Rules Changes for South Carolina. Could kill some Clubs?

[scpolevaulter]

There have been some rules changes handed down by the South Carolina High School League. I think they are of concern to people like me who are associated with a high school and run a track club. The rules appear to sevearly limit the number of athletes that you can work with that are a part of the school you are associated with. I wanted to see what yall though about these rules because it appears that it could kill some Club teams in SC. Particularly the Out of Season section.

Page A-33 Out of Season, Clinics and Camps

http://www.schsl.org/2012Forms/Constitution12-13.pdf

[rainbowgirl28]

What was the previous rule?

[grandevaulter]

We have the three athlete rule in Michigan. If there isn't any equipment or stop watch, transportation, we can have more than the three. It's crazy that they are proposing that baseball is exempt from the three athlete rule during May, June and July. I wonder why baseball gets a pass?

It looks like you can run shifts of three in the same day.

[cdmilton]

In Minnesota we can't work with our athletes at all after August. We try to find opportunities to practice with other coaches but since it is cold indoor options are limited.

[rainbowgirl28]

In Minnesota we can't work with our athletes at all after August. We try to find opportunities to practice with other coaches but since it is cold indoor options are limited.

Same in WA, no technical work between early August and the start of track season in March.

[volunteer]

Sounds like we are not alone in SC. Sure stinks though. We are surrounded by states with indoor / Polar Bare seasons from Nov 1 to March 1 and our kids compete with these neighboring states athletes for scholarships, Regional USATF spots, etc. Still trying to understand how a state with over 350 track clubs are providing training for Intermediate and youth USATF atheletes ( 9th -12th grade ) without high school coaches involvement. surely there are not 350 head coaches hosting clubs that have ZERO assiciation with a high school.

Frustrated Youth open and Masters Club Founder

[grandevaulter]

I still find it unbelievable that lacrosse can have up to 9 players directly coached on the off season and base ball 7. competitive cheer 15 ? It does say that track can have up to 75% of your starters and then notates examples of squads in parentheses (3). I take this as meaning three athletes.

However if you interpret the rule using the 75% of starters, take your first three entries of all the events and the product of your A- relay teams, that seems to be a large number of athletes that you could work with. Am I on the right track with this or way out in left field. Appears to me it requires clarification.

In Michigan there is a track coaches association. They have a rules committee and they recommend rule changes to the State Athletic Association. The state doesn't always change the rules but does implement some.

The South Carolina rules appear to be very unfriendly all the way around. ( except for baseball and lacrosse)

[rainbowgirl28]

If you don't like the rules, get involved with the coaches association to change them, or do club-only.

[superpipe]

If you don't like the rules, get involved with the coaches association to change them, or do club-only.

Not that I had this issue in Vermont, but what Becca states above is exactly what I did to be proactive. I'm a member of our State's indoor and outdoor Track Committees and I get support beyond belief. I'm an assistant track coach at a high school and run my club as well. I brought the issue up at our State meetings just to be sure I wasn't breaking rules working with my own high school athletes at the club. The committee was supper supportive and said my club was "outside of the rules" so I can do anything with my club. It comes down to "rule interpretation" by State Associations. I'm lucky enough to have a State that's not nuts on Track & Field rule issues. Heck, I got a bunch of rules changed. Just be careful. I did more listening the first two years and just tried my best to support the PV across the State before I got more "integrated" into the Committees and spoke up more on issues.

[volunteer]

I agree with you all. We are very active with the state board, yet they are steadfast at not allowing this. We are , however, waiting for a ruling on the 3 people per squad issue. We view this as a 3 per event situation, and HOPE that the rules commitee does as well.

We are glad that this topic is at least getting some press. for those interested, here is a report of this years meeting where the Coaches Association and the School AD association tried again ( 11th year in a row ) to get this done.

( Chris ... enjoy discussing your runway recently - good luck with you great home facility. )

http://sc.milesplit.com/articles/86088- ... r-proposal

http://sc.milesplit.com/articles/series ... -and-field

[scpolevaulter]

What was the previous rule?

The previous rule was just the 75% rule. We could not have more than 75% of our high schools track team and with more than 200 kids that was not a problem. We only had about 20-30 athletes but most were pole vaulters.

We plan on talking to the high school league and were also going to make the SC USATF aware of the situation so they might get in their ear too.

[rainbowgirl28]

That does seem extremely odd that they would define 3 athletes as 75% of a track team