KSHSAA Rule Change

The KSHSAA Board of Directors changed the rule governing off-season play in the summertime for football, volleyball and basketball last week. High school coaches in these sports now are permitted to coach their teams from the Saturday preceding Memorial Day to the Saturday before School Calendar Week 2 (mid-July). Formerly, coaches were disbarred from instructing their teams out of season except in small groups over the afore-mentioned time period. There is now no limit to the amount of time prep coaches can spend with their players over this time period, offering sport-specific training. Before, coaches in football, volleyball and basketball were given a one-week camp over the summer. One of the main effects of the rule change will be in football. Coaches will likely hold extra practices before they attend college team camps, where they are allowed to dress in shoulder pads and helmets. A week or so of camp without pads or helmets will allow coaches and players to be more organized and productive when they arrive at team camps ready to plat live football. "They would like to get their kids for two to three days and prepare them for that," said Eric Armstrong, athletic director at Hutchinson High, and a member of the Board of Directors. "It makes it a more workable situation," Armstrong continued. "If we have two weeks [as before] to get all the sports' camps in, we're going to have to cram it in. With more time, we can get the coaches in and figure who's doing what when, so kids don't have to choose [between camps going on at the same time]." The Centennial League proposed the rule change at last week's board meeting and after discussion was voted to pass, 42-26. The league listed the following points as the rationale for changing the rule: 1. Currently, coaches in the aforementioned four sports (basketball, volleyball, 11-man football, 8-man football) may only have on week of contact with his/her team, unlike all other sports. The proposal would place the four sports on a nearly equal status with other sports. 2. If adopted, coaches would have contact for approximately six weeks with their teams, be allowed to work with their teams during team camps, conduct their own week of practice, all within the time frame outlined above. 3. Coaches would be allowed to coach their teams during summer leagues, tournaments, etc. if he/she choses. Coaches would not be obligated to do this, but may in fact share coaching with assistants, selected parents, etc. Teams would thus be better able to run the offenses/defenses preferred by the school coach(es) and receive better coaching than normally provided by parents or interested non-school coaches. 4. Many athletes participate in summer basketball, volleyball, 7 vs. 7 football, and we believe that the best people to coach the athletes during the summer are those selected and employed by the schools themselves. 5. We have opted for six weeks of contact as opposed to all of June and July to allow both athletes and coaches approximately a month for vacations, attending baseball/softball regional and national tournaments, and family time.