball program, however, I wanted to share a story with you about how your boys have won the heart of our own little guy. Eli is 5, our only boy and the youngest of four and has grown up watching his sisters play ball and being in the gym so it didn’t surprise me that he sat down to watch the Osseo vs. Hopkins game. I was making supper and the next thing I know he hollers, “Oh yeah, man that was sweet! Mom he was tripping going in for a layup and still made the basket!” It was at this time my husband had to tell him who the players were and where Osseo was located, etc. Later on he says, “Mom, No. 45, his name is Theisen and he is my favorite.” Needless to say he was glued to the couch thru the game and cheered just as loud as he does for his own sisters, every time you guys made a basket. We joked that I bet we were the only parents in Staples with a kindergartener that was begging to stay up past bedtime to watch the end of the game, which 3 overtimes later was WAY past his normal bedtime. He was so excited and was jumping up and down hollering when you won the game. It was very sweet and he went to bed a very happy boy — end of story, well not quite. The next day he had to know when you played again and on Saturday convinced his dad that if he took a nap he could stay up and watch since you played the late game. Well, as soon as he woke up from his nap Saturday afternoon it was every 20 minutes, “How much longer, how much longer, don’t let me miss the beginning mom.” When game time came he was just as he was the other night. All cheering and “Aw Yeah’s” and “Theisen just made 2 3threes mom to put them in front.” Seriously, you would have thought we knew someone on the team! Unfortunately the game went too late and he fell asleep during halftime. However, five in the morning he comes racing into the bedroom, “Why did you let me fall asleep? Did Osseo win?” As soon as I told him yes he was off to bed again. What touched my heart though was after he woke up that day he asked his dad to show him exactly how the last play of the game was and later that day I went outside to see what he was up to and this is what I saw. He was running towards the basket saying. “and Tusler dribbles down the court, gets caught in the middle, throws the ball to Theisen.” He picks up the ball and runs to the side a little and then continues the play-by-play. “He shoots and scores,” jumping up and down. (Of course the basket is lowered so he can put them in, lol) Then he tells me, “If I had a Theisen jersey I would wear it everywhere!” I know in working with our own program that I don’t think that the varsity players always realize the impact they have on the younger generation of ball players, so I hope you will share this with Ian. I have never seen our little guy get so excited before when he wasn’t watching his sisters, and our family watches a lot of basketball. My son will always be his fan and my husband has already promised Eli if you make it to state again next year he will take him down there. So I just wanted to let you know that your team has reached a little guy 3 hours away with a big heart who will always be a “Cardinal” fan but now is also an “Orioles” fan as well, and probably always will be. Thank you for this wonderful state basketball memory! Congratulations on the state championship and good luck next year! Heidi Smith, Mom of Eli Smith Staples-Motley Basketball Booster Coordinator

Official noted football player’s head injury, team’s class The following note was sent to Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Activities Director Joe O’Keefe, as well as shared with the League. Hi Joe, I was the Referee (White Hat) for the game last night @ Perham. As the AD, I wanted to make you aware that #21 was removed from the game due to signs of a head injury. He did not return to the game. In the continuing MSHSL efforts to deal with the concussion issue, I wanted to make sure this student-athlete gets the proper clearance before returning to practice/game situations. Having said that, I also want to commend the entire coaching staff and the players for the class they showed throughout the game. Kalan Malchow Registered Football Official

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Fall 2012 Bulletin

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary of the Minutes of the April 5, 2012, Board of Directors Meeting Reflection, Pledge of Allegiance 8.

