(PDF) High School Today April 11_Layout 1 - NFHS · 6 High School Today | April 11 QUICK HITS Cody Ross was born December 23, 1980, in Portales, New Mex-ico, a city of approximately 12,000

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The tagline on our cover states that High School Today is “the

voice of education-based athletic and fine arts programs.” While

high school sports often receives the lion’s share of attention, there

are more than four million students involved in other co-curricular ac-

tivity programs who receive similar lifetime benefits.

Most of these individuals are competing on teams, vying for a

state title and, like those students in high school sports, learning life-

long lessons that complement the academic lessons taught in the

classroom.

In addition to its services on the athletics side, the NFHS has been

a resource in the areas of speech, debate, music and theatre since

the 1970s, when “Athletic” was dropped from the organization’s

title of National Federation of State High School Athletic Associa-

tions.

Among the services of the NFHS in the fine arts area is the orga-

nization’s involvement in selecting the National High School Debate

Topic each year. This year, high school students are debating the

“Military Presence” topic, and in the last issue of High School Today,

“Space” was announced as the 2011-12 debate topic.

The values of being a member of the school’s debate team are as

important as being a part of the football or basketball squad. Being

a part of a team that works together to accomplish a goal is a

tremendous benefit of high school activity programs – whether it is

in the debate room, on stage with a choir or orchestra or on the

football field or basketball court. Learning how to deal with “the

thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” is an invaluable lesson

learned in all of these settings.

Among the 51 NFHS-member associations (50 states plus the Dis-

trict of Columbia), 27 are “activity” associations, meaning they are

involved in sponsoring statewide events other than athletics. And, in

most of these states, opportunities for involvement go far beyond the

“standard” offerings of speech, debate, music and theatre.

Chess, for instance, is offered in four states – Arizona, Arkansas,

Illinois and New Mexico. Academic competition (Scholars Bowl,

Scholastic Bowl) is a sponsored activity in nine states – Alaska, Illinois,

Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Vir-

ginia. Journalism is offered in a number of states, as is Student Coun-

cil. Winter Guard is a part of state association programs in Arizona

and Missouri, and science fair competition is held in Maine, New

Mexico, Texas and Vermont.

New Mexico is the lone state involved with rodeo, and New Mex-

ico and Wyoming are involved with Future Farmers of America com-

petition. In addition, visual art is a part of the offerings in Alaska and

Minnesota. Although it could fall on either side of the athletics/other

activities ledger, Illinois lays claim to the nation’s only bass fishing

championship.

Although the other 24 NFHS member state associations govern

athletics only, other organizations in those states are involved with

directing activities such as speech, debate and music, so the oppor-

tunity for involvement in activity programs other than athletics exists

in all states.

While performance in the classroom has to be the first priority for

high school students, involvement in any of these activity programs

can be a life-changing experience. In the February issue of High

School Today, Janet Rubin offered 10 benefits of arts education.

Although some are similar to ones listed in “The Case for High

School Activities” document published by the NFHS, such as better

attendance, lower dropout rates, higher grade-point averages, im-

proved self-esteem and self-confidence, and leveling the playing field

for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, Rubin

also noted the arts education improves academic and performance

skills for children with learning disabilities, improves literacy skills,

fosters motivation, creates empathy for and understanding of oth-

ers, and improves oral and written communication skills.

While many adults in the business world today link their success

to involvement in high school sports, others in position of leadership

point to their experience in the arts or other activity programs as the

springboard to the future. In addition to making sure that high

school athletic programs stay afloat during tough economic times,

we must keep the door open to all of these other opportunities for

student involvement in activities.

Whether football or debate, lacrosse or journalism, cross country

or chess, we must keep the doors of opportunity open for students

to . . . Take Part. Get Set For Life.™

NFHS REPORT

BY ROBERT B. GARDNER, NFHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND NINA VAN ERK, NFHS PRESIDENT

Activities Other Than SportsOffered in Many States

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EDITORIAL STAFFPublisher .......................Robert B. GardnerEditors ..........................Bruce L. Howard.....................................John C. GillisProduction.....................Randall D. OrrAdvertising....................Judy ShoemakerGraphic Designer ...........Kim A. VogelOnline Editor .................Chris Boone

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEESuperintendent..............Darrell Floyd, TXPrincipal ........................Ralph Holloway, NCSchool Boards ...............Jim Vanderlin, INState Associations..........Treva Dayton, TXMedia Director ..............Robert Zayas, NMFine Arts........................Steffen Parker, VTAthletic Director ............David Hoch, MDAthletic Trainer ..............Brian Robinson, ILCoach ...........................Don Showalter, IALegal Counsel................Lee Green, KSGuidance Counselor ......Barb Skinner, INContest Official..............Tim Christensen, OR

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 7

High School Today, an official publica-tion of the National Federation of StateHigh School Assoc ia tions, is publishedeight times a year by the NFHS.

EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICESNational Federation of State High School AssociationsPO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206Telephone 317-972-6900; fax 317.822.5700

SUBSCRIPTION PRICEOne-year subscription is $24.95. Canada add$3.75 per year surface post age. All other foreignsubscribers, please contact the NFHS office forshipping rates. Back issues are $3.00 plus actualpostage.

Manuscripts, illustrations and photo graphs maybe submitted by mail or e-mail to Bruce Howard,editor, PO Box 690, Indianapolis, IN 46206,<[emailprotected]>. They will be carefullyconsidered by the High School Today Publica-

tions Committee, but the publisher cannot be re-sponsible for loss or damage.

Reproduction of material published in HighSchool Today is prohibited with out written per-mission of the NFHS executive director. Views ofthe authors do not always reflect the opinion orpolicies of the NFHS.

Contents

HighSchoolTHE VOICE OF EDUCATION-BASED ATHLETIC AND FINE ARTS ACTIVITIESTODAY™

Addressing Budget Issues Without Cutting Services: Schoolsare employing a combination of transportation and contest mod-ifications, along with increasing revenue, to offset budget cuts. – Jeff Lamb, CAA

COVER STORY

WelcomeWe hope you enjoy this publication and

welcome your feedback. You may contact

Bruce Howard or John Gillis, editors of High

School Today, at [emailprotected] or

[emailprotected].

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HST ONLINE

You can access previous issues online

at www.nfhs.org/hstoday.

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

NFHS Report

Quick HitsInteresting Facts and Information

Legal Issues‘WebcamGate’ Case Addresses Student Electronic Privacy Issues

Fine ArtsPerforming with Understanding, Teaching withIntention – A Primer for Music Teachers and Administrators

Above and BeyondStudent Sacrifices Spot on Team with Others in Mind

Ideas That WorkE-communication with Your Families

Sportsmanship• Alabama, Mississippi Benefit from

Required Sportsmanship Education• New Technology Promotes Safety at

After-school Events

Sports MedicineMeeting the Needs of ADHD Students in Athletic Programs

In the News

Voices of the Nation

20 30 34

SPORTSMANSHIP

Expectations of the High

School Public-address

Announcer: At high school

events, public-address

announcers should be the

leaders in creating a proper

atmosphere at games.

–Jeff Kurtz

EVENT PLANNING

Supervision and Risk

Management of

Off-campus Events:

Events held away from school

heighten the need for proper

planning.

–Dr. David Hoch, CMAA

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Leading the Way Means

Showing the Way: Athletic

directors have challenging job

as head of the leadership

team. –Dan Cardone

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QUICK HITS

Cody Ross was born December 23, 1980, in Portales, New Mex-

ico, a city of approximately 12,000 and the location of Eastern New

Mexico University.

Ross later moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where he played

Class 5A baseball for the Carlsbad High School Cavemen and grad-

uated in 1999.

Although a professional baseball career has panned out for

Ross, his childhood dream was to be a rodeo clown, wanting such

a career because his father was a professional bull rider.

Baseball distracted Ross from that dream, though. As a fresh-

man, Ross was called up to the varsity team to hit during a mid-

season tournament against Roswell (New Mexico) Goddard High

School. In his first at bat, he hit a home run, which his then-team-

mate Justin Estrada said went “over the fence, over the lights and

over the road.”

Three years and two state titles later, Ross earned national at-

tention during his senior season. He hit .525 with 12 home runs

and 45 runs-batted-in and also pitched a perfect game, which was

enough to be named one of Baseball America’s Second-Team High

School All-Americans.

The Detroit Tigers drafted Ross in the fourth round of the 1999

Major League Baseball Draft. In the 11 seasons that followed, Ross

was traded four times and eventually landed in right field for the

San Francisco Giants.

The Giants won the World Series last year, and Ross was named

MVP of the National League Championship Series before helping

his team defeat the Texas Rangers in the league playoff’s final se-

ries. In that NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ross hit .350

with three home runs, three doubles and five runs-batted-in.

Cody Ross

It All Started Here For the Record

Source: 2011 National High School Sports RecordBook. To view the Record Book, visit the

NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org and select “Publications” on the home page.

Drew Henson(Brighton, MI), 1995-98

Preston Wilson(Bamberg-Ehrhardt, SC),1989-92

Kyle Young(Greenville, IL), 1997-99

Jordan Adams(Mason City NewmanCatholic, IA), 2006-09

Brad Wilson(Hiawassee Towns County,GA), 1986-89

Scott Pickands(Oak Forest, IL), 1984-86

Drew Henson

BASEBALLMost Grand Slams,

Career

Photo provided by Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic, Wikipedia.org.

Photo provided by Jaime M. Berdoza, athleticdirector of Carlsbad (New Mexico) High School.

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Around the Nation

Question: Is your state considering reducing the number of allowable contests in sports/activities due tobudget concerns?

Two females startas baseball pitchers

On February 26 – in what is believed

the first time ever in high school baseball

– a game featured two girls as starting

pitchers. Marti sem*ntelli started for

Lake Balboa (California) Birmingham High

School, and Ghazaleh Sailors started for

Santa Barbara (California) San Marcos

High School. Birmingham won the game,

6-1, thanks to sem*ntelli’s first career

complete game. Sailors, who began pitch-

ing at age 7, also had a hit to left-center

field as a pinch-hitter in the seventh in-

ning.

Top High School Performances

Softball player powers up to tie national record

During Bear Creek (North Carolina) Chatham

Central’s March 9 softball game against Denton

(North Carolina) South Davidson High School, soph-

omore Erin Sugg stepped up to the plate at a piv-

otal moment in the game. The bases were loaded

in the third inning with the score tied 1-1. Sugg

came through, blasting a home run to give the

Bears a 5-1 advantage. Later in the same inning,

Sugg found herself in the same scenario with the

bases loaded. And again, Sugg came through. Her

second grand slam of the inning gave her team a 13-1 lead and tied Sugg for the na-

tional record with two grand slams in one inning. In addition, her eight runs-batted-in

in the inning is the fourth-most all time.

