Officious pricks that run high school athletics for $500, Alex

The uniform rules are pretty cut-and-dried, and they are national NFHS rules.

The blame partly lies on the coach/AD for buying illegal uniforms (there was a several-year grace period to allow schools to get into compliance), but any reputable uniform supplier/sporting goods company knows the rules and will inform a coach if the uniforms he attempts to buy are in violation.

The NFHS rule regarding headbands recently changed to allow no logos (and hairbands all have to be the same color for girls). We had an official enforce the hairband rule in one of our 21 games this year (yes, I coach ... several of our girls like to wear rolled-up prewrap), but the guy running the local sporting goods store made absolutely sure that I knew the headband rules so I didn't buy any that weren't in compliance.

 

BINGO

BINGO, AGAIN

 

That's the MIAA way. (Mass.)

 

I blame nobody. I do wonder why people sit around making rules like this in the first place, whether on the national, state or local level. They must have a lot of spare time.

 

Here's almost a lamer HS story.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_11942778

Danville boosters raises $1,100 for Oakland sports team
By Jimmy Durkin
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 03/18/2009 02:40:46 PM PDT
Updated: 03/19/2009 11:31:45 AM PDT

Click photo to enlarge
McClymond's Will Cherry, #22, right, hugs Monte Vista's Zack Ertz, #32, after McClymonds...

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Bill Powers was having trouble getting over his team's loss to McClymonds High in Saturday night's California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Division I boys basketball championship game.

Then the Monte Vista coach was approached by the family of one of his players. They had read the story in Tuesday's newspaper about McClymonds not having money to cover food and lodging for its trip to Sacramento for this weekend's state championship game.

The family wanted to rally together to raise money to donate to the Warriors — the same team that ended the Mustangs' season with a crushing 46-43 loss. Right then, Powers' mood perked up.

"I still had the hangover from (the loss) Saturday night," Powers said. "This has really been a nice cure for that."

Within hours, Powers had sent out an e-mail to parents within the boys and girls programs who had participated in the state playoffs and $1,100 had been gathered from donations by players and parents of both programs.

"I think it speaks to the spirit of competition and what it's really all about," Powers said. "You certainly went in there trying to beat them, and it was a good basketball game. But at the end of the day, somebody needs a little help, and this is the spirit of giving."

Powers spoke with Mack coach Brandon Brooks to inform him of the donation Tuesday. Brooks was shocked to hear the news.

"That's amazing, that the team you beat in NorCal, their parents want
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to help out with your cause," Brooks said. "That's unheard of."

Mack faces Westchester-Los Angeles in the Division I state title game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Arco Arena, looking to win a second straight state title. Brooks, who also fielded calls from 15 to 20 others who were looking to help, said the team will have enough money to cover its expenses.

"We're OK as far as donations for this weekend," he said. "It's too bad that we had to come to this point, but I very much appreciate people helping out."

Mack is also receiving a corporate donation from 24 Hour Fitness on behalf of its Hoops 24 youth basketball program. Company CEO Carl Liebert has a son, Jacob, who plays for Monte Vista, and he serves as the team's scorekeeper.

"Our team members are really passionate about athletics," said Wendy Yellin, public relations director for 24 Hour Fitness. "Some of our staff members from Hoops 24 have worked with junior varsity players from McClymonds, so we thought this was a good cause to support."

Before the Warriors take the court Saturday, the Monte Vista girls team will face Long Beach Poly at 6 p.m. in their first state title game appearance. Given the newfound connection, the timing couldn't be better, and there likely will be a good carry-over following from the girls game into the boys game.

"There's a little bit of ownership in the boys game now with the efforts they put forth," Powers said.

The parent who initially spearheaded the effort seeks no credit, declining to comment and requesting his name not be made public.

"They're coming from the standpoint of not really wanting publicity and just wanting to help them," Powers said. "This is just respect for a team that deserves to go up to Sacramento first class. "... (McClymonds seems) like a good group. I thought they were very gracious in victory."

Here's the stupid ending, on the eve of the trip:

The McClymonds High boys basketball team will not need the funds raised and donated by parents and players at Monte Vista, after all.

The Oakland Unified School District, citing a "lack of communication internally," says it has the funds and will cover the expenses for McClymonds to travel to Sacramento to play in Saturday's 8 p.m. California Interscholastic Federation Division I state title game against Westchester-Los Angeles at Arco Arena.

OUSD spokesman Troy Flint said the district and Oakland Athletic League commissioner Michael Moore, Sr. were unaware Mack was looking to spend the night in Sacramento to play in the title game. Last year, when the Warriors won their first official state title in school history, the team bused to and from Sacramento on the day of the game and the district "figured the status quo was fine."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/high-school-sports/ci_11953559?nclick_check=1

Sometimes the adults just can't leave well enough alone.

A great story about two communities, one white-collar ( Danville) and the other well not so white-collar (Oakland), then the suits screw it up.

 

Ditto.

 

Knew there was a reason my love for you grows stronger daily. Absence makes the heart so ever fonder. Miss ya, buddy!

 

The bigger issue for North Lawndale is that one of its players was on the team only after getting an injunction to over his being kicked off the team after being accused of cheating on a math test.

http://yourseason.suntimes.com/1469560,031009-mills-can-play-restraining-order.article

 

The timing of the techinical seems a bit fishy to me. Why not do it earlier in the postseason? You'll notice that the official, at least in the Trib story, said the rule was enforced at state "because we have more control over the event."

Which really means "We can call it here and avoid the mob scene that would've occurred in Chicago."

Yeah, it's a rule. But it's a rule about a fucking uniform. How the hell does a wraparound stripe give Lawndale a competitive edge?

Then again, if Lawndale had protected its 10-point fourth quarter lead, all of this would be moot.

The bottom line is this: if the IHSA can find a way to fuck something up, it will.

 

Sometimes, the powers that be are the ones who ruin amateur sports.

In Maryland, a softball pitcher got ejected by an umpire who claimed she showed him up ... by smiling.

Then there's the state's rule that requires teachers to be given first priority for a high school coaching gig. Here's why it's a problem. Guy coaches a high school lacrosse team that does very, very well. May have won a state championship or two, but I'm not sure. The kids think he's great. The parents think he's great. Most everyone who's seen the team think he's great.

Dude gets bumped as coach not because of anything he did wrong, but because he's not a teacher and another guy who IS a teacher applied for the position. Players bitch about it, new coach tells them to "get over it." Parents bitch about it, the state suits cite the state's rule and defend its to-the-letter interpretation.

Ridiculous times two.

 

FT,

Most school districts have a similar clause written into the union contract. I've seen non-teachers get bumped before but usually only at a point when they are vulnerable. I'm surprised it hasn't happened at my alma mater. A non-teacher coaches the girls bball team and he has a winning percentage of about .800 with several girls going midmajor D1, but always chokes in the playoffs and has never made it to state. I figure one of these days a teacher will apply for the job.

 

Nearly every school has it written into the contract, but at most places, where there is an existing successful lay coach, there is a gentleman's agreement that teachers not apply for the job unless it's actually open (after all, nobody wanted it when they hired the lay coach).

That often gets violated when someone (AD, principal, whiny parents in the community mad that Suzie wasn't the star of the team) decides they want said coach out and the rule becomes a convenient loophole.

Our state has a rule that in the big 3 (football, boys bb, girls bb), all coaches have to be licensed teachers. The coaches' association has zero problem with the rule. However, go into a room full of AAU coaches and start talking about how good of a rule that is and see if you get out alive.