Winter 2012 Bulletin

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Volume 81, Issue 2, Winter 2012

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Minnesota State High School League seasonal magazine

Transcript of Winter 2012 Bulletin

Page 1: Winter 2012 Bulletin

Volume 81, Issue 2, Winter 2012

Page 2: Winter 2012 Bulletin

THE BULLETINOfficial Publication of the

Minnesota State High School League2100 Freeway Boulevard

Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-1735763-560-2262

http://www.MSHSL.org

Information within this Bulletinmay be reprinted only with the

permission of the MSHSL.

Volume 81, Issue 2Winter 2012

Editorial StaffEditor:

Howard W. VoigtAssistant Editor:Ellen Rajkowski

Contributing Editors:David SteadKevin Merkle

Lisa LissimoreCraig Perry

Jody RedmanJohn MilleaRich Matter

Chris Franson

Board of DirectorsRegions 1-2A

Scott McCready, St. CharlesRegions 3-4A

Chris Laird, Heritage Christian AcademyRegions 5-6A

Rick Bleichner, BreckenridgeRegions 7-8A

Mike Kolness, Ada-BorupRegions 1-2AA

Mark Fredericksen, WaconiaRegions 3-4AA

Mike Manning, RosemountRegions 5-6AA

John Soma, EdinaRegions 7-8AA

Perry Aadland, Chisago Lakes AreaState School Boards Assn.

Roz Peterson, LakevilleWalter Hautala, Mesabi East

MN Assn. of Secondary PrincipalsJohn Hamann, Underwood

Luanne Wagner, St. FrancisBoys Sports

Mark Solberg, Cambridge-IsantiGirls Sports

Mindy Sparby, Belle PlaineMN Music Educators Assn.Lane Powell, Fillmore Central

Speech Assn. of MNJill Lofald, Duluth DenfeldGovernor's Appointees

Kim Algoo, ShakopeeMike Rusinko, Eden Prairie

Laurie Esau, OronoSteve Eklund, Braham

Printed byCarlson Print Group

7490 Golden Triangle DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344

The MSHSL Bulletin is publishedin Fall, Winter and Spring and

is designed to meet the needs ofthe 525 member Schools.

League Office PersonnelThe Minnesota State High School League Officehas been established to provide special services tothe member schools. Listed below are the officepersonnel:

Extension / Voice MailboxExecutive Director - David Stead ........................ 480

Executive Assistant - Lynne Johnson ........... 490Associate Director - Jody Redman ..................... 481

Administrative Assistant - Amie Symens ...... 491Associate Director - Kevin Merkle ...................... 484

Administrative Assistant - Amanda Johnson 494Officials Coordinator- Katie Vanderpoel ........ 496

Associate Director - Craig Perry ......................... 482Administrative Assistant - Susi Hollenbeck ... 492

Associate Director - Lisa Lissimore .................... 483Administrative Assistant - Sheila Robinson .. 493

Director of Information - Howard W. Voigt .......... 485Assistant - Ellen Rajkowski ........................... 542

Assistant Director - Richard Matter ..................... 497Accounting Assistant - Sharon Bahma ......... 541Ticketing Assistant - Nancy Myers ................ 487

Assistant Director - Chris Franson ...................... 488Web Site Coordinator - Nancy Etter .............. 551Technology Assistant - Tracie Bressler ........ 552

Media Specialist - John Millea ............................ 554Program Specialist - Amy Doherty ..................... 495Office Manager - Kristi Vesall ............................. 489

Administrative Assistant - Yvonne Walsh ..... 486Receptionist - Ann Bailey .............................. 540

The MSHSL Logo is a registered mark of the organizationand use in any manner is prohibited unless prior approval is

obtained from the League.

Schedule of Board of Directors Meetings

October 6 ................................. MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

December 1 ............................. MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

February 2 ................................ MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

April 5 ....................................... MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

June 11 .................................... MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

Representative Assembly Meeting

TBD ............... Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park

When calling the League Office (763-560-2262),direct your requests to staff persons as designated:

Accounts Payable .............................................................. Sharon BahmaAccounts Receivable ......................................................... Yvonne WalshActivity / Late Registrations ................................................ Chris FransonActivity Section Assignments ............................................. Chris FransonAdministrative Regions ........................................................... Dave SteadArchive Information ........................................................ Howard W. VoigtAthletic / Activity Director Advisory Committee ................... Kevin MerkleBoard of Directors Information ............................................... Dave SteadCamps and Clinics .................................................................. Craig PerryCharter Officials Associations .............................................. Kevin MerkleChemical Rule Interpretations ............................................... Craig PerryCooperative Sponsorship ................................................. Lynne JohnsonDebate & Music Judges ..................................................... Chris FransonDebate Judge & Music Judge Registrations ......................... Nancy EtterExCEL Program ................................................................. Lisa LissimoreFine Arts Rules Interp. (Debate & Music) .......................... Chris FransonFine Arts Rules Interp. (One Act & Visual Arts) ................ Chris FransonFine Arts Rules Interp. (Speech) ....................................... Chris FransonGender Equity ......................................................................... Dave SteadGeneral Information on MSHSL ............................................. Dave SteadHall of Fame ....................................................................... Lisa LissimoreInsurance ................................................................................ Rich MatterInterstate Sanctions ................................................................ Dave SteadLeague Publications ...................................................... Howard W. VoigtMarketing and Promotions ................................................ Lisa LissimoreMembership Information .................................................. Lynne JohnsonNews Media Services .................................................... Howard W. VoigtNon-School Competition ........................................................ Craig PerryOffice Management ................................................................ Kristi VesallOfficials Program .................................................................. Kevin MerkleOne Act Play Judge Registrations ......................................... Nancy EtterOne Act Play Judges .......................................................... Chris FransonPSAs and TV Visuals .................................................... Howard W. VoigtRegistration of Officials ................................................ Katie VanderpoelResults and Records ..................................................... Howard W. VoigtRulebooks, Supplies, Awards ........................................... Yvonne WalshRules Interpretation Meetings ...................................... Katie VanderpoelSchool Eligibility ...................................................................... Craig PerrySpeech Judges .................................................................. Chris FransonSpeech Judge Registrations .................................................. Nancy EtterSports Medicine Advisory Committee .................................... Craig PerrySportsmanship Program ................................................... Lisa LissimoreSpotlight on Scholarship Program .................................... Lisa LissimoreStudent Ejections ..................................................................... Ann BaileyStudent Eligibility .................................................................... Craig PerrySupplemental Allowances ...................................................... Kristi VesallTEAM UP Advisory Committee .......................................... Jody RedmanTEAM UP Program ............................................................. Jody RedmanTicket Assistant .................................................................... Nancy MyersTriple “A” Award .................................................................. Jody RedmanWeb Site Development ....................................................... Chris FransonWeb Site Assistance ............................................................... Nancy Etter

Activity Rule Interpretations,Coach Incidents Reports, andActivity Advisory Committees

Adapted Athletics (Bowling, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Softball) .. Rich MatterAlpine Skiing / Boys’ & Girls’ .................................................. Rich MatterBadminton / Girls’ .............................................................. Lisa LissimoreBaseball ................................................................................. Kevin MerkleBasketball / Boys’ ................................................................. Kevin MerkleBasketball / Girls’ ............................................................... Lisa LissimoreCheerleaders ...................................................................... Jody RedmanCross Country Running / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................ Lisa LissimoreDance Team / Girls’ .............................................................. Kevin MerkleDebate ................................................................................. Chris FransonFootball .................................................................................. Kevin MerkleGolf / Boys’ & Girls’ ................................................................. Dave SteadGymnastics / Girls’ .............................................................. Jody RedmanIce Hockey / Boys’ & Girls’ ..................................................... Craig PerryLacrosse / Boys' & Girls’ ........................................................ Rich MatterMusic ................................................................................... Chris FransonNordic Ski Racing / Boys’ & Girls’ .......................................... Rich MatterOne Act Play ....................................................................... Chris FransonSoccer / Boys’ & Girls’ ........................................................ Jody RedmanSoftball / Girls’ .................................................................... Lisa LissimoreSpeech ................................................................................ Chris FransonSwimming and Diving / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................... Lisa LissimoreSynchronized Swimming / Girls’ ....................................... Lisa LissimoreTennis / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................................................ Craig PerryTrack & Field / Boys’ & Girls’ .............................................. Jody RedmanVisual Arts ........................................................................... Chris FransonVolleyball / Girls’ ................................................................. Jody RedmanWrestling ................................................................................. Craig Perry

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4Celebrating

100 Years ofMinnesota

High SchoolBasketball

Tournaments

Dave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueYou’re gonna miss this(an Open Letter to the Girls, Parents, and Coaches of the SHAWA Swim team) ...................................... 2

News and FNews and FNews and FNews and FNews and Featureseatureseatureseatureseatures

Inside This Issue

Athletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic Activities

AlsoAlsoAlsoAlsoAlsoBoard of Directors Meeting Minutes .................. 23

2011-12 Calendars Of State Events, Meetings ... 26

Sorting Out the Proper Participationof Middle School Students .................................. 16

CTE: Chronic Traumatic EncephalopathyFocus of Significant Research ............................. 17

Make Academic AccommodationsAfter a Sports-Related Concussion ..................... 18

New Research on ACL Injuries ............................ 20

12Robotics

CompetitorsEagerly Await

Season KickoffEvents

OfficialsOfficialsOfficialsOfficialsOfficialsOfficials Training ClinicsContinue to Expand ............................................. 21

Rules Book Apps Developed, Launched ............. 22

Basketball Mementos, Memorabilia Solicited3

2011-2012 Challenge CupCompetition Under Way11

The CoverThe CoverThe CoverThe CoverThe CoverFrom the trophy thatFosston won in 1913(lower left corner) toBlake Hoffarber’s“impossible” shotfrom the seat of his pants(center), and numerousmoments in between,mementos, memorabilia,headlines and photographsillustrate the first 100 yearsof Minnesota high schoolbasketball tournaments.

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Dave’s Dialogue

Dave Stead

By David V. SteadExecutive Director

I’ve always liked listening tocountry music because eachartist reflects their individualperspectives about life. And TraceAtkins is a singer whose songsresonate with me for a number ofreasons.

A couple of years ago Adkinshad a hit recording titled “You’reGonna Miss This.” The lyricsdescribe different stages in thelife of a girl as she matures fromhigh school, to a newly marriedyoung woman, and to a youngmother with small children. Ateach stage of her life she dreamsabout what the next stage might

be like. But the chorus of the songencourages her to enjoy thepresent and focus on the goodthings happening right in front ofher because . . .

You’re gonna miss this. You’regonna want this back.

You’re gonna wish these dayshadn’t gone by so fast.

These are some good times, sotake a good look around

You may not know it now, butyou’re gonna miss this.

At times all of us tend to losefocus on the joys of the “here andnow,” but Jane Hagen, the motherof a varsity swimmer got itexactly right. Her “open letter” tothe South High and WashburnAquatics (SHAWA) swim team

You’re gonna miss this

following the 2011 Girls’Swimming and Diving season

captured the essence of highschool activities.

My daughter just finished what was probably the most intense,hardest, yet most memorable and fun three months of her life. Whenshe looks back, these will definitely be her “glory days.” I have allyou to thank for this.

From the moment we approached the information table atWashburn for sports sign-up, Tanya has been welcomed. We hadgone to school that night with a pipe dream of participating in aregular activity, something she has not done since T-ball in 1stgrade. I thought maybe she could have some fun, maybe get some

physical education teacher at Washburn said if she can swim on theswim team, she can be in a regular gym class, too. I fully expect thatwhen she swims for her Special Olympics team this winter she willblow everyone out of the water with her newly honed skills.

The physical benefits are enormous, and the rigorous practiceshave paid off. But the social and emotional benefits are withoutbounds. You have given her things and experiences she has neverhad, and you seemingly take it for granted to include her. Previouslyshe . . .

An open letter to the girls, parents and coaches of the SHAWA swim team

I thought maybeshe could have

some fun, maybeget some exercise –

at least inpractices, and

possibly find somekids who would say“Hi” to her in the

hall or wave to herin the lunchroom.

Being in the specialeducation program,

these arecommonly the onlychances she gets to

see “the regularkids.”

exercise – at least in practices, and possibly findsome kids who would say “Hi” to her in the hall orwave to her in the lunchroom. Being in the specialeducation program, these are commonly the onlychances she gets to see “the regular kids.”

I have been overwhelmed when, at each turn,she has been included like any other swimmer.

In realizing that she was in the odd situationof being both a senior and new to the team, Iprepared Tanya for her role in your “families.” Isaid it’ll surely be fine for her to not be a mombecause it’s her first year and she’s in no positionto help others figure out what’s going on. But thegirls solved that issue with three moms in herfamily. (Editor’s note: In this instance, the word“mom” refers to senior swimmers who embraceand support new team members.)

She can’t jump off the blocks…so she starts inthe water.

She simply does not have the same abilities orstamina that other girls do…so you swam aroundher. (I know it would have been nice if she stayedcloser to the lane lines.) Both the coaches andgirls helped her compete, and cheered on herprogress.

She has made enormous strides in herswimming ability and her fitness level trying tokeep up with you (as you all probably have). Shehas never been pushed to work so hard atsomething and from where I sit, she hasresponded with flying colors. The adaptive

. . . had never jumped in a lake at 5:30 and played get-to-know-you games.. . . had never gone to a sleepover.. . . had never done a car wash.. . . had never had a friend give her a ride in a car.. . . surely had never participated in a high school sporting event.The list goes on and on. The pasta parties and

being welcomed to so many homes. Getting herhair braided on the bus. Sharing an ear bud withsomeone who likes what’s on her iPod. Learningcheers. Having matching outfits. Getting her hairdyed in a hotel bathroom, (by the way, everyoneloved it so much, I’m wondering what color it wasand who’s gonna dye it again when this wearsout.) Having new contacts on her phone andhaving someone show her how to text (even if shedoesn’t really get it.) Standing in a group outsidethe school waiting together for the bus to go topractice. Having help with her hair or cap.Getting not just a wave in the hallway but a hug!These are things she had not done before SHAWA.

I was around a lot. I thank you for yourpatience in putting up with my constant picturetaking, but you’ll have to excuse me, I want toremember everything that happens for this shorttime because these are truly Tanya’s seniorpictures.

See SHASHASHASHASHAWWWWWAAAAA on Page 3

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News & Features

SHAWA .......................................................................... continued from Page 2

There may be groups of girls in different grades. There may begroups of girls who swim at different levels. There may be groups ofgirls from different schools, but what I saw was just a big group ofgirls, who, led by some amazing captains and other seniors, acceptedmy daughter in a way she has never experienced before.

When you are young, you may judge the people around you bymany criteria — what they wear, how smart they are, how cute theyare, how popular they are, how they smell, their sense of humor,what sport they play, how they talk — but I’ll tell you all something.When you grow up and have kids, you will judge people (at least tosome degree) by how they treat your kids. I judge you, one andall, to be fine people. You have treated Tanya with kindness, andrespect, and friendship. You have expected her to do everything, andshe has. You have respectfully helped her when she needed it and lefther to do things herself when she didn’t.

