IHSA

IHSA Announcements

April 27, 2004

Board Adds Competitive Cheerleading, Journalism State Series

BLOOMINGTON - The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved new state series in Competitive Cheerleading and Journalism beginning in the 2005-06 school term, approved the classification enrollment cutoffs for the upcoming (2004-05) school term, and approved hiring another assistant executive director to begin August 1 at a busy regular meeting Tuesday (April 27) in the IHSA Office.

The Board will add state series in Competitive Cheerleading and Journalism if the number of member schools participating in them meets the 10 per cent participation standard. Currently, there are 761 member schools. In order for a state series to be implemented, at least 76 schools must be competing during the school term.

Competitive Cheerleading is expected to be an athletic state series in which a significant number of IHSA member schools will enter. The Competitive Cheerleading sport season begins on Wednesday of Week No. 18 and concludes on Saturday of Week No. 39 in the Standardized Calendar. In school term 2005-06, the season will begin on Nov. 2 and the state final must be conducted prior to April 1. Earlier this year, the Board approved creation of a Competitive Cheerleading Advisory Committee. It will be named later this school term.

There is no season for high school competition in Journalism. The News Media Advisory Committee already exists and recommended that the Board adopt a state series. The committee developed Terms and Conditions for its proposed state series that had competition concluding the first Saturday in May.

The enrollment cutoff for the traditional two-class system was set at 748 by the Board Tuesday. The cutoff for boys soccer will be 1,213 and the cutoff for girls soccer will be 1,351. At the start of the 2003-04 (current) school term, member schools were asked to report their Sept. 30 enrollment to the IHSA Office. Of the 761 member schools, 685 had complied with the request. All schools with enrollments between 650 and 850 and 1,100 to 1,450 have reported. The Illinois State Board of Education informed IHSA that it would not have enrollment information needed by IHSA available by May 1.

An eighth assistant executive director will begin August 1, 2004. Applications are now being accepted. The new position's duties will include music, speech (individual events, drama/group interpretation, debate), competitive cheerleading and other responsibilities. Information regarding the process for filling the position is posted on this page. Creation of the new position will bring all the administrative responsibilities back into the IHSA Office. For the last several years, non-staff personnel handled many of the duties to be assigned to the new assistant executive director.

The Board also took the following action:

1) Approved a series of changes in the by-law illustrations for the 2004-05 school term. The changes involved the following: cooperative teams, all-star factors and the criteria for approval of all-star contests, physical examinations, the date on which ineligible students become eligible, status of new homes and residency, team pre-season meetings, alumni practicing with team members, and out of state transfers. (See below for the complete breakdown of approved changes.)

2) Kept tabled a recommendation from the golf advisory committee that the Terms and Conditions for the respective state series prohibit spectator use of motorized vehicles on the course during the regionals, sectionals and state finals.

3) Authorized the Executive Director to replace three members of the Board who have accepted superintendent positions. Replacements for Board President Dr. Frank Stout of Summit (Argo) from Division 3 and Jeff Whitsitt of Alexis from Division 6 will be appointed at the June 14 Board Meeting effective July 1, 2004. Replacing Todd Prusator of Rochelle from Division 4 will be Port Byron (Riverdale) principal Jim Boyd.

4) Approved a change in the date of the State Final Debate Tournament to March 17-19, 2005, to coincide with host Illinois State University's spring break.

5) Approved Cherry Bowl in Rockford as site of the Girls State Final Bowling Tournament for the next five years (2004-05 through 2008-09).

6) Reviewed the Limited Scope Compliance Audit from Auditor General William G. Holland for fiscal years ended June 30, 2002 and 2003.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items the Board discusses but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the April 2004, agenda:

State Final Site Proposals - The Board heard an update on the progress regarding the site proposals for football, girls volleyball, individual wrestling, boys and girls basketball, girls softball and boys baseball. The bid specifications for football and girls volleyball have already been posted on www.ihsa.org.

Financial Aid Criteria Committee - The Board heard a report from Dr. James Quaid, board member from Oak Park (Fenwick) regarding the committee's April 26 meeting.

Public/Private Task Force - The Board heard a report from Joseph Schlender, chair of the task force and board member from Hoffman Estates (Conant) regarding the group's first meeting April 26. (Click here for a report of that meeting.)

State Final Souvenir Contract - The Board discussed the scope of the present State Final Souvenir contract with Triad Graphics, and the impact of new state series that will be added in the near future.

Changes in Illustrations for 2004-05

Delete current 27:
27) Q.     May two schools form a cooperative team for two years, then subsequently consolidate
               with each other effective for the second year of the cooperative?
A. Yes. Consolidation of schools joined in a cooperative team agreement will simply supersede the
              cooperative agreement. (By-law 2.030)

Add new 27 to read:

27) Q.   Can a cooperative team form for only one year?
A.          No. Cooperative team agreements are for a two year period. Consolidation or annexation
              of a school in a coop could allow a coop to end prior to the completion of its two year
              cycle, assuming the conditions in Illustration #28 are met. (By-law 2.030)

Note: Would also move current Illustration 33 and renumber it 28 and then move the remaining illustrations one numerically.

Delete the following regarding All-Star Contests:

62) ALL-STAR FACTORS

Q. What factors are used in identifying an all-star contest?
A. In identifying an all-star contest, answers to the following questions will be reviewed:
     (1) Are participants selected by an individual or group according to a structural system relating to
          athletic ability, performance or reputation?
     (2) Does publicity for the event state or imply an honorary status for participants?
     (3) Are the contests, by name or otherwise, identified as all-star?
     (4) Does any revenue generated through ticket sales or other means accrue to, or are expenses
           paid by, a sponsoring agency or organization?
     (5) Is the contest sponsored by a non-school agency?
     (6) Is the contest sponsored by a school agency?

