WSSAAA News

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Executive Director Message

Proclaiming the Value of Activities

Dave Tikker

WSSAAA Executive Director

With school districts nationwide struggling to make ends meet all school programs are under the microscope. Many districts are seriously looking at cutting back on athletic expenditures. In doing so, district personnel making those decisions will make some type of judgment about the "educational value" of all programs being subsidized by the district budget. The sense of urgency to defend the educational value of athletics in our respective districts is upon us. We all believe it; its time to promote it like never before or we could lose what many of us believe is the best counseling tool school districts have, ACTIVITIES!!!

Last week the WIAA and WSSAAA, working together, sent out a memo to our respective boards asking for comparisons ( gpa and dropout rates) in our schools between students in activities and those not engaged in activities. Our goal is to create an educational video presentation that will go out across the state speaking to the merits of activities.

We need your help in giving us that information from your schools. When we get to the video part we hope to include former students involved in activities who have gone on to successful careers as well as current students and how activities have shaped their lives. Please send all information to Mike Colbrese at the WIAA and we will begin to put together the data we will use in the video.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at our state conference in April. Thanks to the generosity of our corporate partners we hope to double the amount of scholarships for new AD’s to come to the conference this year. There will be more information about new scholarship opportunities in our next magazine. Please check with your district board rep for a potential scholarship to the conference in April.

Have a Terrific New Year!

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Football Helmet Inventories, One Precautionary Step

Steve Bridge, CMAA

Athletic Director, Elma High School

The past few months many of you have either received information in the mail from Helmet makers or received notices from Superintendents regarding football helmet inventories. I hope to shed some light on this issue and why school districts and insurance groups are requesting this information.

The past few years, Dick Langum and I have been doing helmet inventory workshops to schools and coaches from throughout the State. Dick began the practice several years ago trying to provide more awareness to AD’s and coaches of not only their responsibilities but those of re-conditioners and vendors. We have found a tremendous amount of inconsistency among not only the process but the accuracy of helmet information leading to football helmets being re-certified.

Several methods have been used to get information out to schools including the Fall AD workshops as well as presentations at coaches association conferences. Five years ago at the State AD’s convention in Spokane, I had a breakout session entitled “Football Helmet Re-certification.” The presentation was a panel of speakers including Dick Langum (representing Canfield and Associates), Ike Cummings, (representing Continental) and several vendors from different companies. There were eight attendees at the breakout session.

I share this story because throughout the state, the re-certification process has presented all of us with a number of challenges. With the revolving door of football coaches, especially at the middle level, and nearly a 40% turnover in AD’s, management and awareness has become a concern. I will share a few examples of what we have seen in the past five years.

Three years ago, I was in a small school with a new Head Football coach. Part of our process when conducting an inventory is to help the coach learn how to identify the age of the helmet and how to identify the need for certification. Most coaches who have been in the profession a few years are aware of the NOCSE stickers on the back of the helmet that include the year that hat was last recertified or in the case of a new helmet, the year it was made. This information is also available inside the helmet with a colored sticker. The color of the sticker indicated the year the certification took place. As we were going through the process, the coach states “That was a pretty good year.” He was referring to the age of the 1978 helmet that that had been recertified in 2007. The reason the coach felt it was a good year was because it was the year he was born! In the past three years, Dick and I have collected helmets from schools from 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981 that were all certified for use. I have also been in a school where not one helmet had been re-certified since they were purchased- one dating back to 1991. We had another incident where the football helmets were still in lockers (May) from the previous football season. We have seen storage facilities left with helmets and other gear pilled in a corner from the previous season. The point being, we are dealing with the safety of our students and coaches and AD’s must be vigilant in dealing with this issue.

In November of 2009, Dick Langum and Ike Cummings conducted a teleconference for WASBO. The title was “Football Helmets and the Business Office.” Listed below are the goals and recommendations from this presentation.

1. To help assure safe equipment for football players

2. To assist participants in understanding the reconditioning/recertification process

3. To walk participants thru the elements of a good helmet inventory process

4. To explain the benefits of an accurate up-to-date inventory process

5. To address the 5 most asked questions about helmet recertification and inventory.

The following are recommendations for schools when they purchase football helmets and for subsequent recertification of those helmets.

