NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC

ASSOCIATION

2009-2010 Eligibility Summary, Rules &

Regulations

PERSPECTIVE

“Winning on the professional level is required. Winning on the collegiate level has become expected. Winning on the high school level should be a pleasant by-product of what you’re really supposed to be doing, which is developing young people into productive citizens.”

Robert Kanaby,Executive Director of the NFHS

AGE

• Student may not participate if he/she becomes 19 years of age on or before October 16, 2009.

ATTENDANCE

• Must be in attendance 85%– cannot miss more than 13.5 days in the

previous 90-day semester

• This includes all absences– excused and unexcused

ATTENDANCE

• Attendance is regulated by local LEA policy in terms of length of day required to be counted in attendance.

• Local attendance policy may be more stringent in terms of counting/earning credit for courses.

ACADEMICS

• Must pass a minimum load of course work the previous semester to be eligible at any time during the semester.

• All students must also meet local promotion standards, set by the L.E.A. and/or local school.

• Courses must be approved for credit, (i.e., audited courses would not count).

ACADEMICS

• Minimum load is defined as five (5) courses in the traditional school schedule.

• Minimum load is defined as three (3) courses on the “block” schedule. This applies to all student athletes, including seniors.

ACADEMICS

• If the school is on an A/B form of “block” scheduling, a student must pass six (6) of eight (8) courses during what would traditionally be defined as a semester.

• No work previously passed by a student may be submitted as part of a minimum load.

ACADEMICS

• Summer school work used to make up part of the minimum load must be applied to the most recent semester.

• Credit for summer school work is the determination of the local unit.

ACADEMICS

• A student not eligible at the beginning of the semester is not eligible at any time during the semester.

• Exception: a student who receives an incomplete which causes him/her to fail to meet minimum scholastic requirements is ineligible until the course is satisfactorily completed. Eligibility is restored immediately.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCEENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

• Student must be a regularly enrolled member of the school’s student body.

• Student must participate at the school to which he/she is assigned by the local board of education.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

• School assignment is based on the residence of the parent or legal custodian (court ordered custody, not guardian) within the administrative unit.

• Student must live with the parents or legal custodian.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

• A “legal custodian” is a person or agency awarded legal, court-ordered custody of a child.

• A student may not have two residences for eligibility purposes.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

In order for a change of residence to be bona fide at least the following facts must exist:

1. The original residence must be abandoned as a residence; that is sold, rented or disposed of as a residence and must not be used as residence by any member of the family.

2. The entire family must make the change and take with them the household goods and furniture appropriate to the circumstances.

3. The change must be made with intent that the move is permanent.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

• Transfers within the same administrative unit may be governed by the local board of education.

• A student transferred from one administrative unit to another by mutual agreement is immediately eligible, for athletic participation in the receiving unit, if eligible in all other respects.

ENROLLMENT/RESIDENCE

• Student must be properly enrolled at the member school no later than the 15th day of the present semester, and must be in regular attendance at that school.

• No student may participate at a second school in the same sport season except in the event of a bona fide change of residence of the parent(s) or legal custodian. Change of schools must be contemporaneous with change of residence.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• Falsification of information in terms of eligibility will result in the student athlete(s) being declared ineligible for a period of 365 days from the point of notification by the NCHSAA.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Student must receive a medical examination once every 365 days by a duly licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.

• Students absent from athletic practice for five (5) or more days due to illness or injury shall receive a medical release by a physician licensed to practice medicine before re-admittance to practice or contests.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• No student may be eligible to participate at the high school level for a period lasting longer than eight (8) consecutive semesters, beginning with the students’ first entry into ninth grade or participation on a high school team, whichever occurs first.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• No student may participate at the high No student may participate at the high school level for more than four (4) seasons school level for more than four (4) seasons in a sport (one season per year, i.e., A in a sport (one season per year, i.e., A student could not play fall women’s soccer student could not play fall women’s soccer in one state and then play NCHSAA in one state and then play NCHSAA women’s soccer in the spring).women’s soccer in the spring).

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• A student must not be convicted of a felony in this or any other state, or be adjudicated as a delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult in this or any other state.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• A student may not play, practice or be on the roster if ineligible.

• This does not apply to summer workouts, but the student should be enrolled in your school.

• Managers, statisticians, etc. do not have to meet NCHSAA eligibility standards.

• There shall be no Sunday practice in any sport. This includes the assembling of athletic squads (full teams or selected individuals) for purposes of viewing films, chalk talks, or other materials pertaining to the coaching of the team.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

•A student may not dress for a game or scrimmage when he/she is not eligible to participate in the game.

• If serving an “ejection”, student may be in the bench area but may not be in uniform.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• To maintain amateur status, a student must not accept money or awards having utilitarian value (golf balls, clubs, tennis rackets, etc.) for participation in athletics.

• A student must not have signed a professional contract or played on a junior college /community college team.

SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

• Each coach must sign off on the eligibility summary form that is signed by the principal and athletics director.

• Master Eligibility sheets are to be shared with each member school of your conference for each sport program.

• A mandatory parent/guardian meeting must be held to have the parent sign the parental permission form to acknowledge eligibility and sportsmanship policies/expectations have been reviewed.

NCHSAA REGULATIONS

• BEGINNING WITH THE 2009-10 ACADEMIC YEAR, ANY STUDENT ATHLETE AND/OR COACH WHO IS EJECTED OR DISQUALIFIED FOR UNSPORTING ACTION MUST COMPLETE THE STAR SPORTSMANSHIP PROGRAM BEFORE BEING ELIGIBLE TO RETURN TO COMPETITION.