65) ALL-STAR GAME APPROVAL

Q. What must an all-star contest sponsor do to obtain IHSA approval of the event?
A. The sponsor must write the IHSA Office in advance of the date of the contest to request
     approval. Details concerning the contest, including date, location, sponsors, plans for distribution
     of receipts, description of player selection process, etc., must be included. A written response will
     be made to grant or deny approval. (By-law 2.100)

22. Criteria for Approval of All-Star Contests

The following criteria shall be used in reviewing and granting approval to all-star football, basketball, volleyball and soccer games under the provisions of By-laws 2.100 and 3.121:

1. Factual information about the all-star event must be submitted to the IHSA Office. The data should include:

a. Date, site and time of the contest
b. Description of the event
c. Identification of the event director and sponsoring organization(s)

2. The event, or practices for the event, may not be conducted prior to the completion of the state final tournament in the sport.

3. A maximum of five school days may be involved in the total period of time used by the participants to practice for and play in the contest.

4. A roster of participants, with player information for each Illinois participant, must be filed with the application for approval. The player information should include:

a. Player's name
b. Certification that the player understands the provisions of IHSA rules regarding all-star
participation
c. Principal's signatures

5. School uniforms may not be used.

73) PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT

Q. May a physician's assistant perform the physical examination the by-laws require?
A. By-law 2.150 requires that a certificate of physical fitness issued by a licensed physician be on file.
The physician may have assistance in administering an examination, but the physician must sign
and issue the certificate. Yes

Add:

Q. If a school joins the Association during the school term, is the school required to meet all the by-law requirements beginning with the first day of the school term in which it becomes a member?

A. Yes. This would apply to residence, transfers, academics and all other by-laws.

78) BECOMING ELIGIBLE AFTER PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY

Q. If a student who has been scholastically ineligible for the current semester passes twenty (20) hours for the current semester which ends on December 20, when is the student eligible to play?
A. A student who is ineligible for a semester is ineligible until the first day of the next semester. In this case the student would not be eligible in terms of his previous semester's record until Monday, January 22, provided that is the first day of the second semester. The student could not play in the games scheduled for January 19 and 20, but could join the team on Monday the 22nd and play thereafter, as long as he/she continued to pass twenty (20) hours of high school work per week. (By-law 3.022) A student is ineligible until the day the high school certifies the semester grades for all the students in the school. (By-law 3.022)

103) Q. What is a student's eligibility if the family has had a new home under construction in a different district from where they currently live, and the home is finally completed and the student transfers to the new district when the family moves into the home, which is:
(a.) After classes start but before the student goes out for a sport.
(b.) After classes start and after the student goes out for a sport.
(c.) Before classes start but after the student goes out for a sport.

A. In a, and b~~, and c~~, the student is a transfer student and will be ineligible for a period of time. In a, the student would be ineligible for thirty (30) days. In b, the student is ineligible for the remainder of the school year in the sport in which he/she had participated at the previous school and ineligible for thirty (30) days in all other sports. In c, the student is eligible in regard to the transfer by-law.

211) COACH PLAYING IN OPEN GYM --- RENUMBER and move to Open Gym Section

Q. Is it permissible for a coach to play with or against students from his/her own school during out-of-season open gym programs?
A. Yes. (By-law 3.161)

Under 2.090 Season Limitation in Athletic Activities - add illustrations regarding teams organizing and participating in contests during the summer and during the school term.

Q. May a school hold a meeting in the spring for students at the school to distribute information regarding summer programs?
A. Yes.

Q. May a school hold a meeting during the school term for students at the school to distribute information regarding non-school programs also held during the school term?
A. No.

Q. May a school conduct pre-season conditioning for a team prior to the starting date for any sport as outlined in Section 5.000 of the IHSA By-laws.
A. No. Conducting a preseason conditioning program as outlined above would constitute a violation of IHSA By-law 2.090.

Illustrations for New By-law 3.132 Only bona fide students of a school may participate in a practice session for any interscholastic team sponsored by that member school.

Q. May alumni, or others who are not currently enrolled in a member school, participate in a practice session conducted by a member school?
A. No.

Illustrations for By-law 3.042:

Once classes begin in a school for the current school year, if a student changes attendance from that high school to another high school, the student shall be ineligible for the remainder of the school year in any sport in which he/she participated or was participating in a practice or interscholastic contest in the current school year at the school from which the transfer occurs; or

Once classes begin in a school for the current school year, if a student changes attendance from that high school to another high school, the student shall be ineligible for a period of thirty days, commencing on the first day of attendance at the new high school, in any sport in which he/she was not participating or had not participated during the current school year at the school from which the student transferred.

Q. May a student who has transferred to an IHSA member school from out of state, participate in the same sport he/she was participating in prior to the transfer?
A. In a situation like the one above, a ruling from the IHSA office is required. If it is determined that the student, the family, and the school are in a circumstance completely beyond their control, the student may be ruled eligible.

Q. May a student who played girls soccer for her high school in the fall in Missouri play girls soccer in the spring in Illinois if her family moves from Missouri to Illinois?
A. Yes. The IHSA Board of Directors has determined that the season in which a sport is played in another state is a circumstance beyond the control of the student, the family, and the school.