HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Prep ADs vote on numerous proposals
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii » In 55 minutes, it was over.
Athletic directors mulled 21 proposals that reached the general assembly yesterday at the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference.
Two of the approved proposals, which still have to be accepted by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive board tomorrow, call for extending state-tourney volleyball matches from best-of-three format to a best-of-five.
Another proposal would require leagues to field at least three teams in Division I or II to qualify for a state berth.
After two days of work in committees, yesterday's voting was the shortest in recent memory, according to Oahu Interscholastic Association executive director Dwight Toyama.
PAUL HONDA
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii » Best-of-five is still alive.
Athletic directors convening yesterday at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott passed a proposal that would change the format of state-tournament volleyball matches from a best-of-three format to best-of-five.
The proposal was approved by a 61-29 vote despite being shot down in committee (15-3). On a minority report presented at the general assembly yesterday, ADs from leagues across the state outnumbered the Oahu Interscholastic Association in the first vote of the morning.
"Forty of 47 states that have state championships in school volleyball use a best of five," La Pietra athletic director Ross Kinsler said to the floor of ADs before the vote.
Last season, three of the state's five leagues implemented best of five, though the state tournament remained in a best-of-three format.
All approved proposals at this week's Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference will be presented to the executive board of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tomorrow for final approval or rejection.
While the volleyball-rich ILH stands to benefit from the volleyball proposal, another dictate could put the league in a quandary. A proposal to require any league to field a minimum of three teams in a sport before earning a state-tournament berth passed by a 53-37 count. The proposal, offered by the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, was in reaction to the ILH's Division II state-qualifying teams in boys soccer, softball and baseball.
In each case, the qualifying teams had no other D-II opponents in ILH play. Mid-Pacific athletic director Bill Villa addressed the floor before the vote.
"Each league should be represented. We talk about the importance of keeping the formula," Villa said, referring to the ratio that determines the number of tourney-qualifying teams from each league.
"This would have a lethal effect on (ILH) classification. Every league knows what's best. This would force us to do different things," Villa added. "This also takes away opportunities for student-athletes."
The D-II state boys soccer champion, Mid-Pacific, would not have participated in the D-II state tourney if the proposal were in effect during the winter season. The same goes for D-II state softball champion Pac-Five.
"Why are you going to exclude somebody because they don't have enough (D-II) teams? This rule would undermine their purpose of providing opportunities," Pac-Five softball coach Randy Oyama said.
"I'm very concerned," ILH president and Mid-Pacific principal Richard Schaffer said. "It goes against our philosophy of allowing athletes from each league to have representatives (in the state tournament)."
Any likelihood that the HHSAA executive board would reject the proposal may be a long shot, but is not out of the question. Iolani co-athletic director Carl Schroers is willing to be patient.
"No one's run the numbers. We'll see what happens," he said. "Only two leagues (ILH and MIL) could be affected at all."
At least one BIIF athletic director said a compromise -- a play-in game -- would be acceptable. However, the proposal has no amendment to allow for a play-in, or "pigtail" game.
"I'm hoping the board will go back, re-evaluate and ask, 'Is this the right decision for all leagues?' This is only one league berth," Villa said.
Wrestling could be in for a change as well. A proposal to tweak three boys weight classes -- 103, 112 and 119 pounds -- passed by an 86-0 vote with four abstentions. The new weight divisions would be 108, 114 and 120.
Longtime wrestling coach Todd Los Banos, the outgoing athletic director at Saint Louis, sees the benefit of the proposal.
"We're kind of going against the national federation, (but) we're looking at the best ways to accommodate the kids," he said.
Moanalua AD Joel Kawachi was one of many administrators and coaches who saw the need for change.
"We've never filled the 103 (class) at states from what I remember," he said.
In addition, the difference in divisions would become 6 pounds instead of 9 and 7.
"We talked to the federation. They're currently in a two-year study. They're asking for our data once we have it," Kawachi said.
Among other approvals:
» Coaches would be permitted to instruct golfers during the state tournament. The BIIF's golf coordinator, Stephen Perry, expressed concern about teams that have only one coach while other squads have six coaches. The proposal was amended on the floor, with input by Waianae's Glenn Tokunaga, to limit the number of coaches providing instruction during tourney play to two. The proposal passed by a 54-36 count after a discussion of nearly 10 minutes.
"If you poll the kids, 'Do you want your coach talking to you after every tee,' they'd say no," Perry said. "Golf's a unique sport. This will slow things down when coaches are always telling their players what shot to hit, which club to use. We have 120 boys cramped together at the state tournament. This isn't going to help."
» Water polo will join the list of tournaments on a hosting rotation with the Neighbor Islands. The 2010-11 state tourney will be held on the Big Island.
