November 2006

Transcription

November 2006
NOVEMBER 2006
Monthly BULLETIN
RHODE ISLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC
LEAGUE
Visit us on the Web!
www.riil.org
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Thomas A. Mezzanotte
Executive Director
Richard R. Magarian
Assistant Executive Director
Jane C. Hale
Treasurer
Susana Borges
Secretary
Gail Lepore
Secretary
Julie Mancini
Secretary
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Bldg. #6 R.I. College Campus
600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue
Providence, RI 02908-1991
Tel: (401) 272-9844 ◊ Fax: (401) 272-9838
website: www.riil.org ◊ email: [email protected]
The RIIL would like to recognize and thank our Sponsors
for their support of our sports programs and our student-athletes.
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 3
FROM THE DESK OF THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR……
Congratulations to all of our Fall Sports participants
and champions. It was a terrific season!
In the somewhat frantic and confusing world of athletics we often don’t appreciate the examples of good
sportsmanship that are displayed everyday in our high
school competitions. In spite of the negative and demeaning examples of sportsmanship displayed on the
professional level, our student-athletes respect each
other and the sport itself to not “show up” or “taunt”
their opponent. I am often disturbed at how fans and
officials tolerate the antics of professional athletics.
In many cases they applaud and even encourage such
behavior. In truth, this behavior detracts from the accomplishments of athletes and instead accentuates
the disrespect athletes have for the sport and their
opponent. Yet, fans accept it and applaud it.
Interscholastic athletics teach our student-athletes
to respect the game and their opponent. It teaches
them valuable lessons that will serve them well in their
adult lives. As a spectator at a high school event, we
expect our fans to conduct themselves in the same
manner as our athletes—with respect for the game and
their opponent.
Tom Mezzanotte
Executive Director
On behalf of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, we extend to all
warm wishes for an enjoyable and
memorable Thanksgiving holiday.
Established in 1932, The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is approaching its 75th Anniversary. The league consists of fifty-four public, private
and parochial high schools, with participation of 26,000 young men and
women athletes.
The mission of the RIIL is to provide its member schools governance, leadership and support for interscholastic athletics which give student-athletes opportunities to compete in an environment that stresses education, sportsmanship, integrity, and safety.
Led by Executive Director Tom Mezzanotte and Assistant Executive Director Richard Magarian the RIIL maintains high standards for its member
schools, student-athletes, and constituencies. After 75 years the league continues to provide athletic experiences that enable student-athletes to reach
their highest level of academic and athletic potential.
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
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High School Sports Fans!
For information concerning the Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Fall Athletic Championship Results and the upcoming dates and times
of the Football Championship Games, please log onto the RIIL website
at www.riil.org.
Don't miss the action and excitement!
High School Sports: TAKE PART....GET SET
FOR LIFE
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
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EYE ON THE BALL
Note: Following is an excerpt from a presentation by MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts at the 2006 Annual Michigan
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Conference,
March 19.
Many of you know from your coaching days that success in most
sports that involve a ball requires keeping an eye on that ball. Contact in baseball, softball, golf and tennis requires concentration on
the ball. We teach receivers in football to look the ball all the way
into their hands. Volleyball players can neither spike nor set with
consistent success unless they focus on the ball.
Success in school sports generally also requires that students
keep their eye on another kind of ball, their school work—the academic ball. And it also requires that administrators be mindful of the
academic needs that students have. We must be aware of changes
in education policy and procedure, and we must consider what we
can do to assure that the interscholastic athletic program does not
frustrate but actually helps facilitate changes that schools want to
make or are being forced to make.
That’s the ball on which we must always focus, and on which I
wish to concentrate in the next few minutes: how do we in interscholastic athletics help Michigan schools through the present day political, financial and educational mine fields?
As more of our public schools move to the required post Labor Day
start to classes, those of us who are the trustees of school sports
need to keep our eye on that ball: how we help, and not hinder, local
educational programming. On this issue, the calendar for schools
and school sports, we do so by five approaches:
First, we must consider the philosophical concerns of conducting
so much of school sports outside the school year, both in August
and in June.
Then we must consider the practical pros and cons of doing so.
Third, we must watch what schools do and wait to see what consensus develops for academic calendars; and then see if we can
make one coordinated change that best accommodates most
schools, rather than making a series of changes back and forth
while schools experiment.
Fourth, we must consider the possibility that all this talk provides
an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at all seasons, not
just fall seasons, and to respond to many people who say, for example, that basketball and wrestling seasons are just too long.
