MIAA rules and fall practice

[HS Harry]

We seem to unearth the Bona-fide team member rule each year about this time. Others have accurately stated the rule and its purported function. Suffice it to say that the MIAA is generally and openly antagonistic towards club soccer, AAU basketball and any other private sports entity that might challenge the supremacy of HS interscholastic sports. I have seen greater leniency and flexibilty when it comes to waivers for non-season events, so long as the player's school supports the request and dots all the I's and crosses all of the T's on the application. I've also seen HS coaches skirt the rule by making their practices "optional" or by just turning a blind eye to pretty obvious violations. No doubt if reported, and pursued, an in-season violation would be sanctioned, but despite threats, such instances are incredibly rare. The main problem with the rule isn't these in-season conflicts. The big issues will come with winter sports and the college show-case season. Far too often the rule results in players decisiding to not play multiple HS sports because they must "choose" between HS and club. The MIAA would say that they have chosen wrong and that the rule, although tough, forces kids to take responsibility and fully commit to their HS teams and teamates.

[Unregistered]

Yeah, I probably do.

To me this is like the SRI rule of only 5 players state transfers will be signed in the RI Thread.

The MIAA has the rule because they know what happens if they do not and it doesn't end well for them. You only need rules like this because you know without them you are screwed.

Its not a matter of which is more important or should have priority, it is the lack of choice I as a parent have had taken away from me. The MIAA believes it has the right to tell me how to raise and what are the appropriate priorities from my daughter. I find that highly offensive and totally overreaching.

Don't you also think the Coaches pushed for it and love it because it makes their practice and game supreme and they don't have to deal with unhappy parents and players. The "I don't care, but MIAA says you can't do that" line of BS has taken them off the hook many times. As long as you have an organization run by schools and coaches they will always put the rules in their favor. Covering it up in the "best interests" of the kids is an easy cover to maintain.

[MASC]

No one here seems to worry about overuse injuries and just too much soccer. HS (and college) teams practice and/or play 6 days a week. Putting aside from the general distain for HS coaches (many of whom are also club coaches), these coaches understand the need for recovery time. They generally structure their practices so that players who are following the Bona Fide rule will have adequate recovery time.

By doing club and HS at the same time there is no recovery time. Assuming that the best players on the HS team are the club players, these players are getting progressively worn down over the course of the season by the additional club practices.

So many here are assuming that club soccer is the means to a college scholarship. It is only a means to possibly get exposure. The club training regime is a joke compared to the rigors of college. College coaches expect that all prospects have played HS that at a lesser level is comparable in terms of commitment ot college soccer.

The grind of college soccer is much more like that of HS soccer than the country club atmosphere of single year club soccer.

It is interesting that most colleges list the last HS attended not the last club team for which a player played.

[Unregistered]

There should still be concern for players who now go 5-6 days per week with their hs team and another 1-2 with their club team. It is too much. People have choices, obviously, but the kids are being pulled by both teams and they already have so much hw and not enough sleep.

[Unregistered]

My daughter enjoys the HS soccer atmosphere. She gets satisfaction representing her school and playing with and in front of her friends. She hates the level of play. She lives for the opportunity to play what she calls "real" soccer for her club, with players as good or better, against top competition. Luckily her club coach respects the MIAA rules and allows her to miss when necessary. Given a choice, I bet she would choose club. Luckily she has not needed to make this decision.

[Unregistered]

My daughter enjoys the HS soccer atmosphere. She gets satisfaction representing her school and playing with and in front of her friends. She hates the level of play. She lives for the opportunity to play what she calls "real" soccer for her club, with players as good or better, against top competition. Luckily her club coach respects the MIAA rules and allows her to miss when necessary. Given a choice, I bet she would choose club. Luckily she has not needed to make this decision.

Add in the horrible refereeing from the 2 man system and I would totally agree.

Maybe that is what BB is talking about, the choice would not land in favor of the schools so they have to regulate compliance

[Unregistered]

There should still be concern for players who now go 5-6 days per week with their hs team and another 1-2 with their club team. It is too much. People have choices, obviously, but the kids are being pulled by both teams and they already have so much hw and not enough sleep.