1. When purchasing a helmet, check to make sure the helmet is new and not a helmet that has been in storage/inventory for a number of years. The vendor should show you the manufacturing date for each new helmet. NOTE: This past year, we have seen helmets sold to schools as NEW that were manufactured in 2003, 2004, and 2006.

2. Put a school district I.D. number on the helmet and enter the purchase date of the school inventory *. Place the I.D. number above the left or right ear hole in 2 places. (Heavy duty permanent markers usually work). NOTE: I have seen some schools use the number decals often put on the back of helmets- these are tough and very resistant during helmet cleaning.

3. If a vendor is cutting the price for a helmet, ask the vendor why and make sure the helmet is not going out of production or the manufacturer is not going out of business or the helmet has not sat in a distribution center for a lengthy time. NOTE: My experience has been this is most common with the purchase of XL or XXL helmets.

4. If you purchase a helmet that in more than one year old, be prepared to have it reconditioned/recertified before placing the helmet into service in order to comply with the manufacturer’s warranty. NOTE: We have seen helmets that have never has the interior padding put on still hanging in the school storage unit that are 3 and 4 years old- these now need reconditioning before use.

5. When you receive a new helmet, read the warranty information and make sure you adhere to the warranty instructions for fitting, care and reconditioning/recertification. These statements may change yearly.

6. Develop a helmet inventory system to keep track of when each helmet is purchases and reconditioned/recertified. Keep a record for you and give an updated copy of the inventory* to your athletic director each year. Inventory control is a school responsibility although a vendor may assist.

7. Have your helmets reconditioned/recertified on a regular basis. Canfield and Associates recommends a 2 year reconditioning/recertification program. If your school is not and C&A member, check with your district office for your insurance program’s recommendations. Include the reconditioning date on your school’s inventory. NOTE: Several schools have gone to “every helmet every year” reconditioning policy.

8. When a helmet is rejected during the reconditioning/recertification process, have the helmet returned to you and have your vendor explain why the helmet was rejected. The returned/rejected helmet should be cut into two pieces and discarded or used for awards. Do not discard helmet in a dumpster. Note the demolition date on your inventory.

This past year with the Lystad Act and the emphasis put on concussion training, there is even a greater awareness in prevention of head injuries. Our goal is to provide the safest environment possible for our student athletes and the care and certification process of football helmet is a great place to start.

If you would like any more information on this topic, feel free to contact Dick Langum @ 509-264-4711 or e-mail rlangum@ns1.tumwater.net or Steve Bridge @ 360-470-2867 or e-mail slbridge@techline.com

WSSAAA News - January 2010

2010 WSSAAA Conference Update

Classes Available at Conference

Dan Heltsley

2010 Conference Chair

LTC classes have always been a staple of the WSSAAA Conference. These classes offer a variety of professional learning opportunities for Athletic Directors that are applicable at all levels regardless of the size of the school. This year we surveyed the membership at the WIAA Fall Workshops to determine what classes to offer and we developed the schedule based on those results.

On Sunday, April 18th you will have the opportunity to choose from the following classes:

LTC 501 – Athletic Administration: Philosophy, Leadership Organization and Professional Development
LTC 707 – Athletic Administration: Assessment of Interscholastic Athletic Programs and Personnel
LTC 724 – Athletic Administration: Stress Management Methods, Techniques and Systems

On Monday, April 19th you will have the opportunity to choose one of these classes:

LTC 504 – Athletic Administration: Legal Issues I (Risk management)
LTC 608 – Athletic Administration: Management Strategies and Organization Techniques

On Tuesday, April 20th we will offer LTC 710 on Current Issues that is open to all attendees for LTC credit or on an audit basis.

All of the LTC courses offered will be applicable to your pursuit of RAA, CAA or CMAA certification through the NIAAA. Plan to take advantage of this opportunity and enroll in the LTC courses of your choice.