Fifth, we must examine if it is starting dates of seasons or rather
the earlier start of unofficial demands on kids and coaches that is
the real problem to be dealt with.
In spite of the need to take a slow, circumspect approach, I think
there are already some givens:
First, proposals to start seasons earlier, especially in the fall,
must be rejected. Any other course would pour gasoline on
the fire of interests that succeeded in delaying the start of
classes. It would appear as if we are thumbing our noses at
those interests. For example, the Basketball Committee’s
proposal to start the girls basketball season earlier should be
dead on arrival, for it would appear to be out of touch with
what’s happening, or arrogant.
Second, proposals to add more tournament events in the
spring must be rejected, at least for now. Any other course
would be in conflict with the growing number of schools
which intend to end later in June after starting classes later
in the fall. Therefore, the Track & Field Committee proposal
for a single-site, two-day Individual Final Meet and for a Team
Track & Field Final in addition to the Individual Meet can’t be
approved at this time. Good ideas, perhaps; but bad timing.
If we keep our eye on the ball of helping and not hindering
local academic programming, we have no choice but to come to
such conclusions. They are givens for the political, economic
and academic environment of our sponsors, of schools.
There are also some gray areas to consider. For example, we
need to think twice about proposals to move Baseball and Softball Regionals from Saturday to the previous Thursday. There
may be good reasons to do it; but with more schools going later
in June with classes and examinations, we could cause new
problems as we solve old problems.
But being opposed to season and tournament expansion, and
being careful about placing more on weekdays in early June, is
not all that these times demand of us; and without waiting to
determine if or how we might delay or shorten seasons, we can
be proactive now regarding the creeping out of season demands
that contribute to so many complaints we confront: from parents and coaches looking for more family time, to business interests looking for more tourists and laborers, to students looking
for more time for other sports and activities of their busy lives.
To curb the creep in out-of-season demands, several proposals have been developed.
One establishes a seven-day summer “dead period” when
open gyms and conditioning programs cannot occur on school
premises or at other places sponsored by a member school, and
coaches of MHSAA sports other than baseball and softball may
not be involved with more than three students in competition
settings.
The second proposal establishes a 14-day “down time” just
prior to the season for every sport in every season (fall, winter
…………..continued
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
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EYE ON THE BALL
Continued from page 5
and spring) when open gyms can’t occur involving that sport,
and coaches cannot be involved with more than three players, including in the sports of football and boys soccer.
The third proposal intends to assure that schools do not
transform curriculum courses into practice sessions for interscholastic teams, either in or out of season.
This third area—deescalating sports curriculum classes—
not only responds to the need to depressurize out of season,
it also responds to the certainty of new laws that will increase
academic demands on students and leave them with little
time to take courses like Football 101.
Generally, the MHSAA is not involved in curriculum matters. However, when it is seen that curriculum courses have
the effect of circumventing out-of-season practice limits and
tilting the competitive playing field, MHSAA involvement is
requested, justified and required.
Moreover, this proposal again keeps our eye on the ball,
on the academic needs of students and the academic plans
of schools that will soon be undergoing significant change.
This is the time for school sports like no other we have
seen, whether your career spans four years or 40. Money
NFHS Coach Education
Following are the results of a survey of state associations conducted in August and September 2006
concerning the adoption of the Fundamentals of
Coaching Course:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
has been tight before for school sports, but never before have you been
told to maintain or even increase athletic offerings at the same time that
your budget is being cut. With “schools of choice,” districts are competing for students in an open marketplace. Broad, deep and free of
charge extracurricular programs can give the edge to schools as they
compete for students and the state funding that follows those students.
Think of education like the automobile industry, and that’s not hard
to do because both are in serious financial difficulty. You are the executive in charge of the sports car division, a kind of luxury that draws eyes,
ears and comments like no other part of the enterprise. As such, you
will be tempted toward excesses that you must avoid. You’ll be characterized as arrogant and out of touch with your gas-guzzling but high performing products, and you must consciously work against that negative
perception.
Most of all, people will criticize your division’s disconnect to the overall enterprise, much as Division I college football and basketball are
viewed publicly as only remotely connected to education, if not a force
that undermines education and threatens institutional integrity.
Like never before, we need linkage to schools’ educational mission.
Like never before, we need to keep our eye on that ball. No, school
sports are not part of the curriculum. Yes, school sports are extracurricular. But they are a tool to help schools connect with students and
communities for the greater good of the institution and its educational
goals.
