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Post by happyjack on Mar 21, 2006 18:33:36 GMT -6
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Post by PutMeInCoach2 on Mar 21, 2006 18:43:05 GMT -6
Schools focus on LHSAA compliance
Recent incidents draw attention to coaches, staffs
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
By Pierce W. Huff
Staff writer
For the past few weeks, the phone lines at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association have been jammed and the inquiry from callers near universal: Are our non-faculty coaches in compliance with association rules?
The high-profile cases involving the Lafayette High boys soccer team and the McDonogh 35 girls basketball team and their non-faculty assistant coaches in the past month have forced member schools to take stock of their coaching rosters, LHSAA commissioner Tommy Henry said.
"When you have a violation of any magnitude it gets people's attention," he said.
That's not a bad thing, Henry said. And to help the schools make sure they are in compliance, Henry said he is willing to take further measures to increase schools' knowledge of the association's rules dealing with non-faculty coaches.
"I will send out information to the schools, and I may even have a workshop for schools," he said.
That would have come in handy for Lafayette and McDonogh 35 before last month. Lafayette was forced to forfeit its Division I soccer quarterfinal playoff victory against Jesuit in February because a non-faculty assistant coach had not met criteria required by the association.
The same thing almost happened to McDonogh 35's girls basketball team earlier this month. The Roneagles' Class 4A semifinal victory against Peabody was in question as Henry investigated whether assistant Kevin Williams was in compliance with non-faculty rules. Henry found him to be eligible but cited McDonogh 35 for not properly registering Williams with the association. The school was fined $1,250 and placed on one year's probation.
Like Henry, Joe Kleinpeter, a member of the LHSAA rules compliance team, said he has noticed an increase in the number of schools that have called him in the past few weeks since those two incidents.
"I think those rulings have had a domino effect on schools," Kleinpeter said.
Kleinpeter said he always encourages the schools he deals with to call him or the association about any LHSAA rules they have questions about.
"It's like if you're sick, you're going to let a doctor give you the diagnosis," he said.
The one thing that won't change is the LHSAA doing away with non-faculty coaches. With fewer teachers becoming coaches, the pool has gotten smaller, while more sports have been added. The LHSAA set up its non-faculty certification process in 1998. The association reports that from the inception of the Coaches Education and Certification Program to this month, 4,712 people have enrolled, and 4,131 have been certified. The association reports that 694 people have enrolled in the certification program this year, with 464 certified.
The LHSAA allows non-faculty assistant coaches in all sports. And except for football, basketball and volleyball, the head coach may be non-faculty, providing they have passed the certification process.
Becoming a non-faculty coach in Louisiana is not difficult. Anyone interested simply must pass the association's certification process.
College students who are taking the proper curriculum can be a non-faculty assistant coach as long as they are under the supervision of a faculty coach. And retired coaches also may be non-faculty coaches.
The association provides schools with a check list for dealing with non-faculty coaches.
Still, the association reports that there have been 19 infractions because of illegal coaches this school year.
The provision dealing with college students is what led to trouble for Lafayette and McDonogh 35.
A full-time college student can be an assistant coach provided that he or she is enrolled in and attending a four-year school majoring in an education, physical education (kinesiology), sports administration or sports management curriculum.
Lafayette was forced to forfeit its game when Henry ruled that assistant coach Adam Raborn was not taking education classes at Louisiana-Lafayette this semester and is registered in a general studies program. In addition to the forfeit, the school was fined $1,100 and placed on probation for one year.
The case may never have come to light if Raborn had not been ejected from the match in the first half. When Henry saw Raborn's name, he checked into his eligibility.
"In the case of Lafayette, I don't think they knew the rules," Henry said.
McDonogh 35's situation was similar. Like Raborn, Williams was a non-faculty coach as a full-time college student. Williams, however, was in the proper curriculum. McDonogh 35's failing was in not reporting its roster of non-faculty coaches.
The violation came to light when Henry was at the Sweet 16 tournament in Hammond as he watched the Roneagles' semifinal game against Peabody.
