A Race With No Winners (Dyestat Article)

[rainbowgirl28]

This looks like it's going to be a great series of articles. Here's the first...




http://www.dyestat.com/3us/5in/sanction1.htm


A Race with No Winners


[The first in a series on sanctioning and its impact on the high school athletes the rules are intended to help.]


by Don Rich, publisher of PennTrackXC.com


In New York, the NYSPHSAA (New York State Public High School Athletic
Association) is the final word. Yet, thanks to renewed and apparently
expanding enforcement of existing regulations, it's turning out they
also have influence in a lot of other states.


The issue is simply this: In any contest involving four or more schools
- inside or outside of NY, in any sport - the NYSPHSAA will not permit
its member schools to compete against schools which are not members of,
or approved by their state's scholastic athletic association. Those
that do will lose eligibility for the remainder of the season. That's a
big hammer. And the kids are the nails.


The issue first appeared in April when the Penn Relays was forced to do
some last minute reseeding to get the 'non sanctioned' schools into
other heats to avoid competing against teams from New York.


The issue then reappeared at the Manhattan Invitational in October when
an athlete from New Jersey was told he could not compete because his
school was not sanctioned by the state association. A court injunction
solved his problem. But just his.


Jump ahead to this indoor season, and the issue is again back in the
forefront. And if statements from one of the assistant executive
directors of the New York association are any indication, it isn't
going away, and in all likelihood, will continue to spread.


It's all about standards.


How is New York different from Pennsylvania in the sanctioning
department? Well, in New York, the NYSPHSAA is the ultimate arbitrator
for all the state's high school associations. In PA, the PIAA is not.
New York's other three associations, the PSAL (New York Public
Schools), CHSAA (Catholic High Schools), and the NYSAISAA (Independent
Schools), have all agreed to give the larger association responsibility
and authority for sanctioning. Therefore, all member schools in each
association are automatically cleared for competition - in every sport
- because they agree to the same eligibility standards.


So how's it work? Before any in-season, sanctioned meet can be held
with New York teams, meet management must first get approval of all the
teams that have been invited. For the December 18th Bishop Loughlin
Games, that meant that a list was submitted to the National Federation
of State High School Associations (NFHS), the governing body for high
school athletics rules. When the list came back, several schools had a
problem. A big one. They wouldn't be permitted to participate.


Getting creative on 168th Street.


Those familiar with what happened on December 18th at the Loughlin
Games relate a frantic, yet determined effort during the week prior to
the event by meet management to find a way for the targeted schools to
participate. The solution, while not ideal, at least placed the
athletes on the track. Those from schools not sanctioned by their state
associations would run in their own heats. That meant West Catholic,
Archbishop Carroll, both of the Philadelphia Catholic League; Friends
Central of the PA Inter-Academic League; and Towson Catholic and
DeMatha Catholic, both of Maryland, could race, but not against New
York schools. The meet within a meet was tabbed the 168th Street
Invitational.


From a purely competitive standpoint, the arrangement cost several
athletes shots at their biggest challengers. (See Ed Grant's report on
Devon Williams of Towson Catholic) And ask Latavia Thomas of West Catholic
if she missed racing against the Bellport NY runner.


But the enforcement of this rule has ramifications far beyond a
mid-December meet at the Armory. It could very well be felt through the
rest of the indoor season, into outdoor, and beyond.


The level playing field.


To understand the rule's purpose, we asked NYSPHSAA Assistant Executive
Director Walton Eaton for an explanation. Several times during a
15-minute conversation, Eaton stated in essentially the same language,
that the purpose was to ensure that all participating schools in a meet
were following similar standards for age, health and safety
regulations. "We want to maintain a level playing field and avoid
exploitation of our athletes."


That fits cleanly with the NFHS mission to "enhance the educational
experiences of high school students and reduce risks of their
participation."


But Ron Lopresti, president of the Pennsylvania Track & Field Coaches
Association, which sponsors and runs the indoor season in the state,
doesn't see the regulation as beneficial to the exact people it's
purported to help. "...this type of regulation does nothing to help our
sport.  It is just another example of how regulations can sometimes
hinder, not aid competition. Now schools like West Catholic with
national stars Nicole Leach and Latavia Thomas will be denied
opportunities to run against the best in New York. We feel that New York has made a
mistake in not thinking out their decision."


And he's not alone. Archbishop Prendergast coach Anthony Carr and his
school are next in the sights of the rule. He had planned to take his
team to the Holiday Classic on December 28th, as did Cardinal O'Hara.
Both decided that since they were basically only permitted to race
against themselves, it really wasn't worth the trip. "It's a real
shame," Carr says. "Athletes need the opportunity to compete at a high
level, and now the athletes are being unfairly punished."