We need to demonstrate this now by being on the side of education
when it comes to calendar and curricular matters. ■
An Update from Robert F. Kanaby,
Executive Director
National Federation of State High School Associations
Libero Serving Experiment Results
Thirteen states will adopt on January 1, 2007
Six states will adopt by October 1, 2007
Twenty will review for adoption by October 1, 2007
Two states cannot adopt before the fall of 2008
One state cannot adopt before the fall of 2011
Six states have their own programs
Three states have no requirement for coaching
The NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course provides a unique, student-centered curriculum for interscholastic coaches, assisting them in creating a
healthy and age-appropriate sport experience that supports the academic mission of the 18,500 schools in
NFHS-member state associations.
Please contact Tim Flannery at [email protected]
to arrange a visit to your state to present the course for
review and adoption.
Individual state associations
participating in the NFHS volleyball experiment to allow the
libero to serve are reminded
that experiment results are due
December 1. States should submit results in the format prescribed by the NFHS. A total of
18 states are participating in
this experiment. On behalf of
the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee, appreciation is extended
to these states for their cooperation.
New Discus Cage Guidelines
in NFHS Track and Field Rules
Book
The NFHS Track and Field
Rules Committee reorganized
the 2007 Track and Field
Rules Book by placing the discus cage guidelines in Appendix A and removing sample
diagrams from the previous
location within the body of the
rules. This change will now
clearly distinguish the difference between the rules and
guidelines for this event.
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 7
Speak
(daily) training distance, stroke
choice, mechanics, workout intensity, upper extremity (rotator cuff)
and core strength, stretching technique, and the use of hand paddles.
Shoulder pain, frequently referred to as swimmers shoulder, is
This is an essay that I will entitle Courage in Sportsmanship
due to the selective strengthening
The stage was set. The Division One tennis regular season was one match from completion. Wheeler
of the anterior (front of the body)
was playing at Mount St. Charles. The two teams were tied. A victory would put the winner in first
shoulder musculature and the interplace in Division One North. The play was extended and both teams needed to return the next day to
nal rotators of the shoulder. When
complete the marathon match.
combined with the repetitive movements of the stroke, an imbalance
Finally, it came down to the match at number one doubles. Both teams had won three points each.
in the dynamic stability of the joint
Late in the deciding match, it was deemed necessary to put a line judge out on the court. Wheeler
can occur. This may lead to
coach Peter Lau volunteered to be that person.
glenohumeral (shoulder joint) inWith Wheeler serving 4-3 in the third set, the server hit a second serve which was played by the
stability and/or impingement injuMount player. Coach Lau stopped play when he announced that the ball was out and was a double
ries. Impingement syndrome is
fault. Everyone—the players and the fans were startled. He was there to insure that no team would
caused by the compression of the
make a bad call and steal a point from the opposition. Here, Coach Lau protected a team (the oppostendons of the rotator cuff between
ing one) from making a bad call against itself. Mount went on to win that game and eventually the
a part of the shoulder blade and the
set, securing the team win and gaining a share of first place in the division with just one match rehead of the humerus. This condimaining.
tion is painful and can become
chronic and may lead to more
Coach Lau did not have to make that call. But to the surprise of many, he made a very, very difficult
weakening of the rotator cuff musdecision—to make that call. Though this event occurred with just thirty or forty spectators, it was hecles. Comprehensive training proroic in nature. I’m not sure how many others would have chosen the path that Peter took.
grams that include both stretching
For anyone who processed the event, it was a teachable moment—one that, I hope, will have a lasting
and strengthening are crucial in
effect on the hearts and minds of those who witnessed it.
swimmers of all ages.
Stretching programs in swimRichard Lawrence, CMAA
Mount Saint Charles Academy
mers should be very individualized
Director of Athletics
because most swimmers already
Varsity Girls Tennis Coach
have increased laxity/instability
*******************************
(“looseness”) of the shoulder joint.
Let your voice be heard. Talk about issues that concern you and your school.
The stretching should be done with
one arm at a time and within the
• Important school events?
individual swimmer’s tolerance and
• Upcoming sporting activities?
range of motion. Buddy stretching
• Suggestions or complaints?
routines are discouraged. StretchThe Rhode Island Interscholastic bulletin is the place for these issues to be addressed. With your involvement we
ing should be avoided for those
can share your thoughts with the RIIL community.
swimmers with increased laxity
Send your comments to [email protected] and let your voice be heard! ■
(multi-directional), and a dynamic
warm-up should be designed and
implemented.