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Unusual Nicknames

Ord High School ChanticleersAs a bird, the Chanticleer is a rooster appearing in fables whose

name is French for “sing clear.” As a mascot, the Chanticleer is even

more obscure, belonging to only two schools. Coastal Carolina Uni-

versity claims it as a mascot, as does Ord (Nebraska) High School. As

the only high school to boast the mascot, Ord commonly refers to its

athletic teams as the Chants. Its version depicts a menacing rooster

with red and black colors.

The Chanticleer name can also mean a male vocal ensemble and

has been used as a ship name for several boats in the United States

Navy and British Royal Navy.

TRACK HURDLES

The Cost

High quality – $173

Economy type – $102

Hurdle dolly – $400

(holds 10 hurdles)

*These prices serve as approximate costs and are not intended to reflect any specific manufacturer’s prices.

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FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO PLAYED IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL BANDS

Top Five

2. American Actor Meryl Streep

Streep, the most Academy Award-nominated actress, is re-

garded as perhaps the greatest living American actress. On her list

of hit films are “Julie & Julia,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “The

Bridges of Madison County” and “Sophie’s Choice.”

She graduated from Benards High School in Benardsville, New

Jersey. While at Benards, she played violin in the school orchestra

and also starred in several school productions.

3. President Thomas JeffersonA little bit of a stretch here as there is no record of Jefferson’s

high school music performances. Jefferson, who drafted the Dec-

laration of Independence and was instrumental in finalizing the

Louisiana Purchase, certainly would have been a star if “Glee” had

been touring the area by wagon train: Jefferson played the cello,

clavichord and violin.

4. American Actor Richard Gere

Gere, who is perhaps best known for his roles in “An Officer

and a Gentleman” and “Pretty Woman,” graduated from North

Syracuse (New York) Central High School, where he played trum-

pet in the school band.

Gere also played Billy Flynn in the movie version of “Chicago.”

In the original filming, Gere played a trumpet solo that did not

make the final cut of the movie.

5. President Bill ClintonClinton graduated from Hot Springs (Arkansas) High School,

where he played saxophone in the school band. Many credit Clin-

ton’s walk-on performance playing his saxophone on the Arsenio

Hall Show for influencing younger voters that the President of the

United States could be cool. Clinton capitalized on that “coolness”

to sweep to victory.

Editor’s Note: Tim Christensen, a member of the High School Today Publications Committee from Oregon, provides his thoughts on the

Top Five famous people who played in their high school bands. He says that many of today’s leaders got their starts in the performing arts.

In these times of ever-shrinking tax dollars, we often read that school districts are making drastic cuts to keep the doors

open. Sadly, it seems that one area that often gets cut is the area of band/choir.

In honor of the world of high school music programs, we give you this month’s “Top Five.”

1. 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza RiceWe could all aspire to “Be Like Condy.” An accomplished author, musician, politician and diplomat, Rice graduated from St. Mary’s

Academy in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Rice studied ballet and languages from age three, and she was an accomplished pianist who

played in the Aspen Music Festival.

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n light of the current budget crisis in schools across the country,

some individuals have suggested that districts eliminate all high

schools sports programs. The result, as we know, would be cat-

astrophic. What can be done to ensure that this doesn’t happen?

How do schools defend their athletic programs and the inherent

value of those programs?

If education-based school athletics and activity programs are

going to survive, athletic directors and other school leaders must

spend time protecting and defending their programs. At every op-

portunity, athletic directors, coaches and others must be prepared

to share facts about the benefits of high school athletics. In that re-

gard, following are some ideas:

• Use NFHS, NIAAA and state publications as well as the local

newspaper to promote high school athletics.

• At the school’s parent-athlete meetings, stress the challenges

of providing an athletic program under the current financial

crisis.

• Let the community know that the budget crisis could poten-

tially mean eliminating lower-level teams and non-revenue

producing sports.

• Explain the worst-case scenario of dropping all athletic teams

if funds are not available.

If the budget crunch hasn’t hit in your school district, cuts are un-

doubtedly on the way. Schools nationwide are trying to keep these

important and vital programs alive despite the loss of district funds.

In some cases, however, schools have had to eliminate athletics

altogether, although these still rare occurrences. Others have elimi-

nated sports that are non-revenue producing, or reduced or elimi-

nated lower-level teams. Some schools have cut or reduced coaching

stipends or eliminated assistant coaches.

TRANSPORTATION MODIFICATIONSCertainly, these are worst-case scenarios and only done when all

Addressing Budget IssuesWithout Cutting ServicesBY JEFF LAMB, CAA

COVER STORY

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else fails. One area where schools have been able to reduce expenses

and keep programs alive is transportation, which is one of the biggest

expense items for high school athletic departments. Following are

some ways that schools across the country are cutting transporta-

tion costs.

• Charging a transportation fee per sport, although this is ille-

gal for public schools in California.

• No transportation provided to any contests. Students are re-

sponsible for getting to and from contests themselves. This,

obviously, could amount to huge savings, but it also could

place school districts in a liability situation if anything should

happen.

• No transportation to weekend games.

• One-way buses. Schools, when playing in reasonable proxim-

ity to their home school, only transport players to the game;

parents are asked to pick up their athletes after the game.

• Double up softball and baseball games to save on transporta-

tion costs.

• Set a mileage limit for non-league away contests whenever

possible.

• Combine busing with two or more sports teams on the same

bus going to different locations but in similar directions.

• Use of charter buses. In some cases, these are less expensive

than school buses because charters are looking for business.

• Transport varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams on the

same bus.

• Rent vans for teams. Companies can give government rate,

which is very good and includes insurance.

• Have parents drive students to contests. Parents must submit

driver form/affidavit accepting full responsibility and attach proof

of driver’s license and a minimum level of required insurance.

• Have parents sign permission forms for their sons or daughters

to ride in private cars.

CONTEST MODIFICATIONSSome state associations have reduced the maximum number of

contests that schools can play in particular sports in a given year. (See

the Around the Nation map on page 7.) In other states, the decision

to reduce the number contests has been made at the school level.

Reducing the number of contests reduces costs for transporta-

tion and officials. While some schools have cut the allowable num-

ber of athletic contests for all levels, some have limited the reductions

to freshman and junior varsity teams. Other schools are scheduling

games on weekends to reduce transportation costs.

Other ideas related to contest modifications include:

• Having varsity leagues with only five to six schools.

Play in close geographical proximity

Traditional double round-robin

League model is more sustainable in terms of officials,

travel and cost of mandatory league contests

• Having teams play only three to four preseason games.

• Having only one to two tournaments to create diverse com-

petition.

• Reducing all sports to a season total of 14 or 15 contests.

• Having a league schedule with only one contest a week like

football.

INCREASING REVENUEInstead of making cuts, some schools have increased their rev-

enue through a variety of methods. “Pay to Play” programs have

continued to evolve across the nation as more schools are faced with

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no other option. Many schools have been successful with this process

when the alternatives and facts have been presented to the parents.

Fees from $50 to $200 per player, per sport are standard. Through

this process, some programs will gain about $170,000.

The possibilities for raising additional funds for the ath-

letic program are limitless. Following are a few suggestions

offered by schools across the country.

• Have booster clubs (501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) register

on the Web site – www.networkforgood.org. This site allows

for Individuals to make online donations and can link to the

school’s athletic Web site.

• Enlist corporations for development money.

Most corporations have money set aside to help support

non-profit organizations.

Parents may know individuals in these companies.

• Start a High School Athletic Foundation (estimated $60,000 to

$150,000 a year).

• Start an Athletic Booster Club.

Membership levels: $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000,

$2,500 (lifetime pass)

• Create an Endowment Plan for Athletics.

• Develop an Alumni Support Group to help with donations.

Contact alumni through Twitter or Facebook, as well as a

bulk mailing.

Create an Alumni Pass for $10 (admission to all home

games). These individuals may become future booster club

members.

• Sell sponsorship signage on field and gym.

• Create an arrangement with a local Officials Association. Of-

ficials could use school classrooms for meetings and pay the

school by covering the school’s travel fees for officials.

• Allow food in gym during volleyball, basketball and wrestling

events.

• Request that the site rental fees benefit the athletic program.

• Require groups that rent high school facilities to donate equip-

ment, such as soccer nets, corner flags, balls.

• Host a golf tournament, which has the potential to generate

$6,000 to $11,000 a year.

• Use an outside poster company – $3,000 a year.

• Have the booster club generate programs for each of the sport

seasons.

• Host tournaments in various sports – volleyball, basketball,

soccer, baseball, softball.

• Have teams fundraisers (car washes, magazine sales, cookie

dough, etc.).

• Have a Taco Night.

• Host a Dance Festival competition or performances with a local

group.

• Request the Athletic Booster Club to pay for all uniforms and

awards.

• Organize Summer Camps/Youth Camps. Coaches receive 70

percent of proceeds, and the school receives the other 30 per-

cent.

• Provide shooting clinics during spring break in boys basketball

and girls basketball.

• Charge for reserved parking.

• Charge for reserved seating.

• Charge for alumni games.

• Sell merchandise – T-Shirts, hats and sweatshirts.

• Host a Powder Puff Football game and charge admission.

• Organize a pasta feed or fundraising dinners.

• Sell Varsity Gold Cards (discount cards) for each sport.

• Have a Poker/Casino Night.

• Host an annual Sports Hall of Fame Dinner.

• Offer online driver’s education classes, in conjunction with an

online driver’s education company, on the school’s athletic

Web site, with the athletic department receiving a percentage

of the revenue.

• Sell fireworks for July 4. Some schools have been able to raise

$12,000 through this method alone.

• Sell Christmas trees. Some schools have made more than

$20,000 in one year through this fundraising plan.

• Have Booster Club sell E-scripts.

Take part in an annual schoolwide auction. After eight

years, an auction is now bringing one school $35,000 to

$40,000 each year for athletics. It requires lots of work, but

this can be a great community builder as well as money-

maker. An event such as this requires four to five months

of planning and should be promoted and advertised

through every avenue.

Whatever measures schools use to address their financial situa-

tion, adjustments are necessary for high school athletics to survive.

Through better planning, modifications and creative revenue-pro-

ducing ideas, schools can and will be able to provide athletic oppor-

tunities for their student-athletes. Athletics educates and provides

life lessons that cannot be taught in our classrooms. It is of the ut-

most importance that we do our best to continue to provide athlet-

ics in our schools where our core educational values can be

supported.

Jeff Lamb, CAA, is athletic director and head varsity volleyball coach at Milpitas (Cal-ifornia) High School. Lamb led a workshop on this topic at the recent National Ath-letic Directors Conference in Orlando. He is immediate past president of the CaliforniaState Athletic Directors Association. Lamb can be reached at [emailprotected].

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Student Electronic Privacy IssuesImagine a high school student sitting at his family’s dining room

table in the evening working on his homework. Unknown to the

student, the Webcam built into the laptop computer on which he

is typing is covertly snapping photographs of him and other family

members in the privacy of their home. Spyware embedded in a part

of the computer’s hard drive inaccessible to the student is also

recording screenshots – pictures of whatever is displayed on the

computer’s screen, including images of Web sites being visited by

the student, writings being edited by the student in word process-

ing programs, artwork being created by the student in desktop pub-

lishing programs, and other variations of analytical or creative work

being performed by the student using software for spreadsheets,

databases or presentations.