Being born with Down syndrome obviously means you havespecial needs, and require special education. But it doesn’t meanyour “wants” are any different. You just want to be liked and havefriends and have fun and be proud of your accomplishments andpraised for your best efforts, just like everyone else…and I think it’sironic that Tanya feels most “special” just being one of the girls.

Thank you to the SHAWA coaches for not only helping Tanya beher best (and figuring out a way for her to swim her beloved butterflyand 100 IM!) and expecting a lot from her, but fostering anatmosphere of acceptance that pervades this team.

Being born with Down syndromeobviously means you have special

needs, and require special education.But it doesn’t mean your “wants” are

any different. You just want to be likedand have friends and have fun and be

proud of your accomplishments andpraised for your best efforts, just likeeveryone else…and I think it’s ironic

that Tanya feels most “special” justbeing one of the girls.

WOW. What an amazingperspective and what tremendousmemories for the swimmers andtheir coaches who honored thelife lessons embraced byeducators since the inception ofhigh school sports. These valuesfully enabled an athlete toparticipate equally in team eventsthroughout the entire season.

When I reflect on theincredible affirmation Jane Hagenshared, I’m hard pressed to recallany award more prestigious thanthe one she bestowed on theentire SHAWA team and theirschool communities.

Trace Adkins was right. Thesegirls are gonna miss this, but Ibelieve they will forever

remember how they truly made adifference for Tanya. I trust thattheir future will be filled withuntold moments lived in thepresent and that they willcontinue to be role models forhundreds of others because theylearned so much about what isreally important in life.

Read this “Open Letter”

again… and again… and again. Ichallenge each coach and advisorin every one of our memberschools to purposely help theirathletes and fine arts participantsfocus on the truly important lifelessons taught in the after-schoolclassrooms throughout our state.Don’t let them miss this.

The 2011-12 basketball seasons are wellunder way. The 2012 state tournaments are alittle more than three months away. At bothtournaments, the Minnesota State High SchoolLeague will be celebrating the 100th statebasketball tournament, marking the first boys’event in 1913.

The centennial milestone will becommemorated many ways. There will berecognition of players, coaches, games, shots,tournaments and teams throughout the first100 years. History will be paramount and thepublic is invited to assist with contributions ofmementos and memorabilia that will bedisplayed at both state tournaments.

Basketball mementos, memorabilia solicited

Anything related to either statetournament is needed to filldisplay cases for fans to enjoywhile at Target Center for the2012 state tournaments.

An earlier appeal resulted in a fewcontributions already. An extensive scrapbookhas been shared. A championship trophy andphotograph of a girls’ team from the ‘20s is inLeague possession. Ticket stubs and uniformpatches have also been contributed.

Anything and everything is being solicited.Items such as tournament programs, booksabout the tournament, newspaper clippings,balls and uniforms, trophies, photographs —anything related to either state tournament isneeded to fill display cases for fans to enjoywhile at Target Center for the 2012 statetournaments.

League staff will take great care insecuring any contributed item and will makesure it is returned in the same condition inwhich it was received. The League canarrange for pickup or delivery of items ifrequired.

Potential contributors may inquire bysending an e-mail to [email protected] orby leaving a message in the general mailboxat 763-560-2262.

Thank you to all the parents who raised these fine girls that madeit seem natural to welcome Tanya to their team.

And most of all, thank you to all the girls who swim and dive forSHAWA. You are amazing young women. Thanks for the memories.

Jane Hagen

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See 100 Y100 Y100 Y100 Y100 Yearsearsearsearsears on Page 5

News & Features

A packed house in 1944 at theSt. Paul Auditorium. The photo

is three images “stitched”together to create the

panoramic view. The framedimage is part of the League

photographic archives.

By Marc Hugunin

The first boys’ basketballtournament was held in 1913.And, so, 2012 marks the 100thyear of state high schooltournament play in Minnesota.

This milestone provides anobvious occasion for celebration,and also for recognition that theboys’ and girls’ tournaments canbe described as among the mostdurable cultural events inMinnesota. Consider that thesetournaments since 1913 have:

● Determined more than 260state champions;

● Given more than 400different schoolsrepresenting more thanhalf of all Minnesota citiesand towns (about 486 outof 854) the opportunity tocompete for thosechampionships;

● Provided about 24,000 highschool athletes

opportunities to compete atthe state tournament level;

● Been witnessed in personby approximately 7.2million fans;

● Provided uncountedmillions more with theopportunity to share in thethrills and excitementthrough radio broadcasts(since 1938), televisionbroadcasts (since 1955),newspaper reports, localpep rallies andcelebrations.

Why Basketball?During the single class era

from 1913 to 1970, the statetournament often was thetoughest ticket and the mostwidely appreciated event onMinnesota’s sporting calendar. Itwas the first statewide highschool tournament, pre-datingboys’ track and field, and boysand girls swimming and diving by

a decade or more. Baseball andhockey tournaments did not beginuntil the 1940s and football’sPrep Bowl was an innovation ofthe ’70s.

Basketball enjoyed a specialplace in the culture of early 20thcentury Minnesota. Why?

Sports such as baseball andfootball had evolved in the dirtand the sweat and the spit ofAmerican playgrounds and werethus considered to be rough anduncouth. Conversely, considerbasketball.

The game was invented by Dr.James A. Naismith, an instructorat the International TrainingSchool of the Young Men’sChristian Association atSpringfield, Mass, now SpringfieldUniversity. The YMCAs, theChristian churches and themedical profession all promotedthe game in a drive to improvephysical fitness among America’syoung men. It was said that a

healthy body leads to goodmorals and “what is beneficial tothe body (also) is so to the mind.”

Naismith was both an M.D.and an ordained minister. Thefirst basketball coach at theUniversity of Minnesota, Louis J.Cooke, was an M.D. Fred B. Hill,founder of the Minnesota statehigh school basketballtournament, was professor ofbiblical literature at CarletonCollege, an ordained minister andprominent in the YMCAmovement.

Boys and girls playedbasketball because it was fun. Buttheir parents, educators andcommunity leaders embraced thegame and brought it into theirschools because they werepromised spiritual, mental, socialand moral, as well as purelyphysical improvement for theirchildren. No one had thought to

Celebrating 100 yearsof Minnesota high schoolbasketball tournaments

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News & Features100 Years ............................................................................. continued from Page 4

BOYS AND GIRLS PLAYED BASKETBALL BECAUSE IT WAS FUN.BUT THEIR PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS EMBRACED

THE GAME AND BROUGHT IT INTO THEIR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY WERE

PROMISED SPIRITUAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL AND MORAL, AS WELL AS

PURELY PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

make such a case on behalf of theother sports.

Yet, as early as 1901, GeorgeB. Aiton, Minnesota’s Inspector ofState High Schools, hadexpressed concern that an“excessive desire to win” hadtaken hold of the schools.Educators wondered if highschool student-athletes weremaking normal progress toward adiploma? Or, were theymercenaries? Hadprofessionalism found its wayinto the schools? Were gamescontested fairly? Were opponentstreated with the respect that wasdue to Christian ladies andgentlemen?

The state tournament providedleverage toward the control ofthis “excessive desire to win.” Acommittee was formed at the1913 tournament — Hill waselected its chairman — and itwas charged with ensuring that atournament would be held againin 1914 and thereafter. Its firstacts were to establish eligibilityrules and encourage high schoolsto play only among themselves. Ifa team wanted to play in thetournament, it would play by thecommittee’s rules.

The Single-Class EraBy 1970 there were 10 boys’

state tournaments, but none forgirls. Yet, in the game’s earliestyears, girls and young womenplayed basketball in almost aslarge a number and with every bitas much enthusiasm as the boys.More than 350 Minnesota highschools fielded girls’ teams atsome time between the turn ofthe century and the late 1930s.

But many viewed girls’basketball as unhealthy andperhaps immoral from the verybeginning. “The emotional strainattendant upon competitionwould be injurious,” according toa report by women physicaleducators. Thus, the single-classera was also the single-genderera.

In 1938 the MinnesotaDepartment of Educationrecommended that girls’ athleticprograms be dropped. By 1939the Department reported thatschools offering interscholasticcompetition for girls had declinedfrom 92 in 1938-1939 to 38 in1939-1940. “This,” it said,“represents a decided change forthe better.”

The boys’ basketballtournament, meanwhile, grew

slowly but steadily from humblebeginnings. Attendance atCarleton peaked at about 2,000 in1920, when a large contingent offans came from nearby Red Wing.The tournament moved to theTwin Cities in 1923, and some10,000 saw the 1929 and 1933finals at the University ofMinnesota Field House andMinneapolis Auditorium,respectively, with Red Wing againproviding a lion’s share of thespectators.

More than 16,000 came to seeLynd and its novel fast-breakingoffense in 1946, also at theUniversity. More than 18,000 sawthe 1951 final between Canby andGilbert, and more than 19,000saw the tournament’s mostfamous “Cinderella” team,Edgerton, in 1960, bothtournaments at the former FieldHouse and now known asWilliams Arena.

As these attendance figuressuggest, enthusiasm for thetournament was heightened bythe occasional success of thesmall town Cinderellas. Thetheme had been established atthe very first tournament in 1913,in fact, when Fosston prevailed inwhat was called “a completesurprise.”

Fifteen schools now classifiedin Class A won single-classchampionships: Fosston, Virginia(1916), Aurora (1923), Gaylord(now Sibley East, 1926),Chisholm (1934), Mountain Lake(1939), Breckenridge (1940), Buhl(now Mountain Iron-Buhl, 1941and 1942), Gilbert (now Eveleth-Gilbert, 1951), Edgerton (1960),Luverne (1964) and Sherburn(now Martin County West, 1970).Twelve more small schoolsfinished as runners-up.

As of 1951, the sixchampionships won by IronRange teams were second only tothe Big Nine with seven.Basketball fans loved thembecause they kept up-tempobasketball alive in the 1920s and1930s when most Minnesota highschools had adopted a slow,deliberate, ball control ,defensively-oriented style.

The hometown victory parade for the EdgertonFlying Dutchmen, the most famous of the “Cinderella” teams

to advance to the state tournament and win it in 1960.

Chisholm’s “point-a-minute”teams under coach Harvey Roelsset the pace, and won the 1934state championship.

The first school actually giventhe moniker “Cinderella” wasGaylord in 1926. A hat waspassed around the KenwoodArmory lobby after their 13-9championship game victory overGilbert to raise funds to supportthe team’s trip to the nationaltournament in Chicago, andenthusiastic fans contributed over$500 to the cause.

In 1946 Lynd was not only thesmallest school from the smallesttown ever to reach the statefinals, but also the firstMinnesota high school to run amodern fast break. They took No.1-rated Crosby-Irontoncompletely by surprise, 58-47,and C-I took three timeouts in thefirst quarter alone to catch theirbreath. Lynd’s semifinal win overStillwater, 46-39, featured thetournament’s first behind-the-back pass by Casper Fisher.

Fourteen years later, the FlyingDutchmen from Edgertondefeated Richfield in overtimeand next Austin to becomeMinnesota’s most famous

Cinderella. The semifinal was thefirst tournament matchup of two1,000 point scorers — Bill Davisof Richfield, and Dean Veenhof ofEdgerton.

How the Game was PlayedIn its earliest days, Naismith’s

new game was lacking inestablished strategies. Mostteams did not have a coach. Leftto their own devices, boys didwhat boys will do — they ran,they jumped, they flung the ball atthe hoop. Fosston’s 1913champions “bewildered theiropponents” with short, rapidpasses thrown while running incircles, a style of play born of theexpedient of practicing in aclassroom. Besides no coach,Fosston also did not have agymnasium.

But by the end of theNorthfield era in 1922, mostschools had a paid, professionalcoach, and now it was thecoaches’ turn to do what coachesdo — injecting discipline,meaning at least in part a newreluctance to shoot the ball.

By the 1940s three new

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News & Features100 Years ............................................................................. continued from Page 5offensive strategies emerged andscoring went through the roof. Adozen years before V-E Day, thestate title had been decided by ascore of 16-13. A dozen yearslater it would be 101-54.

The low post emerged with theappearance of Jim McIntyre ofMinneapolis Patrick Henry in1944 and 1945. The tallest boy,by four inches, to play intournament history scored arecord 29 points, then 36, and 43more in the 1945 final. St. PaulHumboldt’s 6-6 Jim Fritsche in1949, New Prague’s 6-10 RonJohnson in 1955 and 1956,Edina’s 6-7 Bob Zender in 1966,1967 and 1968, 6-8 MarkOlberding of Melrose in 1974, and7-footer Randy Breuer of LakeCity are only a few of thedominant big men who followedin McIntyre’s footsteps.

The fast break arrived in 1946.Lynd was one of several teamsthat ran on every possessionwhen possible, failing againstAustin, however, in the finals andlosing 63-31. Cloquet wasanother in 1963. The Lumberjacksplayed Bloomington, described as“the greatest defensive teamever,” in the first round and won87-67. But Marshall upsetCloquet in the final, 75-74.

The jump shot developedslowly, though it is true thatnewspapers in the 1930s arefilled with pictures of playersshooting while jumping. But thephrase “jump shot” did notappear in state tournamentreportage until 1952 and 1953when Dave Tschimperle ofHopkins and Omar Larson ofGranite Falls were described asthe best “jump shooters.” By1957, Tommy Nordland ofMinneapolis Roosevelt was hailedas the best outside shooter intournament history for his “longjump shots.”

Equal OpportunityBy the time of Roosevelt’s 101

point outburst in the 1956 final,the second golden age forMinnesota’s small town teamsdawned. Edgerton, Marshall andLuverne (1964) won three statetitles in five years despite theclaim that the small schoolscouldn’t compete. Ironically, itwas Minnesota’s smaller schoolsthemselves who had promulgatedthis idea. They had lobbied theMinnesota State High SchoolLeague for a two-class tournamentfor more than 30 years.

In 1946,Lynd was

the smallestschool to

qualify forthe state

tournament.The

achievementdrew

interest fromthe editorialcartoonist at

the St. PaulPioneer

Press priorto the game

againstCrosby-Ironton.

By the 1960s, however, thesmall schools had an unexpectedally — the larger schools in theTwin Cities. After World War II, inMinnesota as elsewhere acrossthe country, families hadstreamed both from the smalltowns and from the big citiesdown a network of new interstatehighways to equally newsuburban communities.Enrollments skyrocketed atsuburban high schools whilestagnating elsewhere. By the timethe Baby Boom had run itscourse, half of the state’spopulation was concentrated inthe Twin Cities metro area. Andyet, the metro area comprisedonly two of the tournament’seight regions.

So, competition was dividedinto two classes beginning in1971. Ironically, the smallerschools — St. James (1972) andMelrose (1974) — won two of five“overall” championship games

between the champions of eachclass. Counting Sherburn’s 1970championship in the last of thesingle class tournaments, thesmall schools had captured threetitles in five years.

