Dr. Harold Slemmer, the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive director, shared his goals for the AIA for the 2015-16 school year during Wednesday’s monthly executive board meeting.

The meeting also saw a probation lifted for a school’s golf program and denial to rescind the 2014 forfeits for a perennial wrestling power.

Dr. Slemmer’s executive report, goals

During his monthly executive director report to the board, Dr. Slemmer laid out his goals for the AIA.

Among the goals he listed:  

---Support the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee's efforts in providing resources and information to member schools in creating a safe and healthy environment for all athletes.

---Explore strategies to continually improve communication between AIA staff and the executive board with the member schools.

---Develop understanding with athletic directors and principals on how to access information and apply their bylaws.

---Hold accountable conference and region chairs for information exchange.

---Facilitate memberships efforts to modify and change current governance structure of the AIA.

---Insure that all modifications and changes reflect the collective will of all member schools.

Dr. Slemmer also updated the board on a meeting he and AIA attorney Mark Mignnela had with District 15 state representative Heather Carter. Dr. Slemmer said he was impressed with Carter’s understanding of how the AIA functions.

The topics Dr. Slemmer, Mignnela and Carter covered and which the state legislature might mull over for a vote:

---Allowing students to transfer for academic purposes.

---Delaying school start time for high school students.

---Governing online schools similarly to home schools. Carter wants the AIA to take a position on this proposal, Dr. Slemmer said.

---The non-school competition bylaw.

Dr. Slemmer is planning to also share details about his meeting with Carter on Sept. 25 during the AIA’s legislative council meeting.

During his report, Dr. Slemmer also expressed the AIA’s full support for AIA Unified Sports, a sanctioned year-round league for special needs students at AIA member high schools. The AIA likely runs the nation’s largest high school Unified Sports league with Special Olympic-like events.

Board members were given a folder explaining the benefits of Special Olympics and the rules of events. Dr. Slemmer also informed the board that a 13-question survey will be sent to member schools this week.

The survey will go to the athletic directors and superintendents, asking for opinions on how well they use the AIA’s communication services (websites, newsletters).  

During Dr. Slemmer’s executive director report, board member Sister Lynn Winsor of Xavier College Prep also reported on the Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s annual state conference (Sept. 12-15) in Prescott. It was the biggest conference the AIAAA has ever had, with more than 200 members attending, Sister Lynn said.

Billy Mills, the second Native American to win an Olympic gold medal, gave a speech during the conference. The AIAAA is hosting the national athletic administrators conference next year.

A Sports Medicine Advisory Committee survey is scheduled to be sent to athletic directors within the next two weeks, Dr. Slemmer added.

Another committee, the Superintendent Advisory Committee, is seeking members. The next SAC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 4 at the AIA’s office.

The SAC meets three times a year, and it gives superintendents an insight into the AIA.

Agenda items approved, denied by board

The following agenda items were approved during Wednesday’s board meeting:

Highland’s request to revoke the one-year probation of its boys golf program. The program was placed on probation last year after one of its golfers broke a rule by practicing at last year’s state championship venue a couple of days before the state event.

The school’s athletic director blamed himself during Wednesday’s meeting for not relaying the rules to the golfer, who eventually won the Division I individual title by two strokes. The Highland golfer was stripped of his championship medal, which was then awarded to the second place finisher.

In a show of sportsmanship, the Highland golfer hand-delivered the championship medal to the second place finisher.

---Yuma Catholic’s request to rescind two 2015 football forfeits for playing two players who transferred from an out of state program. Yuma Catholic’s athletic director/football coach Rhett Stallworth failed to complete the 520 and 530 transfer forms.

According to Wednesday’s agenda, Stallworth was not aware that the students needed their legal guardianship papers approved by the AIA, as Yuma Catholic had never had an out of state football transfers. A letter of reprimand was placed in Stallworth’s file, according to the Yuma Catholic’s principal, who was present along with Stallworth during Wednesday's board’s meeting.  

---On Wednesday the board unanimously voted to return to the previous tournament format for D-I softball and baseball: 24 teams; final eight play double elimination until the state championship game. 

D-I softball and baseball teams wanted the state finalists to play a best two-out-of-three series to determine a state champ, a measure that was approved at the May 18, 2015 board meeting. But after further discussion with Fox Sports, which has a two-year contract for televising the D-I and II softball and baseball title games, it was determined that a two-out-three series is not possible.