Imagine a high school student sitting in her bedroom late at

night, doing some online research on her laptop for a school proj-

ect, with the computer’s Webcam secretly snapping pictures of her

in a state of partial undress in the privacy of her own room. Spyware

is recording the Internet Protocol (IP) address where the laptop is

being used, along with the content of e-mails and instant messages

being sent by the student, social media postings by the student on

sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and playlists of all the music,

movies and podcasts downloaded by the student.

Imagine, in both of the above scenarios, real-time transmission

of all gathered information from the individual computers to a server

being used by a school district where the images and data would be

stored and available for review by school administrators. Following

transmission, the spyware erases all evidence that the information

has been gathered and forwarded so that even the most computer-

savvy of students would not realize they were being clandestinely

monitored.

The WebcamGate Court Case A lawsuit resolved in the fall of 2010 in U.S. District Court for the

Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Robbins v. Lower Merion School

District, addressed such electronic privacy issues. In February 2010,

Blake Robbins, a junior at Lower Merion High School, filed a lawsuit

against the school, district and district personnel after being con-

fronted by school administrators in possession of more than 200

photos showing him in his bedroom in his family’s home – images

obtained using the Webcam on his school-issued laptop computer.

According to the suit, Robbins had been summoned to a vice prin-

cipal’s office and accused of taking illegal pills, the evidence being

the Webcam pictures of him sitting in front of his laptop in his bed-

room while ingesting the alleged contraband – a mistaken as-

sumption, the school soon concluded, when it was discovered that

the “pills” he had been taking were pieces of Mike and Ike candy

on which he had been snacking while doing homework.

The district had not informed the 2,300-plus students at its two

high schools who had been issued laptops, or their parents, that re-

mote activation and tracking software had been loaded onto each

computer that would allow secret activation of each laptop’s Web-

cam, along with the capability for screenshot capture and monitor-

ing of all other uses of the computers by each student. In its written

response to the suit, the district argued that its only purpose for in-

stalling the spyware on the laptops was to track and recover com-

puters that were either stolen or misplaced and that Robbins had

impermissibly taken his laptop home before paying a required in-

surance fee that was a condition of its issuance.

Jalil Hasan, another student at the school, soon joined the suit

after discovering that pictures had also been covertly taken of him

in his bedroom at home, also via the camera built into his school-is-

sued computer. The discovery phase of the lawsuit revealed that in

total, 56,000 images of 40 students had been obtained by the dis-

trict, along with extensive additional information regarding the uses

of and content created by those students on their computers. Over

the course of the two years in which the monitoring system had

been in place in the Lower Merion School District, the covert sur-

veillance methods had been helpful in locating a handful of stolen

and misplaced laptops, but the vast majority of the pictures taken

and data captured were in situations where students were properly

using the laptops which had been provided to them by the school.

‘WebcamGate’ Case Addresses Student Electronic Privacy IssuesBY LEE GREEN

LEGAL ISSUES

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Legal StandardsOn October 12, 2010, the federal court approved a settlement

in which the Lower Merion School District agreed to pay $610,000

to resolve the lawsuits by Robbins and Hasan. The terms of the

agreement stipulated that $175,000 is to be paid to Robbins,

$10,000 to Hasan, and $425,000 to their attorney.

The most important ramification of the case for school districts

across the country and school administrators responsible for devel-

oping policies related to student electronic privacy is the language

of the permanent injunction issued against Lower Merion School

District by the federal court at the time it approved the financial set-

tlement. The court order makes it clear that, even though the case

never went to trial, the federal court considers the use of spyware

technology under the circ*mstances of the Robbins case to be an

impermissible invasion of student privacy rights by schools.

In the five-page court order establishing the permanent injunc-

tion (available full-text at http://docs.justia.com/cases), U.S. District

Judge Jan E. DuBois imposed the following stipulations on the Lower

Merion School District (LMSD):

• LMSD is permanently enjoined from remotely activating Web-

cams on laptop computers issued by the LMSD to its students.

• LMSD is permanently enjoined from purchasing any software,

hardware or other technology that allows for the remote ac-

tivation of Webcams on student laptops or the remote mon-

itoring of audio or video from student laptops.

• LMSD is permanently enjoined from remotely capturing, or

causing to be captured, screenshots of student laptops.

• LMSD may implement a technological alternative to track stu-

dent laptops that are reported by the student or his or her

parent or guardian as lost or stolen.

• LMSD is permanently enjoined from accessing or reviewing

any student-created files contained on student laptops (in-

cluding, but not limited to, documents, e-mails, instant mes-

saging records, photographs, Internet usage logs, and Web-

browsing histories).

• LMSD shall prepare and adopt official policies governing the

distribution, maintenance and permissible uses of student

laptops; the privacy of student data in such laptops; the train-

ing of district personnel with respect to student laptops and

privacy; and the administration, oversight and enforcement of

such policies.

The permanent injunction does allow the LMSD, in certain lim-

ited circ*mstances, to access and review files on student laptops in

order to ensure that students are not impermissibly using the laptops

in violation of school policy (consult the full-text ruling for details

regarding the criteria necessary to justify school access to and review

of files on the computers). However, the district is required to ex-

plain to and obtain written consent of students and parents or

guardians with respect to the situations in which such reviews will

take place.

In addition to the financial settlement and permanent injunction

in the civil lawsuit, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Mont-

gomery County (PA) District Attorney’s Office conducted a joint in-

vestigation regarding whether the LMSD had broken any federal or

state criminal laws. Although prosecution of district personnel under

criminal wiretapping laws might have been possible, the decision

was made not to seek such indictments because of insufficient ev-

idence “that would establish beyond a reasonable doubt that any-

one involved had criminal intent in the matter.”

On March 29, 2010, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on

Crime and Drugs held a hearing on the invasion of privacy issues

related to the monitoring of school-issued computers, following

which on April 12, 2010 legislation was introduced in the U.S. Sen-

ate to amend the Federal Wiretap Act to criminalize the use of lap-

top Webcams for covert surveillance.

Both the criminal investigation and the legislative action arising

from the Robbins situation reinforce for school administrators the

standard of practice that, although the right of districts to engage

in limited invasions of student privacy through on-school-premises

searches of lockers, backpacks, automobiles and the like has been

upheld by courts, invasions of the electronic privacy rights of stu-

dents may be far more problematic.

Lee Green is an attorney and a professor at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas,where he teaches courses in sports law, business law and constitutional law. He is amember of the High School Today Publications Committee. He may be contacted [emailprotected].

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icture this. You have just settled into your seat at your local

high school gymnasium. Dressed in school colors, you are

ready to support and cheer for your hometown kids as

they face their crosstown rivals in a Friday night basketball game.

Suddenly, you are jolted out of your relaxed state by a scream-

ing, ranting, rafter-vibrating voice exhorting you to “Get up on

your feet and make some noise.” By the time your heart rate re-

turns to normal sinus rhythm, you have been subjected to a ca-

cophony of music, lyrics and high-volume vocal “entertainment”

that just doesn’t seem to be appropriate for this environment. And

it doesn’t stop.

The public-address announcer continues to “push the needle

to the limit” as we say in the sound business, mimicking what he

or she has heard at most NBA and college games – a never-ending

surplus of noise, with the louder the better. For those of us who live

and work in the world of interscholastic athletics, however, this is

really not appropriate.

As the venerable, late, great New York Yankees public-address

announcer Bob Sheppard once said, “A P.A. announcer is not a

cheerleader, or a circus barker or a hometown screecher – he is a

reporter.” Sheppard was the master of keeping it short and sim-

ple. His voice and delivery commanded respect and there was never

any “listen to me” kind of attitude in anything he said over the mi-

crophone. Bob Sheppard was the consummate public-address an-

nouncer.

That definition and expectations of a public-address announcer

have been lost somewhere in a marketing/promotion department’s

vision of “the game experience.” And while all that screaming and

hollering and amplifier-induced “enjoyment of the game” may be

fine for the NBA or WWE events, when it trickles down to the in-

terscholastic sports level our kids (student-athletes) are lost in the

noisy shuffle and our fans are subjected to an experience that is

anything but sportsmanlike and appropriate for this level.

The National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers

(NASPAA) has provided clear expectations in its code of conduct re-

garding what a public-address announcer should and should not

do when working at the high school level, which appears on its

Web site at www.naspaa.net.

First and foremost, the role of the public-address announcer is

to provide pertinent information in a timely manner and to do it

professionally. This doesn’t mean screaming at the top of your

lungs when introducing the home team’s starting lineup or every

time a player on your team scores a basket – as if you don’t have

a microphone and all of your listeners are at least 100 yards away!

From a purely professional perspective, announcers should not

attempt to be bigger than the game by doing play-by-play or pro-

viding commentary in an effort to draw attention to themselves.

Haven’t we all been at a high school game where the public-ad-

dress announcer thinks he or she is auditioning for a reality TV

show and is the source of the entertainment? At the high school

level, the entertainment should be our student-athletes, band and

cheerleaders!

Announcers should promote good sportsmanship by what they

say and how they act because sportsmanship is the cornerstone of

high school sports.

In addition to how they act on the microphone, announcers

should be competent, prepared and professional in the way they

Expectations of the HighSchool Public-address AnnouncerBY JEFF KURTZ

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represent their schools, teams and sports. After all, they are an ex-

tension of the school and the program.

Regrettably, many announcers feel that one of their duties is to

be a “homer.” Some are over the top – screaming and yelling –

while trying to incite the crowd or cheerleaders. At the high school

level, this is totally unacceptable. The responsibility for exciting the

crowd belongs to the players, cheerleaders, band, dance squad and

mascot. Allowing an announcer to use his/her position to try to

gain an advantage for the home team clearly demonstrates the

wrong expectations for interscholastic athletics.

Athletic directors and state high school associations can play

key roles in raising the level of professionalism of public-address

announcing by setting standards for their announcers. Most state

high school associations have expectations or guidelines for an-

nouncing their state championships, which should serve as the

model for all regular-season games and events.

Athletic directors would be well-served to take their state asso-

ciation’s public-address announcing guidelines and expectations to

heart and incorporate them into the expectations for their own

public-address announcers. Prior to the season, athletic directors

should make it a point to meet with their announcers to establish

and review those guidelines and expectations that serve as part of

the job description for public-address announcers. Everyone who

has a job has a job description, which provides them with a clear

understanding of what they are to do and what the expectations

are. This should be no different for public-address announcers.

Athletic directors who have taken the National Interscholastic

Athletic Administrators Association’s Leadership Training Course

on game/event announcing have a much better understanding of

what they need to do to improve the announcing at their schools.