The two-class system not onlyguaranteed that eight smallerschools would play in the statetournament. It also enabled innercity schools to make their return.Minneapolis schools, which hadwon 14 of 15 Region 5 titles from1933 to 1947 and eight statechampionships between 1921 and1957, were unable to gain even asingle state tournament berthbetween the years of 1958 and1968.

No African-American player isknown to have played in thetournament until 1951 and 1952when Bob Wagner of Hopkinsearned all-tournament honors.LeRoy Gardner and Jim Hill of St.Paul Central did the same in 1965and 1967. Then, beginning in

1971, a parade of outstandingAfrican-American playersappeared. In 1976 came the coupde grace, as the MinneapolisMarshall-University boys and theSt. Paul Central girls became thefirst predominately African-American teams to win a statetitle.

Marshall-University, whosegirls’ team finished fourth in the1976 tournament, is also the onlyteam in tournament history, boysor girls, to place all five starterson the all-tournament team.Central , meanwhile, was led byLisa Lissimore, Linda Roberts andRita Burch, who are African-American, and Debbie Krengeland Teresa Tierney (Joe Mauer’smom), who are white.

Prior to the first officialMinnesota State High SchoolLeague girls’ basketballtournament in 1976, there weretwo unofficial, single-classtournaments. The first was playedin the fall of 1974 for schools thatplayed girls’ basketball in the fall.The other tournament took placein the winter of 1975 for schoolsthat played the sport in thewinter. Glencoe (fall) andAcademy of Holy Angels (winter)won those unofficial titles. Laterthat year, the League Board ofDirectors voted unanimously toestablish girls’ basketball as awinter sport and that a two-classtournament would be held inMarch.

Still, there were skeptics whosaid that girls could never masterthe game of basketball. This mythwas quickly demolished by thegirls from New York Mills andespecially by Janet Karvonen.Karvonen put girls’ basketball onthe Minnesota map. For threestraight years she set tournamentscoring records with 59, then 78and, finally, 98 points. Shecompleted her career thefollowing year with a record(regardless of gender) 329 statetournament points.

The Multi-Class EraThe current multi-class format

enables more schools to play inthe state tournament each year,and it also allows schools toappear and win more frequentlythan they did in the past. By wayof comparison, the state’s firstdynasty, the Red Wing boys, wonfour of the first 21 tournaments,in 1915, 1920, 1922 and 1933. It

See 100 Y100 Y100 Y100 Y100 Yearsearsearsearsears on Page 7

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News & Features100 Years ............................................................................. continued from Page 6

No African-American player is known to have played in thetournament until 1951 and 1952 when Bob Wagner of Hopkins

earned All-Tournament honors.

Debbie Krengel (above) was a key player for St. Paul Central,winner of the inaugural girls’ tournament in 1976. Janet

Karvonen (right) shows what observers called her“picture perfect” jump shot form. Karvonen put girls’ basketball

on the map in Minnesota, leading New York Mills to threeconsecutive titles in 1977 through 1979, and finished her

high school career with 3,192 points. Photos courtesy of Minnesota Hoops: Basketball in the North Star State

by Marc Hugunin and Stew Thornley

would be more than 50 yearsbefore another team, theBloomington Jefferson boys,would win a fourth championshipand no boys team would surpassRed Wing’s record in the 20thcentury.

The Rochester Lourdes girlswon their fifth title in 1995. Butnow, the Lourdes girls andHopkins boys each have amassedeight state titles. The MinneapolisPatrick Henry boys have won six,including four in a row from 2000through 2003. SouthwestMinnesota Christian also pulledoff four-in-a-row in the Class Aboys tournament from 1999 to2002. The Minneapolis North boysand girls each have won fivechampionships, as have theDeLaSalle boys.

Myron Glass, coach of theLourdes girls, leads all coacheswith eight championships; andKenny Novak, Jr., coach of theHopkins boys, and Faith JohnsonPatterson of the MinneapolisNorth and DeLaSalle girls, eachhave won six. Only DuaneBaglien, coach of Edina’s three-peat champions of 1966, 1967and 1968, ever won as many asthree titles during the single classera.

Individual boys and girls havefar out-stripped the careerscoring records of yore. As of1970-1971, Ron Johnson of NewPrague, with 203 points in 1955and 1956, was the top all-timescorer among the boys. In themulti-class era, Johnson’s recordhas been exceeded by CodySchilling of Ellsworth, the onlyboy ever to lead the tournamentin scoring three years (267points); Khalid El-Amin ofMinneapolis North (238); IsaiahDahlman of Braham (236); MarkOlberding of Melrose (228); andBen Johnson of DeLaSalle (227).

The three-point shot has alsohelped to inflate individualscoring. Cory Mountain’s 51-pointoutburst for Albrook in 2006included an additional record 10three-point shots. The previousrecord of 50 points was set in 1978by Jimmy Jensen of Bemidji theold-fashioned way — down low.

Among the girls, Tayler Hill’s47-point performance forMinneapolis South in the 2009Class AAAA championship gameincluded five three-pointers,though Brittney Chambers’ 47points for Jordan in a Class AAsemifinal the previous yearincluded but one.

It is difficult today to imaginethat the three-pointer wasinvented by fellows who wantednothing more than to open up thelane for more of the low-postgame. But instead, defenses

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8 Winter 2012 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

Kevin Merkle

News & Features

By Kevin MerkleAssociate Director

As coaches, ADs, officials andother school personnel, weshould constantly be talkingabout the educational value of ouractivity programs. We coach andplay to win — as we should. Butas we also know, that is not theultimate objective.

Instead the objective is forstudent athletes to learn andgrow as individuals, to learn corevalues and to build character. Oneof those values or character traitsis ethical behavior.

However, do we practice whatwe preach? Do our actions modelthese values and character traits?While we talk about the greatvalues of educational activityprograms, I keep hearing aboutmore and more examples of(what I feel) is unethical behavior.

What are the real values thatwe are teaching our studentathletes when we do the following(all true stories from actualincidents that have occurred inMinnesota in the recent past):

● Hiring officials for a varsitycontest who live in theschool district, have kidsthat attend that school oreven have a son ordaughter playing in thegame being officiated;

● A coach kept an extra set oflegal equipment in case theofficials ruled that whatwas being used was illegal(which it obviously was);

● Coaches breaking out-of-season coaching rules, butinsisting that it didn’thappen;

● A PA announcer providingplay-by-play accounts ofthe action, which alertedthe home team when theopponent droped back topass;

● A coach telling the officialsprior to the game that theteam was legally equippedwhen the coach knew thatwas not the case;

● Coaches allowing illegalbaseball bats to be usedthroughout the season ortesting the officials eachgame to see if the rules willbe enforced;

● Officials ignoring the rulethat requires that bats beinspected before the gamebecause they don’t want tobe adversarial with thecoaches;

● Officials working a playoffgame in which the coach ofone of the teams is acolleague at the official’sfull-time job;

● A coach sending an athleteback into the game after anofficial has observed thesigns and symptoms of aconcussion — before theathlete was examined by anappropriate health careprofessional;

● A coach using suchprofanity that members ofthe chain gang file acomplaint with the Leagueoffice;

● Coaches always looking for“creative” ways to getaround the coaching out-of-season rules;

● Not providing all of yourteam’s statistics for theuse by the media during astate tournament orfalsifying those statistics inthe attempt to gain anadvantage over anopponent.

I could go on, but you get thepicture. In some situations, whatis ethical and what is not may besomewhat of a gray area. In somecases there can certainly bedisagreement about what isethical and what is not. However,in my opinion, all of the above areobvious examples of unethicaland/or unacceptable behavior.

What happened to our ethicsand doing what is right? Whathappened to following the rulesas written, or playing the gamefairly? What happened to being agood role model to our student-athletes?

I’m sure there has beenunethical behavior since the veryfirst competition, but I don’t thinkthat makes it right. None of usare perfect and we all makemistakes, but these are blatant,intentional examples of unethicalbehavior. In most cases thisbehavior occurs in order to gainan advantage. Is winning at the

high school level so importantthat we sacrifice our moral andethical character and even worse— that we model inappropriatebehavior for our student athletes?Is this the behavior that shouldbe allowed in any high schoolprogram?

I might only be speaking formyself, but if I had a choice tohave my kids or grandkids in aprogram that wins a lot of gamesat whatever cost, or in a programwhere the coach models a highlevel of ethical behavior, I willchose the latter every time. I trulybelieve that in many, if not mostcases, the coaches that are ofhigh ethical character anddemonstrate that through ethicalbehavior, not only are instillingthose values in their athletes, butthey also have winning programson the field/court/rink. Manytimes those coaches who havelow ethical behavior and violatebasic rules do not havesuccessful teams — no matterhow you measure success.

Recently I reviewed someinformation on theWhatwillmatter.com website. Thiswebsite is produced by theJosephson Institute, anorganization heavily involved incharacter education (CharacterCounts) and ethical behavior ingeneral. Here are some thoughtsfrom that website:

“What will matter is not whatyou learned, but what youtaught.”

“What will matter is not yoursuccess, but your significance.”

“What will matter is not justmaking a living, but in how youhelp make lives.”

As coaches, officials, andadministrators in high schoolathletics, we are educators.Whether we like it or not we arerole models to our student-athletes, as well as to all otherstudents and our entirecommunity. Our actions are manytimes the most important andvisible lessons that we teach.

Let’s all renew ourselves to doour best to model positive ethicalbehavior, and to teach ourstudent-athletes to play and liveto a high ethical standard — thetype of ethical standard that willserve them well for the rest oftheir lives, and the kind ofstandard that will impact themmuch more than how many winsthey experience.

As a coach, Lou Holtz had onerule for his players to follow, andthis same rule will work for youas you determine how you willmodel and demonstrate ethicalbehavior:

“You know what is right, andyou know what is wrong . . . . dowhat is right.”

Model ethical behavior:Do what is right

“What will matter is not what youlearned, but what you taught.”

“What will matter is not your success,but your significance.”

“What will matter is not just making aliving, but in how you help make lives.”

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News & Features

trapped the ball and denied thepassing lanes while aggressivelychallenging the shot. Offensesthen adapted, making every effortto score in transition before thedefense gets set.

The Wabasso Rabbits and RedLake Warriors remain theexemplars of the new scoring era.Wabasso came into the 1997tournament averaging more than100 points per game. In asemifinal game the Rabbits ledRed Lake 81-62 after threeperiods and by 14 with 1:15 left.Then Red Lake guard GeraldKingbird scored 13 points in 57seconds to tie the score at 105,though the Rabbits pulled away inovertime to a 117-113 win.Hancock caged the Rabbits in thefinal the next day.

Similarly, the biggest stars ofthe past 15 years have been thosewho mastered the full-courttransition game — guards likeJoe Coleman and Blake Hoffarberof Hopkins; Dahlman; El-Amin;Hill; Coco and Kelly Miller ofRochester Mayo; Angel Robinsonof St. Paul Central; Schilling, andmany more — rather than thelow-post players of yesteryear.

100 Years ............................................................................. continued from Page 7The Next 100 YearsThe state tournaments have

experienced a precipitous declinein attendance in recent decades.Attendance at recent boys’tournaments is barely one-thirdof what is was during its heyday,and less than two-thirds of whatit was as recently as 1989.Attendance at the girls’tournament recently has beenabout half of what it was at itspeak in 1990.

But the success of thetournaments is properlymeasured today — just as it wasmeasured by its founders 100years ago — not by quantity, butby its qualities. Have thetournaments retained their focuson the welfare of student-athletes? Do they support andenhance the educational mission?

If the answers to thesequestions are yes, then the statetournaments will be just fine,whatever their size and scope.

Marc Hugunin is co-author ofMinnesota Hoops: Basketball inthe North Star State, published bythe Minnesota Historical Society,and author of a Web blog of thesame name, located atwww.minnesotahoops.blogspot.com.

Tayler Hill’s 47-point performance in the 2009 Class AAAAchampionship game not only earned her a gold medal, but a

souvenir game ball to mark her single-game scoring record, amark she shares with Jordan’s Brittany Chambers who set the

mark the year before.

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TOURNAMENTS ON THE LEAGUE

WEBSITE THROUGHOUT THE

SEASON, LEADING UP TO THE

100-YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT

THE 2012 STATE TOURNAMENTS.

A page from the 1926 state tournament programdetails the schedule of events. ChampionshipSaturday was a busy day for the players of all eightteams. It began with a 9:30 a.m. tour that took themto the Minneapolis flour mills, the University ofMinnesota, the State Capitol in St. Paul, andconcluded at the Minneapolis Art Institute. That wasfollowed by a luncheon at the Minneapolis AthleticClub hosted by the University of Minnesota and its“M” Club. Then there was an unspecified performancein the afternoon at the State Theater. The third-placegame was played at 8 p.m. followed by thechampionship game at 9 p.m. in which Gaylorddefeated Gilbert 13-0.

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Excellence in athletics and the fine arts. It’s what schools need to win the

Minnesota State High School League Challenge Cup. Awarded annually to three high schools,

the Challenge Cup is a statewide, year-long competition among Minnesota high schools.

Points are awarded to schools based on their success in section and state fine arts and

athletics tournaments. The school earning the most points at the end of the year in each

classification — A, AA and AAA — receives the traveling Challenge Cup. Challenge Cup standings

are posted on the League’s web site throughout the year so schools can monitor their point

totals. To learn more about the Challenge Cup competition log on to mshsl.org.

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www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 11

Lisa Lissimore

News & Features

By Lisa LissimoreAssociate Director

The competition for the 2011-2012 Minnesota State HighSchool League Challenge Cup isin full swing with Ada-Borup, TheBlake School of Minneapolis andEden Prairie leading the way.

A review of the leader boardshows Ada-Borup ahead in ClassA with 70 points. The Cougarsearned points for participation inthe State Football Tournamentand for finishing fourth in theClass A State Girls’ VolleyballTournament. Trailing close behindthe Cougars is Dawson-Boyd with63 points, Bethlehem Academywith 62 points, Nevis with 60points and Mahnomen, PrairieSeeds Academy of Brooklyn Park,and Warren-Alvarado-Oslo eachwith 50 points. Minneota, lastyear’s Class A Challenge Cupwinner, is in eighth place with42.3 points.

In the Class AA Challenge, TheBlake School is in first place with206 points. The Bears won theClass AA Girls’ SoccerTournament and the Class AGirls’ Tennis title. They alsofinished fourth in the tennisdoubles competition and the

boys’ and girls’ state crosscountry meets. One runner, ClareFlanagan, won the Class Aindividual title and classmateBrandon Clark placed second inthe boys’ Class A race. Roundingout the top five in this class: St.Cloud Cathedral (125 points);Rochester Lourdes (124.3 points);Annandale (101 points); Marshall(85 points); and Hutchinson (78points).

Battling for top billing in theClass AAA race are five-time Cupwinner Eden Prairie plus Edina.With only a 25-point lead over theHornets, Eden Prairie won threefall state championships in boys’soccer, girls’ volleyball andfootball. The Eagles also hadindividual swim champions thatearned 47 of the schools 259Challenge Cup points. Edina, theteam champion in girls’ tennisand girls’ swimming and diving,is in second place with 236points, followed by Wayzata (147points), Benilde-St. Margaret’s(135 points), Rochester Mayo(131 points), and Lakeville North(113.5 points).

