FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2005


Assembly adopts physical conditioning language, repeals '2-sports-per-season' rule, rejects lower age limit

GAINESVILLE – The Eighth FHSAA Representative Assembly on Tuesday adopted two bylaw proposals relating to student-athlete health and safety, and a third proposal repealing a provision that required a school to sponsor two sports per season to be eligible to participate in the FHSAA State Series in any sport. Two proposals aimed at lowering the maximum age for participation in interscholastic athletics, meanwhile, were defeated.

In all, the Assembly adopted nine of 16 proposals submitted for its consideration. All proposals adopted take effect July 1 for the upcoming 2005-06 school year.

The two health and safety proposals, both sponsored by Commissioner John A. Stewart, clarified that a school must have on file a parental consent and release form and a physical evaluation form for a student-athlete before he or she can participate in any form of physical conditioning regardless of when such conditioning occurs. Both proposals passed unanimously.

"It's a matter of common sense and, quite frankly, a practice that the vast majority of our member schools already have in place," Stewart said of the new provisions. "We, however, felt strongly that it needed to be in writing that a school must have the parental consent and release form and the preparticipation physical evaluation for a student-athlete on file before that student is permitted to engage in any form of physical activity related to interscholastic athletics. This includes physical conditioning, such as running, jumping, swimming or lifting weights, regardless of whether it occurs during the sports season, outside the sports season or during the summer."

Stewart also praised the Assembly for adopting his proposal to repeal the "two-sports-per-season" rule. "It simply was not having the effect for which it originally was intended," he said. "It had become a punitive measure against small schools, both public and private, which struggle financially just to sponsor the few athletic programs they traditionally have offered; and, if I might add, it had become a provision that was being waived without exception by the sectional appeals committees."

Forty-eight of the 61 total delegates to the Assembly were present for the meeting. Delegates on Monday heard presentations by individuals speaking for or against the various proposals during a public hearing. Debate and ballotting on each proposal was conducted on Tuesday. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast was necessary to adopt a proposal.

In other action, the Assembly:

• Adopted a proposal to advance the period of membership renewal earlier in the school year.

• Adopted a proposal clarifying that the Commissioner is the Association's "chief executive officer," and granting to the president of the Board of Directors the right to vote on all matters considered by that body.

• Adopted a proposal granting to the chairperson of a sectional appeals committee the right to vote on all matters considered by that body.

• Adopted a proposal advancing the dates of August meetings of the sectional appeals committees to earlier in that month.

• Adopted a proposal establishing that a student whose four-year limit of eligibility expires during a given sports season will be permitted to complete that sports season provided the student meets all other eligibility requirements.

• Adopted a proposal adjusting Bylaw 11.5.3 to agree with Bylaw 11.5.1, which was amended last year and states that a student's limit of eligibility is four consecutive years from the date the student first enters the ninth grade.

• Did not adopt a proposal to exempt schools with student populations of less than 150 students from the "two-sports-per-season" rule, which was rendered moot after the rule itself was repealed.

• Did not adopt a proposal prohibiting residential students in full-time sports academies from competing interscholastic athletics.

• Did not adopt a proposal prohibiting schools from granting early release to students to practice sports.

• Did not adopt a proposal requiring that student-athletes be required to meet the minimum contact time for students as outlined in Florida Department of Education guidelines.

• Did not adopt a proposal to extend to sectional appeals committees the authority to grant an extension of eligibility to a student-athlete through a particular sports season.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 740 middle and senior high schools. The Representative Assembly is its legislative authority and meets annually to consider proposals to amend FHSAA Bylaws that are submitted by member schools, advisory committees, the Board of Directors and the Commissioner. The Ninth FHSAA Representative Assembly will meet Jan. 23-24, 2006.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org