Strengthening programs should
emphasize the scapular retractors,
lower trapezius, the glenohumeral
external rotators, and the core musSwimming is one of the most popular sports today. the average, elite-level swimmer may swim 6,000cles (abdominals and low back). A
It has many benefits including total body strengthening 7,000 yards (3.5-4 miles). This is about 20-40 miles/ program that encompasses these
and cardiovascular conditioning. Swimming, however, week which is the aerobic equivalent to running 80- components will decrease the
leads to a high rate of shoulder overuse injuries. Fortu- 160 miles (The Physician and Sportsmedicine,
strength imbalances between the
nately, many of these injuries can be avoided with
33:9, Sept. 2005). With this workload, it should be internal and external rotators of the
proper conditioning.
no surprise that shoulder pain is one of the leading
shoulder and improve total body
The road to overuse injuries begins early. It is very injuries in competitive swimmers, and why the train- strength and control.
common for children to start competitive swimming at ing program is crucial to prevent overuse injuries to
Although shoulder pain is often
the age of five or six. The demands of swimming, high the shoulder. The two most common shoulder inju- experienced by most competitive
volume workouts and overhead strokes, combined with ries are (rotator cuff) tendonitis and should instabil- swimmers, early intervention of a
inadequate shoulder strength are the main contributors ity (“loose” joint). Factors contributing to these
………..continued
to shoulder pain. In a typical two hour pool session,
injuries include: gender, swimming experience,
Out
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 8
With a New Season Beginning
Continued from page 7
comprehensive training program is the best
treatment regime. Coaches and swimmers
need to become familiar with these training
techniques and recognize the multiple factors
that may attribute to shoulder dysfunction.
Proper training habits lead to healthier swimmers in the future.
For more information on conditioning for
swimmers, please call 313-972-4216 or visit
the web site www.henryford.com.
Henry Ford Health System is a new year-round
corporate partner of the MHSAA (Michigan
High School Athletic Association). HFHS
will help promote health and safety issues to
the student-athletes, coaches, parents and administrators at MHSAA member schools. ■
A COACH’S PRAYER
___________
BUILD ME AN ATHLETE whose
heart will be clear, whose goal will be
high; an athlete who will master himself before he seeks to master others;
one who will learn to laugh, yet never
forget how to weep; one who will
reach into the future yet never forget
the past.
And after all these things are his, add,
I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
never to take himself too seriously.
Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true
greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
Then, I, his coach, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.”
Excerpt from the prayer
adapted from A Father’s Prayer
by Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur
Guidance Counselors Are Reminded...
You Play a Key Role in Communicating
Eligibility Rules
√ Check to see that the student has
not turned 19 before September 1st.
√ Check to see that the student has
not been enrolled in high school
(grades 9-12) for more than eight semesters.
It is important that all counselors be fully knowledgeable of the
essential eligibility requirements
students must meet to represent
the school and participate in interscholastic activities. Counselors
are frequently asked by students to
advise them on matters dealing
with the preparation of, or changes
in their class schedules. In doing
so, counselors should be sure that
they do not advise a course of action which will result in students
forfeiting their eligibility to compete
in interscholastic athletics or activities through violation of RIIL rules
of eligibility.
Counselors should discuss eligibility requirements with all students.
Member school principals should
emphasize to all guidance counselors the importance of having copies
of RIIL eligibility requirements on
file at all times in the guidance offices (www.riil.org).
The following "Checklist for
School Counselors" can be extremely helpful when checking students status for eligibility:
√ Check to see that all student athletes are passing 60% of their subjects including physical education.
√ Check to see that the studentathlete has not changed schools without a corresponding move by their
parents or persons with whom they are
living.
√ If a student has transferred, check
to see if they participated in any athletic program at the previous school.
√ Check to see that the studentathlete is taking at least four subjects,
each involving at least four periods of
work or an aggregate of fifteen periods
per week.
√ If the student-athlete repeats work
for which credit has once been received, the student -athlete cannot
count that subject a second time for
eligibility.
√ The student-athlete cannot count for
eligibility points obtained in a subject
taken during the summer that had not
previously been regularly pursued in
the classroom. ■
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 9
During the 2006-07 academic year, the NFHS has included in all of its playing rules a Point of Emphasis on "Proper Procedures
for Handling Apparent Concussions" (See below). The information was developed and published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in
a booklet for coaches called “Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports.” Last fall, the CDC, with the assistance of the NFHS and its
member state high school associations, distributed the booklet and corollary materials to many of the nation’s high schools.
The well-being of student-athletes is of utmost concern to the NFHS and its members. We hope the information in the CDC information packet, in the Point of Emphasis, and on the NFHS website will be of assistance to coaches, teammates and sideline personnel,
and also to families and friends. The signs and symptoms of concussions are listed so that all such persons may better evaluate a player's
condition if a concussion is suspected. While the ultimate responsibility for each student-athlete's health rests with the student-athlete and
his or her parents, guardians and medical professionals, the NFHS believes that this information will help all persons better understand
the signs, symptoms and importance of responding to apparent concussions.