---Hardship appeals filed by San Carlos, Apollo (2), Joseph City, Moon Valley, Camp Verde, Yuma Catholic (2) were also approved. The names of students aren’t released unless parents give approval.

---A recommendation by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to allow two transgender athletes to compete passed.

---Additional game requests by Cesar Chavez, McClintock (two requests), Show Low, Corona del Sol also were granted.

---Verification paperwork of faculty at private, parochial, BIA, college prep and special function schools. The schools: Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, Cibecue Community Schools, Gilbert Christian, Greyhills Academy, Immaculate Heart, Joy Christian, Mingus Mountain Academy, Rock Point Community School, St. Michael, Tohono O’Odham, Valley Christian. Missing: The Gregory School, Rough Rock.

---A request by the Peoria Unified District to exceed the amount of permissible tournaments to support participation in fall district tournaments also was approved. The schools involved are Ironwood, Cactus, Centennial, Raymond S. Kellis, Liberty, Sunrise Mountain, Peoria.

Tournament dates are: Swim and dive (Oct. 30-31), girls golf (Oct. 26 and 29), girls volleyball (Oct. 23), cross country (Oct. 21), boys golf (Oct. 8), badminton (Oct. 2).

---A request to place Camp Verde’s football program on warning for one year instead of the school’s activities program. Camp Verde’s coach allowed a student enrolled at a local charter school to practice with the team during spring football practice. The head coach said he checked with the front office and was told the student had pre-enrolled for fall 2015. The school in-serviced the coach on the use of non-member students.

---To stay in line with National Federation of State High School Association’s rules, the board approved an emergency bylaw revision to 23.7.1 (Uniform Colors). Dark color jerseys will be worn for home games. White jerseys will be worn for all away game.

The agenda items the board denied Wednesday:

Sunnyside’s appeal to forfeit its 2014 wrestling victories, including its first place finish at sectionals and state runner-up placing, for using an ineligible wrestler.

Sunnyside’s principal and athletic director argued Wednesday that their wrestling program shouldn’t be punished because the wrestler’s family allegedly falsified its domicile paperwork. The motion to rescind Sunnyside’s forfeits and disallow the wrestler to compete for a year drew a tie, 3-3, which board president Mike DeLaO broke.

DeLaO voted to deny Sunnyside’s request to rescind the forfeits. Before the vote, Class 4A Conference board member Joe Paddock, district athletic director for the Amphitheater Unified District, said that Sunnyside should have been more aware of the wrestler, who was a high profile athlete who transferred to Sunnyside.

The wrestler is now at another school.  

---Saguaro’s request for a one-year exception to bylaw 23.5.3.1 (Number of Games in Season). Saguaro wanted to move up some of their football sophomores to varsity but also exceed the amount of games they are allowed to play.

The principal and athletic director of Saguaro, a D-III school that successfully petitioned to play in D-II this year, said that it is competing against schools with higher enrollments.

To “sustain student safety and victory with honor,” Saguaro was seeking an exception, Saguaro’s representatives said.

School violations

The following schools’ activities programs were placed on one-year advisement, the least severe punishment the AIA dispenses:

---Kingman Academy and St. David for allowing athletes to compete before physicals were completed. Kingman Academy also received an advisement after its football coach went to a middle school feeder program last spring to speak with potential football players.

---Mesa High for having a freshman football coach hold a meeting on a Sunday.

---Window Rock for violating the cross country competition start date.

New board member selected

The board selected Pusch Ridge Academy athletic director Lonnie Tvrdy as the new Class 2A Conference board member representative.

Monthly AIA lifetime passes recipients

Ernie Rice (Flagstaff) 29 years

Rick Wanta (Corona del Sol) 27 years

Kathy Rother (Bourgade Catholic) 30 years

Gregory Henke (Bourgade Catholic) 26 years

Wil Hinton (Fort Thomas) 25 years

Dr. Tricia Pena (Cienega) retired

Bruce Kipper (Mountain Pointe) 28 years

Scott Centanni (Corona del Sol) 32 years

Linda Lou Lamb (Benson) 30 years

Note

Since soccer, basketball, baseball and softball increased from four to five divisions this school year, bylaw revisions have to be approved.

The board voted to allow the legislative council to vote on the bylaw revisions on Sept. 25.