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GHSA High School Coaches Corner
| To: All GHSA Lacrosse Coaches From: Jay Watts Updated: March 10, 2010 |
@ SCORE REPORTING - Please report your scores promptly at the end of each contest. Scores should be sent in to Georgia Prep Country and to LaxPower. Georgia Prep Country (http://ga.prepcountry.com) is the official web site used by the GHSA to determine area records and seeding for the state tournaments. It is also the web site used by the GHSA should any scheduling conflicts arise. Please check to make sure your schedule is accurately entered on that site and enter your final scores when your games are completed. In some sports, teams are fined if their records are not accurately kept on that site. We do not have that rule in place right now, but it emphasizes the importance of keeping your team page up to date. While LaxPower is not monitored by the GHSA, it is monitored by coaches, players, and fans all around the country. Your schedule is already entered because it was uploaded from the umpires' master schedule. All you have to do is enter your scores. Should you have games rained out or canceled, it is easy to fix that, too. It would be relatively easy to assign this duty to a parent who you feel would handle this responsibly.
@ PLAYOFF BRACKETS - The updated 2010 playoff brackets have been posted on the links to the left of this page. The dates for the first two rounds of action are fixed unless special permission for another date is granted by the GHSA.
@ RECLASSIFICATION - At the latest GHSA Reclassification meeting, six schools that currently play lacrosse were moved to a new classification that could affect their area assignment for 2011. Hillgrove and West Forsyth were moved to AAAAA. Chattahoochee, Kell, Pope, and South Forsyth dropped down to AAAA-A. These changes will be reflected on the next lacrosse area assignments that come out in late May/ early June 2010.
@ LETTER FROM THE GHSA - Head coaches, school administrators, and booster club presidents should read this letter from the GHSA. The letter discusses the relationship between school and non-school or club lacrosse teams. No school should support any teams in the non-GHSA club league. Varsity and sub-varsity teams must compete against other GHSA school teams.
@ GAME CONTRACTS -
As you plan for 2010, please remember to use game contracts for your
area games. A sample contract can be found at the following link from
the GHSA web site:
http://www.ghsa.net/files/documents/forms/OfficialContract-Sport.pdf.
@ 2010 CALENDAR CHANGE - At the most recent GHSA Executive Meeting, our request was heard to extend our season one week, giving us an extra week of practice before our first contest. This was something that we discussed at our meeting last September, but this was the first time that the GHSA had formally considered our proposal. Our proposal passed which means that the first day of practice for 2010 will be Monday, February 1, the first contest will be held on Monday, February 22, and the last day of the regular season will be April 30. The GHSA State Championships will be held on May 15.
@ COACHING 8th GRADERS - Some coaches brought to my attention at our meeting that some local schools or school systems have their own local rules that forbid 8th graders from playing JV. After discussing this topic with the GHSA office, I need to clarify what was stated at our meeting. If you coach at a school or school system in which 8th graders are ineligible by rule of your own school system for junior varsity sports, then you are allowed to coach/ supervise 8th graders in lacrosse during the fall and winter. Be mindful of the fact that the transfer rule is still in place, however. Should you coach an 8th grader that does not attend one of your feeder schools, and that athlete transfers to your high school as a 9th grader, he or she will be ineligible for Varsity athletics for one year after enrolling in your school. In the spring of 2010, the GHSA will consider a rule that would ban 8th graders from participating in all JV sports at all schools. Should that rule pass, this standard could change.
@ DIRECTIONS TO FIELDS - If you are a new school, please email me directions to your home field ASAP. If any of you have had a chance in location for your home field, please email that update to me as well. You should be able to go to the league web site to check that your directions are accurate (http://www.georgialax.com/Directions.html).
@ DEAD WEEK 2010 - In keeping with By-Law 2.69(c), the "Dead Week" for the summer of 2010 will extend from Sunday, July 4th through Saturday, July 10th. During the “dead week” no school teams may conduct conditioning drills, practices, or be involved in competitions on or off the school’s campus. This means that weight training, running drills, rec league or summer games, and team camps in a variety of sports may not occur during this week. Violations of this rule will be handled similarly to out-of-season practices.
@ GACA MEMBERSHIP - With the beginning of the new school year, coaches are encouraged to register with the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. There are a number of benefits available to all members. Every member receives $1,000,000 in general liability coverage. Member coaches will also receive recognition plaques and certificates when their team wins a championship. Members are also eligible to receive discount registration at GACA Coaching Clinics. Beginning this school year, all GACA member registration will be done online at the GACA web site, www.gacacoach.com. The new registration procedure is short and simple. Complete instructions are available on the site.
@ US LACROSSE MEMBERSHIP - Anytime is a good time to check that your
US Lacrosse Membership is current and will stay valid throughout the
season. Membership to US Lacrosse gives your players access to a number
of opportunities for awards that they would not normally receive
otherwise. Plus it gives you access to membership benefits including
Lacrosse Magazine and the US Lacrosse comprehensive lacrosse insurance
program for a full year. To sign up or renew your membership,
click on the link below.
https://secure.uslacrosse.org/default.cfm?fuse_action=NewMem
@ FROM THE GHSA - Read the latest postings from the GHSA about lacrosse by clicking here.
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