Point of Emphasis for 2006-07
Proper Procedures for Handling Apparent Concussions
ACTION PLAN
If you suspect that a player has a concussion, you should take the following steps:
1.
Remove athlete from play.
2.
Ensure athlete is evaluated by an appropriate health care professional. Do not try to judge the seriousness of the injury yourself.
3.
Inform athlete’s parents or guardians about the known or possible concussion and give them the fact sheet on concussion.
4.
Allow the athlete to return to play only with permission from an appropriate health care professional.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
These signs and symptoms may indicate that a concussion has occurred.
Signs Observed by Coaching Staff
Symptoms Reported by Athlete
•
Appears dazed or stunned
•
Headache
•
Is confused about assignment
•
Nausea
•
Forgets plays
•
Balance problems or dizziness
•
Is unsure of game, score or opponent
•
Double vision or fuzzy vision
•
Moves clumsily
•
Sensitivity to light or noise
•
Answers questions slowly
•
Feeling sluggish
•
Loses consciousness
•
Feeling foggy or groggy
•
Shows behavior or personality changes
•
Concentration or memory problems
•
Can’t recall events prior to hit
•
Confusion
•
Can’t recall events after hit
Information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
“To me, one of the reasons we were
so successful was that we respected and
cared about the game and felt the same
way about each other. My teammates
always understood there was a greater
purpose” (Mia Hamm, thinkexist.com/quotes/mia_hamm/2.html). The
name Mia Hamm is familiar to most
sports fans. She is the face of women’s
soccer. But along with her idealized
step-over and untouchable scoring records, comes a woman with passion for
something greater than statistics.
It is easy to get caught up in the
score; the desire to kick the winning field
goal, the push to finish first in the race.
But the score does not define the athlete. Athletes are defined in the moments leading up to the homerun. Before the crowd cheers. Character and
leadership are tested when the score
Page 10
does not end in your favor.
As Mia Hamm said, “We respected and
cared about the game…”
How you respect the game is exemplified by how you play the game. Each time
“I’m not going to the track!”
The teenager threw herself to the floor and pounded her fists. “I had
tacos and ice cream for lunch!” I told her we needed to do a hard workout
of halves and quarters if we were going to be ready for the upcoming meet.
“Noooo, “ she wailed, dreading the inevitable stomachache.
Managing volatile teenagers is something I’ve grown accustomed to as a
running coach at an elite private high school for girls. It’s part of the daily
challenge of coaching in a high-pressure New Jersey suburb.
Since I took the job as head coach of the cross country team three years
ago, and the occasional assistant coach for winter and spring track, I’ve
often asked myself why I continue to do it. Coaching can be thankless—
and that’s before you take into account the paltry pay.
Parents are my biggest problem. While most are grateful and kind, a
handful make my job truly difficult. One mother is convinced that her
daughter is an Olympic contender and calls to ask that I give her tougher
workouts. Another reports that her daughter is behind in her school assignments, and could she please miss the Saturday race? They don’t share my
belief that track should be neither a means to an end—like admission to a
better college—more a mere trifle to be abandoned when convenient. I
wish they thought, as I do, that the purpose of high school sports is to develop discipline and courage—a reservoir of strength to draw on throughout
life.
Just as important, sports help kids build friendships that endure beyond a
season.
The toughest adults to deal with are those who criticize my methods to
my superiors rather than to me. On one particularly awful day, the school’s
athletic director told me that a mother I’d never met had called to excoriate
me for the training advice I’d given her daughter.
Another phoned the principal to complain about my “motives” because I
had suggested her troubled daughter leave the team. These attacks were
hard to take knowing that my own young children were home with a babysitter so that I could coach other people’s daughters.
I took the job because I’m an accomplished runner, and I wanted to share
my enthusiasm for the sport with young adults. As a married mother of
three with multiple master’s degrees and a great respect for education—who
else reads Moby-Dick for pleasure? - I also imagined that I’d make a good
an athlete steps on the field, there is something at stake. Not just the number flashing on the scoreboard. There is the relationship with the teammate standing next
to you. The coach offering direction from
the sideline. The referee dictating the temperament of play.
Self-constraint, sportsmanship, and
leadership: the hand offered to a fallen
opponent, the non-existent response to a
questionable call. These actions say more
about respect than any words spoken.