The Board of Directors viewed a video highlight of Perham High School seniors Joe Alfs and Emily Peterson singing the National Anthem during the Boys’ State Basketball Tournament. Amy Doherty introduced Andover junior Josh Ripley who was selected as the 2012 Section 5 recipient of the “National High School Spirit of Sport Award” by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Ripley was nominated for the prestigious award by MSHSL staff for his selfless actions during a cross country meet in September of 2011. Early in the race, Ripley stopped running when he heard the screams of a competitor who had been accidentally “spiked” in the achilles heel by another runner’s shoe. Ripley picked up the injured competitor and carried him more than a quarter of a mile to the safety of his coach. The injured athlete was whisked away to the hospital where he received 25 stitches. MSHSL staff believes that Josh exemplifies the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education. Board Actions 1. Approved the Agenda. 2. Approved Minutes of the February 2, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 3. Paul Twenge, MN Baseball Coaches Association, spoke in support of double elimination format for final eight teams for state baseball tournament competition 4. Stacey Sheetz, Softball Advisory Committee, spoke in support of double elimination format for final eight teams for state softball tournament competition. 5. Mike MacMillian, MN Hockey Coaches Association, spoke in support of changing the scrimmage rule. 6. Tom Critchley, Boy’s Basketball Association, spoke in support of seeding Class AAAA boys’ and girls’ tournaments geographically. 7. Received lobbyist’s report including an update on the Stadium Bill; and the statute regarding 180 day good faith effort for finding a

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conference has been changed to 90 days. Received legal counsel’s report including an update on current legal cases. Received Executive Directors report including: Staff spoke regarding winter tournaments; Amy Doherty gave a robotics update and Board Members viewed a video clip from the regional robotics tournament held on March 30-21; Mindy Sparby was elected 2nd Vice President for the MN Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; Representative Assembly meeting will be held Monday, May 14, 2012 at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park; The Gender Equity manual is being updated in partnership with the Department of Education; The NFHS summer meeting will be held July 7-11, 2012 in Nashville, TN. Received Executive Committees report including: Approved the following policies to be forwarded to the full Board for a first reading: Announcements at Tournament Games (Appendix A) Videotaping Another School Game (Appendix B) Approved a request from St. James High School to allow one student from ButterfieldOdin High School to be a part of a football co-op for one year without changing the classification; Athlete who competed in a state tournament relinquished his medal. There is no precedent to follow and President Sparby requested action be taken by the Board. Approved accepting the participant’s relinquishing the medal. Each medal winner will return their medal and each place standing will be moved forward one place. The student who returned the medal will be listed as DQ in the rankings. The League office will redistribute medals to the appropriate winner. Tabled the Basketball Advisory Committee’s

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recommendation to seed all teams. Due to region consistency, if this recommendation is approved by the Board, all activities will be affected. League staff will survey the regions and affected sports to see if they would support seeding teams 1-4 or seeding teams 1-5. Defeated the Basketball Advisory Committee’s recommendation that in Class AAAA basketball only, eight section sites are identified by Region Secretaries and an appointed basketball committee would assign and seed teams to each site based on geographic and competitive balance as a two-year pilot. Defeated the Hockey Advisory Committee’s recommendation that scrimmages be allowed during the first two weeks, determined by school administration, and completed by the third Monday. After the third Monday, scrimmages will be limited to two scrimmage dates following the third Monday of the season. If this recommendation is approved by the Board, all activities will be affected. Approved the Softball and Baseball Advisory Committee’s recommendation to have all section tournaments in softball and baseball as a single elimination until eight (8) teams remain. In all sections, the final eight (8) teams will play an eight (8) team double elimination tournament with games being held on a Saturday and/or Memorial Day. Approved the Girls’ and Boys’ Swimming and Diving Advisory Committee’s Recommendation that the number of sections in Class A Boys’ Swimming and Diving be expanded from four (4) sections to six (6) sections and that the expansion go into effect for the 2013-2014 school year. In addition, it was recommended the number of state qualifiers be reduced from four (4) to three (3) qualifiers per event from each section.

Fall 2012 Bulletin

16. Approved the Cross Country Running Advisory Committee’s recommendation to change the individual advancement from section to state as follows: in each section meet, the top eight (8) individual finishers not on a team qualifying for the state meet shall qualify for the state meet. If five (5) or more members on the same team qualify for the state meet as individuals, they will compete at the state meet as individuals, not as a team. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. 17. Approved future meeting dates as presented. 18. Approved the future tournament dates as presented 19. Approved forwarding proposed clarifying language in Bylaw 205.2 and Bylaw 304.0 regarding the use of an ineligible player to the Representative Assembly for consideration at their May 14, 2012 meeting. 20. Approved Game Termination Policy for State Baseball and softball. The first reading of the proposed Policy was held at the February 2, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 21. Approved the Eligibility Committee minutes as presented. 22. Approved the January 2012 and February 2012 financial statements as presented. 23. Approved the Coaches’ Continuing Education Requirements Policy as presented. Discussion Items A. First reading of a proposed policy regarding lower level games (Appendix M). This will be an action item at the June Board of Directors meeting. B. update on the Classification Committee meeting that was held on March 28, 2012. The current policy has been in place for four years. The Committee is currently having discussions regarding counting enrollment for cooperative sponsorships and reviewing if there may be a different way to place cooperatively sponsored See April 5 on Page 31