An area that is addressed extensively is the need for state high

school associations and athletic directors to set expectations for

public-address announcing.

Public-address announcers play a key role in administering high

school athletic contests and events. Their voice is the primary – and

often only – voice that is heard at those contests and events. That

is why training, education and having access to professional de-

velopment is so important. Are your announcers familiar with the

school’s emergency plan? Does it cover all possible emergency sit-

uations? Are they prepared to help execute the plan? From a risk-

minimization standpoint, public-address announcers must be pre-

pared for emergencies.

To this end, NASPAA provides an online public-address an-

nouncer’s certification course. Recognizing that the majority of the

nation’s high school public-address announcers have had little or no

training or education, NASPAA produced the course to provide all

public-address announcers access to professional development.

The support of the NFHS, which is an affiliate member of NAS-

PAA, in promoting the NASPAA Public-address Announcers Online

Certification Course and membership in NASPAA will go a long

way toward raising the quality of our sports public-address an-

nouncers and significantly increasing consistency and national uni-

formity. After all, there’s more to being a public-address announcer

than just having a good voice!

Jeff Kurtz, athletic director at Hudson (Ohio) Middle School and assistant athletic di-rector at Hudson (Ohio) High School, is a veteran public-address announcer with morethan 30 years of high school, college and professional sports to his credit. He hasserved as the primary public-address announcer for athletics at his alma mater – KentState University – since 1980. In addition, he serves as the press box media announcerfor the Cleveland Browns and has also worked as a public-address announcer for theCleveland Indians. He is a member of the NASPAA Board of Directors and serves onthe NIAAA’s Leadership Training Faculty.

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“When you understand the music, you can play it better, just be-

cause you understand what is going on…” (Melissa, band student, ex-

cerpted from Sindberg, 2006, p. 1)

Teachers in the ensemble setting are masterful in achieving per-

formance excellence. Many initiatives have been introduced to

broaden the musical experience beyond technical proficiency, includ-

ing the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP)

model for planning instruction. CMP is a distinct model for planning

instruction that goes beyond technical skill development to other areas

of musical understanding, by presenting ideas designed to encour-

age a more student-centered culture in the ensemble setting.

CMP is a planning model that contains five discrete points that fa-

cilitate an intentional approach to teaching in band, choir and or-

chestra. The planning points include music selection, analysis,

outcomes, strategies and assessment. Using a composition selected by

the teacher, the teacher moves through each point of the model and

develops a teaching plan that details what will be taught and how.

Brief descriptions of each point of the CMP model are provided

following Figure 1, a depiction of the CMP model.

Figure 1:

the CMP Model

(WMEA, 1977)

Selecting quality music. The repertoire forms the basis of our

curriculum in high school bands, choirs and orchestras. It is im-

perative that teachers select out music that offers meaningful

learning opportunities for students.

Analyzing the music to discover what it might “teach.” If

a teacher selects a Bach Brandenberg concerto (original or a

quality arrangement by Merle Isaacs), he or she will discover

the overall form, harmonic organization and motivic develop-

ment of this well-known Baroque work; this information will

lead to the construction of outcomes and strategies. Students

can also participate in the analysis of music as part of their

study.

Writing outcomes or learning goals based on the music

being studied. These outcomes go beyond skill development

to including the knowledge and the affective domain of the

musical experience. Affective outcomes set CMP aside from

other forms of comprehensive musicianship, and address feel-

ing aspects of the musical experience.

Creating teaching strategies that help students achieve

those outcomes. These strategies should engage students

through varied musician-like activities, such as composing, im-

provising, analyzing music and evaluating performances. Hav-

ing students use a VENN diagram to compare two different

musical examples, for instance, is one way to help in the de-

velopment of critical listening skills.

Devising assessment tasks to see if students are learn-

ing what the teacher is teaching. While most teachers work

diligently to observe and evaluate student learning, observa-

tion reveals only a portion of what students are actually learn-

ing. Assessment tasks can and should actively involve students

– the CMP model helps teachers develop effective assessment

tasks. For example, as an ensemble rehearses a particular piece,

students can offer their evaluations of what is going well and

what needs work. This information guides the planning

process.

The teacher takes responsibility for crafting a CMP teaching plan

and implementing that plan over several weeks (a typical concert

cycle). Successful implementation of a CMP teaching plan calls for

balancing that plan among the many events that constitute the high

Performing with Understanding, Teaching with Intention – A Primer for Music Teachers and AdministratorsBY LAURA K. S INDBERG, Ph.D.

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school ensemble, particularly performance expectations. While the

process of writing a teaching plan may seem arduous, the benefits of

seeing students understand the music they are performing make the

investment worthwhile. In addition, several resources are available to

assist teachers in their work.

In the context of a classroom in which teachers implement the

CMP model, one sees varied activities, many of which are student-

centered. As an example, students rehearsing the Stars and Stripes

Forever for part of their study may research the role of John Philip

Sousa in American music history. They could compare this march with

other musical forms, or they may examine aspects of the Stars and

Stripes Forever that evoke patriotism and what their particular per-

ception of patriotism looks like. This work would be undertaken in

addition to the pursuit of performing the work at a high musical level.

Three distinct benefits to employing CMP are described. Two go

beyond the individual teacher’s classroom and one comes from the

student. These are only some of the examples of positive effects of

using CMP in the ensemble setting.

First, the use of a planning model such as CMP forwards not only

musical understanding in band, choir and orchestra, it also facilitates

a more collaborative culture across the entire music department.

Rather than thinking of themselves as strictly choir directors, CMP

promotes a broader label of music teacher. This more holistic per-

spective also is a positive example for students as they see their teach-

ers working together to plan curriculum.

Second, CMP fits comfortably within standards-based curricula.

District, state and national standards identify the knowledge and skills

that are to be mastered by all students by the end of a grade level or

grade band, help define the requirements for course credit and grad-

uation from high school, and guide educators in the adoption and

design of curricula.

Finally, the experience for students in a classroom where teachers

use the CMP model illustrates its value from the perspective of Kyle,

one such student:

“When we first started reading the music, I think I just ex-

pected the typical two or three folk songs that would kind of

just get us through the concert, not be our centerpiece. As it

turned out, this was obviously not the case. English Folk Song

Suite turned out to be a very interesting piece. The project we

did really helped to better understand the piece as a whole.”

(Sindberg, 2006, p. 236)

The ideas forwarded by CMP are not newly invented. Outcomes,

strategies and assessment are components of good teaching prac-

tices. The idea of analyzing music is part of music teacher preparation.

What CMP does, however, is combine those components with the

individual teacher’s knowledge base in relation to pedagogy, content

and experience to create a meaningful, rich and lasting musical ex-

perience for students in band, choir and orchestra.

Amidst increasing evidence that points to the importance of music

and arts education (Pink, 2006), administrators are called to support

professional development for all teachers, and the CMP model pro-

vides an opportunity for teachers to teach with intention.

ReferencesPink, D. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the fu-

ture. New York: Riverhead Books. Sindberg, L.K. (2006). Comprehensive musicianship through perform-

ance (CMP) in the lived experience of students. Unpublished Doctoral Dis-sertation. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.

Wisconsin Music Educators Association. (n.d.) Background of the Wis-consin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Project (est.1977). Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.wmea.com/CMP/visi-tors/background.html.

Dr. Laura Sindberg is assistant professor of music education at the University of Min-nesota and Chair of the Wisconsin CMP Project. For more information, contact Sind-berg at [emailprotected].

The NFHS Speech, Debate and Theatre Association

has selected 17 individuals to receive the 2010-11 Out-

standing Speech, Debate and Theatre Educator Awards.

The Speech Advisory Committee selected the recipients

based on their significant contributions to high school

speech, debate and theatre activities. The awards recognize

outstanding high school speech, debate and theatre direc-

tors/coaches. This year, seven individuals were section win-

ners and 16 were state winners.

For complete biographical information on this year’s

Speech-Theatre-Debate Educator Award winners, visit the

NFHS Web site at <www.nfhs.org/hstoday>.

SPEECH, DEBATE AND THEATRE EDUCATOR AWARDS

The following is a list of this year’s winners:

SECTION WINNERSSection 2 – Ronald Richards, VA

Section 3 – Stacy Howell, MS

Section 4 – Tara Tate, IL

Section 5 – Rebecca Pierce, MO

Section 6 – Eloise Weisinger Blair, TX

Section 7 – Elizabeth Clarke, AZ

Section 8 – Tracy Harrison, ID

STATE WINNERS

Brother Dennis Gunn – Mississippi

Terry Coleman – Iowa

Matt Rund – Indiana

Kirstin Carolin – Michigan

Leo Kallis – South Dakota

Roxy Janke – Minnesota

Christine Adams – Missouri

Martin Glendinning – Oklahoma

Mike Shackelford – Utah

June Gerst – Oregon

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Would you sacrifice a spot you earned on a team that had just

qualified for regionals?

Kori Hall, a sophom*ore at Rolla (Kansas) Senior High School, did

just that with her spot on the high school’s Scholars’ Bowl varsity

team, which eventually went on to win its 10th Kansas State High

School Activities Association Class 1A Division I State Championship

in February.

“My daughter has been blessed with a servant’s heart,” said

Kori’s mother, Kris Hall, who is also the team’s head coach. “Her de-

cision was very much in line with her character. It didn’t surprise me

at all.”

Why would Kori have given up her spot?

Hall earned the last of six spots when her qualification exam

put her a few points better than another student, Trevor McGuire,

a sophom*ore who happens to be autistic.

Hall gave her spot to McGuire, stating that his hard work that

year had made him more deserving of the spot on the team. Hall

also said she had previous opportunities for success in volleyball

and basketball, and she wanted to let him have his “shot” at the

Scholars’ Bowl.

“I can’t express how proud I was of her at that moment,” Kris

Hall said. “She had thought it through and told me Trevor would

make a better team member because she still had basketball prac-

tices, and Trevor could devote more time to practicing Scholars’

Bowl.

“Then she told me, ‘Mom, you don’t know how much this

means to him.’ That was powerful.”

When the coaches and Kori told McGuire that he’d be com-

peting with the team for the remainder of the season, McGuire

was reluctant to take the spot that Kori had earned.

“Kori is my friend,” McGuire said. “I felt kind of upset because

I didn’t want her to feel badly for giving up her spot on the team.”

Student Sacrifices Spot on Team with Others in MindBY STEVEN PEEK

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Kori Hall, far left, with classmates at Rolla (Kansas) Senior High School.

“It reminds me of whywe have activities forour students and thebenefit of those en-deavors.”

The National Strength and Conditioning Association

(NSCA) and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports

and Nutrition have teamed up to honor excellence

in high school strength and conditioning programs,

supervision, education, and facilities.

Applications are due by May 15, 2011

www.nsca-lift.org/StrengthofAmerica/

Recognizing Excellence in High School Strength and Conditioning

Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, flanked by the 2010 Strength of America Award recipients, from left: Steve Szymkowiak, Homewood-Flossmoor HS (Ill.); Mike Nitka, Muskego HS (Wis.); Bob Tim, Widefield HS (Colo.); and Patrick McHenry, Castle View HS (Colo.).