Carr also sees the rest of the season - the out-of-state season - in
jeopardy, as well. "We thought about going to Yale in three weeks, but
there are a lot of New York teams there. That's not something you can
plan in a day or two."


Carr says the meet management of the Holiday Classic is entirely
sympathetic. "They told us to call the PIAA and New York. The PIAA told
us as far as they knew, they were not allowed to sanction non-PIAA
members. When we called the New York association, they told us the rule
was clear."


Carr's frustration is based on what he sees as the PCL's strongest
case. "We follow PIAA guidelines."


Penn Relays added juggling in 2004.


The whole thing will play out over the coming weeks and months, both in
state association headquarters, and maybe the courts. But the Penn
Relays, the granddaddy of them all, is facing another year of juggling
teams, all while pulling off the most complex of events with the single
purpose of offering great competition.


Penn Relays Carnival Director Dave Johnson believes there are several
factors at work that may be driving the sudden enforcement of the rules
that have been on the books for a long time. First, he thinks there are
challenges inherent with certifying athletes and schools who come from
the increasing homeschooled and charter school populations. "What tips
the iceberg is everything that went on with Labron James," (the now-NBA
star who benefited from endless hype and more while still in high
school). And Johnson cites litigation of two decades ago that stopped
high school athletic governing bodies from writing rules to address a
problem in just one sport, which means the rules must apply to all.
"Close the loophole and track often gets caught in that nightmare."


It's a nightmare that is appearing more and more because of the
increased enforcement. Eaton, the NYSPHSAA executive, says his state is
far from alone in this effort. "What is making it difficult is that
other states are becoming more like New York. Some of the loose
(regulation enforcement) states are trying to increase the level of
awareness and trying to enforce. It's always been there, but was just a
matter of enforcement."


Let the games begin.


Athletes, schools and leagues have begun doing their homework. Do they
turn to litigation? Is there something their state association can do?
Do they simply accept it and move on?


For the athletes, avoiding the problem is the short-term solution. They
can compete in non-NFHS events. Those include most college-sponsored
meets where athletes run unattached. The MAC (Metropolitan Athletics
Congress) meets are all non-sanctioned events, as are the Nike Indoor
Championships and the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in
mid-March, which are out of season.


Archbishop Prendergast coach Carr is one of those who is scrambling to
find answers. He'll definitely continue his conversations with the PIAA
after the holidays. "And we'll talk with our AD's and league officials.
This isn't just about track. It's affecting all sports."


It's about equitable opportunities.


Maybe the NFHS will find an answer in their own mission statement:
"The NFHS will promote participation and sportsmanship to develop good
citizens through interscholastic activities which provide equitable
opportunities."


Yet those simply hoping that the renewed enforcement goes back into
hibernation for the winter, spring and beyond, will probably be
disappointed. Eaton confirmed as much: "It's likely to continue for
forever, for every sport and season."


And that's likely to mean a lot more races with no real winners.

[SlickVT]

Grumpy-ass New Yorkers...

[coach-scott]

Another solution is to not allow any New York Kids in. If New York wants to play hard ball, let them play with themselves?

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.dyestat.com/3us/5in/sanction2-edgrant.htm

and now a farce


More examples of problems with state sanctioning, including the New York-Maryland catch 22 -- New York won't let its athletes perform against schools who aren't a member of their state association, but Maryland private schools are not allowed to join the Maryland association








[The second in a series on sanctioning and its impact on the high school athletes the rules are intended to help. Also see A Race with No Winners and One thing is consistent - the inconsistencies.]


by Ed Grant


And now it has become a farce. How else to describe the latest episode in the
controversy stirred up by the New York high school athletics associations' attempt to decide who can and cannot compete in open track and field meets in which their schools are involved.


It seemed bad enough when Bergen Catholic (NJ) was almost excluded from the Brown Invitational because of a mistake made by the New Jersey association in failing to note their proper membership in that group (only a few days after the school had won a state high school football championship). But it was easily topped by what happened to Winslow Twp in relation to its entry in the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the New York Armory on Dec. 28.


Following the procedure demanded by the New York association (and the National Federation), meet director Lou Vazquez Jr. had forwarded to the New Jersey association a full list of the schools from that state which had filed entries with the meet.


The problem was that, in filling out their entry, the coaches at Winslow had placed their names on the line indicating "school" while putting "Winslow Twp" down below.


When the New Jersey office received the list, it included not "Winslow Twp HS" but "Russell Bates HS" as the name of the school. There is, of course, no school of that name in New Jersey---Russ has been coach at Winslow (formerly Edgewood) for more than a quarter of a century---so whoever was assigned to OK the list in Robbinsville, duly noted that fact and the school was told that it could not compete. Again, the matter was solved before the meet and Winslow was there.


