Board meeting: AZ preparing to host national convention

October 17, 2017 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Joni Pabst, the director of the Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, updated the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive board on her committee's plans to help host the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association's national conference.

Pabst gave her presentation during Monday’s monthly AIA board meeting at the AIA’s Phoenix office. This is the first time that Arizona will host the 48th annual NIAAA conference.

Pabst's committee is aiming to register a convention-high 2,400 administrators. So far, 1,252 have registered for the December event at Phoenix Convention Center.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. If you are interested in sponsoring the NIAAA conference, contact Pabst at jp0808@aol.com or arizona.aiaaa@gmail.com.

Executive director report

The AIA is working on combining the 520 and 530 student eligibility forms and then making the new form readily available for member schools, said AIA executive director David Hines during his report.

After receiving more feedback on the new form, the AIA will ask its board if it can draft a legislative council item so the new form can replace the 520 and 530 forms.

The AIA also wants to change its online school participation rule to make sure it's as clear as possible for online students interested in playing sports with AIA member schools. Hines also said that he is available to meet with principals throughout the state to help familiarize them with the AIA's goals.

In a week or two the AIA also is planning to present new student leadership and sportsmanship programs. During Hine’s reports, Joe Paddock, the AIA's assistant executive director, announced that he will conduct two AIA bylaw workshops this week, first on Wednesday at Raymond S. Kellis High School from 9-11 a.m. and then on Thursday at the Twin Arrows Resort in Flagstaff from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

The first annual meeting for winter sports head coaches will be held Oct. 28 at Pinnacle High School. The mandatory meeting will run from 12-3 p.m.

Vail accreditation request

Administrators of the Vail School District asked the AIA's board if it could promote other options for schools to get accredited. It was recommended to the administrators that they should seek feedback from the conferences before drafting a proposal that the AIA’s legislative council can vote on.

Financial report

Denise Doser, the AIA's director of finance, said during her monthly report that 15 schools (approximately 5 percent of the AIA’s membership) have not paid their membership dues. A past due notice has been sent to each school.

Probation for Telesis Prep

The executive board placed Telesis Prep on probation for not paying fines for canceling contests without consent.

The school can't compete in the playoffs for one year beginning Monday but can appeal the probation.

Agenda items approved

The following items were approved during Monday’s board meeting:

--The 4A Conference’s play-in game proposal for the 2017-18 winter season, beginning with soccer and basketball. The schedules have already been set for the winter seasons, but the schools have to reschedule their last two games.

--Four AIA lifetime passes.

--4A Conference committee agendas and minutes.

--Thirty-two contest and or program cancellation requests, including the junior varsity football programs of Glendale and Miami, one contest an opponent didn't consent to and and seven contests in which the consent is unknown.

--Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind’s request to exceed the permissible tournament rule so it can participate in a basketball tournament for the deaf.

--Bowie/San Simon’s request to exceed the permissible game rule to help fill Lourdes Catholic’s varsity basketball schedule.

--The student eligibility appeal (paper review)/request for hardship eligibility (legal guardian) requests of Cactus and Apache Junction.

--The student eligibility requests of Mingus and Sedona Red Rock.

School violations

The following are violations schools self reported recently and penalties they received.

Warning for San Manuel's football program. San Manuel violated the Leaving Bench Area rule during a game. As part of the corrective action the school took, the three players that left the bench didn’t participate in the team’s next game.

Warning for Miami's football program. Miami also violated the Leaving the Bench Area rule during the same game. Two football players sat out a game after violating the rule.

Advisement for Coronado's football program. An assistant coach initiated contact with a non-enrolled student. The assistant coach was reprimanded, according to the school corrective action report.

Warning for Paradise Valley's football program. Paradise Valley violated the Removal of Team rule. The school’s freshman football coach took his team off the field with about a minute left in the first half of a game. A reported five concussions and a broken collar bone led to the coach’s decision. He said he couldn’t get the game’s head official to talk to him.

Advisement for Dobson's football program. Dobson’s junior varsity football team played an ineligible transfer student. According to the school’s report, there was a discrepancy between the coach’s roster and the athletic department’s roster. Dobson High is revising its student clearance process.

Advisement for Safford's football program. Two freshman football players didn’t complete their Brainbook certification before practicing with the team. The head coach was reprimanded, according to the school’s corrective action report.

Warning for Mesa Mountain View's activities program. The varsity coach failed to verify with the athletic department if two badminton players were cleared to try out for the team.

Warning for Mesa Mountain View's activities program. The varsity cheer coach allowed two student athletes to try out without verifying if the students completed their clearance paperwork. The error occurred when the coach rescheduled the try outs without notifying the athletic department.

Warning for North Canyon's football program. After its Sept. 22 game, the football program violated bylaw 17.4.3.3, which states a coach should exercise patience, tolerance and diplomacy in relations with all players and co-workers, contest officials and spectators. According to the school’s report, North Canyon’s assistant principal stood between his head coach and officiating crew after the game.

Advisement for Chino Valley's activities program. Three coaches influenced two Oregon students to enroll at the high school. According to the school’s corrective action plan, a coach was not permitted to contact Chino Valley students pending the AIA’s board decision. Also, a coach was terminated and the two other coaches received letters of direction regarding the AIA’s bylaw violations. The students never participated in sporting events and will be ineligible to compete for a year. The AIA and its board praised Chino Valley's investigation and corrective actions during Monday's board meeting.

Advisement for Scottsdale Christian Academy's activities program. A baseball player who was ejected from the 2017 spring season state tournament was allowed to participate with the football team as soon as the 2018 season started. Once the school’s new administrators were made aware of the ejection, the student was withheld from the football team’s Oct. 6 game.

Advisement for Skyline's activities program. The school violated recruiting bylaw 15.12.4.12.4, which states that the offer or acceptance of free transportation by any school connected person is a violation. One of the school’s boys basketball coaches provided transportation to and from school to three basketball players during the 2016-17 season. One of the athletes was the coach’s step-son. According to the school’s corrective action report, the head coach and athletic director agreed to forfeit all of the 2016-17 games in which one or two players participated in.

Advisement for Skyline's activities program. A transfer student participated before gaining eligibility.

An advisement is a word of caution.

A warning places a school in jeopardy of being placed on probation if another violation of any rule or regulation is committed. A school will not be eligible for the Overall Excellence Award during the warning period.