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But assistant coach Mary Courtney told him that Kori was giv-

ing “a gift from her heart” and that he should accept it and should

start practicing for regionals.

“I am so proud of this young man, but also the young lady who

gave up her spot for the better cause,” Rolla Principal Stuart Sut-

ton said. “It reminds me of why we have activities for our students

and the benefit of those endeavors.”

McGuire competed as the team’s alternate. He answered all the

questions he attempted at regionals, and answered three ques-

tions during half of the matches at the state competition.

One of those three correct answers came at a crucial time dur-

ing the final match against Ashland High School.

“We all studied very hard on our question packets,” McGuire

said. “It was not easy, but it was worth the effort.”

McGuire also handled the pressure of competitions well.

Trevor’s mother, Sharna, said that the intensity in the competition

rooms is amazing and that Trevor’s father, Henry, could no longer

sit and watch at one point.

“I think he about broke his chair in half from gripping it so hard

while watching a tiebreak round,” she said.

Rolla had lost its first round of play during the state competition,

but finished the day by winning the next nine rounds.

“I had never been to regionals, let alone state, and I had been

on Scholars’ Bowl for four years,” Trevor said. “When they an-

nounced Rolla as state champions, I thought ‘oh my stars, I don’t

believe it.’”

Sharna McGuire said she still begins to cry when she thinks back

on the situation or speaks about it for too long.

“The thought of Kori’s kindness and selfless act toward my

Trevor just blew me away and still does,” she said. “This particular

act of kindness is not something you hear of very often. I don’t

think she or anyone will ever understand the full degree of the pos-

itive impact she has made in Trevor’s life and in our lives as parents

of an autistic young man.”

After the Rolla Scholars’ Bowl team won its state title and re-

turned to school the following week, Kori Hall displayed her most

telling sign of selflessness.

“I watched her face as the team was congratulated the Mon-

day after the state tournament,” Kris Hall said. “There was not a

hint of sorrow there – she was so proud of the team.

“That was a true display of sportsmanship.”

Steven Peek is the NFHS Publications/Communications Department’s intern for thespring of 2011. He is a senior studying journalism and history at Butler (Indiana) Uni-versity.

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herever schools host an athletic contest, it is impor-

tant that plans for supervision and risk management

are done ahead of time. Emergency plans need to be

in place, and the school leadership team needs to do everything to

ensure a safe environment for the athletes and fans. This process

is even more important when schools host off-campus events,

whether they are contests or practice sessions.

As athletic programs have expanded and new teams have been

added, facilities may not be readily available at existing schools. In

addition, some buildings were also built prior to the implementa-

tion of Title IX, and with the accommodations that had to be made

over the years, there is simply no more room. The use of commu-

nity or shared facilities may be the only solution.

With off-campus use, there has to be a heightened awareness,

considerations and planning involved for supervision and risk man-

agement. Coaches and teams may not have all of the easily avail-

able equipment, supplies and support that they would normally

have at the school. Therefore, all details have to be reviewed and

covered.

If a coach or team member forgets something prior to a contest

or practice session at school, they can usually run into the locker

room or equipment room to retrieve it. This isn’t possible when the

team is off-campus.

Following are some things to consider when using off-campus facilities:

1. Make sure that you prepare an emergency plan for each

venue. These plans should already be in place for your cam-

pus facilities and they should provide a good starting point

and example for any off-campus location.

2. Prepare checklists for all coaches who will be using off-cam-

pus facilities. It is important that ice, water, first-aid sup-

plies, team equipment and everything necessary for a

practice session or game are present.

3. Remind coaches when using off-campus facilities that the

inspection of the playing surface is even more important

than when using a school venue. Other groups or vandal-

ism could have created problems that often do not exist on-

campus. Vigilance is extremely important.

4. Pay attention to changing weather conditions such as thun-

dershowers and lightning. You probably will not have read-

ily accessible locker rooms or shelters for your teams, and a

decision to stop practice or a game may have to be made

sooner.

5. Always let everyone possible know where the team will be

on any given day. This list should include the secretaries in

the main office, school resource office, athletic trainer and

anyone else who might be helpful in case of an emergency.

6. Schedule school buses, vans or bonded carriers in order to

transport your coaches and team to off-campus venues. For

both legs of the trip, attendance has to be taken using a

team roster, including team managers and scorekeepers.

The daily forms need to be kept on file.

7. Make sure that a coach, student manager, athletic trainer or

someone else at the site has a cell phone. While your emer-

gency plan may include all of the instructions and proce-

dures to follow, you can’t send a team manager into the

school if there is a problem. Be prepared!

8. Don’t forget to provide your opponents with directions to

your off-campus location. Review what amenities – such as

water, lavatories and shelter – are or aren’t available so that

they will be prepared. This reminder should be sent each

year, because there may have been a change in the coach-

ing staff or athletic director.

9. Coordinate security coverage with municipal agencies for

all gate-producing events at off-campus venues. Your plan-

ning efforts will also have to include securing game work-

ers – ticket sellers, announcers and chain crew – and

Supervision and Risk Management of Off-campus EventsBY DR. DAVID HOCH, CMAA

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providing them with any specific directions due to the dif-

ferent facility. You will also want to think through a system

for extra change and supplies for your ticket booth.

Special consideration and planning needs to be employed with

a sport such as cross country or track in which groups of runners

may leave campus to run on roads surrounding the school or in

the community park. The coach should plan the routes daily and

give the runners a simple map or directions to carry with them.

If possible, a coach should travel along the route in a car in

order to monitor the runners. It is especially important to review the

safety procedures with your athletes. This would include running

while facing traffic and remaining in a single file along the side or

apron of the road.

Remind the runners that when running on a road, headphones

are not acceptable. It is vital that the athletes be aware of traffic at

all times and it is also a good idea to consider asking one in the

group to carry a cell phone. Always pair up runners so that no one

is out alone on the roadway.

While your golf matches will take place on a course that will

have a clubhouse and phone access, safety and risk management

aspects need to be in place and considered for practice sessions. It

is possible that your golf team may on occasion use a driving range

or field at a park. The coach and athletes have to also be prepared

for any emergency.

Finally, supervision and risk management aspects must be para-

mount for any off-campus events. It is also important to remind

your athletes and your coaches that they are guests. In the truest

sense, your coaches and athletes are ambassadors for your school.

Their appearance, behavior and language are also under scrutiny

and always needs to be positive.

Preparation and careful planning can ensure a very positive ex-

perience for your teams at off-campus venues. Where did you say

that game was being played?

Dr. David Hoch recently retired as the athletic director at Loch Raven High School inTowson, Maryland (Baltimore County). He assumed this position in 2003 after nineyears as director of athletics at Eastern Technological High School in Baltimore County.He has 24 years experience coaching basketball, including 14 years on the collegiatelevel. Hoch, who has a doctorate in sports management from Temple University, is pastpresident of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, and he formerly waspresident of the Maryland State Coaches Association. He has had more than 350 ar-ticles published in professional magazines and journals, as well as two textbook chap-ters. Hoch is a member of the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee.

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Many issues, concerns and complaints surrounding athletic pro-

grams often arise from lack of information or misinformation. Due

to this communication gap, false perceptions and opinions are de-

veloped and problems may surface.

Many of the parents involved in your program may lead com-

plicated lives that take them in a whirlwind of directions. Wise ath-

letic administrators should look, therefore, for every proactive effort

and method to reach out to everyone involved with their programs.

Your families may already receive a great deal of information

from television, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and various other elec-

tronic modes of communication. As an athletic director in the 21st

century, one challenge is how to maximize communication with

the stakeholders using the tools already in use. What method

would be most efficient, effective and free?

Colts Neck High School may have found the answer. Every Sun-

day evening, it produces a weekly E-newsletter for parents and

friends of the school.

Sensing a need to reach out to their parents, Colts Neck athletic

department leaders conducted an initial Google search centered

on learning more about “e-mail blast” possibilities. The Google

search resulted in more than nine million postings ranging from

software to Web sites with various fees attached. Now what?

The athletic director consulted with the technology administra-

tor for the district and the search was narrowed to Mailchimp.com.

This e-mail marketing tool allows the registered user to create a

subscription form for potential recipients.

The form can include optional or required information as well

as “categories” to qualify the subscriber. For example, the name

and e-mail address of the parent can be required while a phone

number could be optional.

The subscriber may also be asked to check a category in order

to be put into a predefined group within the subscriber’s list. At

Colts Neck High School, the subscribers might be a staff member;

a parent; a fall, winter or spring athlete; or the coaching staff. These

groups can then be sent e-mail messages and information specific

to their category.

After the subscription form is created, the next task is to ask

your families, athletes and staff members to go to the Web-based

site to sign up. A flyer handout that advertises the opportunity to

subscribe to your electronic newsletter is a great method to ac-

complish this step.

The flyer can and should be distributed at any parent meetings,

including the Eighth-grade Orientation Session, seasonal sport up-

sign meetings, preseason meet-the-coach evening, Back-to-school

Night and at parent-teacher conference nights. The flyer can also

be posted on the school Web site and Facebook page to encour-

age subscriptions.

Even during the process in which your stakeholders are signing

up, you can create your first newsletter on MailChimp.com. The

site offers various templates or the option to insert an image to de-

velop your own. You can send a simple, plain text e-mail or the

newsletter style.

When your first issue is ready, you can send it to a “particular

group” or your entire subscription list. At Colts Neck High School,

the electronic newsletter was developed to be a weekly tool to an-

nounce upcoming events. By taking this approach, parents are in-

formed of events and activities for the week, and it also serves as

a reminder to students.

E-communication with Your FamiliesBY JEANNETTE BRUNO, CAA

IDEAS THAT WORK

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By using your list of weekly scheduled games and stu-

dent activities, a brief announcement can be written about

what will occur during the upcoming week. For example, the

Colts Neck Newsletter would include:

In addition to providing snippets and notices for upcoming

events, you can also tackle some of the current topics surrounding

your program. You can try covering some of the following exam-

ples with a few brief paragraphs.

• Include some quick hydration and nutritional tips for ath-

letes. Your athletic trainer would be a good resource for this

helpful information.

• Tackle the issue of sportsmanship and provide a few, simple

suggestions to improve sportsmanship at your contests. You

might even want to publish your “Expectations for Fans” in

your newsletter.

• Try explaining to your parents how tryouts will be conducted

and how to ask questions within your chain of command.

Having this type of information in advance can prevent

many problems.

• Don’t forget to explain the procedures for practice sessions

and games when inclement weather has been forecast.

Families will appreciate this type of information so that they

can plan properly.

• Include items that will make your job easier in your setting

and will help keep your families well-informed.