» Perhaps the quirkiest proposal of the day, to eliminate the parade of teams during halftime of the state basketball finals, was approved unanimously.
2008 Hiada Conference Recommendations
Basketball
Proposal: Eliminate the parade of teams during the halftime of the championship game.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Golf
Proposal: All HHSAA golf tournament participants will have an opportunity to complete one 18-hole practice round prior to the tournament meeting at the tournament venue.
General assembly vote: Passed 58-32
Proposal: All official coaches that have also signed in during the pre-tournament coaches meeting to allow coaching (converse) with player from green to tee as long as it does not impede the pace of play. Athlete will still be responsible for maintaining pace-of-play tournament guidelines adhering to the state pace-of-play checkpoints. (Maximum of two coaches can converse with players.)
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Judo
Proposal: Adopt the skin lesion rules in NFHS wrestling rulebook 2006-07 on page 18, ART. 4-2-3 and 4-2-4. Secondly, utilize the NFHS physician referral form from skin lesion(s) or similar form which includes the following information: diagnosis, location of lesion(s) on a diagram of the body, mediation being used for treatment, date started treatment and date the physician release expires.
General assembly vote: Passed 85-0, five abstentions
Paddling
Proposal: A canoe committee, consisting of at least one representative from each league participating at the state races, shall be responsible for ensuring that all canoes are rigged according to specs and standards set. They shall also be responsible to ensure that all the canoes weigh the same. The canoes that need to have weight added shall add the weight to the underside of seats 2 through 5. If any team is caught using a canoe that doesn't weigh the agreed-upon specs/weight because they altered it in some way, they shall be immediately disqualified from further competition that day.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Proposal: Breaks during the state races should happen before the start of mixed races and again after the end of the mixed races. Each break shall be 15 minutes if needed to allow for enough rest time for the paddlers in the race events that occur immediately before and after the mixed races. This assumes the present format and race schedule is issued.
General assembly vote: Passed 86-4
Proposal: Rosters for the mixed-crew events shall be limited to a maximum of five girls and five boys.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Proposal: For the finals only, first-place semifinal finishers shall have first and second pick of lanes in order of fastest times. Second-place semifinal finishers shall have the third and fourth pick of lanes in order of fastest times. Third-place semifinal finishers shall have the fifth and sixth pick of lanes in order of fastest times and the next two best times shall have seventh and eighth pick of lanes in order of fastest times.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Proposal: Paddles must have a wooden shaft and be single bladed. The paddling blade may be made out of wood or some other synthetic material and have a protective or supportive (strengthening) covering which may be fibrous, Kevlar, carbon fiber, etc. The paddle may also have an edging or prosthesis for protection on the bottom or sides as well.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Swimming
Proposal: Allow a touch pad time on the first leg of a relay (leadoff swimmer) for meeting a qualified time for state swimming championship.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Track and Field
Proposal: If trials are run in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter runs, then 12 advance to the final. If two heats, top four in each heat plus four best times. If three heats, top three in each heat plus next three best times.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Proposal: Conduct vertical jumps as a finals-only event. Girls high jump and boys pole vault on Saturday, and boys high jump and girls pole vault on Friday.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
Volleyball, Girls and Boys
Proposal: Change format in championship bracket state tournament matches from best of three games to best of five.
General assembly vote: Passed 61-29
Water Polo
Proposal: Amend the water polo HHSAA tournament rules to allow for one 20-second time out.
General assembly vote: Passed 85-0
Proposal: Include Big Island in the rotation for hosting water polo beginning in the 2010-11 school year.
General assembly vote: Passed 57-29, four abstentions
Wrestling
Proposal: Form a state committee made up of wrestling coaches, league coordinators, state sport coordinator, trainers and/or other officials that would make recommendations to the HHSAA (executive) board to adjust and implement Hawaii's 2008-09 weight monitoring guidelines.
General assembly vote: Passed 86-0, four abstentions
Proposal: Adjust bottom three boys varsity weights from 103, 112, 119 to 108, 114, 120.
General assembly vote: Passed 86-0, four abstentions
State Tournament Schedules
Proposal: As amended -- approve the proposed 2008-09 and 2009-10 state host league rotation.
General assembly vote: Passed 90-0
HHSAA Start Date Restriction Policy
Proposal: Adjustment to be made to current calendar to avoid severe overlap in seasons. Move air riflery to week 17, move girls soccer to week 31, move boys soccer to week 32 and move tennis to week 44.
General assembly vote: Passed 57-29, four abstentions
League Representation at States
Proposal: For a league to receive a berth in the state tournament, the league must declare a minimum of three teams per division. However, because the KIF only has three schools in team sport competition, they are exempt from this requirement, if as a league, they have less than three teams in a division.
General assembly vote: Passed 53-37