"In the case of McDonogh 35, I saw three people dressed out on the bench as coaches (in a Class 4A semifinal game), and only two people were listed (on McDonogh 35's roster)," Henry said.
McDonogh 35 athletic director Ulyses Collins said he thought Henry was fair in his ruling against the Roneagles.
"If you follow the rules, there are no problems," Collins said. "I think the rules are fine. Mr. Henry was just doing his job."
Henry and Kleinpeter said the onus for following the rules starts with the schools.
"I can't read every rule to every principal and spoon-feed it to them, and they don't expect me to," Henry said.
Schools have different methods for staying in compliance with the non-faculty rules. Mandeville athletic director John Priola said the St. Tammany Parish School Board discourages its schools from using non-faculty coaches.
"They want people on the school faculty to coach the teams," Priola said.
Mandeville has two non-faculty coaches this year.
"You've just got to dot your 'i's' and cross your 't's'," Priola said. "We first make sure that the coaches take the (certification) class."
Then, Priola is careful to list the non-faculty coaches with the LHSAA.
Brother Martin athletic director Barry Hebert said he started checking into his non-faculty coaches last July and made them register to take certification classes in August.
"I even instructed my non-faculty coaches who were coaching eighth graders to take the (certification) classes," Hebert said.
Ehret athletic director Billy North said he always makes sure that his non-faculty coaches are certified at the beginning of the school year.
"We just don't want a situation where an Ehret team playing for championship honors is penalized because of a coach who is not supposed to be out there," North said.
The LHSAA provides schools with every opportunity to stay in compliance with the non-faculty rules. Hebert said the association mails schools an administrative checklist for non-faculty coaches every year. Jefferson Parish athletic director Manny Barocco said the association also has a hotline for principals and athletic directors with questions about non-faculty coaches.
"There really shouldn't be a problem for schools following the rules," Barocco said.
The LHSAA has approved hiring a third assistant commissioner who would specialize in rules compliance. But because of Hurricane Katrina, the hire is on hold.
Henry said he takes no joy in penalizing schools for breaking LHSAA rules.
"I feel badly for Lafayette," he said. "The parents there think we got the school on a technicality, but it's a clear ruling. These rules are the essence of who is coaching our young people."
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Post by adidastunit7 on Mar 21, 2006 18:56:30 GMT -6
which schools?
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Post by Bish on Mar 21, 2006 19:30:34 GMT -6
I think if they wanted us to know they would have told us in the article. It's probably confidential.
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Post by hdkjga on Mar 21, 2006 20:51:53 GMT -6
How many had to forfeit a playoff game?
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Post by Bish on Mar 21, 2006 21:59:00 GMT -6
oooooo BURNED!
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Post by LEObacker on Mar 21, 2006 22:51:22 GMT -6
Tommy Henry sounds more full of his self than ever!!
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Post by Ghandi on Mar 21, 2006 23:25:52 GMT -6
Screw you Tommy Henry.
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Post by badge on Mar 22, 2006 7:53:34 GMT -6
I don't think it would be confidential, maybe just hushed up on the other school's part. I would like to know the schools involved. Anybody out there want to let us know if your school was fined/coach reprimanded/games forfeited?? As to Tommy Henry's reference "it was a clear ruling"...only in his muddied mind. The wording needs to be changed from curriculum to major if that was his intent when he wrote the rulebook. In Texas they have the University Interscholastic League which was created by the University of Texas at Austin to provide guidelines for educational extra-curricular academic, athletic and music competitions between public schools. www.uil.utexas.edu/ Any rules approved by the members of the league require further approval of the Texas Commissioner of Education before they are implemented. Louisiana needs to introduce a reform bill in the legislature to establish something similar here so one man can't write the rules of contest and interpret them according to his intent. |
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Post by timaeus on Mar 22, 2006 9:40:36 GMT -6
Certainly agree with that. There needs to be some sort of checks and balance in such a big organization, but it appears there is none. Best way to fix that would be to go to your local congressional officials to change it.
