Hey guys! Last I heard this site no longer had a Legion Forum.
I've had an email to a NCHSAA Board member since last Wednesday, but no response yet. I'm willing to fight this as hard as possible. I got tired of relying on others to provide information so I called the NCHSAA myself. Here is what I've found out and my thoughts.
I was told by a NCHSAA representative that the dead period rule is setup for kids to have the option to play other sports because their high school coach can dictate what they do, thus removing the players choice to play other sports. Really thought we have a situation in America that allows for freedom of choice on time outside of school to make decisions instead of an arbitrary rule penalizing everyone for the poor choices of select number of control freak coaches. A more realistic reason seems that it is a rule to govern confrontation between high school coaches on the same campus (example football & baseball) that should be managed by school leadership instead of blanket regulation that only reduces, instead of removing childish squabbles anyway. That last sentence is speculation so let’s move on with more realistic aspects. Ultimately, summer programs are handicapped from some of the best coaches being available, and freedom is restricted in the name of protecting a high school student from their coach. Maybe I missed the criteria for hiring a coach somewhere along the way, but that should require the person to be stable and not controlling while having the school and players best interest in mind? If this is the level of confidence in high school coaches, then it is simply shameful.
Some coaches have stopped coaching in high school in order to avoid dead periods and coach travel teams instead for more money than the school system currently pays coaches. Does the NCHSAA want to compete with higher budget travel programs of soccer, softball, basketball, and baseball by restricting coaches summer ability to earn income? Doubt any NC school system has increases budgeted for break even or non-profitable high school sports.
Totally different angle, these policies sound like grounds for a discrimination lawsuit that restricts high school coaches from having summer income to coach, and kids to be restricted from free or cheap options to play baseball. Most high school baseball coaches either coach Legion or travel ball. Travel ball is extremely expensive and Legion is cheap or free. These are only examples, I’m sure there are many more possibilities. Coaches in a school systems that graduate early have an advantage for summer employment as opposed to systems that graduate later. Sound like a legitimate EEOC claim?
Last question, how can rules that govern the state of North Carolina's school system not be approved by the NC State Board of Education?