FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2001
Board of Directors gives go-ahead to name change; approves number of advisory committee recommendations
GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Activities Association Board of Directors today voted to submit to the FHSAA Representative Assembly a proposed amendment to the FHSAA Bylaws that would change the Association’s name to “Florida High School Athletic Association.”
The Board of Directors acted upon the recommendation of Commissioner Robert W. Hughes, who said that he believed it was appropriate to return to the Association’s original name since the organization no longer supervises or regulations non-athletic activities. The FHSAA operated under the name “Florida High School Athletic Association” from its founding in 1920 until 1953, when the name was changed to “Florida High School Activities Association.” The Florida Legislature, in 1997, directed the FHSAA to divest itself of any responsibility for non-athletic activities and concentrate solely on athletics.
The proposed bylaw amendment will be considered by the FHSAA Representative Assembly at its annual meeting in April 2002. If adopted, the name change will become effective July 1, 2003.
In other action, the Board of Directors:
• Gave final approval to a $3.07 million operating budget for the 2001-02 school year. Hughes told Board members that the earmarking of funds to purchase furniture and equipment for the new office building, as well as shrinking corporate support due to the downturn in the economy, has resulted in a budget that is “extremly tight” and that the staff has ommitted to keeping expenditures at a minimum.
• Approved a recommendation of the Baseball Advisory Committee to start preseason practice one week earlier. Practice for the 2002 season will begin Jan. 14. The first date of competition will remain unchanged.
• Approved recommendations of the Softball Advisory Committee to permit schools to conduct preseason classic tournaments in either the week originally designated or the first week of the regular season, and to have the option to use an optic yellow ball during competition in the district and regional tournaments. Under the new provisions, no school will be permitted to play in a preseason classic tournament held during the first week of the regular season if it already has played a regular season game. Use of the optic yellow ball also will be required in the state tournament.
• Approved a recommendation of the Track & Field Advisory Committee to permit competitors in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs who are lapped to complete the races on the regional and state levels of the FHSAA State Track & Field Series. Competitors who are lapped in these races on the district level will still be required to exit the track.
• Approved recommendations of the Weightlifting Advisory Committee to change the definition of a team for the purposes of scoring the state meet, adjust the number of lifters that may be entered in each weight classification and adjust the minimum qualifying standards. Under the new provisions, a team may consist of from one to 15 lifters, and a maximum of two lifters may be entered in any seven of the 10 weight classes and one lifter in the remaining three weight classes. Minimum qualifying totals were set as follows: 199-pound class (2A, 345; A, 320); 129-pound class (2A, 400; A, 360); 139-pound class (2A, 420; A, 400); 154-pound class (2A, 500; A, 470); 169-pound class (2A, 530; A, 490); 183-pound class (2A, 540; A, 505); 199-pound class (2A, 555; A, 520); 219-pound class (2A, 570; A, 525); 238-pound class (2A, 580; A, 555); heavyweight class (2A, 600; A, 570).
The Florida High School Activities Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida. It has a membership of more than 650 middle, junior and senior high schools. The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association.
Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