Mia Hamm played soccer for 14 years
before she entered the spotlight. But fame
did not define her success. The road to get
there, hard work and dedication, the road
that incorporated respect day in and day
out, that was her success. High school
athletes can follow the road taken by Mia
Hamm. Respect the game, and the game
will respect you. ■ Shaun Leddy, RIIL Intern
role model. Silly me. Coaching requires so much more: a rich understanding of psychology, a facility with spreadsheets, a gift for
oratory and an intuitive grasp of the unwritten laws that govern
teenage relationships and state meets, neither of which I fully understand. Running was the least of it.
Coaching also generates some unpleasant psychic side effects.
One team included a gaggle of girls whose exclusionary ways rekindled my teenage insecurity. With adults, I’m confident and blissfully oblivious to poisonous cliques—perhaps because grown-ups
are more adept at concealing disapproval. When teenage girls don’t
like you, they stare blankly when you address them, smirk when
your jokes fail, and whisper (expletives) when you deny their requests. Their contempt transports me, against my will, back to high
school.
And yet I can’t imagine when I won’t want to coach anymore.
Already I’m trying to recruit some of the girls for my cross country
team in the fall. What is it that makes me come back for more?
I come back to watch my rising star—a girl who is beautiful yet
untouched by vanity—achieve beyond everyone’s hope. I come
back to remind the over-achiever that she is more than just a runner.
I come back to signal the middle-of-the-packers that just doing this
hard thing every day will bring immeasurable personal rewards.
I want to be here to tell the wounded fighter who suffered terrible
personal loss and who treats every race like a test of courage that
she will be OK. I want to assure the striver—the gentle soul who
always goes out too fast, so eager is she to excel—that trying hard is
the way to live, cool cliques be damned. And I’m here to show my
own kids that sharing your talents with others is valuable, even
when it’s not easy.
I’m also here for me. In those brief moments after school, when
I tell my team how far to run, how to stretch and what not to wear, I
am reminded of my own younger self, struggling to find her way. I
smile at the girls, we laugh at some small joke, and I send them off
—Linda Head Flanagan
into the world. ■
Flanagan is a coach in Summit, N.J.
The preceding essay was submitted to
Newsweek and printed in May 2006
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 11
2006 Girls’ Tennis Championships
Team Champions
Division I—LaSalle
Division II—Classical
Division III—Smithfield
Division IV—Woonsocket
Division Champions
Division I North
Mount St. Charles
Division I South
Prout
Division II North
Classical
Division II South
Toll Gate
Division III North
North Providence
Division III South
Portsmouth
Division IV East
Providence Country Day
Division IV West
Woonsocket
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
2006 Boys’ Soccer Championships
Division Champions
Division I North—Central Falls High School
Division I Central—LaSalle Academy
Division I South—North Kingstown High School
Division I East—Portsmouth High School
Division II North—Tolman High School
Division II Central—Central High School
Division II South—Middletown High School
Division II West—Pilgrim High School
Division III North—North Smithfield High School
Division III South—West Warwick High School
State Champions
Division I Champions—Hope High School
Division II Champions—Cranston East High School
Division III Champions—North Smithfield High School
Page 12
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 13
2006 Girls’ Soccer Championships
Division Champions
Division I North—LaSalle Academy
Division I South—East Greenwich High School
Division II North—Cranston West High School
Division II South—The Prout School
Division III North—Johnston High School
Division III South—Narragansett High School
Division IV —Rogers High School,
—Shea High School,
—Tolman High School
State Champions
Division I Champions—Scituate High School
Division II Champions—Coventry High School
Division III Champions—Lincoln High School
Division IV Champions—Rogers High School
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 14
2006 Field Hockey Championships
Division I League Champions
Barrington High School
Division I State Champions
Division II South Champions
Barrington High School
Pilgrim High School
Division II North Champions
Moses Brown School
Division II Champions
Moses Brown School
2006 Girls’ Volleyball Championships
Division Champions
Division I North—Classical High School
Division I South—North Kingstown High School
Division II North– West Warwick High School
Division II South– The Prout School
Division III—Central Falls/Middletown/Shea High Schools
State Champions
Division I—No. Kingstown High School
Division II—The Prout School
Division IIII—Shea High School
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 15
Boys
State Team Champion—North Kingstown
State Individual Champion—
Andrew Palumbo, Bishop Henricken
Boys
Boys
Class A Team Champion– Bishop Hendricken
Class B Team Champion—Barrington
Class A Individual Champion–
Andrew Palumbo, Bishop Hencricken
Class B Individual Champion—
Sidney Griffin, Barrington
Boys
Class C Team Champion—East Greenwich
Class C Individual Champion—
Mike Pezzulo, East Greenwich
Girls
Class A Team Champion—North Kingstown
Class A Individual Champion—
Jeanne Mack, LaSalle
Girls
Class B Team Champion—Westerly
Class B Individual Champion—
Emily Doucette, Westerly
Girls
Class C Team Champion—East Greenwich
Girls
State Team Champion—North Kingstown
State Individual Champion—
Jean Christensen, LaSalle
Class C Individual Champion—
Rachel Graham, Ponaganset
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 16
PRINCIPALS’ COMMITTEE ON ATHLETICS
Athletics unanimously voted to have Mt. Pleasant High School
Boys’ Soccer team forfeit the two (2) games the ineligible studentathlete participated in and to impose a $100.00 fine for each game
SUMMARY OF MEETING
the ineligible student-athlete participated in (two games) for a
The October meeting of the Principals’ Committee on Athletics total of $200.00.