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Why Take Leadership Training Courses

Jim Piccolo

WSSAAA LTC Coordinator

Over the last ten years, WSSAAA has offered LTC programs sponsored by the NIAAA. We have many participants and teachers helping make this program a big success in the State of Washington and across the United States. Washington is in the top 10% across the nation teaching Leadership programs. The challenge becomes getting more of our members to be involved in taking LTC classes and becoming instructors.

Here are some of the reasons or thoughts to ponder in taking LTC classes at the State Conference or at other venues:

1. Cost of taking vs. not taking. (Opportunity costs)
2. Offerings
3. Instructors
4. Professional development
5. Sharing/camaraderie/growth
6. Preparing/protect your coaches
7. Protecting your School District
8. Protect your self, have liability insurance, become a member of WSSAAA and NIAAA
9. Protect your athletes
10. Networking with Athletic Directors
11. Professional Certification RAA/CAA.CMAA

When we stop taking courses, attending conferences or professional development as educators, coaches, athletic directors, or administrators, we stop growing as an individual.
Thirty percent of the athletic directors in MS/HS participate in the STATE conference and take LTC courses. What are the other seventy percent doing for professional development?

The feedback on the NIAAA Leadership classes presented at the WSSAAA conference and around the state is overwhelmingly positive. We hope you will join us this year in taking a Leadership class!

WSSAAA News - January 2010

The Value of Mentoring

Ty Morris, CMAA

Longview, Washington

Mentoring is still alive, even though people may not recognize it as a formal program. Mentors and mentees gravitate toward one another, and they may not even be aware of their relationship until it has gone on for awhile. Oftentimes, the features of each type of mentorship overlap. A mentor not only shows you the ropes, but might also give you some lessons on how those ropes are tied, how they sometimes get tangled, and how to avoid hanging yourself with them.

Throughout my years of association with the Rotary organization, I have served as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, where I have been paired with one other Rotarian, such as the mayor, city manager, a business owner, etc.—not someone with whom I would normally share personal thoughts and feelings. It was through these two-hour shifts that I came to realize I was in both roles, and it helped me to establish a moral, professional, and ethical compass. In athletic administration this outlet has become apparent through the networking of the WIAA, WSSAAA, and the NIAAA. In your career you will take on situational leadership where you will serve as a mentor and a mentee.

This year I encountered a situation that required the assistance of Steve Bridge, HoF Elma Athletic Director/WSSAAA Board member; Dick Langham, Canfield Insurance expert; Rich Frazer, HoF District IV Director; and Robert Blackman, secretary of the Greater St. Helens League. I was having difficulty coming up with a financial payment plan for our athletic trainer; and when I turned to them for suggestions, they found a viable solution. This is an example of mentorship.

As new athletic administrators navigate through tricky waters regarding issues such as classification, amendment process, officials, sportsmanship, certification, etc., it is critical to form key relationships where both the mentor and mentee benefit. It may go by different names or take different forms, and each pairing is unique; but people will never forget how you made them feel and how you helped their cause.

I have had many mentors, but one who comes to mind in my early years in athletic administration is HoF and veteran Tumwater A.D. Bob Shaner. Bob explained many things to me--the Opstadt Formula, district vs. regional tournaments, East/West freeze, the value of the Southwest District IV retreat, the importance of attending and participating at the WSSAAA State Conference--but most importantly, Bob taught me that you never have a second chance to make a first impression.

Here are a few examples of great mentors in athletics: Red Holzman & Phil Jackson; Branch Rickey & Jackie Robinson; Joe Montana & Steve Young; Jacque Plante & Ken Dryden; Great mentors in history: Socrates & Plato; Anne Sullivan & Helen Keller; Andrew Jackson & Sam Houston; Great mentors in modern times: Ben Bradlee & Bob Woodward/ Carl Bernstein; Barry Diller & Michael Eisner; Thomas Sowell & Clarence Thomas.

Successful mentoring is a two-way street and is prevalent in all walks of life. As Hall of Fame WSSAAA Board member Joe Richer has stated, his involvement with state members and his associations with the WIAA/WSSAAA/NIAAA have provided him with a positive perspective to sail, with the mindset that only athletic directors appreciate and see beyond the isolated box they sometimes feel they are in.

So when you see a new face in athletic administration, take the time to get to know that person and offer friendship, advice, and service.

