Preseason rules being reviewed
From time to time rules and guidelines need to be changed or updated to keep things from getting out of control.
High school sports and coaches have been scrutinized over the past several years because of how much time some sports spend practicing or playing ball in the off-season.
The major complaint is high school athletes are spending too much time working out and playing ball on traveling teams after the high school season has ended. Parents, and some athletes, have voiced their concerns about burnout and athletes not being able to spend more time in the summer with their families.
It seems the TSSAA has been listening to several complaints, and is in the process of restructuring their calendar.
So far this is just a proposal, and if approved the changes would not go into effect until the 2007-08 calendar year. The TSSAA will be sending the proposal out to all schools this year, wanting their feedback.
The following is just a small example of possible changes with which you may, or may not, agree.
? Elimination of ?open gym? or ?open facilities,? adding two weeks of preseason work, changing the amount of time for all sports from 3-4 weeks to 5-6 weeks, and eliminating preseason scrimmages during the first two weeks of practice.
Now these make a little sense. Adding two weeks on to the practice schedule instead of having open gym or facilities will give the coaches more time to work with their teams and hopefully better prepare them for their first game.
Most of the time the first week is spent on conditioning anyway. It?s somewhat of a waste when you only have 3-4 weeks before your first game. Having the extra two weeks instead of voluntary workouts will benefit all.
? Practice for fall sports will have to wait until after July 15. The new rule will keep teams from working out or practicing in June and the first two weeks of July.
The major drawback would be it would eliminate football, volleyball and girls soccer, but they could go to camp after July 15.
Basically, what they?re saying is from the time school is out until July 15 there will be no working out or practicing.
? The new calendar will also see a decrease in the number of regular season games for all sports, except for football. For example, girls soccer will go from 15-14 games. Girls volleyball will drop from 45-35 games.
The same would apply for winter sports such as basketball. No working out until July 15, and then it could only be voluntary weight training and conditioning and it would have to be open to all students with no ?open gym.?
Practice could start October 15, with no scrimmages or work outs with another school until November 1. March 15 until the end of school, 10 days of practice within 15 school days with no scrimmages. Basketball would go from 26 games to 24 games.
Now some coaches may not like this proposal, but everyone will have to follow it and there will be no advantage of disadvantage for anyone. The kids get a little extra time during the summer to be kids and not have to worry about the pressure of making it to summer workouts.
Personally I think there should be some mandatory down time for athletes. Kids who play more than one sport should be given a two-week dead period in between sports.