was called to order at 1:40 p.m.
ARTICLE 3, SECTION 1,L.D, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION (CHARTER)
Executive Director’s Report
SCHOOLS ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION
The Executive Director’s Report from the September 18, 2006
The Finance Committee discussed dues and fees for Alternameeting was approved.
tive Education Schools for the 2006-2007 school year.
According to Article 3, Section 1.L.D, the Principal (CEO) must also
become a member of the RIIL and pay all applicable dues and
Treasurer’s Report
fees. For the 2006-2007 school year, the Alternative Education
The Treasurer’s Report was approved.
School shall pay all applicable dues and fees. The Finance
Committee will consider the matter at its August 2007 meeting.
Communications
Mr. Mezzanotte referred to several letters, memoranda and
RIIL STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
publications placed in each member’s folder or filed in the
League office.
Shaun Leddy, RIIL Interin, made a presentation regarding the
RIIL Student Advisory Committee, Student Ambassadors and
Students Speak Out. The Student Advisory Committee will consist of a group of students who will help deal with issues that
2006-2007 PCOA MEETING DATES
the RIIL is confronted with. The Student Ambassadors will asOn a motion made and seconded the Principals’ Committee on sist the RIIL Sport Director at RIIL State Tournaments. Also,
Athletics unanimously approved to change the May Committee Students Speak Out is an opportunity for student’s to voice
Meeting from May 14, 2007 to May 21, 2007.
their opinions in our monthly bulletin. These programs all have
one thing in common: student involvement. The RIIL is taking
the names of any interested or recommend students.
2006-2007 RIIL GAME PASS
On a motion made and seconded the Principals’ Committee on
Athletics unanimously approved the 2006-2007 RIIL Game LEADERSHIP, SPORTSMANSHIP AND CHARACTER: DAN WARNER, CHAIRMAN
Pass.
The Student Leadership Conference which was held on September 27th was very successful. Mr. Warner, is compiling acRIIL MEDIA CREDENTIAL POLICY
tion plans from schools. Plans are under way to organize a
Mr. Mezzanotte discussed the new RIIL Media Credential Policy. Spring follow-up conference.
For the 2006-2007 sports season, all media are required to
register with the RIIL. In return the person will receive a Media
Credential that will be honored at all RIIL Tournament Events. FALL SPORTS
Members of the media who do not have this credential will not •Football, Bob Cooney, Director – Mr. Cooney reported on a
have access to the sidelines or press box.
game termination between Coventry and Shea High School.
•Boys’ Soccer, John Craig, Co-Director – Mr. Craig commended
CENTRAL FALLS HIGH SCHOOL: NON-PAYMENT OF DAMAGES TO RIC the game supervision and coaches on how they handled a Tolman/Cranston High School East fight. He also reported to the
SOCCER COMPLEX DURING THE 2005 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Committee the total number of Yellow and Red cards distribMr. Magarian discussed a matter regarding Central Falls High
uted thus far.
School non-payment for damages to the RI College Soccer Com•Girls’ Soccer, Marie Johnson, Director – no report was given.
plex during the 2005 Championships. After consultation with
the RIIL attorney, James McAleer, the Principals’ Committee on
•Girls’ Volleyball, Elaine Botelho, Director – no report was
Athletics unanimously voted that if the damages sustained to
given.
the bleachers at Rhode Island College are not paid the Principals’ Committee on Athletics will impose sanctions on the Cen- •Girls’ Tennis – Denise Boulé, Director – no report was given.
tral Falls Boys’ Soccer Team.
•Field Hockey, Jean Angell, Director – all is going well.