The League, along with itspremier corporate partner WellsFargo, created the Challenge Cupprogram in 2003 to recognize and

reward League-member schoolsfor excellence in athletics andfine arts activities. Under theprogram guidelines, schools earnpoints for their success in post-season tournament play and theschool earning the most points atthe end of the year in eachclassification — A, AA and AAA— receives the travelingChallenge Cup. This year marksthe second time the award will bepresented to schools from threedifferent classes. Previously therewere two classes and only twoCup winners.

“The Challenge Cup is a year-round competition that generatesa lot of excitement betweenLeague member schools,”explained Dave Stead, executivedirector of the League. “Manyschools, big and small, willcontinue to earn Cup pointsbased on their performance in theupcoming section and statetournaments. We’ll see the leaderboard change again in Marchwhen the winter tournaments arecompleted.”

2011-2012 Challenge Cup competition under way

“The Challenge Cup is anexcellent way to measure theoverall efforts of schools involvedin League fine arts and athleticactivities,” said Dave Kvamme,regional president for WellsFargo’s Minnesota Great Lakesregion. “The competition isalways close and we expect it togo down to the wire again thisyear.”

The Challenge Cup standingsfor all qualifying schools areposted on the League’s websiteafter each seasonal statetournament series. Cup scoresfrom the 2011 fall tournamentsare currently posted on thewebsite. The winter tournamentstandings will be added in April,and the 2012 Challenge Cupwinners will be announced in lateJune after the springtournaments are completed. Thetraveling Challenge Cup will thenbe presented to each winningschool during a recognitionceremony generally held in thefall.

The League and Wells Fargo will crown the ninth set ofChallenge Cup champions after the final June 2012 statetournaments. Past Cup winners include:

2004: St. Cloud Cathedral - Class A; Lakeville - Class AA2005: The Blake School - Class A; Lakeville - Class AA2006: St. Cloud Cathedral - Class A; Eden Prairie - Class AA2007: The Blake School - Class A; Wayzata - Class AA2008: Perham - Class A; Eden Prairie - Class AA2009: The Blake School - Class A; Eden Prairie - Class AA2010: Breck - Class A; Eden Prairie - Class AA2011: Minneota - Class A; Breck - Class AA; Eden Prairie -

Class AAA

Previous Challenge Cup Winners

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News & Features

Students and advisors are eagerly awaitingthe kickoff events for the 2012 FIRST RoboticsCompetition season. On Jan. 7, 2012, theywill meet at several locations around the stateto learn about the new challenge and pick upkits containing the parts used to create theirrobots.

The kickoff events are planned forMinneapolis, Duluth, Mankato, St. Cloud, andFargo (for teams in far northwesternMinnesota).

Each team will leave the events withspecific information about the challenge theyface, plus about 70 pounds of parts fromwhich to construct their robots. FIRST willtelecast a 90-minute program detailing thechallenge.

Ninety teams are registered for theMinneapolis kickoff at the University ofMinnesota, 14 teams will gather at theUniversity of Minnesota-Duluth, 18 teams willmeet at Minnesota State University-Mankato,15 teams have registered for the event at St.Cloud State University, and 15 teams willmeet at North Dakota State University inFargo, only two of which are actual NorthDakota teams.

FIRST Robotics Competition combinessports excitement with the rigors of scienceand technology. Under strict rules, limitedresources, and time limits, teams arechallenged to fund and design a brand,exercise teamwork, build and program robotsto perform tasks against competitors.

The 2011 challenge was “Logo Motion™,”with teams competing on a field with poles,attempting to earn points by hanging as manytriangle, circle and square logo pieces aspossible. Bonus points were awarded for eachrobot that hung and assembled logo pieces toform the FIRST logo.

FIRST means For Inspiration and

Robotics competitors eagerly await season kickoff events

Minneapolis Washburn students wereamong many that demonstrated their

2011-model robots during the 2011Minnesota State Fair. The challenge

involved stacking inflatables shaped likethe FIRST Robotics logo.

Recognition of Science and Technology andtouts itself as “The varsity Sport for theMind.” The organization website iswww.usfirst.org.

As an administrator of aMinnesota State High SchoolLeague member school, you arein a unique position to influencestudents and provide thempositive examples. One area ofextreme popularity and use bynearly all students, and atsporting events, is social media(blogging, text-messaging,posting comments or replies onwebsites, uploading videos, etc.).

The use of social media hasintroduced new issues forstudents, parents, athletes,schools, employers and evenstate lawmakers. Moreover, thetopics of cyber bullying, Internetsafety, and online reputation areextremely relevant and timely for

schools,educators,studentsand families.

As a partner in education andstudent leadership opportunities,Jostens launched an awarenesscampaign in February 2010 calledPause Before You PostTM. Thispublic service program isdesigned to encourage studentsto make smart decisions aboutpersonal publishing, particularlywhen using sites like Facebook,Twitter, YouTube, and others.

We have all heard, read, orseen the effects of misuse andmisinterpretation when usingsocial media. Pause Before YouPostTM is essentially a turn-key

packagethatincludes

everything a school needs to planand conduct an awarenesscampaign that encouragesstudents to ask themselvesquestions before posting personalinformation online and alsocommunicates consequences ofpoor decision-making.

Jostens’ Pause Before YouPostTM is validated and supportedwith research by Dr. JustinPatchin and Dr. Sameer Hinduja,leading experts on cyber bullyingand co-directors of theCyberbullying Research Center.The program was also designedwith input from educators and

students from across the country.The consequences of poor

decisions can greatly impactstudent-athletes. The MinnesotaState High School League andJostens both believe that anenvironment of inclusivity, ethicalbehavior, parent and familyinvolvement, respect, and a basisfor making smart choices iscrucial for student and educatorsuccess. The League isdemonstrating a proactive role inthe lives of student-athletes bysupporting Jostens’ Pause BeforeYou PostTM campaign andencouraging students to pledge topause before they post.

Visit Jostens.com/pause forvideos, tips, and discussion points.

Jostens, League suggest: Pause, reflect, then post

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www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 13

Athletic Activities

By Jody RedmanAssociate Director

The Minnesota State HighSchool League Board of Directorshas approved three additionaltrack and field events for thewheelchair division of the 2012track and field season. Athletesparticipating in the track and fieldwheelchair division may nowchoose to compete in the 100-meter, 800-meter, 1600-meter,and 3200-meter track events andin the discus and shot put fieldevents.

All competitors may enter andcompete in a total of four trackand field events, but not in excessof either three track or three fieldevents in arriving at thecombination of four. Thewheelchair division is open toathletes with permanent physical

League adds events for track and field wheelchair divisiondisabilities. Athletes mustcompete during the regularseason in a minimum of threemeets to qualify for participationin a section meet. Competing in asection meet will qualify athletescompeting in the wheelchairdivision for the state meet onJune 8-9, 2012.

Schools must register with theLeague by April 2, 2012, to beeligible to compete in thewheelchair division and mustnotify the schools they willcompete against at least 24 hoursin advance of the scheduledcompetition.

There are specific rules andpolicies that govern the track andfield wheelchair division. Foradditional information about thisactivity, check the track and fieldactivity page on the Leaguewebsite.

Help!I can’t find the link to therules interpretation meeting

Every head coach in Minnesota who currently meets the statestatute requirement and is serving as a head coach in aMinnesota high school is required to complete the onlineContinuing Education Requirement (CER) and the sport specificannual Rules Interpretation Meeting.

The CER is available through the Coaches Clipboard page onthe League website. Coaches receive instruction in: CoachingPhilosophy, Concussion Education, Emergency Planning throughAnyone Can Save A Life, and League Bylaws.

Once the coach completes the CER, the link for the annualonline Rules Interpretation Meeting for their sport will becomeactive at the bottom of the Coaches Clipboard page.

The Rules Interpretation Meeting is only available through theCoaches Clipboard Page. To begin, go to www.MSHSL.org andclick on the Coaches link in the gold menu bar at the top of thepage; then choose Coaches Clipboard and create your page bytyping in a user e-mail address and password.

Opposing coachnoted courtesiesfollowing game

The following note was sentto Orono girls’ hockey headcoach Keith Radloff and copiedto Orono Activities DirectorBucky Mieras who shared itwith the League and said,“Coach Radloff is a new coachwith many years of coachingexperience and we are excitedabout what he brings to our program.”

Hi Keith,Congrats on a great win last night. It was a well fought

battle. I thought you would like to know that I have receivedmultiple e-mails from my players’ parents stating how polite andcourteous your players were after the game.

There were many handshakes and thank you’s for the food.My team parents were extremely impressed.

I was also impressed with how hard your team played andhow polite they were in the handshake. You should be veryproud of your team. I know as a coach I would love to hear howwell my team handles themselves off the ice as well as on theice.

Good luck the rest of the way. I hope we can continue ourtradition of playing for the wooden horse.

Matt MillerNew Prague Girls’ Hockey Head Coach

Greenway cheered forGrand Rapids aftersoundly defeating them

The following note was sent toExecutive Director Dave Stead.

Dave,I know how you and your

fellow workers like to hearabout good sportsmanship.This one is an unusual variety.

The Greenway Raidersdefeated the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks in volleyball 3-0 onMonday. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids volleyball team playedDeer River. Sitting in the bleachers were some of the Greenwayvolleyball players dressed in orange (Rapids’ colors) and holdingposters cheering the players on to a good match.

David CarlsonGrand Rapids

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14 Winter 2012 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

Football tournament schedule for 2012With an additional class be added to football for 2012, there

is a need to adjust the schedule for the semifinal andchampionship games played in the Dome. With the need to playfourteen games during the semifinals, games will be played onThursday, Friday and Saturday — November 15, 16 and 17. At itsDecember meeting, the League Board of Directors approved aschedule that will have four games played on Thursday, and fiveeach on both Friday and Saturday.

This schedule will allow the first game to start later in themorning and the last game earlier in the evening, while at thesame time allowing 5-10 minutes of additional time betweengames. On Thursday the first game will start at approximately11:30 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday games will begin at 9:00a.m. The exact schedule of when each class will play is stillbeing finalized, but part of the plan is to have both games fromone class on the same day when possible.

The 31st Annual Prep Bowl will be played on November 23and 24, with four games played on Friday — likely 9-Man, AA,AAAA and AAAAAA, starting at 10 a.m., and the other threeclasses — likely A, AAA and AAAAA on Saturday, also starting at10 a.m.

Baseball tournament dates finalizedThe 2012 State Baseball Tournament will use the same

format as last year with all teams playing their first-roundgames on Thursday, June 14. All teams will play a second roundon Friday, June 15, with the consolation final and the third-placegame also played on that date. The third annual PrepChampionship Series will be played on Monday, June 18, whenall three championship games are decided at Target Field.

Roosevelt-St. Clairexperience epitomeof what high schoolsports should be

The following letter wassent to Minneapolis RooseveltActivities Director Al Frost andother administrators andshared with the League.

I would again like toexpress the gratitude of the St.Clair Cyclone football program for the hospitality shown to us bythe staff, coaches and especially players of MinneapolisRoosevelt. I have been coaching for various programs since 1990and have been to dozens of different schools. By far, MinneapolisRoosevelt showed more hospitality than I have ever experiencedfrom a host team . . . a genuine first-class organization.

Mr. Frost did an outstanding job of getting students together,to get them out of their shells and provide them the opportunityto meet someone new. By inviting us to break bread with you,we were able to meet many great young men . . . young menwhom we may never have met without this opportunity.

There was a different atmosphere on the bus ride home. Theconversations were a little louder. But I didn’t hear a word aboutthe game. What I heard was a bunch of young men talking aboutthe “cool” guys that they had just met.

The experience was the epitome of what athletics should be .. . two teams battling hard on the field, with respect and class,then sharing a wonderful meal afterward . . . with respect andclass!

Thank you again for inviting us into your home. I hope wehave the opportunity to return the favor some day!

Chris HarveySt. Clair Head Football Coach

Roosevelt lauded for clean play, social post-game meal

The following note was sent to Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnsonand shared with Minneapolis Roosevelt staff and the League.

Hello Dr. Johnson,My name is Bill Braunger and I am an assistant football coach for St. Clair High School in St.

Clair, Minnesota. Last Friday afternoon our football team traveled to Roosevelt High School to playa football game. This game featured two teams that had dropped their varsity teams for this yearand both teams entered the game with undefeated records.

St. Clair was able to win the game and put a damper on the Roosevelt homecoming dance.During the course of the game the Roosevelt team showed frustration at their mistakes, but neverdid I see any chippiness towards our players. After the game we were invited into the gym wherewe were treated to a great meal of spaghetti, lasagna, garlic bread, salad and pop/water.

The Roosevelt athletic director talked to both team saying he wanted the players to mix together and get to know someone fromthe other team. Both the players and coaches were able to sit down and enjoy the meal with a member of the other team.

If this evening reflects the way the Roosevelt football team is being run and the type of thing that is going on in the hallways ofRoosevelt High School, then we all have much to learn from the Teddies.

Thanks for a great afternoon/evening.

Bill Braunger

Athletic Activities

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www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 15

Athletic Activities

After 32 years as a printpublication, the National HighSchool Sports Record Book hasofficially moved online and can beaccessed on the NationalFederation of State High SchoolAssociations (NFHS) website atwww.nfhs.org/recordbook.

The Record Book contains all-time records for boys and girls in16 high school sports. Visitors tothe site can select from the menuof sports, and will have the optionto search for specific recordsacross all sports in the RecordBook.

In addition, new entries will beposted in the Record Book on anongoing basis once the record

National High School Sports Record Book now onlineperformances are verified.Previously, records were updatedannually with the printing of thebook.

“The National High SchoolSports Record Book is a one-of-a-kind publication and has becomea tremendous resource for manyindividuals across the country,”said Bob Gardner, NFHS executivedirector. “At this point in time,given the advances in technology,we felt that we could reachthousands and thousands ofindividuals by moving thisvaluable publication online. Also,the option of daily updates makesthis publication even moreuseful.”

National interscholasticrecords are maintained by theNFHS through a detailed systemof verifying, recording andpreserving the accomplishmentsof high school student-athletes.The approval of high schoolrecords rests with the NFHSmember associations in the 50states plus the District ofColumbia.

The first edition of theNational High School SportsRecord Book was published in1978 with 176 pages in a 5¼ x8½ format. By the final printingof the 5¼ x 8½ format in 2004,the book had grown to 448 pages.The 8½ x 11 format was adopted

in 2005, and the final edition in2010 was 248 pages.

In addition to the searchableaspect of the online publication,links will be posted soon that willtake viewers to photos, videosand features of selected team andindividual performances.

For more information on thenew online version of theNational High School SportsRecord Book, contact John Gillis,editor, at [email protected], orChris Boone, assistant editor [email protected].

Twitter users can follow theRecord Book @NFHSRecordBook.

