FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2008


Board approves 4 finalists for executive director position

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors today selected four finalists to be interviewed for the position of executive director.

They are:

• Don Bridges – Bridges is currently the director of athletics for Polk County Schools, a position he has held since 1992. Prior to his tenure at Polk County Schools, he spent eight years as athletic director at Lake Wales High School. Bridges, also a long-time FHSAA baseball and basketball official, graduated from Valdosta State College with a Master of Education Degree in 1976.

• James Browder – Browder is currently the superintendent of schools in Lee County, Fort Myers. Prior to his tenure at the Lee County School District, he spent 16 years as principal of three different Fort Myers-area high schools. A former member of the FHSAA Board of Directors and current member of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, Browder graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Education from the University of Sarasota (Argosy University) in 1991, a Educational Specialist Degree from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale in 1982, and a Master's Degree from Nova University in 1977.

• Samuel "Sonny" Hester – Hester is currently the senior associate executive director of the FHSAA, a position he has held since 2007 after serving as FHSAA senior director of athletic operations and officials for a year. Prior to his tenure at FHSAA, he spent three years as assistant principal for administration and athletics at Brandon High School and 20 years at Jesuit High School in Tampa, serving as athletic director for seven years. Hester graduated from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale with a Master of Science Degree in Administration and Supervision in 1987.

• William "Sam" Ward – Ward is currently the principal of Fleming Island High School in Orange Park, a position he has held since the school opened in 2003. Prior to his tenure at Fleming Island, he spent 10 years as principal of Orange Park High School. Ward graduated from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale with a Master of Science Degree in 1984. A former member and past president of the FHSAA Board of Directors, Ward currently serves on the FHSAA Section 1 Appeals Committee.

The four finalists will be interviewed and balloting conducted by the Board of Directors at a time to be determined on Sunday, April 6. The results of the balloting will be announced during the board's general business meeting on Monday, April 7. The executive director designate will begin employment on July 1. John A. Stewart, the current executive director, is set to retire on Nov. 1.

In other action, the Board of Directors:

• Approved a Cross Country Advisory Committee recommendation to require the coaches meeting at regional meets be held 60 minutes, rather than 30 minutes, prior to the start of the meet.

• Approved a Football Advisory Committee recommendation to propose a rule change to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) that would prohibit "horse collar" tackles.

• Approved a Football Advisory Committee recommendation to propose a rule change to the NFHS that would add an automatic first down to the existing 15-yard penalty for a personal foul facemask violation.

• Approved a Football Advisory Committee recommendation to propose a rule change to the NFHS that would make a muffed punt that rolls into the end zone a touchback so that it is consistent with a muffed free kick (kickoff).

• Approved a Golf Advisory Committee recommendation to require that each regional tournament have an FSGA/USGA official on-site if one is available.

• Approved a Golf Advisory Committee recommendation to advance from each regional tournament to the FHSAA Finals the two lowest scoring individuals who are not members of the advancing teams, as long as they are within 5 strokes of the lowest scoring individual.

• Approved a Golf Advisory Committee recommendation to allow golfers to use pull-carts if desired.

• Approved a Swimming & Diving Advisory Committee recommendation to amend existing provisions governing competitors with disabilities by authorizing the referee to make every reasonable effort to accommodate such competitors and to apply the rules and guidelines as provided by NFHS Rule 8-4.

• Approved a Swimming & Diving Advisory Committee recommendation to require the relay card procedure that is utilized at the FHSAA Finals be used at all district and regional meets.

• Approved a Girls Volleyball Advisory Committee recommendation to propose a rule change to the NFHS that would allow the head coach to stand in the libero replacement zone at any time to coach his or her players and to request that the NFHS permit the FHSAA to experiment with the proposed rule change.

• Amended the "Policy on Unsportsmanlike Conduct" to clarify that unsportsmanlike acts may be penalized even if such acts do not result in ejection from a contest, to impose more severe penalities for second or subsequent acts of a gross unsportsmanlike nature, and to provide a procedure for appeal of such penalties.

• Appointed Sam Momary, principal of Hagerty High School (Oviedo), to fill a vacant public school representative seat on the Section 2 Appeals Committee.

• Approved 2008-09 meeting dates for Representative Assembly and Sectional Appeals Committee, but tabled action on meeting dates for the Board of Directors until its April 2008 meeting.

• Approved a computerized random selection process for schools to undergo compliance reviews during the winter and spring sports seasons.

• Heard a report that no serious violations were found at the nine schools that underwent compliance reviews during the fall sports season.

• Discussed a proposal to require all coaches who are ejected from contests to complete the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching online course prior to the end of his or her suspension.

• Discussed a proposal to require all non-faculty coaches to complete the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching online course.

• Discussed the concerns of member schools raised during the recent Florida Athletic Coaches Association winter meeting regarding the negative impact of college football games that are televised on Friday nights, and instructed the executive director to write the NFHS to seek its support in conveying those concerns to the NCAA.

• Discussed possible modifications to NFHS football rules that would increase the penalty for uncontested flips or "superman" dives into the end zone to include an automatic ejection of the offending player.

About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 750 middle, junior and senior high schools.

The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is April 6-7, 2008 at the Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building in Gainesville.

Contact:
Robert Hernberger
Director of Media Relations, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 190
rhernberger@fhsaa.org