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Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary of the Minutes of the June 11, 2012, Board of Directors Meeting Reflection, Pledge of Allegiance President Sparby welcomed and introduced the new Board members: Tom Conzemius, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Region 7-8AA; Bob Grey, Montevideo, Region 3-4A; Shelly Hotzler, Jackson Country Central, Girls’ Sports; and Erich Martens, Sauk Rapids-Rice, MASSP. Chris McDonald, Eagan, CTAM was attending the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Indianapolis. The Public Representative has not yet been appointed by the Governor’s office. Board Actions 1. Approved the Agenda. 2. Approved Minutes of the

April 5, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 3. Received lobbyist’s report including an update on the Stadium Bill. The Stadium Bill includes the following language regarding the Minnesota State High School League: High School League. The lessee of the stadium must make the facilities of the stadium available for use by the Minnesota State High School League for at least seven days each year for high school soccer and football tournaments. The lessee of the stadium must provide, and may not charge the league a fee for, this use, including security, ticket

takers, custodial or cleaning services, or other similar services in connection with this use. 4. Received legal counsel’s report including working on contracts and minor eligibility issues. 5. Received Executive Directors report including: ● Staff spoke regarding spring tournaments; ● Venue for Adapted Bowling may change from the Brunswick Zone in Eden Prairie to the Brunswick Zone in Brooklyn Center. The Brooklyn Center facility has more lanes to accommodate the bowlers; ● Pat Kelly and Dave Stead

attended the Legal Seminar in Indianapolis in April; Roger was to attend but stayed back to work on the Stadium Bill. Dave acknowledged Mike Rusinko, Roz Peterson, Laurie Esau, Mindy Sparby and Roger for their work on the Bill; ● Welcomed new Board Members; ● Area Meetings were well attended; ● Thanks to all Board Members for their help and support during the 20112012 school year. 6. Received Executive Committee’s Report See June 11 on Page 32

April 5 ................................................................................. continued from Page 30 teams into competitive sections. The Committee will meet on May 14, 2012 and an update will be provided to the Board at the June meeting.

C. A survey was provided to all schools regarding fall golf. There was not enough interest in fall golf to proceed.

D. Sportsmanship and student behavior at games was discussed to see if there was interest in bringing back a sportsmanship award or recognition. This may be an

item for discussion as the August Workshop. The complete, official Minutes may be obtained from the League office by the designated school representative of member schools.

Volleyball official noted positive atmosphere

Sportsmanship, respect evident despite loss The following note was sent to Lake City baseball coach Perry Iberg and Activities Director Doug Vaith, as well as shared with the League. Perry, I know you suffered a tough loss to LaCrescent last evening, but I want to tell you that your team is first class in every way. Your kids played their hearts out and achieved a lot of respect from anyone watching them. Most important, however, is how they act and carry themselves and that is a reflection of you as a coach. I felt good about being able to work several of your games this season and your team sportsmanship is outstanding. I want to especially compliment your catcher Reid Lundell. Not only is he a very good catcher, but his competitive spirit is very noticeable along with his great respect and he’s a very good communicator. As a plate umpire I had the opportunity to chat with him briefly on several occasions and he portrays a very mature demeanor. I watched him as that last LaCrescent hit left the bat and he just walked away knowing it was over. He kept his composure and just was disappointed as I am sure all of you were. Your team has nothing to be ashamed of; you gave it your all and achieved the most important ingredients—teamwork and sportsmanship. Best wishes to you and your team.