In addition to the searchable aspect ofthe online publication, links will be

posted soon that will take viewers tophotos, videos and features of selected

team and individual performances.

The Record Book contains all-timerecords for boys and girls in 16 highschool sports. Visitors to the site can

select from the menu of sports, and willhave the option to search for specific

records across all sports in the Record

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16 Winter 2012 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

Athletic Activities

Craig Perry

See PPPPParticipationarticipationarticipationarticipationarticipation on Page 27

By Dr. Craig PerryAssociate Director

Historically, the winterathletics seasons seem to bewhen we have the largest numberof middle school studentsparticipating with League highschool programs. League bylawsallow students in grades 7-12 toparticipate in high schoolprograms. The bylaws also allowa middle school student toparticipate with the middle schoolprogram and at the same timethey can participate with the highschool program.

There are, however, somespecial conditions and rules thatmust be met for those studentswho participate with both themiddle school program and thehigh school program. Here arethe key points of emphasis to befollowed when middle schoolstudents participate at both themiddle school and high schoollevels.

Eligibility certificationFirst and foremost, any

student in grades 7-12 whoparticipates with a high schoolprogram must be certified to doso. The athletic director oradministrator at the high schoolmust confirm the student iseligible to participate in highschool programs. So, any middleschool student who is going toparticipate with the high schoolprogram must be declaredeligible to do so.

Example 1: A seventh-gradewrestler who does not have acertified weight cannotparticipate in a high schoolcontest until he has a certifiedminimum wrestling weightdetermined and thenelectronically entered into theLeague weight certificationdatabase.

Example 2: A sixth-gradestudentis swimming with themiddle school program and thehigh school coach wants him toparticipate with the high schoolswimming program. This is notallowable because sixth-gradersare not eligible to participate inLeague programs.

High school eventsWe have to define a high

school event to ensure that wemanage and host events correctly.Any event identified as a varsity,

JV, sophomore, or B-squad eventis a high school event. Also, anyevent involving students in grades10-12 is a high school event.

Example 1: High School Asends a ninth-grade girls’basketball team to participate atSchool B vs. their C-Squad. TheC-Squad has students in grades8, 9 and one from the 10th grade.Because School B has a 10th-

grader on the team, the contest isconsidered a League high schoolevent and League participationrules must be followed.

Example 2: Students fromgrades 7-9 participate in awrestling tournament. Thewrestlers are matched up by skilland experience rather than byweight. This event involvingstudents only in grades 7-9grades would not be identified asa high school event, and becauseit is not a high school eventLeague rules, including weightcertification, do not have to befollowed.

ParticipationParticipation with a high

school program includes but isnot limited to practice, training,scrimmages, and contests. Again,only students in grades 7-12 whohave been determined eligible toparticipate by the athleticdirector are able to participate inhigh school programs.

Maximum participationWhen a student participates

with both a middle schoolprogram and a high schoolprogram, all contests must becounted toward the maximumallowable contests for that sport.Essentially, all contests at themiddle school and high schoollevels count toward themaximum. So, if a studentparticipated on the middle schoolteam, the JV team, and also sawsome varsity playing time, allparticipation must count towardsthe maximum allowable. Dailyand season participation limitscan be found in Bylaw 502.

Example 1—Wrestling: Astudent is allowed a maximum of36 individual matches and allmatches must be counted. If thestudent wrestles in 12 matches atthe middle school level, then thestudent can participate in nomore than 24 matches at the highschool level.

Example 2—Basketball: No

student may participate in morehalves per season than a numberequal to three (3) times thenumber of varsity gamesscheduled. Participation in anyhalf counts as one (1) half inadministering these rules. Allgames scheduled and played asstated under non-Leaguetournaments count toward thefollowing: 1.) season total forcontest/games; and 2.) seasonplayer participation. If the varsityteam has a full schedule of 26games, then the maximum halvesfrom all levels must be no greaterthan 78.

Simultaneousmultiple-level eventsMember schools often run

middle school events inconjunction with high schoolevents. The varsity wrestlingteam may be wrestling on onemat in the gym and the middleschool wrestlers and JV arewrestling on a second mat at thesame time. Or there may be amiddle school swimming eventheld prior to the high schoolswimming and diving invite.There are certain protocols tofollow when managing events ofthis nature.

Non-League events must bestand-alone-events: they cannotbe held within League events.

Example: A JV wrestling dualis taking place and after the dualat 136 pounds, middle schoolwrestlers take to the mat for fivematches, including some sixth-graders and some seventh-graders who are matched up byskill, not by weight. After themiddle school wrestlers are donethe JV dual resumes. This type ofevent cannot take place. Highschool events must be conductedaccording to the NFHS rules book

and by League policies andbylaws. The JV event must be 14consecutive bouts based on the14 weight classes specified in therules book. The middle schoolevent should have been held priorto the JV event.

Preliminary eventsIn some sports it is the norm

to host preliminary contests orexhibition competitions. Anyevent, in any sport, that does notfollow League participation rules,policies and guidelines must beheld independent of the highschool event—either before orafter, but it cannot be held duringthe high school event.

Unattached/unaffiliatedparticipationThere is no such thing. This

type of participation does notexist. All students who participatein League-sponsored events mustbe certified by their school andmust represent their school.

Example 1: During a varsityswimming meet a student who isnot eligible to participate at thevarsity level is allowed to swim inlane 8 as a non-scoringunattached student whoseperformance will not be scoredtoward the team totals for themeet. If the student is not eligibleto participate in the varsity meethe cannot swim unattached or asa non-scoring exhibition. Oncemore, only students who areeligible to compete in League-sponsored events can do so.

Example 2—Gymnastics:During a varsity meet the coachesagree to add two additionalgymnasts to each event toparticipate as non-scoring,exhibition participants. The rules

Sorting out proper participation of middle school students

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www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 17

See ConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussion on Page 19

Dr. William Roberts

SportsMedicine

Athletic Activities

By William O. Roberts, M.D., M.S.

Chronic TraumaticEncephalopathy (CTE) is adegenerative brain disease that isa result of repetitive headtrauma. It is a rising concern insports like football, hockey,soccer, and of course, boxing.While we do not deal with boxingin Minnesota high schools, theother sports are prominentactivities in most communitiesacross the state.

Researchers are not sure howmuch trauma or how much forceis required to cause problems,but some new findings areconcerning.

A group of researchers at theAlbert Einstein College ofMedicine, Yeshiva University ofNew York City, studied men andwomen who started playingsoccer as children and were stillplaying in adult leagues. Theyestimated how many times eachplayer headed the ball in theprevious year using a verydetailed questionnaire, and theyalso surveyed for pastconcussions.

The players were then testedfor memory and cognitivefunction looking for patternsrelated to heading exposure.Finally, each player had a specialMRI scan that can detect changesin brain structure (this is beyondthe MRI that is available to us inclinical practice). The researchgroup found loss of brain whitematter in players with more than1,100 to 1,300 head strikescompared to those with who hadfewer impacts. The white matterloss appeared to be very similarto changes seen in severeconcussion.

Also in the news, formerMinnesota Wild player DerekBoogaard’s brain autopsy

revealed CTE. Boogaard was afighter and had the role ofenforcer with heavy hitting andrepeated altercations suspectedto have played a role in thesebrain changes.

This does not speak well forthe NHL’s continued “let themfight it out” policy. High schoolhockey does not allow fighting,but there is plenty of bodychecking and likely many sub-concussive blows to the head.This should be considered bycoaches who set the tone for theirteams and officials who set thetone for each game. We owe it toour players to keep the game assafe as possible by teaching,modeling, and enforcing therules.

Along the lines of head andbrain safety, a group ofconcussion specialists justcreated an online concussionlibrary that is accessible toparents, coaches, players, andother interested people, inaddition to researchers andmedical providers. Called theSport Concussion Library, theweb-based site —www.dev.sportconcussionlibrary.com— includes well over 2,000 peer-reviewed journal articles, manybook chapters, concussionlegislation on the federal, stateand provincial levels, filmeddocumentaries, and adownloadable SCAT2 test, thestandard sideline concussionassessment tool. The library siteis free and regularly updated.Michael Stuart, M.D., a memberof the League Sports MedicineAdvisory Committee from theMayo Clinic Sports MedicineCenter and the chief medicalofficer for USA Hockey, is a partof the group overseeing thisproject.

CTEChronic Traumatic Encephalopathyfocus of significant research

Called the Sport Concussion Library, theweb-based site —

www.dev.sportconcussionlibrary.com —includes well over 2,000 peer-reviewed

journal articles, many book chapters,concussion legislation on the federal,

state and provincial levels, filmeddocumentaries, and a downloadable

SCAT2 test, the standard sidelineconcussion assessment tool. The library

site is free and regularly updated.

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Guidelines for Post-Concussion Academic Accommodations

By William M. Heinz, M.D.

Late in the second quarter of arecent Friday night football game,an athlete got up slowly after aplay and then — even moreslowly — walked to the sideline.By the time he got there, he wascomplaining of a headache,confusion and feeling sick to hisstomach. He couldn’t rememberthe play that was just run or eventhe hit he took.

Five minutes later in thelocker room at halftime, he wascomplaining that his symptomswere worse. The team physiciantold the coach that the athletewas done playing for the evening.

The physician went to thestands to talk to the player’smother and explain that her sonhad suffered a concussion andwould most likely be out of school

and sports activities for two tothree weeks. The physicianstressed that this was a braininjury, and he wanted the playerto rest his brain as much aspossible for the next severaldays. The “rest” included nostudying, texting, computer use,video games, loud music, hangingout with friends or even going toclass until his symptomsimproved.

The player’s mother seemedsurprised about the directive tonot attend classes, but she wastold that any activity that madeher son’s symptoms worse wouldcause his concussion to takelonger to resolve. The physicianoutlined the progression hewanted her son to take — first toget back to full class activity, andthen to sports. She seemedrelieved when he explained the

academic accommodationprogram that was already in placeat her son’s high school.

This program is a combinedeffort involving the teachers,counselors, schooladministrators, school nurse,athletic trainer and teamphysician. It allows athletes witha concussion to slowly progressback to full academic workwithout being stressed aboutmissing classes, assignments ortests.

Among sports-related injuries,concussions continue to be theproverbial elephant in the room.In spite of our best efforts,including education, legislation,articles in publications and ruleschanges in sports, the incidenceof concussions in high schoolsports continues to increase. TheNational High School Sports

Injury Surveillance Study (HighSchool RIOTM) shows a consistentincrease in concussion rates from2005 to 2010.

The problem of how to reducethe incidence of concussions isonly one of the many unresolvedissues. We continue to have greatdifficulty confirming the diagnosisof a concussion at the time of theinjury, and currently the onlyeffective treatment is brain restand avoidance of a repeat injury.

Sports-related concussionsoccur in approximately five to 10percent of contact/collision sportathletes in each season. Athleteswho suffer sports-relatedconcussions are instructed not toattempt to return to play untilcleared by a medical professional.

Typically, the concussed

Make academic accommodations after a sports-related concussionAthletic Activities

Stage Goals/Key Ideas Expected Duration

Teacher’s Actions Student’s Actions

I Complete rest. 2-6 days ● Contacted by school nurse ● Explanation of injury and

current plan of care

● Out of school. ● Strict limits for use of computer, cell

phone, texting, video games. ● No Physical/Sports Activity.

II Significant deficits in processing and concentration. Cognitive activity as tolerated.

2-14 days Develop lists of three categories for all assignments:

1. Excused: Not to be made up. 2. Accountable: Responsible for

content, not process. May be notes or work shared by a classmate, or may be covered in a review sheet.

3. Responsible: Must be completed by student and will be graded.

● In school as tolerated. ● When present, observing not

participating. Get copies of notes, handouts, etc.

● Communicate with teachers about progress/challenges.

● Be patient with slow recovery, just do your best.

● No Physical/Sports Activity.

III Gradual increase of time and energy, slowly resuming full workload.

Variable duration. Hopefully 3-7 days, possibly more.

● Prioritize assignments with student, both make- up work and new work.

● Continue to use lists with the three categories for assignments until all work is completed, and assist with setting a timeline for completion of assignments.

● In class/school full time. ● Communicate with teachers on your

progress with assignments. Communicate with teachers and parents on the pace of resuming a full workload and completing make-up work.

● No Physical/Sports Activity (including gym class).

IV Complete resumption of normal activities.

● Monitor completion of assignments.

● Communicate with parents and staff as to when student is caught up with assignments and working at the same pace as their classmates.

● Communicate with Guidance Office as grades are updated.

● Resume all normal activities. ● Progress with athletic trainer –

supervision resumption of participation in athletics.

See ConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussion on Page 19

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Athletic ActivitiesConcussion ........................................................................ continued from Page 18

athletes have a combination ofphysical, cognitive, emotional andsleep irregularity symptoms.Athletes should be withheld fromall sports activities until theirsymptoms resolve and theyreturn to baseline on balance andneurocognitive testing.

It is recommended that allhigh schools implement acomprehensive concussionmanagement program thatincludes the following keyelements:

1. Concussion education forathletes, parents, coachesand school personnel.

2. Baseline balance andneurocognitive testing.

3. Post-injury testingperformed by the athletictrainer, school nurse, teamphysician and/orneuropsychologist.

4. Academic support andaccommodations during therecovery period.

5. Return to function and playdecisions made bycollaboration of allindividuals involved in thecare of the injured athlete.

It is important to understandthat these athletes have suffereda brain injury. Granted, it isconsidered to be mild, but it isstill a brain injury. Therefore, inaddition to avoiding all sportsactivity, they need to refrain fromfull academic activity until theirsymptoms and neurocognitivefunction improves. Much thesame as we would not expect astudent with a recent knee injuryto perform a timed runningactivity for gym class, we cannotexpect a student with aconcussion to perform at a highcognitive level, such asparticipating in class discussions,taking tests or completing papers,until their symptoms improve andthey return to normal function.

In general, concussed student-athletes will recover more quicklywith rest, not only physical restfrom athletic activities but alsocognitive rest from academicwork. During this recovery period,it is important that there is abalance between rest and theamount of academic work thestudent is required to perform.

Injured student-athletes needto use the concept of “smallbites,” meaning they can attemptsmall, short-duration activitiesand continue to perform them aslong as they remainasymptomatic. If their symptoms

worsen, they need to take a stepback and allow the symptoms toimprove. If they do well, they canattempt a more challengingactivity or a longer duration (a

larger “bite”). This approachcontinues until they are back tofull academic activity.

In order to keep thisprogression moving forward, it is

essential to have the student-athlete closely monitored by theathletic trainer and/or schoolnurse on a daily basis. Excellentcommunication must bemaintained between the treatingphysician, the athletic trainer,school nurses, guidancecounselors, teachers and parents.

There has been a quantumshift in the management ofconcussions during the pastdecade. Physicians andneuropsychologists have movedaway from concussion gradingscales and the “cookbook”approach for return to play. Inaddition, athletes suspected ofsuffering a concussion are notallowed to return to play in thesame contest and not allowed toreturn to the activity until theyare cleared by an appropriatehealth-care professional.