•Boys’ & Girls’ Cross Country, Ron Boemker – no report was
RULE VIOLATION: ARTICLE 3, SECTION 4A (AGE VIOLATION) MT. PLEAS- given.
ANT HS – USE OF AN INELIGIBLE ATHLETE IN BOYS’ SOCCER
…………..continued
On a motion made and seconded, the Principals’ Committee on
Rhode Island Interscholastic League
Page 17
WINTER SPORTS
•Boys’ and Girls’ Ice Hockey, George Egan, Director, reported
concerns of the Cranston Bubble Rink and alternative scheduling.
BEFORE THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED, A MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE COMMITTEE VOTED TO GO
INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
•Boys’ Basketball, Gerry Foley, Director, all is going well.
•Girls’ Basketball, Cindy Neal, Director, all is going well.
•Boys’ Indoor Track, Charley Sweeney, Director, no report was
given.
Mr. Mezzanotte discussed the Central Falls/Coventry High
School incident. A workshop is being prepared for students in
these communities.
•Girls’ Indoor Track, Jane Headley and Bob Bayha, CoDirectors, no report was given.
The Committee then adopted the following closing motion:
THAT ANY AND ALL MOTIONS, AMENDMENTS AND ACTIONS BY
•Boys’ and Girls’ Swim, Swim Sport Director vacancy – On a
THE PRINCIPALS’ COMMITTEE ON ATHLETICS AND THE EXECUmotion made and seconded, the Principal’ Committee on AthTIVE OFFICERS OF THE PRINCIPALS’ COMMITTEE ON ATHLETICS TO
letics unanimously approved to appoint Cindy Bowden as Sport THIS DATE BE REAFFIRMED AND RATIFIED.
Director of Boys’ and Girls’ Swim.
•Gymnastics, Melissa Gendreau, Director, no report was given.
•Wrestling, Fred Silva, Director, all is going well.
ALIGNMENT - SPRING SPORTS ALIGNMENT (DEADLINE: OCTOBER 2006)
The Spring Sports Directors are working on their sports alignments for the November meeting.
SPRING SPORTS
•Baseball, John Blaess, Director – no report was given.
•Softball (Fastpitch), Betty Marquis, Director – no report was
given.
•Softball (Slowpitch), Tony Torregrossa, Director – On a motion
made and seconded the Principals’ Committee on Athletics
unanimously voted to eliminate Slowpitch Softball from the
League. the Principals’ Committee on Athletics thanks Mr. Torregrossa for the many years he served as Director of Slowpitch
Softball.
•Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse, George Finn, Co-Director – the RIIL
received a request by Tiverton High School to join the Boys’ and
Girls’ Lacrosse League.
On a motion made and seconded, the Principals’ Committee on
Athletics unanimously approved the request for Tiverton High
School to participate in Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse League.
•Boys’ and Girls’ Outdoor Track, Bob Littlefield, Co-Director –
no report was given.
•Boys’ Volleyball, Don Kavanagh, Director – no report given.
•Boys’ Tennis, Kevin McNamara, Director – no report given.
•Golf, Mike Lunney, Director, no report given.
Mr. Mezzanotte commended the RIIL Staff (Susana Borges,
Julie Mancini and Gail Lepore) for an outstanding job this fall in
getting the winter schedules online in a timely fashion.
The October meeting of the Principals’ Committee on Athletics was adjourned at 3:40 P.M.
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League is
to provide its member schools governance, leadership,
and support for interscholastic athletics which give student athletes opportunities to compete in an environment
that stresses education,
sportsmanship, integrity and safety.
National Affiliation
The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which consists of
the state high school associations of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands
and all provinces of Canada are affiliate members.
The objectives of the National Federation of State High School Associations are to:
•
serve, protect, and enhance the interstate activity interests of the high schools belonging to the state associations;
•
assist in those activities of the state associations which can best be operated on a nationwide scale;
•
sponsor meetings, publications, and activities which will permit each state association to profit by the experience of all other member associations;
•
coordinate the work so duplication will be minimized;
•
formulate, copyright, and publish rules of play or event conduct pertaining to interscholastic activities;
•
preserve interscholastic athletic records, and the tradition and heritage of interscholastic sports;
•
provide programs, services, material and assistance to state associations, high schools and individual professionals involved in the conduct and administration of interscholastic activities;
•
study in general all phases of interscholastic activities and serve as a national resource for information pertaining thereto;
•
identify needs and problems related to interscholastic activities and where practical provide solutions thereto;
and
•
promote the educational values of interscholastic activities to the nation’s public.
a monthly publication
of the
Rhode Island Interscholastic League