Notes from the President:

Volume VI – November 20, 2008

Hard to believe Cross Country has ended, where did that time go? Thanksgiving is coming soon and before you no it, we will all be trying to find space for winter conditioning. Here are a few notes for you as I serve in my last few months as your president of the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC) to further help inform you of your association and the events that impact our great sport.

Cross Country

Congratulations to all IHSAA State Finals participants, especially to those who made the podium. The girls’ race was exciting to watch with Center Grove’s Sarah Higgens closing over the last 400 to become the individual girls’ state champion. Sarah’s time of 18:14 is a new state finals meet record. The boys individual race was just as fun to watch. Drew Shields of Fishers was the strongest in the last 500 meters to win the IHSAA cross country state title to go with his two track titles last June. A 4:09 mile in the summer and a state record 4xMile relay in June make for a pretty good last 5 months for Shields.

Both team championships were won by the Carmel Greyhounds. The titles were the 11^th boys and 11^th girls crowns for the school. Chuck Koeppen could not have been honored better by his athletes than to garner titles for their retiring coach. In his 37 years of serving young boys and girls, Koeppen has won 23 IHSAA State Titles, more than any IHSAA coach in any sport.

Results can be found at two web sites www.iatccc.org and www.ihsaa.org

Academic All State

Coaches…I continue to get phone calls and e-mails about this. The information was on the IATCCC web site along with all of the deadlines. If your kid does not get on the academic all state list because you did not send it in, then I have told those moms and dads to call you, the coach. If you did not send the information in, then I will simply let you answer the parent’s questions. I really don’t know why you did not do this for your student athletes. I hate being a mean guy, but come on coaches, let’s recognize our student athletes. Also please don’t forget ICGSA members, you have a similar procedure to recognize our girls. A talented young lady might be named to two different lists, how great is that! If you missed it this season, make a note to get it next year. Go to www.iatccc.org

Respect in Sports

This past summer I learned of a great program called Respect in Sports. It is a great sport for the beginning coach and the lay coach as well. I found the program to very good even for myself, a 32 year veteran. Respect in Sports covers a range of topics from how to address the kaleidoscope of situations that we all experience working with teenagers. My friend, Kent Burns developed the program and it is available on-line through the American Red Cross. Go to www.redcrossonlinetraining.org or go to www.respectinsportusa.com for more information. Certification is only $40 and it is good for four years. I strongly urge you to go on-line and get certified. We also have a link to this program on our web site www.iatccc.org

IHSAA Concerns

I had the opportunity to meet with Phil Gardner and Bobby Cox on Friday, November 15^th. We had a great conversation sharing thoughts about the recent IHSAA Cross Country State Tournament Series. Several topics were shared not only the IHSAA State Finals, but also the entire tournament series. The state finals were smoother this year and it is a strong desire to make it even better. I will speak to specifics, such as team tent areas, awards ceremony, announcing, etc at our December meeting at Lawrence Central. We also discussed the current IHSAA State Tournament series and possible formats for 2009. Please be reminded that the IHSAA is the owner of the tournament, we can only suggest. No tournament is going to be perfect for everyone, believe me, check around and see. We ARE VERY FORTUNATE to have Phil Gardner and Bobby Cox as the commissioners for our sports. They do have the interests of our student athletes at heart. We as a group of coaches have been heard and these two men have listened with genuine concern. What the format will be for the 2009 IHSAA Tournament Series remains to be seen. I am grateful as your president that I had the opportunity to take your input and concerns and present them to the IHSAA

Out of Season Participation

I discussed this with the IHSAA commissioners at length and my eyes were opened…widely. One of our member coaches in northern Indiana was told that he could not go off school property during the out of season conditioning. Below is the IHSAA By-Law that speaks to our sports. READ IT AND MAKE NOTES!! The bottom line is yes, you may run off campus, and you may ask your kids to meet you “at the park”, or “at the trail”, etc. Here are things you’d better be careful about doing: 1) Never transport a kid to a workout nor to a competition, unless you are the parent. 2) You may NOT use school transportation for an out of season workout or for an out of season competition. 3) You may not use school uniforms, warm-ups, equipment, etc at any time out of season. I was also told that grouping kids from different schools for out of season instruction, drills, etc is not permitted. Read, pole vaulting, throws, etc. Camps, clinics and specialty schools are perfectly fine as long as they are open to any student athlete. When held at a school the must be cleared through the respective athletic director and the IHSAA. I have coached for 32 years and it sure gave me pause as to the things that I need to examine in MY own program. Again, please read rule 15-2.5 very carefully.

Rule 15-2 is the rule that speaks to During the School Year - Out of
Season participation. Specifically Rule 15-2.5 speaks to a conditioning
program as reprinted below:
 
15-2.5
Conditioning Program
 
Program designed for and limited to activities which promote physical
fitness and exclude game drills.
 
Examples of permissible activities are weight lifting, running and
aerobic exercising. Specific equipment related to a particular sport,
i.e. balls, goals, nets etc. shall not be used.
 
a. Students may participate in a conditioning program at the member
school.
 
b. Member schools may operate a conditioning program.
 
c. Member school coaches may supervise the program provided:
 
(1) the program is open to all students of that member school;
 
(2) attendance and participation are voluntary and not required by the
member school coaches for membership on a team;
 
(3) specific equipment related to a particular sport, i.e. balls, goals,
nets, etc. shall not be used.
 
 
Additionally, the Q & A below contained on page 53 of the by-laws speaks
to the transportation issues during the school year out of season:
 
Out-of-Season Coaching and Contact
 
Q. 15-26 May a team or individual sport coach transport his/her athletes
to or from a non-school league program held during the school year
out-of-season or summer?
 
A. No, neither a school nor a coach may provide transportation for
athletes for a non-school league program held during the school year
out-of-season or summer.

Clinic Opportunities

The 2009 IATCCC Annual Winter Clinic will be held on January 29^th - 31^st. A great opportunity for coaches! Information will be at www.iatccc.org

Indoor Track Meets

Information about many HSR qualifiers has been posted, visit the qualifying meets page on the HSR website www.iatccc.org/hsr/index.htm

December Meeting

We would love to see you at the meeting on Sunday, December 7^th at Lawrence Central. Please check the web site for details about the meeting www.iatccc.org

NCAA Cross Country

The NCAA Great Lakes Regional Cross Country Meet will be held at Purdue on November 15^th and the NCAA Finals will be at Terre Haute at the Lavern Gibson Race Course on Monday, November 24^th. The nation’s best in your own back yard. Get out and support these events. Links are at www.ncaa.org

The NCAA Division III Nationals will be at Hanover College on Saturday, November 22^nd. This is a great meet to see!

Indy Pole Vault Clinic – December 20-21, 2008

Visit www.iatccc.org for details

Have a great Holiday Season,

Dennis McNulty

Warren Central High School

IATCCC President

dmcnulty@warren.k12.in.us