A graduated return-to-playprogram is now used to ensurethe athlete is asymptomatic atboth rest and exertion prior toallowing full activity. This sameapproach can be used inreturning concussed athletes tofull academic activity becausethis is every bit as important asthe return-to-play decision. Toooften, student-athletes try toreturn to class, take tests/quizzesor work on assigned projectsbefore their brain has recoveredfrom their injury. This only delaystheir healing and their return tofunction.

The accompanying tableoutlines possible guidelines forreturning student-athletes to fullclassroom and academic work.Depending on the severity of theconcussion and the type andamount of symptoms, theathletes would be started atAcademic Stage I, II or III. Theyare allowed to progress to StageIV as they can tolerate. Every day,they should be re-evaluated bythe school nurse and/or athletictrainer to check on progress. Alsoduring this time, they typicallyreceive another neurocognitivetest to monitor their progress.Not until they advance toAcademic Stage IV do they returnto any sports activity or start areturn-to-play protocol.

These are only guidelines.Every school will need toapproach concussions andacademic accommodationsdifferently. In addition, everyconcussion is different, so each

See ConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussion on Page 20

Coach, fatherendorsesconcussioneducation

The following letterwas sent to ExecutiveDirector Dave Stead.

Mr. Stead,Cannot thank you

enough for supportingand implementingconcussion training for all coaches. As a parent of astudent-athlete who suffered a concussion in high schooland in college, I simply cannot encourage you enough tocontinue to educate schools and coaches as much as youpossibly can on this issue.

My daughter has not experienced a normal day of life foralmost one entire year now because of her secondconcussion while playing sports. We even had to withdrawher from school because her headaches were so intense.

We have sought all different kinds of medical help andtreatments ranging from the top neurologists in our stateof Minnesota to physical therapy, chiropractic treatments,acupuncture and everything in between to give ourdaughter some relief. She has a pharmacy in her room fullof medications and continues to get different types oftreatment weekly.

My daughter’s life has been a mess since her secondconcussion and had we known more, perhaps this wouldnot have happened. I cannot thank you enough for tacklingthis issue and please do all you can to protect our student-athletes.

Coaches must do a better job of protecting our athletes.Please, please, please do as much as you can and more tocontinue to educate all involved.

One more thing; I have coached sports for over 30 yearsand have seen a lot of serious injuries, including kids allnight in emergency surgery and everything in between.Nothing has been anything like the past year of intensemigraine headaches and the loss of normal life for mydaughter.

Please do everything you can to let coaches and parentsknow they need to be very careful before they allow thekids to get back into action.

Winning is not worth what my daughter has been goingthrough. I would really encourage parents to be verycareful in regards to allowing their son or daughter to getback into the game too soon after a concussion.

Our daughter’s concussions have been a life-changingevent for the worse for her. She has not a normal day of lifein a year because of concussions on the basketball court.Had we known then what we know now, her life may havehad a chance to be normal.

Thanks for doing what you are doing.

Randy Myhre

Editor’s Note: Randy Myhre is the girls’ basketball headcoach at Barnum High School.

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Concussion ........................................................................ continued from Page 19one needs to be treatedindividually.

With regard to the concussedfootball player mentioned earlier,he was able to attend limitedclass the following Monday. Hestarted classes later than usual,did not attend band class and hehad to leave physics class earlybecause his symptoms got worse.Over the next three days, he wasable to progress to full classattendance, but required anotherweek before his symptomscleared enough to start takingtests and quizzes.

Two weeks after his injury, he“passed” his neurocognitive andbalance tests and started theprogression back to play. He wasable to play in the game the

following Friday, and has beensymptom-free since. Over thenext several weeks he was able tocatch-up on the assignments andtests he missed while he wasconcussed. This approach took allthe pressure off him and allowedhim to recover from hisconcussion as quickly and safelyas possible.

References

1. McGrath N. Supporting thestudent-athlete’s return to theclassroom after a sport-relatedconcussion. J Athl Train.2010;45(5):492-498.2. Guskiewicz KM, et al. NationalAthletic Trainers’ AssociationPosition Statement: Management

of sport-related concussion. JAthl Train. 2004; 39: 280-297.3. Previously unpublished datafrom the National High SchoolSports-Related Injury SurveillanceStudy (High School RIO) for 2005/06-2010/11. Annual summaryreports available at http://injuryresearch.net/rioreports.aspx

Dr. William M. Heinz practicessports medicine in Portland,Maine, and specializes in thediagnosis and nonsurgicaltreatment of sports-relatedmusculoskeletal injuries. Hereceived his undergraduate degreefrom Purdue University and thengraduated from Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine. Dr. Heinz

holds a Certificate of AddedQualification in Sports Medicine.He is the team physician for thePortland Sea Dogs and a teamphysician for U.S. Soccer. He isalso the company physician forthe Portland Ballet and theorthopedic consultant for thePortland Pirates, BridgtonAcademy, Gould Academy andDeering High School. Dr. Heinz isa member of the NFHS SportsMedicine Advisory Committee.Reprinted with permission fromthe October 2011 issue of HighSchool Today published by theNational Federation of State HighSchool Associations(www.NFHS.org).

By Kristin Maki

The bad news is that ACLinjuries in young athletescontinue to rise. The good news isthat new research is sheddinglight on prevention and treatmentof this devastating injury. We’verounded up some of the latestfindings.

Orthopedic surgeons from theChildren’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia have seen asignificant increase in children’sknee injuries. They reported theirfindings during the annualmeeting of the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics that washeld in October.

The team of surgeonsresearched records for ACL andmeniscus tears among patientswho were under 18 years old. Thereview included records fromJanuary 1999 to January 2011and found a total of 996 meniscustears, 914 ACL tears, and 155tibial spine fractures. The studyrevealed meniscus tearsincreased by nearly 14 each year,while ACL tears increased byabout 11 per year. These recordswere compared to patients whohad tibial spine fractures duringthe same time period. The tibialspine fractures had increased byonly one annually.

One of the lead researchers inthis group, J. Todd Lawrence,M.D., Ph.D., told Science Daily,“Since tibial spine fractures wereonce thought to be the pediatricequivalent of an ACL tear, this

continued rise in ACL tears inchildren suggests that injurypatterns are changing and thatthe true incidence of theseinjuries is increasing.”

The long-term effects of ACLand meniscus tears are stillvastly unknown, since untilrecently these injuries were rarein younger athletes. However, astudy published in the BritishJournal of Sports Medicine,showed that in just over 10 yearsafter injury among Swedishsoccer players, nearly half of theplayers developed arthritis in theinjured knee.

As reported by the New YorkTimes, “within 12 to 14 yearsafter the injury, 51 percent of thefemale players and 41 percent ofthe men had developed severearthritis in the injured knee. Thesame time frame could have aninjured 10 year-old dealing with a

severely arthritic knee before heor she is 25.”

So how can we stop thisdisturbing trend? Citing the studyfrom the surgeons at theChildren’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia, the New York Timesnotes, “A better solution wouldprobably be to stop assuming thatchildren can train like miniatureRonaldos or Kobe Bryants.

‘A lot of what we see in ourinjury data is almost certainly dueto a statistical measure calledexposure hours,’ Dr. Lawrencesays. ‘The more you do a riskyactivity at a high level, the morelikely you are to get hurt.’

His advice? Encourage kids toplay multiple sports and not to doany one sport year-round, andespecially not when they’re 5 or6, or even 9 or 10. They’re kids.Let them play and have fun, likekids.’”

Other experts are taking morespecific approaches, as severalACL-injury prevention programshave been developed over thepast few years. The ChicagoTribune reported on one puttogether by Dr. Cynthia LaBella,an associate professor ofpediatrics at NorthwesternUniversity, and implemented atChicago Public Schools.

LaBella’s program aims todistribute the strength on theright and left sides of the bodymore evenly — an area in whichfemales are more likely to lackcompared to male athletes. Inorder to accomplish this, the

program focuses onstrengthening muscles andkeeping them warm, along withkeeping the heart rate up. It alsoteaches participants plyometricexercises to mimic sportsmaneuvers.

Coaches were randomlyselected from Chicago’s publicschools, and those whoparticipated in the interventiongroup were trained inorchestrating the 20-minutewarmup program at practices anda shorter version to use beforegames. Along with theneuromuscular training, thecoaches taught their playersjumping and landing techniquesto minimize ACL injuries.According to Medical News Today,a total of 90 coaches and 1,492athletes participated in the study,with 737 athletes in theintervention group and 755 in thecontrol group.

In terms of the program’ssuccess, The Chicago Tribunereported, “By the end of theseason, girls who participated inthe exercises showed an 80percent reduction in ACL sprains,a 70 percent reduction in kneesprains and a 62 percentreduction in ankle sprains,compared to girls in the controlgroup whose coaches did notlearn the exercises andperformed their own warm-ups.”

At the Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine in St. Louis,

See AAAAACL CL CL CL CL on Page 21

New research on ACL injuriesAthletic Activities

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ACL..................................................................................... continued from Page 20

sports medicine specialists havereceived a $2.6 million grant toresearch the causes for badoutcomes with second attemptsat repairing ACL tears in theknee. Their study will comparetechniques and outcomes forthese second ACL surgeries.

In this study, patients whohave a second tear will berecruited and followed for at leasttwo years after the surgery. Alongwith noting the knee’s condition

and original surgery methods andreconstruction, the researcherswill compare rehabilitationtechniques. The second surgerywill also be studied.

The Washington Universitynews release reports, “If Ireconstruct the ACL in your knee,and you go back to sports, andthree years later you pivot on abasketball court and tear it again,that subsequent surgery often

does not have results equal to theoriginal surgery,” says Rick W.Wright, MD, the MARS study’sprincipal investigator. “In aprevious study, we found that thestrongest predictor for a badoutcome after ACL surgery waswhether that surgery was theinitial reconstruction or asubsequent procedure.”

The researchers plan to follow1,000 patients across the country.

They will be tracked for two yearsto follow up on possible problemsafter surgery. While there is nomaximum age, patients have tobe at least 12 years old toparticipate in the study.

This article was originallypublished at:www.Training-Conditioning.com.Kristin Maki is an editorialassistant at Training &Conditioning magazine.

With the addition of trainingclinics in hockey and track andfield, the League’s OfficialsTraining Program continues toexpand. Clinics have been or willbe conducted this year for soccer,football, volleyball, hockey,wrestling, gymnastics, basketball,baseball, softball and track andfield.

The format for the training ineach sport is different, fitting thetraining to the nature of thesport. While all sports have abeginner’s component, theLeague is developing moretraining for veteran officials.Baseball and softball will beexpanding training to anadvanced level this spring, andplans are being made to do thesame in basketball and severalother sports next year.

In some sports, training forbeginners will move to either avideo or online format. This willenable all new officials to betrained prior to ever stepping onthe contest stage in a varsityevent or even a lower-level event.Training clinics for veterans willinclude more classroom traininginvolving video training and morediscussion, along with more timebeing spent on specific rules.

All officials will be required toattend a training clinic at least

Officials training clinics continue to expand

Above: At the recent basketball officials training clinic atOxford Community Center in St. Paul, John Yorkovich is

reviewing terminology as part of the clinic’s introduction.Below: Attendees are reviewing and practicing signals under

the leadership of clinician Steve Makowske.

In some sports,training for

beginners will moveto either a video oronline format. Thiswill enable all new

officials to betrained prior toever stepping on

the contest stage ina varsity event oreven a lower-level

event. Trainingclinics for veterans will include more classroom training

involving video training and more discussion, along with moretime being spent on specific rules.

once every three years. Thatrequirement is not yet beingenforced, but all clinic attendanceis being tracked. The plan is toenforce this requirementbeginning with the2012-13 school

Clinics have been orwill be conducted thisyear for soccer,football, volleyball,hockey, wrestling,gymnastics,basketball, baseball,softball andtrack and field

year. Officials will be givenspecific information on how thisrequirement will be implementedand the consequences for notmeeting this requirement, well inadvance of its implementation.

Officials

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OfficialsVeteran footballofficial marveledat high level ofpositive behavior

The following letter wassent to Associate DirectorKevin Merkle and copied toFairmont A.D. Randy Soma andBlue Earth Area A.D. RobNorman.

Dear Kevin:I would like to share with you one of the most positive

experiences that I have had in my 46 years of officiating. Mycrew was assigned to officiate the football game betweenFairmont and Blue Earth Area High Schools this past Fridayevening, October 14, 2011, at Blue Earth. What we found uponarrival was that both teams were rated in the top 5 in the state,one team was undefeated; the other had 1 loss. There was a verylarge crowd in attendance — both sides of the field had fullstands and a large crowd stood against the fence surroundingthe field.

What made this such a positive experience was not the game- although it was a great game - but the sportsmanshipdisplayed on the field for the entire game; a game that was verytight throughout and ended with a two-point differential.

There was some very hard hitting in the game. After eachplay, members of both teams helped each other up, not just theirown teammates but also the opponents. When a penalty wascalled, the captain of the offending team would ask who thepenalty was on. Once advised, he would comment, “Thanks, Iwill talk to him and take care of it.” This occurred throughout theentire game. While each coach would not necessarily agree withevery call that was made, he moved on to the next play;maintaining focus on his players and the game.

When we left the field after the game ended, we receivedmany complimentary comments from the home town fans, eventhough they had lost. What a positive lesson they provided tothe players and students! While this was a tough loss for them,they recognized that this was only a game. The real lesson theylearned was one called “life.”

Unfortunately, too much time is spent today on teaching ourkids that they “must” win! That was not the case Fridayevening. I don’t know what these schools or this conference isdoing to promote this type of sportsmanship, but I commendthem and recommend it to all schools/conferences in the state.The message they are sending is one that will make these youngmen and women so much more prepared for whet lies ahead forthem.

Fairmont High School and Blue Earth Area High School —thank you for setting the high standards that you did last Fridaynight with your outstanding sportsmanship and values! I wishboth of you continued success.

Jack ShawnReferee, on behalf of my entire crew — Randy Sames, GeoffArenson, Jeron Schmidt, and Gary Sonnenburg

Rules book apps developed, launched

The National Federation of State High School Associationshas announced the launch of its first rules application for mobiledevices. As of November, the NFHS Basketball Rules App isavailable in the Android Market. This great new resourcecombines the NFHS Basketball Rules Book and Basketball CaseBook into one searchable mobile app and is a tremendouscompanion piece to the printed books. Additionally, the materialis cross-referenced to display related content.

The NFHS rules app developed in partnership withArbiterSports, is available at this time for Android devices only;however, the iPhone/iPad version will be released soon. Inaddition apps for NFHS rules in other sports will be coming laterthis year and into 2012.

National Federation Officials Association

All League registered officials are automatically members ofthe National Federation Officials Association and are remindedto take advantage of this membership. One of the main benefitsis full access to the NFOA website. On this website officials mayview all rule books, case books and official’s manuals. Alsoavailable is the online version of the Official’s Quarterlymagazine, as well as videos and other educational materials.