Editor’s Note: Greg Hart and Ty Morris serve on the WSSAAA Mentoring Committee. They can be reached at hartg@snoqualmie.k12.wa.us and tmorris@longview.k12.wa.us, with any mentoring stories to be incorporated into future mentoring articles.

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Signs of Excellence

Mandy Lance

UnitedHealthcare/Student Resources

Traveling across the country and sitting in thousands of Athletic Director’s and Coaches’ offices, I’ve been inspired and rejuvenated by the simplicity of the motivational messages that I’ve read on their walls. Some of the meaningful quotes have been artistically combined with beautiful photographs and some have been hand-scrawled on poster board, but each accomplishes their goal of instilling a memorable mantra to the students (and open-minded adults) who read them.

Here are a few of my favorites that spur the pursuit of excellence:

Perfection is our goal...excellence will be tolerated.

If the going gets easy, you may be going downhill.

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.

Our company (UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company) has a slogan that pushes us toward perfection. In fact, our slogan of “Healing health care. Together.” has become my personal mission to help make insurance work in a more user-friendly manner. Our student insurance division within UnitedHealthcare has a sign in the break-room that says, If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over? Through this poster, my co-workers and I are gently reminded daily of the importance of
always giving 100% and striving to be excellent. We know that school leaders, students and parents depend on that commitment.

The sports world has its share of inspirational figures with classic motivational statements. Who hasn’t quoted one of the old masters when admonishing young teams to find the drive and determination to win? Whether it be from a half-time speech or a locker room poster, students respond exceptionally well to challenging positive messages, as long as they see the messenger is trying to live by the motto.

Success in coaching and shaping lives draws from the expectation of excellence from both you and your athletes for each other. Are you displaying all of the signs of excellence?

I have one final maxim about student excellence, and invite you to share this with parents and teachers:

To play a leading role in the lives of youth, you must get behind them and push.

Mandy Lance is the Vice President of Sales, K12 Division with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. She lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and is tireless in her effort to support the NIAAA and state Athletic Associations. To reach her with questions about student and athletics insurance, call 888-282-5957.

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Editorial

Coaching Experience and Education

Jim Schmutz

ASEP Executive Director

Coaching has a long history of on-the-job mentorship. The indoctrination process typically begins back in the coach's own playing days observing and interacting with influential coaches. From there a normal progression takes place: from rookie coach with little responsibility to rising assistant given additional duties to head coach. For many, working up through the ranks and gaining experiential knowledge along the way is thought to be the appropriate growth path in the profession.

Anecdotal evidence would seem to support this assumption, since at the high school level and above nearly all head coaches have "paid their dues" as assistants. This manner of coach training is so accepted that its shortcomings are often overlooked or dismissed by many present and would-be coaches. Suggest to them that mastering a sound, structured coaching curriculum is also vital in the development of coaches and their reaction usually is one of dismay or disdain.

Why? The answer I most often hear is the amount of time required to complete an education course. Sadly and alarmingly, those who cite time as the biggest issue tend to focus on "certification" rather than "education." They also underestimate the value education brings to their ability to effectively and efficiently manage the many demands of a coach both on and off the field. I would argue that high quality coaching education could help a coach save time over the course of season by making the time investment in training upfront.

On the flip side, any honest educator would admit the shortcomings of relying solely on classroom-based instruction without implementing an experiential learning component. That's why prospective teachers practice teach, future doctors serve lengthy internships and residencies, and aspiring chefs spend years as understudies before taking command of a kitchen. But dismissing classroom coach training because it is not conducted "in the trenches" is unwise and potentially dangerous.

Say a coach works his way up the ranks in a high school program to assistant head coach relying on his own personal experiences and observations of other coaches. What is missing? For one thing, the coach has been exposed to a very small set of circumstances in which to learn about coaching, and he's destined to be no better or worse than the one or two coaches he learned from. In short, he doesn't even know what he doesn't know. That's called ignorance.

A well-constructed and effectively presented coaching education curriculum is highly beneficial to all coaches. Following are just a few of the reasons why. Read more.

Share your comments and help continue the conversation by contacting me directly at JamesS@hkusa.com or by sharing your thoughts on my blog.