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Post by coachray40 on Mar 22, 2006 16:16:48 GMT -6
There is a check and balance--the school can appeal to the Executive board of the LHSAA for an overturning of Henry's ruling. Lafayette did this and got the same answer. Its not a technicality its the rules.
JUST TAKE THE CECP course.
If you all remember at the beginning of the schoolyear Lafayette HS drug its feet getting a coach in place(remember Alan Deritter getting suggested, then we heard about Belfour again). Had Lafayette's athletic department gotten their act together earlier, maybe taking the CECP wouldnt have been an issue. Is that delay Tommy Henry's fault? No--once again it falls back on the Lafayette AD---he is ultimately responsible for this debacle. Its not a technicality--its the rules. The McDonogh35 is slightly different, as the coach was deemed eligible, but not registered. Adam Raborn was deemed ineligible AND not registered. McDonogh used a unregistered coach, Lafayette used an ineligible coach--the state rules are clear.
The downside to all of this is that those schools like mine--who ABIDE BY THE RULES, DO THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, AND PAY THE RIGHT FEES is that we will be heavily scrutinized and have to work even harder to comply with the rules due to the lack of control of others.
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Bench Warmer
Posts: 0
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Post by on Mar 22, 2006 17:14:49 GMT -6
Please remember that LHSAA is a private organization. It is not under any state governing body except for general law. It does not fall under the Dept of Education. Schools join LHSAA and, as I understand it, sign contracts to abide by it's rules. So any state intervention is highly unlikely.
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Post by Ghandi on Mar 22, 2006 19:12:12 GMT -6
Coachray, hindsight is always 20/20.
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Post by hdkjga on Mar 22, 2006 19:24:03 GMT -6
An appeal via a phone conference to a committee made up of 7 principals and Tommy Henry is standing in the room telling his intent on the wording of the law, doesn't really seem like checks and balances in LHSAA. LHSAA has problems. With or without the Lafayette situation, the LHSAA does not have a way to limit Henry, and as long as people refuse to realize that, nothing will be done.
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Post by Ghandi on Mar 22, 2006 19:39:50 GMT -6
An appeal via a phone conference to a committee made up of 7 principals and Tommy Henry is standing in the room telling his intent on the wording of the law, doesn't really seem like checks and balances in LHSAA. LHSAA has problems. With or without the Lafayette situation, the LHSAA does not have a way to limit Henry, and as long as people refuse to realize that, nothing will be done. N. Guatreaux has created 3 bills that deal with the LHSAA 1.http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/byinst.asp?sessionid=06RS&billid=SB464 Summary: ETHICS: Provides that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association is an agency under the Code of Governmental Ethics. 2.http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/byinst.asp?sessionid=06RS&billid=SB465 Summary: ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE: Provides that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association shall be subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. 3.http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/byinst.asp?sessionid=06RS&billid=SB536 Summary: SCHOOLS: Requires the High School Athletic Assoc. to adopt and amend rules to certify coaches credentials prior to the start of the athletic season. |
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Post by badge on Mar 22, 2006 21:29:17 GMT -6
So I guess our next step would be to write our legislators and ask them to support these bills in the upcoming session if we really want to see some changes made with the way LHSAA is able to control athletics here in Louisiana.
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Post by memasefni on Mar 26, 2006 0:22:07 GMT -6
CoachRay, although I agree in principle with what you say, the reality is that most HS ADs are nothing more that head football coaches with a fancy title. In other words, they DON'T CARE about other sports. Hence, they do nothing to support, much less ensure compliance or that the team has what it needs, in other sports.
The A.D. at my sons' HS only cared about soccer when he needed another place kicker...or as a way to pass off some of HIS debt.
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Post by coachray40 on Mar 26, 2006 18:54:54 GMT -6
Well, hopefully a $1000+ worth of fines will make them care more.
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Post by badge on Mar 26, 2006 19:37:07 GMT -6
Well, hopefully a $1000+ worth of fines will make them care more. Probably not as much as having their football team on probation. |
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Post by Bish on Mar 26, 2006 19:52:08 GMT -6
So Lafayette High can't play any sports next year?
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