To access the NFOA website, sign in to the Official’s Cornerof the League website. Once there, look under Messages in theupper right hand side and click on the NFOA Central Hub link.Once on the Hub you will need to sign in to get full access. At thetop of the page enter your e-mail address and use your Leagueofficial’s ID number as your password. You can then go tospecific sport pages where you will find educational materials.Use the Publications tab to find the rule books and other printedmaterials.

Being a member of the NFOA is one of the benefits youreceive as a League official and we encourage you to takeadvantage of these materials.

New NFHS officiating course launched

The first-of-its-kind online officiating course from the NFHSis designed to introduce individuals to the world ofinterscholastic officiating — ideal for those consideringbecoming an official or anyone within their first few years inofficiating. Designed to take 30-45 minutes to complete, thecourse covers topics like the basics of becoming and staying anofficial; the science of officiating a contest, the art of officiatinga contest, and putting it all together.

The course is free to League officials since we are a 100percent NFHS Officials Association. More information will beprovided to officials as to how to access this course. In the nearfuture this course will likely become a requirement for newofficials to reach “Registered” status with the League.

Page 25: Winter 2012 Bulletin

www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 23

Officials Award Applications Due in January

Applications for the Third Annual Awards program for officialsare now being accepted, with the applications for the 2012 awardsdue by January 20.

There are three awards that are part of this program. Oneofficials association will be presented the Award of Excellence. Thisaward goes to an association that has done an outstanding job in allof the aspects of being an association — recruiting, training,mentoring, and assigning officials. The Citation Award is presentedto an association that has developed a particularly strong programin a specific area such as recruiting, training or mentoring. Thethird award is the Distinguished Service award which is awarded toindividuals who have provided exceptional service to theirassociations.

Officials associations are strongly encouraged to apply for theseawards. Application forms were sent out in December to charter

clinicians and assignment secretaries. If you need an applicationform, contact the League office. Applications received last yearhave been kept on file and will be given consideration again thisyear. Those who made those applications last year may addadditional supporting materials.

The selection committee will meet in late January with thewinners notified in February. The awards will be presented duringthe State Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 24.

Summary of the Minutes of the August 16, 2011, Board of Directors MeetingReflection, Pledge of Allegiance

Board Actions1. Approved the Agenda.2. Approved Minutes of the

June 6, 2011 Board ofDirectors meeting.

3. No individuals or delegationshad asked to speak to theBoard regarding any of theidentified Agenda items.

4. Received Lobbyist’s reportregarding the MSHSLFoundation and thelegislative session. He alsoindicated that SenatorNelson, RepresentativeDavids, RepresentativeErickson, and GovernorDayton would be sent thankyou notes for their support inproviding assistance with theFoundation’s continuation forthe next four years.

5. Received Legal Counsel’sreport about the lawsuitregarding the Blaine HighSchool and Anoka/HennepinSchool District. A summaryjudgment had beenrequested but no responsehad yet been received

6. Executive Directors’ Reportincluded congratulating JodyRedman, Kevin Merkle, andMatt Dempsey who wereapproved as members of theGymnastics RulesCommittee, AthleticDirectors’ AdvisoryCommittee, and LacrosseRules Committee,respectively. He alsoreported that: (1) the Augustmailing had been sent to themember schools; (2) thatthere will be a Roboticspress conference held at theState Fair at 11:00 a.m. on

August 25th; Dave Stead andAmy Doherty will be presentfor the press conferencealong with Senator AlFranken and members ofFIRST Robotics; (3) rulesmeetings are being held aswell as the meetings for theclinicians; (4) Jody Redmanheld a very successfulwebinar; and (5) thanks tothe entire staff for workingtogether to provide supportfor the member schools.Dave Stead thanked theBoard members for theirattendance and commitmentat the workshop and looksforward to a successfulschool year.

7. Executive Committee ReportReceived: President Sparbyprovided members with areport from the ExecutiveCommittee meetingincluding: (1) Letter fromKasson-Mantorville and areview of the eligibilityrequirements provided bythe school board regardingthe wrestling program; (2)Kennedy Jefferson danceteam was approved for acooperative sponsorship,however, the wrestling co-opapplication was denied; (3)Chaska was provided an“opt-up” opportunity to ClassAAA based on the latedecision by the ExecutiveCommittee relative to aregular and post seasoncompetition co-op forChaska/Chanhassenwrestling teams; (4) Salaryadjustments were approvedbased on changes ofassignments; (5) A studentwho had transferred from

one school to another wasapproved by the ExecutiveCommittee; and (6) The Junemeeting date was movedfrom June 4 to June 11,2012.

8. Approved Resolution inAppreciation and Recognitionfor Service and Dedication tothe MSHSL Board ofDirectors: Carol Bomben,Ray Kirch, Brent Robbins,John Schumacher, Bill Webband Les Zellman.

9. Approved 2011-2012 Boardof Directors CommitteeAssignments.

10. Approved the 2010-2011expense reimbursementdollar amount as presented.

11. Approved the followingpublications as presented:(1) the Official Handbook, (2)the Board Policy ManualGuidelines, (3) the RegionSecretaries Manual and (4)the Employee Handbook.

12. Approved contract for MikeTillman, MSHSL SpeechConsultant and Carl Lipke,MSHSL Music Consultant.

13. Approved the 2010-2012contract for Kelly &Lemmons to serve as LegalCounsel for the League.

14. Approved the 2010-2012contract for Roger Aronsonto serve as MSHSL Lobbyist/Special Projects Counsel

15. Approved the Class AAAAAAFootball Format.

16. Approved the Dance TeamRule Changes for 2011-2012as presented.

17. Approved the EligibilityCommitteerecommendations aspresented.

18. Approved the financialreports for May and June2011 financial reports andapproved the draft July, 2011financial report.

19. Approved contract letter withthe state auditor to conductthe annual audit.

20. Approved Region 4A requestfor financial support in orderto run their tournaments forthe fall season.

21. Approved the MSHSLinvestment consultants aspresented by the FinanceCommittee.

22. Approved a three-yearcontract extension withPreferred Design.

Discussion ItemsA. Journalism CompetitionB. 100 years of basketball

The complete, official Minutes maybe obtained from the League officeby the designated schoolrepresentative of member school.

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Page 26: Winter 2012 Bulletin

A concussion is a brain injury. All concussions are serious. Concussions can occur without loss of consciousness. Concussions can occur in any sport. Recognition and proper management of concussions when they first occurcan help prevent further injury or even death.

Athletes who experience one or more of the signs and symptomslisted below after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body may have a concussion.

Signs Observed by Coaching Staff• Appears dazed or stunned• Is confused about assignment or position• Forgets an instruction• Is unsure of game, score, or opponent• Moves clumsily • Answers questions slowly• Loses consciousness (even briefly)• Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes• Can’t recall events prior to a hit or fall• Can’t recall events after a hit or fall

If you suspect that an athlete has a concussion, you should take the following four steps:1. Remove the athlete from play.2. Ensure that the athlete is evaluated by a health care professional experienced in evaluating for

concussion. Do not try to judge the seriousness of the injury yourself. 3. Inform the athlete’s parents or guardians about the possible concussion and give them the fact sheet

on concussion.4. Keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury and until a health care professional, experienced in

evaluating for concussion, says the athlete is symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play.

For more information on Concussion Management and the MSHSL Return to Play protocol, visit www.mshsl.org

Symptoms Reported by Athlete• Headache or “pressure” in head• Nausea or vomiting• Balance problems or dizziness• Double or blurry vision• Sensitivity to light or noise• Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy• Concentration or memory problems• Confusion• Just not “feeling right” or is “feeling down”

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www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 25

Board of Directors Meeting MinutesSummary of the Minutes of the October 6, 2011, Board of Directors MeetingReflection, Pledge of Allegiance

Board Actions1. Approved the Agenda.2. Approved Minutes of the

August 16, 2011 Board ofDirectors meeting.

3. No individuals or delegationshad asked to speak to theBoard regarding any of theidentified Agenda items.

4. Received Lobbyist’s reportincluding an update on theVikings Stadium bill.

5. Received legal counsel’sreport including no pendinglawsuits and contracts aregoing well. ReceivedExecutive Directors reportincluding: (1) RoboticsTournament date has beenset for Saturday, May 19,2012 at the University ofMinnesota; (2) KSTC-TV wonan Upper Midwest Emmy fortheir live coverage of the2011 2A Boys’ State HockeyTournament Eden Prairie vs.Duluth East; (3) Dave Steadand Lisa Lissimore arereviewing the current ballcompany contracts; this isthe end of a two yearagreement and needs to berenewed; (4) All eight AreaMeetings are completed; (5)A Conference PlacementHearing regarding Melrosewas held at the LeagueOffice on September 30,2011. The 180-day searchwill not be completed untilOctober 24, 2011. Aconference call will be heldwith members of thePlacement Committee to

finalize placement onOctober 24, 2011; and (6)The MSHSL had a booth atthe State Fair in coordinationwith Channel 45. The boothwas very successful. DaveStead thanked LisaLissimore and her assistant,Sheila Robinson for theirwork in putting the boothtogether.

6. President Sparby providedmembers with a report fromthe Executive Committeemeeting including: (1) Held aconference call with amember school regarding abylaw violation. TheExecutive Committeeapproved the action taken bythe member school’sadministration and schoolboard; (2) Received anupdate regarding a memberschool’s violation ofeligibility verification andschedule of contests; (3)Approved a one-yearcontinuation for a regularseason and post seasoncooperative sponsoredactivities in boys’ and girls’hockey, boys’ and girls’Nordic ski, boys’ & girls’track and field, and girls’swimming. The Committeerecommended that the fullBoard review Bylaw 403Cooperative Sponsorship asa possible amendment forthe Representative Assemblyto consider; (4) Discussed:staff recognition luncheon –December 22, 2011,potential addition ofwheelchair track and field

events, and 100th yearcelebration as anorganization; (5) A Hearingwas held at the League officeon September 30, 2011regarding Melrose HighSchool ConferencePlacement; (6) Moved atennis eligibility question tothe Eligibility Committee forreview and action; (7) JustinKaufenberg, TST Media,presented informationregarding online “hubs” forall MSHSL activities and apossible partnership; (8)Confirmed the followingdates for the Board ofDirectors summerworkshops: August 4, 5, and6, 2013; August 3, 4, and 5,2014, and August 2, 3, and 4,2015; and (9)Discussed thereview of the Board ofDirectors Policy Manual.

7. Approved the 2011-2012Board Goals includingimplementing “CoachingLicensure for MSHSLMember School” with“Coaches EducationRequirement (CER) for allcoaches at all MSHSL levels(varsity, junior varsity, B-squad/sophomore).”

8. Approved AdvisoryCommittee recommendationto allow unlimited singing inSpeech as long as it isreferenced in the text orstage directions.

9. Approved AdvisoryCommittee recommendationto allow any type of visualaid in Speech.

10. Approved Advisory

Committee recommendationthat each section, Class Aand Class AA, may advancetwo contestants in individualevents and two teams ineach relay event to the statetrack and field meet.

11. Approved the EligibilityCommitteerecommendations aspresented.

12. Approved accepting theinterpretation andapplication of the MSHSLExecutive Director regardingthe definition of “studentpractice with a team”, andthe definition of “teammembership” (Bylaw518.6B).

13. Approved the July 2011 andAugust 2011 financialreports.

14. Approved Region 8AArequest to retain 21% or anextra $5,530 as of July 31,2011.

Discussion ItemsA. Robotics State TournamentB. Co-op Sponsorship: Potential

Bylaw ImplicationsC. Tournament Format/Week/

Series ScheduleD. CER Report – Fall,2011E. On-line Rules Meeting Report

– Fall, 2011F. Computer Bandwidth Usage

– Fall, 2011G. Eligibility Transfer Report –

Fall, 2011

The complete, official Minutes maybe obtained from the League officeby the designated schoolrepresentative of member schools.

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26 Winter 2012 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

2011-2012 Calendar of State Events

Fall 2011 State Team Champions

Calendars

Girls’ Tennis ............................................................ A – THE BLAKE SCHOOL, MinneapolisAA – EDINA

Boys’ Soccer .............................................. A – BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S, St. Louis ParkAA – EDEN PRAIRIE

Girls’ Soccer ........................................................... A – THE BLAKE SCHOOL, MinneapolisAA – WAYZATA

Boys’ Cross Country Running .................................................. A – ST. CLOUD CATHEDRALAA – STILLWATER AREA

Girls’ Cross Country Running .................................................. A – ST. CLOUD CATHEDRALAA – MONTICELLO

Girls’ Volleyball ........................................................ A – BETHLEHEM ACADEMY, FaribaultAA – MARSHALL

AAA – EDEN PRAIRIE

Adapted Soccer ............................................................................. CI – ANOKA-HENNEPINPI – ROBBINSDALE/HOPKINS/MOUND-WESTONKA

Girls’ Swimming & Diving ........................................................ A – SARTELL-ST. STEPHENAA – EDINA

Football .......................................................................... 9-Man – EDGERTON/ELLSWORTHA – DAWSON-BOYD

AA –CALEDONIAAAA – ST. CROIX LUTHERAN, West St. Paul

AAAA – ROCORI, Cold SpringAAAAA – EDEN PRAIRIE

Jan. 13-14 .................................................................... STATE DEBATE TOURNAMENT – University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Feb. 7 ................................................ Precinct Caucus: No high school activities 6-8 p.m.,Feb. 9-10 .................................................................... STATE ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL –

Class A (9) & Class AA (10) - O’Shaughnessy Auditorium,St. Catherine University, St. Paul

Feb. 15 .............................................. STATE ALPINE SKI MEET – Giants Ridge, BiwabikFeb. 16 ............................... STATE NORDIC SKI RACING MEET – Giants Ridge, BiwabikFeb. 17-18 .............................................. STATE GIRLS’ DANCE TEAM TOURNAMENT –

Target Center, MinneapolisFeb. 22-25 ........................................................ STATE GIRLS’ HOCKEY TOURNAMENT –

championship rounds @ Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul & consolation rounds @ Ridder Arena, U of M, Minneapolis

Feb. 24-25 .............................................................. STATE GIRLS’ GYMNASTICS MEET –Sports Pavilion, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

March 1-3 ............................................................. STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT – Xcel Energy Center, RiverCentre, St. Paul

March 1-3 ................................................ STATE BOYS’ SWIMMING & DIVING MEET – U of M Aquatic Center, Minneapolis

March 5 ...................... Opening date for girls’ synchronized swimming, adapted bowling,adapted softball & girls’ badminton

March 7-10 ....................................................... STATE BOYS’ HOCKEY TOURNAMENT – championship rounds @ Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul

& consolation rounds @ Mariucci Arena, U of M, MinneapolisMarch 12 ................................. Opening date for girls’ fast-pitch softball & track and fieldMarch 14-17 ........................................... STATE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT –

Target Center & Williams Arena, U of M, MinneapolisMarch 16-17 .................................. STATE ADAPTED FLOOR HOCKEY TOURNAMENT –

Bloomington Jefferson Senior High SchoolMarch 19 .......................................................................... Opening date for golf & baseballMarch 21-24 ............................................ STATE BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT –

