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New Looks Not Easy

By Patrick Bohn

These days, redesigning an athletic logo or changing a nickname is no easy process and any misstep can lead to unwanted criticism. In this blog, we take a look at schools that have recently been in the spotlight for handling the change in a way constituents considered less than ideal.

Help Break It Up

Head coaches in high school basketball will be allowed to come onto the court in an effort to break up a fight or keep a situation from escalating. Previously, the head coach could only enter the court if beckoned by an official. This revision to Rule 10-4-5 was one of five rules changes approved by the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee at its April 15-17 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Addressing Title IX Deficiencies

In response to a complaint filed by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has found that girls in Nevada's Clark County School District, the most populous county in the state, are not receiving equal opportunities to play sports, in violation of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools. As a result, the district has agreed to add more athletics opportunities for girls.

Cleaning Up HS Hockey

In continuing efforts to minimize the risk of injury in the sport, the NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Committee approved changes that will strengthen the language for dangerous hits as well as give game officials discretion for issuing a game disqualification when a player illegally hits another player from behind.

Coming Out, Moving Forward

Last week, NBA veteran Jason Collins made headlines and history with his public announcement that he is gay. As the first active athlete in one of the four major professional sports to make the admission, Collins has become a pioneer in the understanding and acceptance of lesbian, gay, and transgendered athletes. Though, Collins is at the forefront of the current conversation, the discussion of including, encouraging, and showing appreciation for LGBT athletes is one Athletic Management has been following and fostering for quite some time.

Athletes Sought for SCT Study

Graduate student Carroll Flansburg of the University of South Florida is conducting a study funded by the NCAA on collegiate football players who carry Sickle Cell Trait (SCT). The project has been thoroughly reviewed by the University of South Florida's Institutional Review Board and has incorporated the necessary safeguards to ensure participant safety and confidentiality. The NCAA Research Committee would like athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and athletic administrators to encourage at-risk athletes to participate in this important study.

Indoor Gymnasium Maintenance

The last thing some people think about should be the first thing on their minds and that is gym safety. However, the safety of the students, staff members, and customers that use your gymnasium must be ensured at all costs. It is absolutely essential that the people inside your gymnasium are protected from all potential threats of injury.

HS Wrestling Rules Updated

Effective with the 2013-14 season, forfeits in high school wrestling will no longer count toward a wrestler's daily match limit. Currently, wrestlers are limited by rule to five matches in one day. This change was one of five rules changes made by the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 8-10 meeting in Indianapolis. The changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

HS Breaststroke Rules Simplified

High school swimmers in the breaststroke event will now be permitted to execute a single butterfly kick on the start or turn at any time prior to the first breaststroke kick. This change and five other rules revisions were approved by the NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee at its March 24-26 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Star For a Month

On an 11-month contract at Grundy County (Tenn.) High School, Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Jamie Ruehling usually spends July relaxing and recovering from the hectic school year. This past summer, however, he followed his boyhood dreams instead.

A production company filming a movie about the life of Jackie Robinson was looking for extras to portray players on opposing teams, and Ruehling decided to try out. To his surprise, he was offered a speaking role. With "42" having been recently released, athletic directors everywhere can cheer for Brooklyn Dodgers third baseman Spider Jorgensen, played by Ruehling.