Track & Field Advisory Committee

Minutes
September 4, 2002 • 10 a.m.
FHSAA Headquarters
Gainesville, Florida


The Track & Field Advisory Committee met on Wednesday, September 4, 2002, at 10 A.M. in the office of the FHSAA, Gainesville, Florida. Those present were Ken Brauman, Seminole High School, Sanford; Donald Trew, Hardee High School, Wauchula; Harry Howell, Cardinal Newman High School, West Palm Beach; Scott Gowan, Chiles High School, Tallahassee; Brad Penney, Cedar Key High School; Jerome Groover, Palm Beach Lakes High School and FACA representative Mal Harpell, Poinciana High School, Kissimmee. Representing the FHSAA were Ron Allen, Associate Commissioner for Athletic Operations and M. Denarvise Thornton, Associate Director of Athletics

Recommendation #1: In state series competition, the results of the district and region meets shall be made available to each participating coach, in writing, within 48 hours of competition.
Background Information: In past years many coaches complained that they were not aware of the placement of their teams or the qualifiers for the next level of competition, because the host schools have not given the official results out in writing.
Alternative: To remain status quo and the problem would persist.
Rationale for Change: Obvious from the background information.
Impact on Current Rule and Regulations: No negative impact. Simply stresses that the results are needed by the teams competing.
Data Source: Advisory Committee
Action Taken: Approved unanimously

Recommendation #2: Change the whistle start to a verbal command as described by National Federation rules for all competition.
Background Information: The whistle start has been used for many years in Florida track as a method to enhance the audible commands to the athletes.
Alternative: Remain with the whistle start.
Rationale for Change: To implement the National Federation rule as written.
Impact on Current Rule and Regulations: No negative impact. FHSAA staff concerned regarding whether athletes can hear the verbal command.
Data Source: Advisory Committee
Action Taken: Approved unanimously

Recommendation #3: Schools hosting regional meets shall have a metrically measured facility if available. Bidding of the sites shall be awarded first to those metric facilities, if all other qualifications are equal.
Background: At the present time some tracks are metric and some tracks are in yards. Therefore, creating conversion problems for performances estabalished.
Alternative: Assign regions as presently done with the understanding that yard performances will be so noted on the results finals, and conversion will be applied to metric performances.
Rationale for Change: To eliminate the conversion necessity.
Impact on Current Rules and Regulations: Sometimes it is impossible to find region hosts, let alone region hosts with metric facilities.
Action Taken: Approved unanimously

Recommendation #4: Survey member schools relative to interest in re-establishing Hepthathlon/Decathlon competition. The survey should clearly state that the date of the meet and other logistics would be recommended through the Advisory Committee.

New Recommendations to be Submitted to the Board of Directors following the 2003 meeting:

Recommendation #1: At state championship competition all events must be officiated by certified officials, with at least one FHSAA certified official for each event, if available.
Background Information: Unfortunately there are not enough registered certified officials to provide this service at present.
Alternative: Remain status quo with non-certified officials in decision-making positions.
Rationale for Change: Obviously certified personnel are more competent to make major decisions regarding rules.
Data Source: Advisory Committee

Recommendation #2: No high school student may work at any state series meet in a “decision-making” capacity.

Recommendation #3: The preferred surface for the site of all state series meets should be a synthetic or rubber surface.

Recommendation #4: The host for all state series competition be responsible for the availability of a certified athletic trainer and/or medical staff, if at all available.

Recommendation #5: The FHSAA Staff and Board of Directors closely scrutinize the present system for classification for Track and Field.
This has been an issue with the Track and Field coaches for the past several years. The committee is vehemently opposed to the philosophy of an arbitrary number of athletes comprising a team. The committee is even more opposed to the fact there is no available data indicating the number of Track and Field teams in the state of Florida, at present, by current definition. It appears the only audit trail for determining the number of teams is based on the number of participants each school qualifies for district competition. This procedure is unacceptable to the committee.