Target Center & Williams Arena, U of M, Minneapolis

March 26 ....................................................... Opening date for practice for girls’ lacrosse,boys’ lacrosse & boys’ tennis

TBD by each Region ................................................. VISUAL ARTS - TBD by each RegionApril 20-21 .................................................................... STATE SPEECH TOURNAMENT –

Class A (20) & Class AA (21), Chanhassen High SchoolTBD by each Region ...................... SECTION / STATE MUSIC CONTESTS/FESTIVALS –

various Minnesota sites, dates TBD by each RegionMay 18 .................................................... STATE ADAPTED BOWLING TOURNAMENT –

Brunswick Zone, Eden PrairieMay 19 ............................................................. Final date of GIRLS’ BADMINTON seasonJune 1-2 ................................................. STATE ADAPTED SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT –

Coon Rapids High SchoolJune 5-8 ........................................................... STATE BOYS’ TENNIS TOURNAMENT –

Class AA @ Baseline Tennis Center, U of M; Class A @ Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center, Minneapolis

June 5-8 .................................................................. GIRLS’ LACROSSE TOURNAMENT – Chanhassen High School

June 5-8 ................................................................... BOYS’ LACROSSE TOURNAMENT –Chanhassen High School

June 7-8 ....................................................... STATE GIRLS’ SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT – Caswell Park, North Mankato

June 8-9 ........................................................................... STATE TRACK & FIELD MEET –Hamline University, St. Paul

June 9 ............................................ Final date of GIRLS’ SYNCHRONIZED SWIM seasonJune 12-13 ....................................................................... STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT –

Class AAA @ Bunker Hills Golf Course, Coon Rapids;Class AA @ Ridges at Sand Creek, Jordan;Class A @ Pebble Creek Golf Club, Becker

June 14-15, 18 ........................................................ STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT –(14-15: quarterfinals, semifinals, consolation rounds & third-place)

Class AAA @ Midway Stadium, St. Paul & Dick Siebert Field, U of M, Minneapolis; Class AA @ Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud & Joe Faber Field, St. Cloud;

Class A @ Athletic Park, Chaska & Mini Met, Jordan(18: Prep Championship Series - all three championship games)

Target Field, Minneapolis

Page 29: Winter 2012 Bulletin

www.MSHSL.org Winter 2012 Bulletin 27

2012 Calendar of Meetings

Calendars

Jan. 9 ....................................... Gymnastics Officials Selection, League Office, 9:30 a.m.Jan. 10 .............................................. Hockey Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.Jan. 10 ........................................ Herb Brooks Award Committee, League Office, 11 a.m.Jan. 11 ............................................. Hockey Officials Selection, League Office, 8:30 a.m.Jan. 17 ........................................... Wrestling Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.Jan. 18 ......................................... Wrestling Officials Selection, League Office, 8:30 a.m.Jan. 18 ............................................. ExCEL Selection Committee, League Office, 10 a.m.Jan. 25 ......................... Athletic Directors Advisory Committee, League Office, 9:30 a.m.Jan. 28 .................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)Feb. 2 ....................................... League Board of Directors Mtg., League Office, 9:30 a.m.Feb. 7 ...................................... Pre-Season Track & Field Clinicians, League Office, 9 a.m.Feb. 7 .............................................................. Visual Arts Advisory, League Office, 2 p.m.Feb. 8 ........................................................... Track & Field Advisory, League Office, 9 a.m.Feb. 11 ....................................................... ACT National Test Date (www.actstudent.org)Feb. 14 ........................ Pre-Season Baseball/Softball Clinicians, League Office, 8:30 a.m.Feb. 21 ............................................. Baseball Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.Feb. 21 ...................... Adapted Floor Hockey Officials Selection, League Office, 9:30 a.m.Feb. 22 .................................. Boys’ Lacrosse Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.Feb. 22 ................................... Girls’ Lacrosse Advisory Committee, League Office, 3 p.m.Feb. 22 ................................................ Pre-Season Golf Clinicians, League Office, 10 a.m.Feb. 23 ................................... Pre-Season Girls’ Lacrosse Clinicians & Charter Clinicians,

League Office, 11 a.m.Feb. 24 .................................. Pre-Season Boys’ Lacrosse Clinicians & Charter Clinicians,

League Office, 11 a.m.March 7 ................................ Adapted Softball Rules Meeting: Maple Grove High School,

Officials, 6:30 p.m.; Officials & Coaches, 7:15 p.m.March 8 ....................................... Triple “A” Selection Committee, League Office, 10 a.m.March 8 ...................................... Minnesota Adapted Athletics, League Office, 3:30 p.m.March 10 ................................................ SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)March 13 .................................... Officials Advisory Committee, League Office, 9:30 a.m.

March 14 .................................... Adapted Softball Rules Meeting: Bloomington Kennedy,Officials, 6:30 p.m.; Officials & Coaches, 7:15 p.m.

March 21 ...................................... Track & Field Section Managers, League Office, 8 a.m.March 21 ........ Track & Field Meet, Hy-Tek Operators Training, League Office, 10:30 a.m.March 23 ... League Representative Assembly, Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park, 9:30 a.m.April 2 ................................................................ Region Secretaries, League Office, 9 a.m.April 4 ....................................... State Soccer Tournament Meeting, League Office, 1 p.m.April 5 ...................................... League Board of Directors Mtg., League Office, 9:30 a.m.April 11 ........................ Track and Field Officials Selection, Perkins, Golden Valley, 9 a.m.April 14 ...................................................... ACT National Test Date (www.actstudent.org)April 16 ............................................. State Gymnastics Meet Mtg., League Office, 1 p.m.April 19 ........................................... TeamUp Advisory Committee, League Office, 10 a.m.April 24 .................... Area Meeting, Best Western Garden Inn, North Mankato, 9:30 a.m.April 25 .............................................. Speech Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.April 25 .................................. Area Meeting, The Marshall Golf Club, Marshall, 9:30 a.m.April 27 ................................................... Area Meeting, Clarion Inn, Rochester, 9:30 a.m.April 30 ........................................... Area Meeting, Best Western, Fergus Falls, 9:30 a.m.May 1 ........................................ Area Meeting, Best Western, Thief River Falls, 9:30 a.m.May 2 ........................................................ Area Meeting, Valentini’s, Chisholm, 9:30 a.m.May 2 .......................................... Minnesota Adapted Athletics, League Office, 3:30 p.m.May 2 ................................. Adapted Softball Officials Selection, League Office, 3:30 p.m.May 3 ........................................... Lacrosse Officials Selection, League Office, 11:30 a.m.May 5 ...................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)May 8 ............................ Area Meeting, The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes, Brainerd, 9:30 a.m.May 9 ................................ Baseball & Softball Officials Selection, League Office, 10 a.m.May 10 ....................................... Area Meeting, Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park, 9:30 a.m.May 22 ......................... Athletic Directors Advisory Committee, League Office, 9:30 a.m.June 2 ..................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)June 9 ........................................................ ACT National Test Date (www.actstudent.org)June 11 .................................... League Board of Directors Mtg., League Office, 9:30 a.m.

Participation........................................................................ continued from Page 16

book for gymnastics does notallow for non-scoringparticipation.

Participation onnon-school teamsA middle school student who

participates on a non-school teamcannot participate with a highschool program in the same sportduring the same high schoolseason. The student canparticipate with the middle schoolteam at the same time.

Example 1: We have alreadyidentified that a middle schoolstudent in eighth grade canparticipate with the middle schooleighth-grade team and also withthe high school JV team. But ifthe eighth-grader participateswith a non-school eighth-gradetravelling team, that student canparticipate with the middle schoolteam and the non-school teambut the student cannot participatewith the high school program.

Example #2—Hockey: Astudent is on the JV hockey team,but he also wants to participatewith the local bantam hockeyteam. This type of dualparticipation is not allowed. Infact, during the tryouts for thehigh school hockey team thestudent cannot participate withthe bantam team. Whileparticipating with the high schoolteam, even during tryouts, astudent cannot participate on anon-school team.

The 22nd calendar dayStudents who join the high

school program after the22ndcalendar day of the high schoolseason can be eligible for bothregular-season and post-seasoncompetition as long as they havenot participated in the samesport:

● On a non-school team or asan individual competitor; or

● In a camp or clinic; or

● Received privateinstruction in that sportduring the high schoolseason.

Those students who have beenparticipating with the middleschool program who join the highschool team after the 22ndcalendar day are fully eligible forthe regular season and postseason.

Example 1—Hockey: A studentis playing bantam hockey anddecides to leave the bantamprogram and join the high schoolprogram in late December. In thiscase the student would be eligiblefor the regular season onlybecause the student wasparticipating with a non-schoolteam after the 22nd calendar dayof the season.

Example 2—General: Astudent did not go out forswimming at the start of the highschool season, but in the firstweek of January decides he wants

to participate with the swimmingprogram and joins the team. Aslong as the student did notcompete on a non-school team oras an individual competitor, didnot participate in a swimmingcamp or clinic and did not receiveprivate instruction in swimmingonce the official high schoolseason started, the student canjoin the team and be fully eligiblefor the regular season and postseason.

Care must be taken by theschool administration to properlyand correctly monitor theparticipation of middle schoolstudents who are participatingwith both the middle school andthe high school program. Athleticdirectors need to work with theircoaches to ensure only thosemiddle school students who areeligible to participate with thehigh school programs are grantedthat privilege.

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28 Winter 2012 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

Education Finances

When I first applied forstudent loans my sophomore yearof college, I found myself wheremany of you will too: the financialaid office. There I sat, in a longline, as I waited for a financial aidadvisor to call my name and tellme about my options forfinancing my education.

What I didn’t know was thatthree years after that meeting Iwould find myself with sixdifferent loan payments due eachmonth for the foreseeable future.Sometimes I wish I had askedmore questions back then. At theend of the day, we must alleducate ourselves about theparticularities of student loansbecause we are the ones who willhave to pay them off. To help youget started with that, here aresome things that would’ve beenhelpful for me:

Do a little research. Get somebasic knowledge before you meetwith an advisor so that you askthe right questions. Learn aboutall your student loan options(federal and private), types ofinterest rates for different loans(fixed vs. variable matters!), andabout how repayment will work.

Understand loan amounts.Figure out how much you’ll beable to borrow. It variesdepending on what types of loansyou’re considering. Some loansare capped at a certain amountand others allow you to borrowup to the cost of educationdetermined by your school. Get agood idea about how much youare willing to borrow based onhow much you think you would beable to pay back per month.

Learn how to qualify forprivate student loans. Privatelenders determine your eligibilitybased on a number of factors,including your credit score and/orthat of your cosigner (like aparent or other person withestablished credit).

Figure out your interest rates.Keep tabs on the interest rates onall your loans and whether or notthey may change over time (avariable interest rate). Rememberthat private student loan interestrates are based on credit (amongother factors), whereas otherstudent loan programs mighthave a set interest rate for allborrowers.

Bottom line: Ask around! Ifyou’re a history major (like I was)

and are going to go into theworking world after graduation,know that you usually have a six-month window (a grace period) toget your finances in order beforerepayment begins. Ask fellowhistory majors or alums howmuch they are earning and howwell they manage their loanpayments to get an idea of thesituation you may find yourself in.From there, manage the amountyou borrow so your eventual loanpayments are in line with yourestimated income, and don’tforget that you’ll have other billsto pay each month.

Paying for college:What to know before you apply for student loans

At www.WellsFargo.com/resources, students and parentscan sign up to get informationtailored to their needs, whetherit’s preparing for college,managing their money, orlearning about college financingoptions. Plus, students get achance to win $1,000!

When students sign up toreceive college tips and toolsfrom Wells Fargo, they’llautomatically be entered in theCollegeSTEPSSM Sweepstakes for achance to win $1,000.Sweepstakes winners are chosenthrough random drawings, giving

them a chance to win $1,000. Atotal of 40 $1,000 prizes will beawarded (20 to high schoolstudents and 20 to collegestudents). Once students sign up,they’re automatically entered infuture drawings as long as theyremain eligible. No purchasenecessary. For complete OfficialRules, including eligibility anddrawing dates, visitwww.WellsFargo.com/collegesteps.*

Finding more money forcollege. When figuring out how topay for college, it’s important tostart with money that doesn’tneed to be repaid. Here are someother tips to share with studentslooking for those opportunities:

● Wells Fargo scholarships inyour community: Many WellsFargo regions offer scholarshipprograms. A local Wells Fargostore can give you moreinformation.

● Scholarship search engine:Use an online scholarship searchengine to find scholarships thatmatch your talents and interests.For more details, check outwellsfargo.com/student.

● Local or school-specificscholarships: Talk to your highschool counselor about thesekinds of scholarships. Also, checkwith your college’s admissionsoffice or school website to see ifthey offer school specificscholarships.

*No purchase or payment of anykind is necessary to enter or win thissweepstakes. A purchase will notincrease your chances of winning.Sweepstakes runs onwww.wellsfargo.com/collegestepsfrom 12:01 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on8/6/10 to 11:59 p.m. CT on 8/5/12(“Promotion Period”). Open to full orpart-time students who are in anaccredited secondary or post-secondary educational institution orprogram (including, but not limited to,high school, college, university ortrade school, or are home schooled inan accredited program) and are legalresidents of the U.S., 13 years of age orolder as of the date of enrollment inWells Fargo’s CollegeSTEPSSM programor Student Education Resources(“Resources”). All eligible studentswho were enrolled in the Resources onor before 11:59 p.m. CT on 8/5/11 willbe automatically entered in alldrawings without having to re-enroll.See Official Rules atwww.wellsfargo.com/collegesteps or abanker for complete details. Voidwhere prohibited by law. Sponsor:Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 5185,Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57117.

Page 31: Winter 2012 Bulletin

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Page 32: Winter 2012 Bulletin

Minnesota State High School League2100 Freeway Boulevard Brooklyn Center MN 55430-1735 PHONE: 763/560-2262 FAX: 763/569-0499World Wide Web: www.MSHSL.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

P A I DMINNEAPOLIS MNPermit No. 31890

Mission StatementThe Minnesota State High School League provides educational opportunities

for students through interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs and provides leadership and support for member schools.

Beliefs◆ Participation in school activity programs is a

privilege and not a right.◆ Sportsmanship needs to have a constant presence

in all school-based activity programs.◆ Students should have an equal opportunity to

participate in all activities offered by their school.◆ Ethical behavior, dignity and respect are non-

negotiable.◆ Student participants who choose to be chemically

free must be supported.◆ Collaborative relationships with parents enhance a

school’s opportunity to positively impact studentsuccess.

◆ Academic priorities must come before participationin athletic or fine arts activities.

◆ Positive role models and an active involvement in astudent’s life by parents and others are critical tostudent success.

◆ High school activity programs are designed forstudent participants, and adults must serve in asupportive role.

◆ The success of the team is more important thanindividual honors.

◆ Compliance with school, community and Leaguerules is essential for all activity participants.

◆ Participation in school-sponsored activities must beinclusive, not exclusive.

◆ Ethical behavior, fairness, and embracing diversitybest serve students and school communities.