EDITORIAL

Out-of-Season Competitions

A Potential Mine Field

It's not unusual for student-athletes in

any given sport to compete in nonschool related

activities before or after the high school

season; however, school coaches and administration

are becoming increasingly uncomfortable

with the prospect of rule violations

for student-athletes' involvement in out-ofseason

competitions.

The WIAA membership's focus in recent

years has resulted in dramatic changes and

liberalization of its its summertime contact

and activity restrictions. Those same liberties,

however, have not been extended to

nonschool competitions during the school

year.

The rules established by the membership

state that "except during the actual

school season of a sport, no activity they

(student-athletes) are engaged in should resemble

in any way a school team practicing

or competing out of season" with the exception

of in the summertime.

Enhanced scrutiny of nonschool teams in

various sports would most likely identify a

significant number that are tip-toeing on a

thin line of what constitutes resembling the

school team in "any way," and a significant

number may actually be leaving nothing to

the imagination.

Apprised of the current situation and the

potential for unpleasant repercussions if one

or more member schools are clearly not in

compliance with the rule, the Board of Control

directed the executive staff at its February

meeting to determine a quantifiable

measure to clarify a nonschool team resembling

the school team.

The executive staff determined the maximum

number of individuals on a nonschool

team that could come from the same school

program vary from sport to sport. The numbers

that were shared with the membership

at the Annual Meeting in April were three for

basketball, hockey and volleyball; four for

football; five for baseball; and softball and

six for soccer. These numbers would not include

seniors who have already exhausted

their final season in each respective sport.

This appears to be logical step in clarifying

what is considered a nonschool program

resembling the school program. Some of the

reactions and concerns we have received

with the initial maximum numbers presented

would indicate an indictment of nonschool

programs in various sports that are currently

resembling the school program with these

measures in place. This revelation further necessitated

the discussion to clarify the existing

rule by altering the language with quantifiable

measures, or perhaps, to revisit the

merits of the rule itself. The membership's

options are to maintain the status quo, modify

the rule or abolish the rule altogether.

Modification and clarification of the rule

seems to be a move in a reasonable direction.

Elimination of the rule altogether has

consequences the membership has repeatedly

stated through the years is contrary to

the purpose of this Association.

Allowing school teams to voluntarily assemble

at anytime during the school year

would, quite conceivably, have a great deal of

divisiveness associated with it. There already

has been a member school that is considering

a policy prohibiting participation in any

nonschool sports during a particular sport's

school season.

Coaches within schools are in competition

for the same athletes, who are playing in

a nonschool program at the same time they

are competing for the school program in a

different sport. One could first question the

merits of this on the physical well-being of a

young athlete, and second, on the well-being

of a young student.

In addition, expectations and pressures

placed on student-athletes to specialize in a

given sport year around is more likely with

the risk of future consequences associated

with not fulfilling those expectations.

An untimely nonschool event that entices

a standout teammate away from the

school team in a different sport during the

season or tournament could jeopardize the

entire team's goals of winning a conference

title or a trip to the State Tournament. The

student-athlete carries the pressure and burden

of making that decision and its affect on

friendships and teammates, coaches and parents.

Eliminating the rule would also compromise

the Association's position on national

tournaments. If a team chooses to "voluntarily"

assemble after the State Tournament for

a national tournament, the rules in place prohibiting

competitions of this nature may become

futile.

The leadership of the WIAA encourages

membership feedback on the current language

and interpretation of its out-of-season

competition provisions, its modifications or its

elimination. We look forward to these discussions

throughout the coming months at

Coaches' Advisory and Area Meetings next

fall.