• FAX COPY OF STAR SPORTSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE TO MARK DREIBELBIS @ 919/962-7811.

• THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE EJECTION POLICY CRITERIA SANCTIONS AS STATED IN THE NCHSAA HANDBOOK.

SPORTS MEDICINE: TAKE HOME POINTS

Five North Carolina High School Athletes died in games or practice during 2008-

2009 school year– 2 of these were head injuries– 2 were heart problems– 1 final diagnosis/autopsy report has

not been releasedThe following slides provide key points that may help you, as coaches, prevent further

deaths

SPORTS MEDICINE:CONCUSSIONS

• A concussion is a traumatic injury to the brain and presents with a wide variety of signs and symptoms

– Headache– Confusion– Amnesia (not remembering events before or after the injury)– Vision changes– Loss of consciousness– Dizziness– Irritability/emotional changes (inappropriate or atypical crying, laughing, etc)– Nausea/vomiting– Fatigue/feeling sluggish/slow/’foggy’– Having “bell rung’ – Excessive fatigue/drowsiness

• ANY sign/symptom after a blow to the head is a concussion until proven otherwise

SPORTS MEDICINE:CONCUSSION

• A high school athlete should NEVER return to play on the day they suffer a concussion– Returning an athlete to play before complete

resolution of symptoms can lead to recurrent concussion, prolonged post-concussion symptoms, OR even ‘Second Impact Syndrome’ (which is often fatal)

• NEW NHSCAA Rule : An athlete with suspected concussion cannot return to play until he/she is cleared by a licensed medical physician– Managing concussions is difficult even for well-trained

and experienced medical providers. Coaches, you do not want this responsibility (or liability).

SPORTS MEDICINE:CONCUSSIONS

Take home point: At the end of the day, it’s not an athlete’s knee, ankle, or elbow… it’s his or her brain and you

cannot get this one wrong.

• “WHEN IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT.”

SPORTS MEDICINE:NECK INJURIES

• Cervical spine injuries are typically caused by contact with a forward flexed neck – ‘spearing’ position

• Any numbness/tingling in BOTH arms is suspicious for a cervical spine injury – a ‘stinger’ never causes burning in both arms

Take Home Point: Any suspected cervical spine injury should be immobilized and

evaluated by medical personnel

SPORTS MEDICINE:HEART ISSUES

• Sudden cardiac death occurs in young athletes for a variety of reasons:– Most are due to genetic abnormalities of heart

rhythms or heart anatomy– Drugs can trigger cardiac arrest (cocaine,

stimulants, anabolic steroids, and ephedrine are common culprits)

– Heat stroke can lead to cardiac arrest– Viral illnesses can cause ‘myocarditis’

(infection of the heart muscle) which can cause sudden cardiac arrest

– Sickle cell trait makes athletes more likely to have sudden cardiac arrest (more common in African-Americans)

SPORTS MEDICINE: HEART ISSUES

There are red flags which can tip us off to undiagnosed heart problems

• Chest pain with exertion• Passing out/fainting from exertion – this is

not normal or due to being ‘out of shape’• Family history of a sudden cardiac death

or unexplained death before age 50Take home point: Any athlete who

passes out or has chest pain with exertion needs a medical evaluation

SPORTS MEDICINE:RESPIRATORY

ISSUES/ASTHMA• Asthma attacks remain a leading cause of

death among young people

• Be aware of common asthma triggers:– Respiratory infections– Both extreme heat/humidity and cold/dry – Pollen & other allergens

Take home point: Know who your asthmatic athletes are & make sure they have

accessible inhalers

SPORTS MEDICINE: HEAT ILLNESS

• Death from heat illness is preventable• Hydration is only one part of the solution• Know who is at increased risk

– Obese, out of shape athletes– Athletes with fever or recent stomach or

respiratory infections– Athletes with sickle cell trait– Athletes with history of prior heat illness– Athletes on illicit drugs, ADD meds, or

supplements w/ stimulants

SPORTS MEDICINE:HEAT ILLNESS

• Prevention is key

• Be aware of heat index (see handbook)– General Rule for high risk

•70 to 80 F with high humidity (> 70%)

•80 to 90 F with moderate humidity

• 90 F with low humidity (< 30%)

• Practice at cooler times when feasible (mornings, evenings)

SPORTS MEDICINE:HEAT ILLNESS

• Allow athletes/teams to acclimate and become accustomed to heat over time

• Allow regular breaks for cooling and hydration

• Monitor body weight pre/post practice

• Recognize early and initiate cooling immediately– confusion, collapse, nausea/vomiting

SPORTS MEDICINE:SKIN INFECTIONS

• Skin infections are common in contact sports

• Most skin infections are relatively minor and self-limited

• Resistant staph infections (MRSA) have become quite common and can be severe

• Skin infections are spread by skin-to-skin contact, sharing pads/equipment/work-out gear, dirty equipment

• Any boil or abscess needs medical evaluation

SPORTS MEDICINE:SKIN INFECTIONS

Take home pointTake home point: the vast majority of skin : the vast majority of skin infections can be prevented by good hygieneinfections can be prevented by good hygiene

– Shower right after every practice & gameShower right after every practice & game– Do not share equipment, pads, work-out clothes, Do not share equipment, pads, work-out clothes,

towels, etctowels, etc– Wash hands frequently with soap/water or anti-Wash hands frequently with soap/water or anti-

bacterial towels/gelsbacterial towels/gels– Wash equipment, mats, clothes, towels, etc Wash equipment, mats, clothes, towels, etc

regularlyregularly

THANK YOU AND

GOOD LUCK IN 2009 - 2010!!!!