IHSA New Administrators’ Workshop
Open Gym, Season Limitations, Summer Participation
SMAC update
October 3, 2012
OPEN GYM – background
(By-Law 3.160)
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Fundamental Idea: the IHSA is a self-policing organization
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This rule allows schools to offer students ‘informal’
opportunities to participate.
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Monitoring a few key components is critical
OPEN GYM – the actual rule
(By-Law 3.160)
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3.160
OPEN GYM LIMITATIONS
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3.161 Schools may open their gymnasiums or facilities for
recreational activities to students or other persons who reside in
or outside their district, under the following conditions:
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a) There is no coaching or instruction in the skills and techniques in any
sport at any time.
b) Participation is voluntary and is not required
directly or indirectly for membership on a high school squad.
c) Comparable opportunities are afforded to all
participants.
d) Notification of open gym.
OPEN GYM – compliance
(By-Law 3.160)
•
•
Investigations generally uncover abuses of this rule
School has obligation to ensure these components aren’t
violated
• Establish a chain of command
• AD/someone else
• You are still responsible
Open Gym Illustrations
What considerations need to be taken into account when
announcing open gyms?
A: Schools need to announce open gyms in such a manner
that allows for all students to have a reasonable
opportunity to know about the time and date for the event.
Any kind of public announcement (daily announcements,
flyers, etc.); word of mouth is NOT acceptable
Can coaches participate in open gyms?
A: Coaches may participate in open gyms as long as they
are not providing any instruction while they participate.
Open Gym Illustrations
May a school conduct a sport specific open gym?
A: Yes, provided that a number of recreational activities are
available during the course of the year. In other words, a
school can’t just offer ‘volleyball’ open gyms during the
year. If a school is going to have open gyms, they must
allow for more than one sport to be the focus during the
school year. All sports should have the opportunity to
conduct open gyms.
May a school conduct a gender specific open gym?
A: No. Open gyms are voluntary and open to all students.
Season Limitations – background
(By-Laws 2.090 and 5.000)
• One of our oldest rules (2 mentions)
• This rule protects students
• Designed to keep programs from becoming an excessively dominant
presence in a student’s life
• Society has changed…as has this rule
SEASON LIMITATIONS – the rule
• By-law 2.090
• No school belonging to this Association shall organize its teams, practice,
scrimmage or participate in any interscholastic sport outside of the season
limitations as prescribed in Section 5.000 of these By-Laws;
• Nor shall any person who coaches any sport at a member school, coach or
supervise a non-school team in any interscholastic sport composed of
students from that school, except within the guidelines promulgated by
the IHSA Board of Directors.
• Exception: For each sport, a school may hold one informational meeting
prior to the start of its season to provide information regarding tryouts,
procedures and forms that need to be on file. Coaches or school personnel
may not use this meeting to organize out of season programs (example:
fall, winter or spring leagues).
SEASON LIMITATIONS – the rule
• By-law 5.000
• This by-law establishes the time period in which
each sport and activity can function with school
involvement, organization, and supervision.
• It also provides for the number of contests in which a
school (each level) can compete in, exclusive of the
IHSA state series. Team and Individual limitations
by sport.
• Note: Make sure that each level has contracts
designated for that level for all contests.
Season Limitations - compliance
• Another critical monitoring situation
• Communicate with coaches (ORGANIZE)
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Holding player meetings outside of season
Contacting non-season leagues to enter a team during the school year
Paying entry fees for non-school events during the school year
Transporting, setting rosters, and/or coaching teams comprised of
student-athletes solely from your school
Summer Participation
• It must be VOLUNTARY!!!!!
• Coaches and students may have 25 contact days in the
summer.
• Contact days are sport by sport.
• Contact days may be used for the following activities:
• Camps, leagues, group or individual instruction
Summer Participation
• Contact days may be used the day after classes end for the
summer through Sunday of Week 5 in the IHSA Calendar
(August 4 in 2013)
• Schools may transport students to contact days during the
summer.
• Schools may only compete against other schools in 7 on 7
football.
Summer Participation
• Football Contact day regulations (By-law 3.157)
• HS Teams may wear Full Pads during Summer Contact Days.
Before wearing full pads, players must build up to full pads in
the following manner: Minimum Requirement
• 1st two (2) days of camp: helmets only
• Days three (3) and four (4): helmets and shoulder pads
• Day five (5): full pads
SMAC UP-DATE
SMAC Up-Date
• 2 areas to discuss
• Concussion Management
• PES Testing Program
Concussion Management
• Area of considerable attention at all levels of sport (high
school to professional)
• 2 situations to cover
• Day of Game (NFHS playing rule covers this)
• Post, Day of Game
NFHS Concussion Rule
“Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors
consistent with a concussion (such as loss of
consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, or
balance problems) shall be immediately removed from
the contest and shall not return to play until cleared by
an appropriate health care professional.”
Previous rules focused on athletes who were “unconscious or
apparently unconscious”.
An athlete does not have to lose consciousness to have suffered
a concussion.
NFHS Concussion Rule
• The new rule reflects a strengthening of rules regarding the
safety of athletes.
• All who are associated with contests (officials, coaches, athletic
trainers/team physicians, teammates, etc.) have a
responsibility to be alert for this situation.
• The new rule requires athletes who display signs, symptoms, or
behaviors associated with concussion to be removed from play
(numerous resources have been made available to
schools/officials).
Concussion Resources
• IHSA website
 Coaches and Administrators
 Athletes and Parents
• NFHS Sports Medicine Handbook: 4th edition
(sent to member schools in 2011 All-School Mailing)
• NFHS course: Concussion in Sports – What You Need to
Know
 Strongly recommend all coaches view this presentation
IHSA Protocols
• During the pre-game conference of coaches and officials, contest
officials shall remind the head coach that a school-approved
appropriate health care provider will need to clear for return to
play any athlete removed from a contest for an apparent head
injury.
• Officials will merely point out to a coach that a player is
apparently injured and advise the coach that the player should be
examined by a health care provider.
IHSA Protocols
• If it is confirmed by the school’s designated health care
professional that the student did not sustain a concussion, the
head coach may so advise the officials during an appropriate
stoppage of play and the athlete may re-enter competition
pursuant to the contest rules.
• Otherwise, if competition continues while the athlete is
withheld for an apparent concussion, that athlete may not be
returned to competition that day but is subject to return to the
IHSA’s Return to Play Policy.
IHSA Return to Play Policy
• Adoption of this policy is a state law – and it is critical that all
your coaches are aware of this Policy
• RTP: In cases when an athlete is not cleared to RTP the same
day as he/she is removed from a contest for a possible head
injury, the athlete shall not return to play or practice until the
athlete is evaluated by and receives written clearance from:
• Physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois
(M.D./D.O)
• Certified Athletic Trainer working in conjunction with physicians
l.t.p.m.i.a.i.b.i.I
IHSA Protocols
• Following the contest, a Special Report shall be filed by the
contest official(s) with the IHSA Office through the Officials
Center.
• In cases where an assigned IHSA state finals event medical
personnel is present, his/her decision to not allow an athlete
to return to competition may not be over-ruled.
Drug Testing - background
• 2012-13: 5th year of testing
• 2,438 tests administered
• 16 positive test results
• 2 students/schools penalized
• Numerous resources available at:
www.ihsa.org/smac/specialtopics
Drug Testing - essentials
• 3 key components
• Consent
• Procedures
• School notification (school year program)
• Post competition (state series program)
• Urine Samples (banned drug classes)
• Consequences
• Individual/School
QUESTIONS?