Once your newsletter is completed and sent, MailChimp also

allows for posting a link to the newsletter on social networking

sites. After it is sent as an e-mail, it is then posted to the school

FaceBook and Twitter for even more access.

The Colts Neck High School E-mail Newsletter has been a great

success. It has accomplished the goal of providing more informa-

tion to those associated with the athletic and activity programs in

a timely and efficient manner.

Jeannette Bruno, CAA, is supervisor of extracurricular activities at Colts Neck (NewJersey) High School. She is in her third year after 18 years as a history and psychologyteacher and head softball coach. She is involved with the NIAAA Leadership TrainingInstitute and earned her master’s in athletic administration from Ohio University.

“Winter Concert Thursday at 7 p.m. Come hear the Sounds of

the Season on Thursday in the auditorium. Under the direc-

tion of Mr. Maniaci, the CNHS jazz band and chorus will per-

form the holiday favorites. Come enjoy!”

Boys basketball hosts the Howell Rebels on Tuesday. The jun-

ior varsity contest starts at 5 p.m. and the varsity will follow at

7 p.m. The girls junior varsity and varsity teams will be playing

at Howell High School at the same times.

In addition, all club, parent and special meetings are also listed

for the week to encourage the readers of the newsletter to

attend. Some of the special meetings might include one with

the athletic trainer to explain the procedures and cautions in-

volving concussions or explaining the basics of the college ath-

letic recruiting process.

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SPORTSMANSHIP

A sportsmanship program

mandated by both the Alabama

High School Athletic Association

(AHSAA) and the Mississippi High

School Activities Association

(MHSAA) has greatly reduced the

number of ejections from their re-

spective athletic competitions.

STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Replay)

is the program that both state as-

sociations have required of their

athletic participants. It is a Web-

based program that uses a 40-minute online course to teach

high school students how to positively deal with situations that

might arise during play.

Since the program was instituted five years ago, Alabama has

seen a 78-percent decline in ejections, while Mississippi has ex-

perienced a 68-percent decline in its ejections.

The unsettling increase in unsportsmanlike conduct in high

school sports has created a new trend among state high school

associations – an increase in sportsmanship campaigns. (See

‘Utah Raises Bar for Sportsmanship’ in the March High School

Today.) STAR is one such campaign intended to increase basic

awareness of issues and to create consequences for bad behav-

ior.

Learning Through Sports is the education company that cre-

ated the Web-based program. Founder and CEO Brian Shulman

said that the successes in Alabama and Mississippi can be at-

tributed to the associations’ decisions to mandate the programs

and their respective state legislatures’ support of holding all to

the same standard.

“If you want to impact sportsmanship on a global basis, the

only way to do that is through a mandate,” Shulman said.

According to Shulman, STAR costs approximately $5 per stu-

dent, but can be as low as $2 per student in cases where large

groups such as the AHSAA and the MHSAA purchase program-

ming in bulk.

STAR was created in the wake

of Shulman’s research, which he

said revealed concerns from many

athletic directors calling the lack of

sportsmanship “a big problem.”

STAR also provides courses for

coaches, parents and referees. Re-

mediation classes also exist for of-

fenders, who must re-pass

required classes in order to return

to competition.

Student-athletes are vulnerable

to the influence of adults – especially their coaches. Southington

(Connecticut) High School head football coach D.J. Hernandez

recently admitted he did not set a good example after he used

an opponent’s armband to predict plays during a November

2010 game.

The AHSAA Sportsmanship Manual recognizes the danger of

a poor example from a coach, calling the examples that adults

provide “contagious – good or bad.” The manual encourages

athletic participants to embrace and model the concepts of good

sportsmanship.

The values held by the MHSAA reflect those of the AHSAA.

Mississippi expects all participants to exhibit good sportsman-

ship, what MHSAA Executive Director Ennis Proctor describes as

“conduct that imposes a type of self-control involving honest ri-

valry, courteous relations and graceful acceptance of results.”

Without that self-control, high school athletics can transform

from inspirational to embarrassing.

The mandated sportsmanship programs established by the

AHSAA and MHSAA have proven to be vehicles of fair play in

those states. The fewer number of ejections have shown that

STAR is giving student-athletes a firm basis for choosing the most

ethical course of action.

Steven Peek is the NFHS Publications/Communications Department’s intern for thespring of 2011. He is a senior studying journalism and history at Butler (Indiana)University.

Alabama, Mississippi Benefit from Required Sportsmanship EducationBY STEVEN PEEK

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Safety is always a concern in the back of school administrators’

minds. Schools have hall passes and policies during the day, but

often, anyone with a ticket can enter an after-school event.

Jay Hammes is taking it upon himself to utilize modern tech-

nology to make sports fans feel more secure.

Hammes, the athletic director at Racine (Wisconsin) William

Horlick High School, has developed and expanded the use of his

technology, which borrows an idea from the airlines in order to

make after-school events safer.

One of Hammes’ missions is to ensure that schools do not let

down their guard after classes are dismissed.

“Most schools have a comprehensive security plan during the

day,” Hammes said. “I feel it’s important to have one after school

in case something should happen during a game.”

Hammes created “Safe Sport Zone” – a free, online ticketing

program for high school events that was launched during the win-

ter of 2007 at his high school. The technology ensures that tickets

sold in advance (a strategy not foreign to many schools) are used

by the people who purchased them.

According to the Safe Sport Zone Web site, a small part of the

public has a different agenda that is disruptive and counterpro-

ductive – an element that is less likely to appear if identities have

to be disclosed and known.

After entering personal information online, ticketholders at the

event must have the name on their printed ZPASS match the name

on their driver’s license.

“This helps school districts provide a safer environment by mon-

itoring and controlling attendees at the event,” Hammes said.

“Matching the pre-sold ticket with an I.D. is just like what happens

at airport security.”

Mike Gosz, athletic director at Sussex (Wisconsin) Hamilton High

School, echoed Hammes’ opinion.

“It’s like going to the airport where you feel relatively safe after

going through the last security check,” he said. “With Jay’s pro-

gram of background and security checks, it alleviates a lot of

headaches for athletic directors.”

Milwaukee public high schools had a headache when a fight

erupted after a basketball game in January 2007 at Bradley Tech-

nology & Trade High School. Twenty people were arrested during

the incident.

It’s no coincidence that Safe Sport Zone was started the fol-

lowing winter.

“Some of the larger urban schools have tried selling advance

tickets, but there was no name on the ticket as a way of prevent-

ing violence and that hasn’t worked effectively,” Hammes said.

One downside to the technology is that schools will not be able

to make as much revenue from at-the-door ticket sales.

But Gosz said that Safe Sport Zone does currently give a greater

convenience to fans throughout Wisconsin, and future technologi-

cal advances could eventually allow electronic purchasing at events.

New Technology Promotes Safety at After-school EventsBY STEVEN PEEK

“The identification system helps provide a safer and more secure

area for athletic contests.”

Since 1987dsrd

QualityCustom Awards

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Safe Sport Zone is endorsed by the National Interscholastic Ath-

letic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the National Federa-

tion of State High School Associations (NFHS) and was developed

with oversight from the two organizations.

“The ZPASS system prevents unwanted individuals from at-

tending the event and reduces long lines at event entrances,” said

Bruce Whitehead, executive director of the NIAAA. “Most impor-

tantly, it can help curb disruptive behavior at no cost to the school.”

Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director, said that the technology

is a good idea for any school.

“We certainly think there’s a market for it in areas where there

are security concerns,” he said. “The identification system helps

provide a safer and more secure area for athletic contests.”

ESPN RISE, HighSchoolSports.net and the National Association

of Sports Public Address Announcers also openly endorse the tech-

nology.

Hammes has been targeting Safe Sport Zone toward major met-

ropolitan areas where security problems have occurred most often.

The software has been most often used for sports that have the po-

tential to attract large crowds, most notably basketball and football.

Safe Sport Zone is currently in use at 86 high schools in the state

of Wisconsin, including 27 in Milwaukee and six in Green Bay. The

technology was also used at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic

Association’s basketball playoffs.

Steven Peek is the NFHS Publications/Communications Department’s intern for thespring of 2011. He is a senior studying journalism and history at Butler (Indiana) Uni-versity.

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igh school athletic directors are the unquestioned leaders

of athletic departments, but they have much to do and

often not enough time to do it all. Their leadership role is

quite challenging as they build teams, communicate with parents

and support their student-athletes.

Following are five key points that can help the ath-letic director refine this leadership component:

1. Bring Attitude. Your attitude determines their altitude.

Start each day on the right track by sharing five positive

thoughts or ideas with members of your athletic commu-

nity.

• Stop an athlete in the hall, and compliment him or her

on the effort in last night’s game.

• Let the stadium maintenance person know that the most

recent event ran smoothly because of his or her crew’s

efforts.

• Send a positive note to any of your coaches congratu-

lating them on a great game.

• Send an e-mail or make a quick phone call to a booster

club member or supportive parent, thanking them (and

the organization) for providing a service at the last event.

The key to keeping your athletic community moving for-

ward is to appreciate the efforts they make every day.

2. Have the Right Stuff. How you carry yourself as the ath-

letic director is paramount. If asked to speak at an event,

have you prepared to the best of your ability to connect with

the audience? If making comments at the football banquet,

can you share anecdotes about the staff and players that

show you are in tune with the program? Speaking with au-

thority and sincerity will make those in attendance listen to

your every word.

Having the right stuff means that you are as the Italians

say “il uomo di rispetto” – a person of respect. You are

someone who people admire not because of your title, but

because of how you conduct yourself.

3. Further Everyone’s Reach. An image of pole vaulters, long

jumpers, high jumpers and hurdlers trying to reach new

heights is the perfect analogy for leadership in sport. What

expectations do you have for coaches, athletes and parents

when it comes to sportsmanship and respect? How do you

build a team of administrators that will not only enforce

proper behavior at sporting events, but also be there as ac-

tive supporters? What proactive measures have you taken to

have everyone represent your athletic program to the best

of their ability?

In education, we should endeavor to take all kids – the

talented and the not-so-talented – and make them better

athletes, better students, better people. When coaches iden-

tify players on the team who have leadership skills, they

often name them team captains. We must be willing to in-

vest in educating and supporting them in that role. Through

a captain’s academy or a leadership seminar, we can teach

them to handle conflict, be a calming influence when emo-

tions run high, and gain the respect of their teammates and

opponents.

4. Be a Difference-maker. Encourage your coaches at the

preseason meeting to take the high road in all situations, at

Leading the Way MeansShowing the WayBY DAN CARDONE

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all opportunities. Say thanks to the bus driver when he or

she drops you off after a long road trip; leave the guest

locker room the same way you found it – both send a mes-

sage of appreciation for the effort made. The idea is to have

everyone who comes in contact with your school’s teams

feel as if they were a fine group of young people, worthy of

their support.

5. Win Over People One at a Time. In the movie Remember

the Titans, despite the conflict and tension, coach Boone re-

mained steadfast in accomplishing one thing – winning over

the two captains, Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. Once

accomplished, the rest of his plan to build a championship

team fell into place. Was it easily done? Not by any means.

