2013 Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Spring Conference Roundtable Questions
1. This past year marked the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX. In the event that the Office of Civil Rights conducted a review of your athletic programs:
a. What data have you collected to demonstrate your compliance with Title IX law?
b. What are some areas that your school needs to work on to ensure equivalent playing opportunities for boys and girls?
If we approve a new sport it has to be approved for both genders. New sports are self-supported for 2 or 3 years before approval. If an additional team needs to be added on, that can happen-doesn’t matter if boys or girls.
Lewiston-focus on facilities. Baseball/softball receive equal booster money. Cheverus-new facility helped us. Rangeley-in building concerns; state subsidy not an issue
2. The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association has made a concerted effort to promote the model of education-based athletic programs that we offer in our schools. As you recruit, hire, and mentor your coaches, what steps do you take to ensure that your programs are educationally-based?
Training coaches in educational objectives is key; depends on available applicants but is very necessary.
First opportunity goes in house to teachers/staff.
Harder to get off campus/non-teachers to comply.
Strict eligibility rules are enforced — coaches are “teachers’ of the sport and need to have plan for practices etc.
Court/field is a classroom — some hold study halls for their athletes
3. Describe the concussion management program in your school. How do you specifically work with other school personnel, such as health professionals (school nurse), guidance counselors, and teachers, to ensure that concussed student-athletes receive support?
ImPACT – program-trainer runs the program.
6 years pilot program-baseline for all –AD, trainer, and nurse manage this.
ME Concussion Management — 500 small school 500 kids gr 7th, 9th, and 11th administer tests — only test current athletes.
Two sets of guidelines (return to play and return to school}
Guidance, principal, nurse, AD, and trainer must be involved.
It is a very time-consuming thing.
Concussion policy-only physician can sign off — go over this with parents at meeting.
Concussions: ImPACT program (Pre-test) — trainer monitors (as opposed to nurse) — problems with computer training program.
ImPACT testing — protocol approved — advised to wait until fall to conduct ImPACT test; ImPACT not mandatory but replaying may take longer.
Lewiston will switch from ImPACT to other program — no nurse-sports med MD \-protocol; Rangeley-local MD only; Cheverus-neurologist; Limestone- superintendent leading concussion team.
K-12 policy mandatory; trainer, nurse school personnel included in all of process
Policies in place: Maine concussion management—ImPACT
Send athletes to health center (do not have ImPACT)
Require same certifications of all coaches (Varsity, JV, Middle School, Volunteer, etc.); Sports first aid and CPR/AED every two years
Trainer ImPACTs 9th and 11th graders
Return to play/academic involves school nurse—teachers; Dr. Heinze reads all post tests
ImPACT-every athlete
Smaller schools select to return to play steps
Database of concussion qualified; MS-scat ½
ImPACT freshmen/juniors and new transfers
Database of every student ImPACT tested; collaboration with school nurse
4. The Maine Principals’ Association Constitution and By-Laws include a number of eligibility rules related to student participation, including age requirements, the “Eight Semester Rule”, limits on the number of seasons of competition, and academic programming. In your school, how do you track and document the eligibility of your student-athletes?
We use: MPA, Schedule Star, or similar programs
Lewiston-birth records are very incomplete-that’s a problem; Cheverus-Chinese issues; Rangeley-8th graders
Roster from coach, secretary examines and catches red flags, enter on MPA; print MPA rosters and have kids and coaches confirm info.
3 levels of; AD/secretary/guidance; guidance
When admitting, ask about athletics and complete forms
Educate coaches-transfers, foreign exchange
All new students complete MPA form-guidance
Registrar/guidance/secretary; waiver form to every kid.
Could MPA “red flag” student ineligibility like they do coaches?
5. Many schools throughout the country are finding that fewer coaches on their athletic department staffs are employed as teachers in their systems. What percentage of teacher-coaches do you have on your staff? What steps are you making to meet the challenge of finding qualified staff when coaching vacancies exist?
Middle School-one school 24 coaches-18 are teachers-good
High school — prefer someone who knows game and can stand up to onslaught-not necessarily teacher if Varsity; different philosophy for MS and HS
Varies-representation
9/36=Orono; 84 on staff-John Bapst; 9/16 on staff-Caribou Middle; local college/ university students; applicants @ other jobs in conference not hired; if position is open, in-house advertisement is first
Low % of teacher-coaches; high challenge-to much to do for teachers-no time; fewer and fewer applications; flexibility in hours needed; need to collaborate with other schools in district-understand coach needs to leave (ex. Varsity coach being an elementary teacher and needing to leave early for the bus); important to train no-teacher coaches in education based athletics- NFHS online training.