Yeah, my son's worried he won't be able to manage school & club soccer this year. And he's a very good student. School comes first.

[Unregistered]

The MIAA rule in question is rule 45. Basically it says that you cannot miss a high school practice, scrimmage, tryout, game, etc in order to participate in a non-school (e.g. club) athletic activity. Kids can play club sports in any season, and as long as they do not skip the school sport to play the club sport (practice, games, , team meetings, etc) they are not in violation of the rule.

Examples of rules infractions: skipping the last day of a spring sport tryout to play a club soccer game. Telling your HS coach you are sick and can't go to practice and then go to your club activity. The fact that the times of the events may not be the same is irrelevant. Say you are returning from your club soccer game that ran late and you hit traffic---if you miss your high school sport activity , you might, depending on the circumstances, be deemed to have missed it because of the club activity and you are in violation of rule 45.

Violation of the rule carries major consequences to both the athlete and their HS team. 1st offense is a suspension for 25% of the season. 2nd offense is 50% of the season AND ineligibilty from MIAA tournament play. If the school does not enforce the rule, no matter what the reason (even if they did not know about the offense), the team has to forfeit any and all games in which the ineligible athlete played (actual game time or bench time---does not matter). It gets very tricky because what ADs and coaches do is cave in and get MIAA waivers for these "special" club players. But waivers are supposed to be for extraordinary events---super elite competitions that are limited to only the top level of player (like being on a national team). The MIAA seems to give waivers to kids playing college showcase events even when there are 500 teams involved. It's really unfair---coaches should be telling their players, if you can't commit 100% to your HS team, you can't play on this team. I'd rather take a lesser player with 100% commitment

In summary--Sunday club practices are ok as long as the player does not skip HS sports in order to play for the club.

[Unregistered]

My daughter enjoys the HS soccer atmosphere. She gets satisfaction representing her school and playing with and in front of her friends. She hates the level of play. She lives for the opportunity to play what she calls "real" soccer for her club, with players as good or better, against top competition. Luckily her club coach respects the MIAA rules and allows her to miss when necessary. Given a choice, I bet she would choose club. Luckily she has not needed to make this decision.

My daughter's club team was the same---respectful of the rule. She could have played for a more elite club team, but would not have had the flexibility to be able to enjoy the HS experience. yes---caliber of play and coaching at the HS level wasn't as good, but the social experience was more important.

[Unregistered]

The MIAA rule in question is rule 45. Basically it says that you cannot miss a high school practice, scrimmage, tryout, game, etc in order to participate in a non-school (e.g. club) athletic activity.

The athletic activity has to be an MIAA recognized sport. Here's where it gets fun. The targets are usually club athletes, but what happens if you're on vacation and skiing, golfing, swimming or playing tennis, all miaa recognized sports, and your Mia misses soccer or your LeBron misses b-ball practice. Are they penalized? Should they be?

And before you say impossible, realize middle school kids, 12 year olds, have been penalized and threatened with expulsion from their middle school teams for missing practices, purportedly because of this rule, but really because of complaints from parents to the school principal.

[Unregistered]

Personally I think it is stupid that a club coach is asking kids to come to practice on a week night after high school practice and then return on Sunday.

[Unregistered]

then don"t attend weekday sessions. what's the big deal?

[Unregistered]

then don"t attend weekday sessions. what's the big deal?

based on our coach it is a big deal because there is always a punishment when things arent his way.

[Unregistered]

The athletic activity has to be an MIAA recognized sport. Here's where it gets fun. The targets are usually club athletes, but what happens if you're on vacation and skiing, golfing, swimming or playing tennis, all miaa recognized sports, and your Mia misses soccer or your LeBron misses b-ball practice. Are they penalized? Should they be?

And before you say impossible, realize middle school kids, 12 year olds, have been penalized and threatened with expulsion from their middle school teams for missing practices, purportedly because of this rule, but really because of complaints from parents to the school principal.

Who is wasting time playing for their middle school? I can understand the situation with the high school team, but middle school???

[Unregistered]

based on our coach it is a big deal because there is always a punishment when things arent his way.

then why not try another club? my child plays for a top girls club, and while the coach would like my daughter to attend fall practice, he certainly understands when she can't.....