But winning over people to your way of thinking, to your

team, is both satisfying and rewarding.

Trying to convince people toward your way of thinking is not al-

ways sound strategy. Consider the saying, “A man convinced

against his will is of the same opinion still.” It is preferable for the

athletic director to have a solid approach that includes the opinions,

ideas and efforts of others. Weighing the pros and cons of each de-

cision works better if you have all the information. If we measure

decisions by what is best for kids, we cannot go wrong.

Demonstrating one’s ability to lead may mean working behind

the scenes to prevent the termination of a coach, or bringing in

students prior to a rival game to let them know the expectation for

their behavior is at an all-time high. Additionally, the athletic di-

rector’s guidance is often sought out by principals, teachers,

coaches and parents when they are faced with difficult decisions.

What goes on in the athletic realm helps to determine percep-

tions about your league or district. Winning a rival game is one

thing; having it marred by an ugly scene during or after the contest

places a damper on the outcome and a shadow over the school it-

self. Being a leader requires an unwavering determination to fur-

ther your reach. By doing so, all involved in athletics will try to

emulate your approach.

Remember the motto: “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

Dan Cardone is director of athletics at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-vania. He has been a teacher, coach and athletic administrator in western Pennsylva-nia for more than 30 years. He has been a presenter at state and national conferencesand has had about 75 articles on athletic administration published in various publica-tions.

Together We Make Our MarkOn Sports Safety and Fairness.

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Much attention has been given in recent years to ensure that all

students have a fair and equal chance for academic achievement in

the classroom. However, when these students assume the role of ath-

letes after school, their classrooms become the courts, fields and track.

Their coaches and athletic trainers serve as teachers. Remembering

game plays replaces quizzes and tests. Finally, successful execution of

those plays reflects achievement.

As in the classroom, what seems a simple task for most students

becomes a challenge for learning-disabled student-athletes. It is im-

perative that athletic administrators, athletic directors, coaches and

athletic trainers recognize the challenges of these students and are

flexible enough to adjust their methods to better meet the student-

athletes’ needs.

“Learning-disabled” is an umbrella term covering all students with

specific learning deficits. One of the most common learning disabili-

ties among athletes is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or

ADHD. Before developing a plan of action, one must understand the

clinical definition of ADHD.

According to Russell Barkley, Ph.D., research professor in the De-

partment of Psychiatry at State University of New York Upstate Med-

ical University in Syracuse, New York, ADHD is “the current term for

a specific developmental disorder seen in both children and adults

that is composed of deficits in behavioral inhibition, sustained atten-

tion and resistance to distraction, and the regulation of one’s activity

level to the demands of a situation (hyperactivity or restlessness).”

The reasons for ADHD vary from environmental to genetics to

neurobiology, although most medical professionals agree the two

greatest associated causes of ADHD are genetics and neurobiology.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 25 per-

cent of immediate family members with ADHD have children with the

same disorder.

A landmark study by Dr. Alan Zemetkin and his colleagues at the

NIMH was released in November 1990. As seen through positron

emission tomography (PET) scans, they showed reduced activity in the

frontal cortex of the brain. This area is specific to attention, planning

and motor activity.

To further complicate matters, approximately 20 to 30 percent of

adolescents with ADHD also have another learning disability. It’s not

uncommon for ADHD student-athletes to be diagnosed with Tourette

syndrome (i.e., nervous tics, vocal sounds); oppositional defiant dis-

order (i.e., non-compliant, stubborn behavior); conduct disorder (i.e.,

poor social skills); anxiety (i.e., anxious attitude, panic attacks); de-

pression (i.e., low self-esteem) and bipolar disorder (i.e., mood cy-

cling). Thus, many refer to ADHD as the “Two-For-One” disorder.

Meeting the needs of ADHD student-athletes may be difficult

without disclosing their diagnosis. Although individuals such as the

school nurse, student success staff and athletic trainer should be

aware of any specific medical concerns, school districts should be care-

ful to ensure that their use of medical information regarding student-

athletes does not violate either the Federal Educational Rights &

Privacy Act (FERPA) or the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability

Act (HIPAA), both of which prohibit the release of student medical

information to outsiders and restrict its use internally to only those

school personnel who are directly involved with accommodating the

student’s medical needs.

The safest course of action for districts is to have student-athletes

sign a release form consenting to the use of their medical information

internally. The release should also make it clear that the information

will be shared only among school personnel directly involved with ac-

Meeting the Needs of ADHD Studentsin Athletic ProgramsBY DAVID CSILLAN, MS, ATC, LAT

SPORTS MEDICINE

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commodating the student-athletes’ medical needs and that the in-

formation will be used only for the purpose of accommodating the

student-athletes’ medical needs.

The first step begins with the school district’s board of education

approving the disclosure of medical information to those staff mem-

bers directly involved with the student. In this case, it includes class-

room teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, the athletic

trainer, the athletic director and the coach.

At the beginning of each academic school year, the school nurse

and student success staff usually develop and maintain a list of learn-

ing-disabled students in their files. During this time, all members of the

athletic department – athletic directors, athletic trainers and coaches

– should be encouraged to review the list and make note of those

students playing on their team. Just as the athletic staff should be

made aware of any medical conditions that may develop into medical

emergencies (e.g., asthma, epilepsy and diabetes), the staff should

equally be aware of their student-athletes’ learning disabilities.

In many schools, sports physical packets may be up to six pages in

length and include a variety of forms. Submission of all completed

forms is usually required for participation in athletics.

With a submission due date approaching, coaches and athletic di-

rectors should pay particular attention to ineligible athletes due to in-

complete forms. ADHD athletes have poor time management skills.

They possess little concept of time and don’t understand due dates.

To make matters worse, they are visual learners.

For example, if a coach or athletic director asks the ADHD stu-

dent-athlete if his or her physical packet is complete and submitted,

the athlete may respond with a “yes,” when, in fact, it has not been

finished. The coach or athletic director may need to show the athlete

the packet and the specific forms that are incomplete. The incom-

plete forms should be returned to the student with a due date of the

very next day. Since ADHD athletes have very short-term memory, be

prepared for that “very next day” to be stretched over the course of

a week. It is easy for athletic directors and coaches to become frus-

trated with an ADHD student-athlete’s repetitive forgetfulness.

Instructions during practice and games must be clear and concise

in order for the athlete to understand correctly. In athletics, sarcasm

sometimes is utilized to bring levity to a situation. However, those

with ADHD think literally, so sarcasm may be misinterpreted as neg-

ative criticism. When a task is completed successfully, be prepared to

reward the behavior. From a pat on the back to a stick of gum, such

rewards help maintain focus and serve as motivation. One must re-

member that these individuals are learning-disabled and they have an

opportunity for success only if their accommodations are met.

Most secondary school-aged ADHD individuals are managed by

their physician with daily medication. Stimulants are most often the

medication of choice and coaches should be aware of the common

side effects associated with use of these medications, which include,

but are not limited to, decreased appetite, anxiety, irritability and in-

somnia. In addition, some individuals have reported stomach ache,

headache, slight chest discomfort and/or chest palpitations.

As previously indicated, ADHD is referred to as the “Two-for-One”

disorder, so these student-athletes may be treated with various med-

ications. For example, those also suffering from mood disorder may

be taking medications that disrupt the body’s ability to reduce core

body temperature. A coach has to exercise care when placing these

athletes in conditions that may contribute to an elevation in core body

temperature, e.g., exercising strenuously, exposure to extreme heat or

being subject to dehydration. ADHD student-athletes participating in

fall preseason events and wrestling activities are most susceptible.

In addition, with some mood stabilizers, a correlation has been

shown between the drug and a slight weight gain. As a result,

wrestlers taking this medication may have a particularly difficult time

cutting weight. An unknowing coach may unnecessarily be angry at

the wrestler unable to cut weight when it’s virtually out of his control.

Working successfully with the ADHD student-athlete is an every-

day process. Just when you think they “get it,” they don’t. It’s imper-

ative that athletic directors and coaches change their teaching styles

to accentuate the positives with these individuals, allowing for the

best opportunity for athletic achievement. Equally important is an un-

derstanding of how certain medications may affect their methods of

training.

Proper management of the ADHD student-athlete is a team ap-

proach beginning with the school district’s board of education. The

best tip for athletic staff members is to attempt to see the world the

way ADHD student-athletes see it.

David Csillan, MS, ATC, LAT, has been athletic trainer at Ewing (New Jersey) HighSchool since 1991. He has served on numerous committees with the National AthleticTrainers’ Association and is a former member of the NFHS Sports Medicine AdvisoryCommittee.

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The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCH-

SAA) has launched a new initiative, “Sportsmanship. It’s Up to

You,” that is designed to help schools and their programs to com-

port themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.

The new program emphasizes the role and benefits of sports-

manship in high school athletics, and is based on the NFHS Sports-

manship Toolkit of the same name.

“Sportsmanship has always been one of the

cornerstones of the ‘wholesome athletic envi-

ronment’ the NCHSAA promotes,” said Davis

Whitfield, commissioner of the NCHSAA. “But

we are concerned about an upward trend in

ejections in the recent months and want schools

to stay in the game and be eligible for postseason play.”

Whitfield noted that the NCHSAA has had several teams ex-

ceed the limit of ejections for a season this year, thus making them-

selves ineligible for postseason play.

“Many of our schools do an excellent job in this area,” Whitfield

said. “Sportsmanship is not just a one-time thing but rather some-

thing that should be stressed continually. We will be calling on each

of our member schools to renew their commitment to emphasizing

positive behavior and sportsmanship in the weeks and months ahead.”

The program urges coaches to develop an action plan in case of

an on-court or on-field altercation, and specifically to make sure

that players do not leave the bench.

The new NCHSAA program encourages the use of NCHSAA-

provided resources. One such resource is the aforementioned NFHS

Sportsmanship Toolkit, which provides an implementation guide,

motivational video, posters, scripts and a pledge card, among other

helpful materials.

The NCHSAA already has awards in place to reward good

sportsmanship, such as the Clary Medal for athletes and the Toby

Webb Coach of the Year award. The association also has endow-

ment programs to fund sportsmanship programs in high schools

and has a student services department that teaches respect and

teamwork in athletics.

TSSAA Hall of Fame welcomes Ronnie Carter

Ronnie Carter, who served as executive di-

rector of the Tennessee Secondary School Ath-

letic Association (TSSAA) from 1986 to 2009,

will be inducted into the organization’s hall of

fame April 9 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Carter was with the TSSAA for 31 years, 23

of which he spent as executive director before retiring in June

2009. He said that he was humbled and honored to be inducted

into the hall of fame.

“I remember the first induction in 1982, and realizing you’re in

there with so many of those people is special,” Carter said.

Carter was a teacher, coach, official and administrator during

his 40-year career in secondary education and athletics. He started

as a mathematics teacher, and coached football, basketball,

wrestling and track.