The following note was sent to Girls’ Volleyball State Officials Coordinator Henry Gerth and Stewartville Activities Director Sharon Morlock, as well as shared with the League. Last night I worked the Stewartville vs. Kingsland volleyball match hosted by Stewartville. We had such a great work crew and positive atmosphere worthy of sharing with the League. Site management was there to greet us, setting such a positive tone. From the lines people to score bench personnel to concession workers—everyone knew how to do their jobs and was enthusiastic to be on hand. I commend the administration, coaches, athletes, parents and fans—the night was about the athletes from both teams and supporting them to perform their best. It was a class act and an example for others to emulate! I’m proud to have been a part of this successful launch to the 2012 season. April Sutor, Rochester Registered Volleyball Official

Jon Springer Registered Official

www.MSHSL.org

Fall 2012 Bulletin

Calendars Fall 2012 Calendar of Meetings Oct. 16 .......................................... Gymnastics Charter Clinicians, League Office, 10 a.m. Oct. 20 ............. Speech, One Act Play Judges Clinic, Fairmont High School, 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 24 .............................................. Wrestling Charter Clinicians, League Office, 10 a.m. Oct. 25 .......................... Speech, One Act Play Judges Clinic, Park High School, 4-6 p.m. Oct. 27 ..................................................... ACT National Test Date, (www.actstudent.org) Oct. 29 ...................................... One Act Play Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m. Oct. 30 ............................................................... Region Secretaries, League Office, 9 a.m. Oct. 31 .. Alpine Skiing Coaches Rules Meeting, Robbinsdale Cooper High School, 7 p.m. Oct. 31 Nordic Ski Racing Coaches Rules Meeting, Robbinsdale Cooper High School, 7 p.m. Oct. 31 ........ Nordic Ski Racing Coaches Rules Meeting, Marshall School, Duluth, 7 p.m.

Nov. 3 ...................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org) Nov. 5 .................. Alpine Skiing Coaches Rules Meeting, Marshall School, Duluth, 7 p.m. Nov. 16 ................................................. Music Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m. Nov. 28 .......................... Minnesota Adapted Athletics Meeting, League Office, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 1 ...................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org) Dec. 5 ................................................. Softball Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m. Dec. 5 ......................................... Dance Team Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m. Dec. 5 Minnesota Adapted Athletics Association Board Meeting, League Office, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 6 .............................................. Board of Directors Meeting, League Office, 9:30 a.m. Dec. 8 ........................................................ ACT National Test Date, (www.actstudent.org) Dec. 10 ........................................ Basketball Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.

Fall 2012 Calendar of State Events Oct. 22 ...................................................... Opening date for girls’ competitive dance team Oct. 23-26 ........................................................ STATE GIRLS’ TENNIS TOURNAMENT – Class AA @ Baseline Tennis Center, U of M; Class A @ Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center, Minneapolis Oct. 24-26, 29-30 Nov. 1 ............................................. STATE SOCCER TOURNAMENT – Quarterfinals @ various sites (24-26); Class A & Class AA Boys’ semifinals (29); Class AA Girls’ semifinals, Class A third-place, Class AA Boys’ third-place (30); Class AA Girls’ third-place, Class A & Class AA finals (1); All third-place & championship games will be played @ Metrodome Oct. 29 ................................................................................. Opening date for girls’ hockey Nov. 3 ......................................................... STATE CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING MEET – St. Olaf College, Northfield Nov. 6 .......................................................... General Election: No school activities 6-8 p.m Nov. 8-10 ................................................ STATE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT – Xcel Energy Center, RiverCentre, St. Paul

Nov. 8-10 .................................................................... STATE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS - Various sites Nov. 12 .................................................. Opening date for Alpine skiing, Nordic ski racing, girls’ gymnastics, boys’ hockey & girls’ basketball Nov. 15-17 .............................................. STATE GIRLS’ SWIMMING & DIVING MEET – U of M Aquatic Center, Minneapolis Nov. 16-17 ................................................. STATE ADAPTED SOCCER TOURNAMENT – Stillwater Area Senior High School Nov. 15-17 ........................................ STATE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS – Metrodome, Minneapolis Nov. 19 ................... Opening date for wrestling, adapted floor hockey & boys’ basketball Nov. 23-24 .................................................. STATE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT FINALS / PREP BOWL - Metrodome, Minneapolis; 9-Man, Class AA, Class AAAA & Class AAAAAA (23); Class A, Class AAA & Class AAAAA (24) Nov. 26 ............................................................. Opening date for boys’ swimming & diving

