The Missouri State High School Activities Association held its annual election in May, and 25 of 26 amendments passed.
Members amended:
–Summer dead periods to allow schools to set different dead periods for athletic and non-athletic activities.
–Coaches eligibility. All coaches and directors must be approved by MSHSAA prior to instructing students, and violations of MSHSAA bylaws, rules or regulations may cause the board of directors to withhold “approved” status.
–Academic standards, to indicate that “extra classes” taken beyond the normal school day that are offered by the school for school credit may be used toward academic eligibility.
–Amateur and award requirements regarding camps and clinics, to allow students to provide lessons or instruction in their sport without jeopardizing amateur standing.
–Amateur and award requirements and the applicable non-athletic activity bylaws to indicate that interscholastic participants shall not represent the school (appearing in school uniform, school-named clothing, at school facilities, or with mascot/school colors) to endorse or promote a product/service, commercial venture, political venture, etc. without prior, written consent by a school administrator. If consent is given, any applicable award restrictions must be met.
–All-star participation to clearly indicate that senior students, once eligibility in a certain sport is exhausted, may participate in one all-star contest prior to summertime in that sport, under certain conditions.
–Sport participation and contact during the summer, to set in place definitions and limits in regard to school-directed football activities, body-to-body contact and school equipment.
–Hardship transfer exception to allow certain specified military officers to, upon arrival, have the option to send their children to either the school of residence, or any contiguous school district, without eligibility ramifications.
–Football required conditioning to allow for limited hand-to-chest contact during the first three days of practice.
–A requirement for schools to register the scrimmages with the MSHSAA office and to submit 20 percent of gross revenues. It was eliminated.
A bylaw that would have removed preseason football scrimmages “due to the current economic crisis for schools” was the only amendment defeated.