In addition to his work with the TSSAA, Carter has also served

the NFHS in numerous ways. He was first involved with the NFHS

Football Rules Committee, on which he served 25 years. Carter also

served on the Basketball Rules Committee for eight years and on

the Wrestling Rules Committee for four. Additionally, Carter served

on the NFHS Board of Directors from 1998 to 2002, including one

year as NFHS President during the final year of that term.

Illinois association loses twoformer staff members

Within an eight-day period, two former Illinois High School As-

sociation (IHSA) administrators passed away.

Lavere L. (Liz) Astroth, who was executive director from 1978

until his retirement in 1991, passed away January 23 in Kansas City

New North Carolina Initiative Encourages SportsmanshipBY STEVEN PEEK

IN THE NEWS

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at the age of 89. Don Robinson, who was on the administrative

staff from 1978 until his retirement in 1999, passed away January

30 at the age of 72 after recently being diagnosed with cancer.

Astroth had a 45-year career in education, including time as a

teacher, coach and administrator. During Astroth’s tenure as the

IHSA executive director, the state association added state finals in 12

girls sports, established a football playoff system, added a State Se-

ries in Scholastic Bowl, moved to multiple classes in several sports

and organized the IHSA’s first-ever television network.

Robinson, a native of Warsaw, Illinois, started a 36-year career

in education at Savanna (Illinois) High School, where he served as

head football coach, head wrestling coach and the assistant coach

for track and golf from 1963 to 1965.

Following his time at Savanna, he was a coach and official in five

different sports, and an administrator for student affairs before be-

coming an IHSA assistant executive director in 1978. He was pro-

moted to associate executive director in 1991.

Robinson served on the NFHS Football Rules Committee from

1979 until his retirement, and on the NFHS Wrestling Rules Com-

mittee from 1988 to 1994.

Nassar, new foundation increase autism awareness

Autism awareness has a new voice — The Gymnastics Doctor

Autism Foundation.

The new foundation was started by Dr. Larry Nassar, who is

the physician for the USA Gymnastics Women’s National Team, and

will work to support the role of gymnastics in the lives of special-

needs children.

Nassar said he and his founda-

tion are dedicated to raising

awareness, developing programs

for special-needs children in gym-

nastics clubs, and funding re-

search to help such children reach

their potential.

Approximately one in every

110 children is diagnosed with

autism, according to Nassar.

In order to raise funds, Nassar and his foundation will team up

with competitions throughout the United States. The first event to

be a part of the awareness campaign was the “Flip for Autism

Awareness Meet,” an event hosted by The Flip Zone November 13-

14 in Plainfield, Indiana. Nearly 500 gymnasts from 24 gyms com-

peted in the event.

“Nearly 1,000 spectators attended [‘Flip for Autism Aware-

ness’], including Olympic silver-medalist and 2009 world champion

Bridget Sloan,” said Stephanie Stout, the owner of Flip Zone. “The

event raised $1,900 for autism awareness, plus an additional

$1,000 for scholarships at Flip Zone.”

The Gymnastics Doctor for Autism Foundation has hosted two

additional events. Sloan was a special guest at one on January 8 in

Lansing, Michigan, and Olympic gold-medalist Nastia Liukin was

the special guest at one on February 25 at Michigan State Univer-

sity in East Lansing, Michigan.

CSIET looks to future withnew executive director

There has been a changing of the guard for the Council on

Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), a group

dedicated to promoting international youth exchange.

John Hishmeh, executive director of CSIET, has retired from

the organization to continue his career with the U.S. Foreign Serv-

ice. He has been succeeded by Chris Page, who began his tenure

February 7. Page served on the CSIET Board of Directors from 2003

to 2009 and also served on the CSIET School Outreach Working

Group.

Page, who has bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and economics

and a master’s in Spanish Language and Culture, has served in var-

ious capacities on the faculty at Episcopal High School in Alexan-

dria, Virginia, where he has been since 1989.

“We are very pleased to have Chris join our community,” said

John Doty, chair of the CSIET Board of Directors. “With his varied

background as an educator, school administrator and exchange

program director, [he] is uniquely qualified to lead CSIET going for-

ward.”

Hishmeh was with CSIET for nearly 10 years and worked with

people involved with international youth exchange – program

sponsors, educators, sports and activities organizations, govern-

ment agencies and host families. Doty said that the organization

was fortunate to have had Hishmeh at the helm as CSIET evolved

into the strong organization it is today.

“John has become the go-to authority when it comes to any-

thing exchange-related in the United States and abroad,” Doty said.

“And his knowledge and expertise have served us all very well.”

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Athletics for the Elks of Eagar (Arizona) Round Valley High

School will not be school-funded during the 2011-12 school year.

In January, the school board cut funding for sports from the

budget as a means of saving the school system money. However,

studies suggest the district will be eliminating more than the cost

of the program.

Studies done by the NFHS, the Colorado High School Activities

Association, the Colorado Department of Education and the New

Mexico Activities Association have yielded similar results showing

that extracurricular participation can positively affect the attitudes

and behaviors of high school students.

The NFHS Case for High School Activities revealed that student-

athletes tend to have higher grade-point averages, better atten-

dance records, fewer dropouts and fewer discipline problems than

non-participating students.

That same publication showed that students learn teamwork,

sportsmanship, the rewards of hard work, self-discipline and self-

confidence through athletic participation.

The situation has sent some Round Valley residents, who be-

lieve sports play a crucial role in the development of young people,

searching for ways to fund athletics in the fall of 2011.

Round Valley athletics may have to lean more on supporting or-

ganizations, including the Friends And Neighbors (FAN) Club,

Mogollon Sporting Association and the Payson Rodeo Committee,

than they have in the past.

The Elks have produced some of the state’s best-known football

players – Tim Landers (Arizona State University); Mark Gastineau

(University of Oklahoma, New York Jets); Dustin Johnson (Brigham

Young University, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks); Mike Keim

(Brigham Young University, New Orleans Saints).

Steven Peek is the NFHS Publications/Communications Department’s intern for thespring of 2011. He is a senior studying journalism and history at Butler (Indiana) Uni-versity.

2011 National High School Hall of Fame Class SelectedLeta Andrews, the winningest coach in high school

basketball history (boys or girls) from Granbury (Texas)

High School, along with five outstanding former high

school athletes who later excelled at the Olympic,

college and professional levels, headline the 2011

class of the National High School Hall of Fame.

Andrews, who just completed her 49th year as a

high school girls basketball coach, won her 1,334th game

on December 7, 2010, to surpass Robert Hughes, the all-time boys

basketball coaching leader from Fort Worth (Texas) Dunbar High

School who retired in 2005 with 1,333 victories. Andrews finished

the 2010-11 season with 1,346 career victories. She is the all-time

girls basketball coaching leader by almost 150 victories.

Former high school athletes selected for the 2011 class are Ran-

dall McDaniel, football and basketball player, Agua Fria High

School, Avondale, Arizona; Kevin McReynolds, baseball player,

Sylvan Hills High School, Sherwood, Arkansas; Kenny Monday,

wrestler, Booker T. Washington High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma;

Billy Owens, basketball player, Carlisle (Pennsylvania) High School;

and the late Brad Van Pelt, baseball, basketball and football

player, Owosso (Michigan) High School.

These six individuals are among the 12 individuals who will be

inducted in the National Federation of State High School Associa-

tions (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame July 2 at the

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The

29th Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of

the 92nd annual NFHS Summer Meeting.

Besides Andrews, other coaches in this year’s class

are Curt Bladt, football coach, Harlan (Iowa) High

School; Larry Shaw, recently retired wrestling

coach, Oak Glen High School, New Cumberland,

West Virginia; and Pete Shock, basketball and track

coach, Cliff (New Mexico) High School.

The remainder of the 2011 class is composed of two

contest officials – Emry Dilday, a football and track and field/cross

country official from Springfield, Missouri, and Rick Tucci, a

wrestling official from Pembroke Pines, Florida – and Dan Wash-

burn, a state high school association administrator from Opelika,

Alabama.

The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by

the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials,

administrators, fine arts coaches/directors and others for their ex-

traordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school

sports and activity programs. This year’s class increases the number

in the Hall of Fame to 386.

The 12 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection

process involving a screening committee composed of active high

school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and

a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes,

state association officials, media representatives and educational

leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associa-

tions.

Round Valley loses funding for athletics

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Eric Dean

Southport High School

Indianapolis, Indiana

My freshman wrestling coach, Mr.

Darren Petty, has influenced me the most

in my athletic career. The workouts we did that

year were grueling and he always pushed us to be the best we

could be, both on and off the mat. He wanted us to be good

wrestlers, but more importantly, he wanted us to be good peo-

ple and to succeed in whatever we decided to do in the future.

The work ethic and discipline that he taught me have carried

over to track and field and have helped me become a better

athlete and a better person.

Joseph Natale

Hunterdon Central Regional

High School

Flemington, New Jersey

Throughout my high school athletic ca-

reer, no one has been as influential to me as my

school’s strength and conditioning coach, Mr. Doug Sellmann.

By teaching the proper techniques and practices of weightlift-

ing and speed training, he helped transform me and my team-

mates alike into bigger, faster and stronger athletes. Likewise,

the many successes of our school’s various sports teams can be

attributed greatly in part to him. He always preached that

everything we did was “10 percent physical and 90 percent

mental.” Buying into this belief has helped me to become a

better football player, and an even better person.

Lorenzo Domondon

West Lafayette High School

West Lafayette, Indiana

There have been many people who

have influenced me throughout my athlet-

ics, but the people who have influenced me the

most have been my coaches. The coaches I have had through-

out my life have helped me develop not only my athletic abili-

ties, but have also taught me valuable life lessons. My coaches

have helped me with the ways I deal with my schoolwork and

the ways I conduct myself outside of sports and school. I believe

that without my coaches I wouldn’t be the same person I am

today.

Melvin Gordon

Kenosha Bradford High School

Kenosha, Wisconsin

My parents, Carmelita Gordon and

Melvin Gordon, have influenced me the

most in my school athletic/activities career. They

designed a path that we were going to walk together as a fam-

ily to achieve my athletic goals. Hard work, dedication, deter-

mination and sacrifice were the tools we needed to make my

goals possible. My father showed me that failure can create

success and that failure is necessary to make the adjustments

needed to build a strong foundation. He instilled in me a work

ethic that will carry me through adulthood. My mother is the

rock in our family; she represents strength for me. My mother

has influenced me to be the best that no one has seen without

losing my identity.

VOICES OF THE NATION

Q Who has influenced you the most in your school athletic/activities career – and how hasthat person influenced you?

(PDF) High School Today April 11_Layout 1 - NFHS · 6 High School Today | April 11 QUICK HITS Cody Ross was born December 23, 1980, in Portales, New Mex-ico, a city of approximately 12,000 - DOKUMEN.TIPS (2024)

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