IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2005-06

Sports Medicine Advisory Committee

November 17, 2005

The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office in Bloomington, Illinois, on Thursday, November 17, 2005, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were Senator John Davidson, Gregory Gaa, Todd Cassens, John Wator, Dr. Preston Wollin, Dr. James Green, and Dr. Richard Everett. Committee members not present were Dr. Cynthia LaBella and Dr. William Marcuzzo. Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson was also in attendance.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOARD ACTION

None brought forward.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURAL RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The committee will continue to work on developing additional educational units surrounding proper training ideas/concepts that will be available to member schools, students, and parents through the IHSA website.

2. The committee will review the current pre-participation exam required by IHSA By-law 2.150 for any student who wishes to participate in his/her school’s interscholastic athletic program. Dr. Green and Dr. Wollin will oversee the up-date and are expected to bring a draft to the committee’s April meeting for review.

3. The committee will work on developing policy language that member schools can adopt regarding the return to playing by an injured athlete.

4. The committee will work on developing a revision to illustration #78 in the IHSA Handbook to further clarify which kinds of physicians are able to provide physicals for student-athletes.

ITEMS OF DISCUSSION

1. The committee reviewed a request from a member school to modify the IHSA Body Fat Testing program to allow wrestlers some additional time before being body fat tested and allowing those wrestlers to compete before being tested. After discussing the issue, the committee reaffirmed the current Body Fat Testing program, citing its continued belief that students should not compete until they have been certified.

2. The committee discussed the proposal to IHSA By-law 5.062 that is being reviewed by the membership at this year’s Town Meetings. While recognizing the patriotic nature of the proposal, the committee reaffirmed its position that this is an acclimatization issue that protects a student-athlete against competing before their body is ready. The committee is also concerned about the potential for a body to deacclimatize after a period of inactivity after it has been properly prepared for competition. Of particular concern to the committee is the athlete who may have been injured and then returns later in the season. The committee will continue to study this issue, particularly as the NFHS prepares to review pre-season practice guidelines for high school football programs.

3. The committee continued its discussion of IHSA Policy 23 (Code of Conduct). The committee believes it may be more effective for each school to be required to develop such a policy and would like each school to submits its policy to the IHSA Office on an annual basis. The committee also looked at the possibility of recommending a modification for the Board’s review at its April committee meeting.