Proposal would aid Nebraska swimmers
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BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
The best swimmers in the United States were recently in our backyard battling for the chance to compete against the best in the world.
A Nebraska School Activities Association committee on dual participation has proposed some changes for the membership to consider that would make it easier for young Nebraska swimmers to someday be among those vying for Olympic glory.
Those changes, one of the group’s members said, wouldn’t mean significant changes in the high school programs.
“The priority is with the high school competitions and practices,” said Lisa McNeel. “Once the athletes meet those requirements, then they can choose to do more outside of that.”
Nebraska schools will have several proposals to consider this fall when the legislative process begins with the first round of district meetings. Each of the proposals will be introduced at the six district meetings. If any pass at that level, they would advance to the second round of meetings, and passage at that point would send the proposals to the NSAA Representative Assembly, the rule-making arm of the association.
“I’ve never been an advocate of, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ I will always stand for high school sports being first,” said McNeel. “We wanted to work with the NSAA. The process is too painful to do a little bit here and a little bit there.
“I think we came up with some viable things for schools to consider.“
The committee proposed a change in the soccer rules that would allow for an athlete to compete on a nonschool team in two competitions during the NSAA season, which runs from March through April.
There are two proposals for swimming, one that would allow unlimited outside competitions and one that would allow two outside events.
Proposals were also drafted to switch the NSAA swimming season from the winter (December through February) to the fall (September through November), and change the soccer season from the spring to the fall.
Perhaps the most important of the proposed changes involves the ability to have individual instruction that doesn’t interfere with the high school team’s requirements.
“This was a compromise to get these proposed, and I think it worked well,” said NSAA executive director Jim Tenopir. “I don’t know what kind of support they will have, but this puts the option out there.
“We’ll let the membership speak. If any are worthy of consideration, they will move forward.”
A bill was introduced in the Nebraska Legislature that would have opened up outside participation, but while the Education Committee was interested in the notion, LB 1135 failed to make it out of committee.
Tenopir said the proposals to change seasons might be a difficult sell to the NSAA membership.
“Our winter season has the fewest number of activities. If you take swimming out, then we’re down to wrestling and basketball,” he said. “The soccer one was proposed the year before and it didn’t gain a lot of traction.
“When soccer started, it was placed in the spring because schools had concerns about sharing outdoor facilities used by football. I’m not sure that’s as big of an issue that it once was.”
Tenopir told the members of the Representative Assembly last spring that the issue would need to be considered carefully.
“I’ve tried to instill in people that you have to look at the whole issue,” he said. “When it comes right down to it, each of the schools will get to vote their school’s position on dual participation.
“There are 38 or 39 that have swimming. With 312 member schools, we likely will have people see that as an issue that won’t affect them. We’ve seen more and more that schools are abstaining if the proposal doesn’t pertain to them.”
Still, Tenopir isn’t sure what will come of the proposals.
“My crystal ball is foggy on this one. At least the issues are put out there,” he said.
And McNeel said she appreciates the effort made by the NSAA.
“We wanted people to know it isn’t just all or nothing with us. We wanted to help people think outside the box,” she said. “School practice and competition takes priority.
“I applaud those kids who do three sports — fall, winter and spring — and get three letters. It’s also just as amazing that a kid says, ‘I want to excel at one thing.’ If this is what you love more than anything else, you should be able to do it.”
Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
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education first wrote on July 9, 2008 7:36 am:
Swim fan wrote on July 9, 2008 8:56 am:
H.S. Athletic Advocate wrote on July 9, 2008 8:59 am:
Female AD from Small School wrote on July 9, 2008 9:32 am:
Love Swimming wrote on July 9, 2008 6:05 pm:
Former HS and Club Coach wrote on July 9, 2008 7:13 pm:
Red wrote on July 9, 2008 7:34 pm:
Swim anywhere anytime wrote on July 9, 2008 11:44 pm:
Why wrote on July 10, 2008 2:01 am:
Matt wrote on July 10, 2008 10:30 pm:
Swim parent wrote on July 11, 2008 9:06 am:
Fullerton Flash wrote on July 11, 2008 10:47 am:
annually fielding eight teams per year, 4 boys and 4 girls. My comment about the good ol' boy male and rural interests running the NSAA stands. If you disagree, cite me some FACTS that would dispute that (1) only white MEN sit on the NSAA Board of Control and that such has been the case for since I would guess before you were born, (2) that out of 178 Distinguished Service Awards handed out by the NSAA, only 6 have gone to women, (3) that a Board
of Control member from Omaha represents 4 times the number of schools and sixteen times the number of students as does the outstate Board member from District V, (4) that the NSAA Districts have not been redrawn to reflect the
actual number of schools and students since the days before rural Nebraska was introduced to electricity. I am not demanding that Class A schools to get MORE voting power than their schools and students would entitle them, I
am only saying things would less unfair if you would join with me in arguing that its not right for schools with only 17% of Nebraska's (mostly white & rural)students to be able to frustrate the will of schools with over 83% of
its (mostly diverse & urban) students. While you apparently have no interest in any issues involving gender or racial fairness, I would have hoped that anyone's interest in principles of basic equity and fairness for kids
throughout Nebraska might have trumped a selfish desire to maintain the status quo which you are apparently willing to defend. And finally, you're right that I haven't been to an NSAA District meeting--but not for the
reasons one might think. Its because only AD's and coaches are welcomed at NSAA meetings. Parents and members of the public aren't allowed to participate in these meetings at all as that could only exist if the NSAA meetings were public under Nebraska open meetings rules so NSAA's lawyers simply say those rules don't apply. Kinda makes one proud of your esteemed NSAA, doesn't it. "