June 11............................................................................... continued from Page 31 including: ● Approved date changes of the Activity Advisory Committee Process to give Region Secretaries more timely information from the Activity Advisory Committees meeting dates. ● Approved a wrestling coop between Chaska/ Chanhassen for the regular season, but will separate for post season play. ● Approved annual La Crescent school request to participate with the WIAA Forensic League. ● Approved the wheelchair track and field resolution and settlement agreement. ● Approved Cleveland High School’s continuation of a hockey co-op with Le Center/ Le Sueur-Henderson/ Montgomery-Lonsdale/St. Peter hockey co-op allowing two Cleveland students to participate without changing the classification from Class A to Class AA. 7. Approved the additional office and conference space in the lower level of the MSHSL office: A. Authorize the MSHSL Legal Counsel, Board

President and Executive Director to review the bids for the project; B. Authorize a project labor agreement pursuant to MS 123B.52; C. Contact the current Executive Committee members for their review of the bids; and D. Approve the final adoption of the project as determined by the Executive Committee acting on behalf of the MSHSL Board of Directors. 8. Approved request from District 196 allowing home school students to participate outside their school district attendance area; the District requested that those home school students be grandfathered and allowed to continue to participate where they currently are. Any future home school students will need to follow MSHSL Bylaws regarding school district attendance areas. 9. Approved moving the April 4, 2013 Board meeting to April 11, 2013 due to conflict with the Athletic Directors’ Conference.

10. Approved Executive Director’s evaluation and three year contract. 11. Approved the complimentary ticket list as presented. 12. Approved the 2012-2013 Speech Season Book and Topic as presented. 13. Approved the 2012-2013 budget as presented. 14. Approved the Videotape Policy The first reading of the policy was held at the April 5, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 15. Approved the Announcement Policy. The first reading of the policy was held at the April 5, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 16. Approved the Lower Level Game Rules Policy. This policy addresses risk minimization. The first reading of the policy was held at the April 5, 2012 Board of Directors meeting. 17. Approved a change in policy to seed teams 1 through 5. 18. Approved a request to conduct a NFHS football rule experiment involving the onside kick was approved. Staff is requesting to continue the experiment for another year; the NFHS

Fall 2012 Bulletin

allows rules experiments to be conducted for three years. 19. Approved an NFHS Hockey Rule Experiment as presented. 20. Approved an NFHS Track and Field Experiment – Exemption from Rule 4.3.3 regarding jewelry. 21. Approved the June 11, 2012 Eligibility Committee minutes as presented. 22. Approved the March 2012 and April 2012 financial statements as presented. 23. Approved the MSHSL Charitable Organization Annual Report. 24. Approved the Insurance Premium Summary for YE 2012-2013 as presented. 25. Approved the Audit/Finance Committee’s recommendation to grant Region 4A $20,000 to supplement its operating budget. Discussion Item First reading of a proposed policy regarding Commemorative and Memorial Patches. The complete, official Minutes may be obtained from the League office by the designated school representative of member schools.

www.MSHSL.org

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Minnesota State High School League

Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

2100 Freeway Boulevard Brooklyn Center MN 55430-1735 PHONE: 763/560-2262 FAX: 763/569-0499 World Wide Web: www.MSHSL.org

PAID MINNEAPOLIS MN Permit No. 31890

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Mission Statement The Minnesota State High School League provides educational opportunities for students through interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs and provides leadership and support for member schools.

Beliefs ◆ Participation in school activity programs is a privilege and not a right. ◆ Sportsmanship needs to have a constant presence in all school-based activity programs. ◆ Students should have an equal opportunity to participate in all activities offered by their school. ◆ Ethical behavior, dignity and respect are nonnegotiable. ◆ Student participants who choose to be chemically free must be supported. ◆ Collaborative relationships with parents enhance a school’s opportunity to positively impact student success. ◆ Academic priorities must come before participation in athletic or fine arts activities.

◆ Positive role models and an active involvement in a student’s life by parents and others are critical to student success. ◆ High school activity programs are designed for student participants, and adults must serve in a supportive role. ◆ The success of the team is more important than individual honors. ◆ Compliance with school, community and League rules is essential for all activity participants. ◆ Participation in school-sponsored activities must be inclusive, not exclusive. ◆ Ethical behavior, fairness, and embracing diversity best serve students and school communities.