Among other things, these two episodes show how impossible it is to properly administrate what is, on the face of it, an unconstituional rule to begin with. An innocent mistake by the coaches was magnified into a major one because the people who were handling the request were unfamiliar with the facts. Vazquez could hardly be expected to know the names of every school in NJ; the clerk at Robbinsville could hardly be expected to be familiar with the name of every high school coach in the state.


Another episode that took place during the holiday season affected a different sport. The Diamond State Classic in Delaware had to reject the entry of a New York school which informed the directors of that basketball tournament that it could not compete aginst one of the other three invited teams. So they were told to stay home and a Virginia team was invited instead.


Now the curious fact about this one is that, had the New York school in question (Francis Lewis) scheduled a regular season game with the offending school, there would have been no problem at all since the New York rule is being applied only to competitions of four or more schools.


And this is not just a New York problem. To date, at least nine states have been involved: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and California. It is painfully obvious that there is some national presence in this and, in fact, the sanctioning process involves contact with the National Federation office in every case.


Another fact that came out recently is the position of the Maryland association which refuses to accept non-public schools in its membership, thereby presenting those schools with a "Catch 22" situation; they cannot compete in New York because they do not belong to an association which will not allow them to join.


A Maryland official told a New York meet official that their position was based on "the separation of church and statem" which, if a valid point, would indict a dozen or more states---including New York itself---which have both public and religious schools in their membership. And this in a state which was founded as a colony almost 400 years ago by Catholics seeking to escape persecution in England.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.dyestat.com/3us/5in/sanction3.htm

Sanctioning Crisis:
one thing is consistent -
the inconsistencies







by Don Rich, DyeStat correspondent


[Third in a series on sanctioning and its impact on the high school athletes
the rules are intended to help. Also see A Race with No Winners]


In the unfolding sanctioning crisis, one thing is consistent. The inconsistencies.


The growing sanctioning crisis that has threatened the seasons and possible scholarship offers for talented high school athletes who happen to compete for schools not sanctioned by official state associations, is expanding once again. Virtually everywhere you look, there's a story of a denial, a threat, and most importantly, a lost opportunity for competition.


From New York to South Carolina, and in many states in between, there is growing evidence that the reasons and reasoning for enforcing sanctioning rules are not only inconsistent from state to state, but flexible - sometimes for the benefit of athletes and other times to their detriment.


Here is where we have been.


Pennsylvania and Maryland athletes who registered for the Bishop Loughlin Games in December were forced to run in separate heats so as not to compete against sanctioned schools of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA). The results were even reported as a separate invitational.


Then Ed Grant of New Jersey reported that clerical errors cost another team a chance to compete... plus exposed a Catch-22 for one state's private schools because they have not been allowed to join their state association, even if they wanted to.


Is it about power or the kids?


It's beginning to look a lot like a classic political - or should we say - power struggle. It's adults with the power vs. the kids with the talent (and fleeting opportunities).


Former William Penn coach, and current West Catholic assistant Tim Hickey sees the problem clearly. Hickey's team took the brunt of the Loughlin Games debacle, and faces similar challenges at the upcoming Hispanic Games and any other meet that welcomes New York teams. "If it's a bureaucratic thing, it's not about fairness. This is patently unfair. But if it's a level playing field they want, we agree. We abide by PIAA (PA Interscholastic Athletic Association) rules."


Not surprisingly, it turns out West Catholic and the other Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) teams do comply with the rules. (More on that in a minute.)


This level playing field sentiment is echoed by parents and other coaches for other affected athletes and schools inside and outside of Pennsylvania.


To review, the NYSPHSAA says they get their rules from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). So does the PIAA in Pennsylvania. But their interpretation of these rules seems to be at odds. New York says no New York school (and affiliated New York association) can compete against a school or athlete from a school in a meet that has four or more schools - if that school or athlete is not a member of their National Federation association, or has their state association's sign-off that they meet or exceed their eligibility standards.


To see the new procedure that reawakened the issue in 2003, see the NYSPHSAA web site.


Oddly, at the top of the web page, it states that the New York association and National federation adopted the new procedures and forms. Nowhere does it mention that any of the other member states in the federation have signed on to the new procedures.


Pennsylvania association has no problems


The PIAA works within NFHS rules and has virtually no problems.


The PIAA found a way to help their member schools compete against non-member schools, ensuring those schools meet PIAA eligibility requirements.