Jim Schmutz
ASEP Executive Director

Reprinted with permission from the American Sports Education Program (ASEP)

WSSAAA News - January 2010

January NewsBites

Disciplining Players, a Tight Rope Walk?
Oregon State coach Mike Riley won't stop disciplining players because three of his colleagues were recently forced out after allegations of player abuse. Those accusations, however, might give him pause.

"If nothing else, it should make you stop and think," Riley said. "Your style, your habits, your relationships with people. I think you just have to be very, very aware and smart about things."

Other coaches agreed at the American Football Coaches Association convention in Orlando this week.

ACLU to File Complaint Over Sports Fees
Saying that “play to pay” fees violate state law, the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is taking its challenge to court. The ACLU says that charging fees for interscholastic sports in Rhode Island is illegal and that poor families should not have to seek a charitable waiver for their children to play for their schools’ sports teams.

Charter Athletes May Get Extra Sports Option
If this South Carolina bill passes, charter school students would be allowed to compete for their local high school teams in sports the charter school doesn't offer.

Life in the Balance
The attitude and approach to athletics in NCAA Division II schools may be seeing some changes in the near future if the Life in the Balance Initiative gets passed during this months convention. The NCAA provides a summary of issues at stake.

WSSAAA News - January 2010

Are Supplements Safe for Teens?

Over-the-Counter Enhancers Are Everywhere, But May Be Dangerous

Julie Deardorff & Jared S. Hopkins

Chicago Tribune

Mikey Santini was in junior high when he started taking creatine and protein supplements to build muscle and enhance his athletic abilities. By his junior year in high school, he had moved on to nitric oxide "energy igniters" such as N.O.-Xplode and so-called "legal anabolic" products such as Mass FX, which claims to boost strength, aggression and testosterone levels.

"You can get fabulous results," said Santini, 19, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., who played soccer and ran cross country. But he acknowledges the products have a potentially dangerous downside. "It involves taking a lot of other stuff for your liver and prostate and rebalancing your testosterone levels so you don't get side effects."

Some surveys show anabolic steroid use has decreased among adolescents over the last decade, but a popular alternative for many athletes - over-the-counter supplements - is raising concerns among parents, coaches, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and even lawmakers.

Proponents say the legal products can provide a competitive edge and fill in nutritional gaps for athletes with hectic schedules and poor diets. But supplements, which are as easy to buy as aspirin, can pose risks to young athletes, whose developing bodies often are undergoing rapid physical changes. The long-term health effects of commonly used products such as creatine aren't known, but children often mix products or take more than the recommended amounts, and most of the safety research has been done on adults.

The FDA, which has limited ability to regulate dietary supplements before they hit the market, recently prompted several major recalls of bodybuilding supplements and warned consumers to avoid products marketed as alternatives to anabolic steroids.

Moreover, some see supplements as a bad habit, one that can lead to more dangerous drugs and discourage teens from what they really need: nutritious whole foods. But supplement use is generally overlooked because parents and coaches often have no clue what - or how much - children are actually taking.

"(Supplements) are actually more of a potential problem in our society than steroids," said C. Roger Rees, a professor of human performance sciences at Adelphi University who specializes in social issues and high school sports. "Kids see supplements as safe and they're sold over the counter. I'd be concerned about large use if I was a parent."

For athletes, the benefits of taking supplements rarely outweigh the risks. With the exception of creatine, there's little evidence that sports supplements, a $2.7 billion industry in the U.S., actually enhance performance. Yet even seemingly benign ingredients have potential dangers.

Protein, for example, is relatively safe. But some products may contain multiple sources of protein, said personal trainer Erin Palinski, a registered dietitian who specializes in adolescent athletes. In general, athletes need 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. "Teen athletes who get too much can excrete calcium, which could decrease bone mass," Palinski said. "Since that's prime time for bone building, it could lead to future problems."

Creatine, which the American College of Sports Medicine says shouldn't be used by those younger than 18, has been shown to be ineffective for some people. It can cause stomach upset and muscle cramps and overwork the kidneys. There are no data evaluating the long-term consequences of use or its effect on the heart and brain.