MONTPELIER — The Vermont Principals Association held its annual media day Wednesday where new initiatives, issues and alignments were highlighted before the start of the 2019-2020 school year at the association’s Montpelier office.
Here are three takeaways from the meeting:
The VPA changed its out-of-season coaching policy, which is strict on a coach’s contact with their players in and out-of-season.
A coach is defined as someone who is paid by the school or related organization, such as the booster club.
The definition of out-of-season given by the VPA: “All days during the school year, except for the season of the sport in question.” A practice is a “formal meeting or direct instruction/training designed for the sport.
For example, a boys’ basketball coach is allowed to host a skills camp at his high school over February vacation because it’s during basketball season. But, the same camp would not be allowed over April vacation since basketball is out of season.
“I don’t know,” Johnson said when asked how the policy can be enforced. “When they went through and made this policy, I said, you guys have no idea what you’ve just created.
“It can be potentially be as minor as a warning. It can be a suspension for so many games. It could potentially lead to termination of being able to coach.”
Over summer break, though, all restrictions on this policy are non-applicable. Yet, schools may “determine to what extent the school, the coaches and the students are to be involved.” Johnson spoke of how an open gym for a basketball team in the summer shouldn’t be evaluated, that’s what basketball tryouts are for winter. To avoid that, coaches should avoid attending those workouts, and a parent or school employee should open the gym.
Coaches are also not to coach athletes from their high school in the same sport out-of-season. For example, a baseball coach is not allowed to coach players from his team on the local American Legion team in the summer. Also highly frowned upon by the VPA is student participation in summer activities being mandatory.
After last year’s discussion of alignments, the VPA revealed them this summer. The four main sports — soccer, basketball, softball and baseball — all remained at four divisions. Some teams had the option to move down, such as Spaulding in Division II boys’ basketball, while others requested to move up, which Rice Memorial did for Division I boys’ soccer.
In golf, however, the divisions were adjusted to only two instead of three.
Overall, VPA associate executive director Bob Johnson said that feedback has been positive and minimal.
The adjustments were based off the student count in the 9th, 10th and 11th grades. The realignment lasts from 2019-2021, and in some instances, minor changes could be made based off feedback to certain committees.
Last year the VPA focused on its mental health initiative, and it will remain one of the activity standard goals for the 2019-2020 academic year. Along with a keynote speaker at St. Michaels College last year, the VPA also hosted breakout groups focusing on social media, the internet and body image among teens.
“Since we did it last year, the National Federation has come out and there is actually a video on the NFHS learn site that people can take for nothing which deals with student mental health,” Johsnon said.
As of Thursday, Johnson said that the VPA doesn’t have any official events for its mental health initiative yet, but plans on coming out with a series of workshops.
Notes: Bass fishing’s set to enter year two as an exhibition sport and will host its state championship on Oct. 5 at Lake Champlain. … The struggle to get officials for field hockey and girls’ lacrosse continues to cause problems for the VPA. Last season, it outsourced the assigner to Massachusetts. In sports such as football and basketball, the problem is aging officials. … Thetford Academy will host the state cross country championships on Oct. 26. … Nominations for the VPA Hall of Fame have opened up for the class of 2020 and can be found here.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.