Jodi Good has been an assistant executive director of the PIAA since July of 2004. Sanctioning is her responsibility. Jodi sees the system as developed in Pennsylvania as a solution that works.


And here's the phrase that captures the essence of the problem: "Ideally, we'd like all schools to be our members, but we don't have a problem as long as they adhere to our rules." Bottom line, that's what the Philadelphia Catholic League has been saying all along.


Here's how it works in Pennsylvania


Good says that the schools that compete against a PIAA member must sign a 'Supplement to Contract' that they will abide by the PIAA rules. The host school that puts on a meet/game, etc. is required to maintain the contract and to ensure that it is signed. The PIAA does not actively monitor the paperwork, but should a problem arise, they know it's there. Good believes that another nearby state has also adopted a similar procedure.


What this means is that no matter what New York or other associations believe, when the Philadelphia Catholic League, or the Inter-Academic League, or any other non-member PIAA league says they comply with PIAA rules, they actually mean it.


"We abide by the PIAA rules," Hickey asserts. "We submit our eligibility forms for every season."


So while the PA teams are facing another possible challenge in New York this weekend, where the New York Federation may not even welcome them in separate heats, there are much bigger stakes at play in the future.


What meets are next on the sanctioning chopping block?


Following the Hispanic Games, next on the indoor list as far as West Catholic is concerned is the New Balance Games on January 22nd. But of course, any meet that seeks sanctioning from the national federation will have the same issue.


One of particular note is the prestigious Millrose Games, slated for Madison Square Garden in New York on February 4th. Jim Spier, one of the founders of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation (NSSF), produces four major high school meets each year, the Great American XC Festival in the fall, the Nike Team Nationals in December, the Nike Indoor Classic in March, and the Nike Outdoor Championships in June. And while there have been sanctioning issues raised at these meets, the one that most concerns Spier is the one where he is Girls Invitations Director for the Millrose Mile.


In the past, Spier says he also sought and received sanctioning for the eastern seaboard states and other states where good milers may be interested in running in the race. And because most of the runners they invited came from states that had indoor seasons, "we didn't give it a second thought."


Several runners in last year's Millrose Miles would have been ineligible under the current enforcement challenge, including Cardinal O'Hara's Steve Hallinan and St. Hubert's Amy Kelly, both members of the Philadelphia Catholic League.


With the current climate, this year Spier is leaving it up to the athlete and their coaches to make sure they have sanctioning from their state federation. And he isn't optimistic it will be fixed. "Actually, I don't anticipate this getting any better very soon."


The sanctioning issue hit his Great American meet in October when New York challenged the eligibility of non-member schools. Several, including the PCL's LaSalle, were forced from the Race of Champions because of it. "For 2005" says Spier, "we'll have a separate race for non-sanctioned schools."


Looking ahead to outdoor.


Move ahead to outdoor and you have a myriad of meets, highlighted by the Taco Bell Classic in South Carolina in early April, the Penn Relays in late April, and the Loucks Games in White Plains NY in May. There are others, for sure. But these three carry a lot of prestige and foster great interstate competition.


In 2004, the Penn Relays was forced to reseed several events after New York and Connecticut challenged the non-member schools under the new procedures.


New York Assistant Executive Director Lloyd Mott, whose area of responsibility is sanctioning, gave some leeway to the meet participants in 2004 because of the short timeframe. In an email to the parent of an affected athlete, Mott said "Due to the fact that many schools had already registered and made travel plans, commitments, etc, and we were made aware of this situation a few days before the meet, we decided to allow our schools to participate without penalty this year." He went on to promise to work out the situation with the PIAA, something the PIAA's Good says hasn't yet happened.


But just this past December, it's now apparent that Mott no longer has the flexibility to make such a concession in future meets. In a December 17, 2004 article in New York Newsday on a sanctioning challenge that cost a New York girls' basketball team a trip to an important tournament, Mott is quoted as saying "Believe me, we want all our schools to play, but we can't control the rules in other states, and I can't change our rules either... I have no authority to waive a rule."


And then there is the two-day, widely heralded Loucks Games in White Plains, New York. The meet is a staple of the PCL spring athletic diet. Teams like West Catholic, Archbishop Ryan, Bishop McDevitt, and others have enjoyed the change of scenery, but especially the level of competition, for years. That may have ended.


The runaround is also alive and well in North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland.


In coming days, we'll have more stories of frustrated parents, athletes and meet directors who want nothing more than the opportunity to have non-member schools compete freely against their peers from the public schools.


There are also rumblings of lawsuits as the challenges and denials mount... all while important opportunities are lost forever.


Stay tuned. Will the dream matchups happen at the Hispanic Games January 8th? Or will the kids we do all this for be denied once again?