The Latest Headlines From NYSPHSAA In One Place
September 2016
Hall of Fame Class of 2016:
 On July 27th the NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame welcomed six new members. Jim Brown (Manhasset), Joseph Cipp Jr. (Bellport), David Kelly (Delaware Academy), John Johnson (Canandaigua), Nina Van Erk (Rhinebeck/Katonah Lewisboro) Missy West (Franklin Academy) make up the Class of 2016.

Jim Brown is a NFL Hall of Famer who played five sports at Manhasset High School in Section VIII. Brown stared in football and lacrosse as well as baseball, track and field and basketball. He is considered by some the greatest NFL player ever.

Joseph Cipp Jr was the first football coach at Bellport High School in Section XI. He started the program in 1976 and coached until 2001.        

David Kelly was from Delaware Academy in Section IV where he was known as a legendary coach in the Southern Tier. He coached varsity in addition to track and field, and JV basketball.

John Johnson coached the Canandaigua boys’ varsity lacrosse team, in Section V, from 1979 to 2005 until he retired. He was also the girls’ varsity basketball coach.

Nina Van Erk is the former Executive Director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. She is currently section 8 Executive Director. Van Erk is a highly decorated New York State and national administrator. She provided service to NYSPHSAA from 2000 to 2012.

Missy West started as a basketball and softball player at Franklin Academy in Section X. She was named Miss Basketball New York State following her senior season in 1995-96. West ranks 9th in NYS history with 2,605 career points. In addition, she threw 15 no-hitters in softball during her high school career and played college basketball at Duke University.            


A New Era Begins:

On September 1st James Osborne took over as NYSPHSAA President. Osborne is the 48th President of the Association, He takes over for Stephen Broadwell who led the Association for the past two years. Osborne became the first Section 9 officer in history when he was named Vice President in 2014. He was the Orange Ulster BOCES Interscholastic Athletic Coordinator until his retirement. He is a member of the New York State Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame. His career record was 233-74-11. Congratulations and welcome to Jim!
Watson Joins NYSPHSAA Staff
On August 17th Chris Watson was named NYSPHSAA Director of Communications. Watson is an Oswego native and lifelong New York resident. After an 18-year career as a television sports anchor/reporter in Syracuse, Utica and Albany, he is excited to join the staff. “This is a great opportunity for my family and I.” Watson added “Having spent my entire career covering New York high school sports, I’m excited to join the great team and spread the great stories of athletics in our communities.” Chris lives in Clifton Park with his wife Jaime and their two children Jenna and Charlie. If you have a story idea or question for Chris, email him at cwatson@nysphsaa.org or call/text at 315-391-9835.
CP Sportswear, NYSPHSAA Donate to Flood Victims

CP Sportswear is the official merchandise supplier of the Association. Owners Don and Yvonne Knataitis, known for their generosity to member schools, recently suggested donating unsold championship items to the victims of the Louisiana flooding disaster. CP Sportswear packed up 32 boxes of items to ship to the United Way of Baton Rouge. All the items were shipped free of charge by a generous offer from Leonard’s Express of Farmington. Some of the items sent included:
-1,184 Short Sleeve T-Shirts
-338 Long Sleeve T-Shirts
-166 Polo Shirts
-60 Hooded Sweatshirts
-40 Jackets
-227 Shorts
-65 Cinch Bags
-98 Sweatpants
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2,212 Total Items Donated 

Special thanks to Don and his team for making this happen. We are happy to call them a partner for reasons like this.
The Ball for All:
 This is the first year of the Spalding ball adoption program. Starting at all Fall Sectional Championships, Spalding will be used in all games and contests as the official ball.

All 11 Sections agreed on the terms and conditions to become members of the NYSPHSAA ball adoption program for a five-year period. Spalding will be the only ball used in sectional, regional and state play in soccer, volleyball, football, basketball, baseball and softball. All 11 Sections will receive a guaranteed rights fee and product credit for five years. 
Modified Rule Changes:

There have been changes made to the minimum number of modified practices needed to participate. The modified committee made these changes for a numerous reasons. First, the Modified Committee wanted the modified practice minimums to mirror the high school chart, with minimum number of practices for the team and individual. Secondly, the Committee wanted to lower the minimum number of practices to allow student-athletes to play in games earlier in the season, while allowing the schedule to be more spread out across the season which gives coaches more time for instruction during the season. All the changes can be found in the Handbook on NYSPHSAA.org. 
Listen and Learn

The 1st NYSPHSAA Captains Club this year will take place on Tuesday, September 13th at 3:00 pm. This special Captains Club will feature NYSPHSAA Hall of Famer Missy West! Missy is one of the most accomplished basketball and softball players in New York State history. She also attended Duke University on a basketball scholarship. Missy will be discussing how to attack a new year! She believes in coaching independence and will give insight on how to be successful by using past experiences and planning. To register, click here: http://bit.ly/2chHORX

NYSPHSAA is looking for two student-athletes from each section to be a part of the NYSPHSAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The deadline to apply is Monday, September 12th. The committee will discuss topics relevant to high school student-athletes and develop ways to maintain a positive athletic experience. Each committee member is expected to exemplify leadership while providing feedback on and promote all NYSPHSAA Special Programs, including but not limited to Scholar-Athlete, Sportsmanship, Life of an Athlete, Student Leadership, and Community Service. To register, click here: http://bit.ly/2c4Mfw9
Nominate for the Excelsior Award

NYSPHSAA and Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) are now accepting nominations for the 7th Annual Excelsior Award, an honor co-sponsored by both organizations. The Excelsior Award recognizes a CSEA member in a NYSPHSAA school who has helped promote and foster athletic spirit in their local school district. Nomination forms can be found here, http://bit.ly/2cDwu2Y or at cseany.org and must be received by October 17, 2017.


The Road Ahead
Upcoming Fall State Championship Dates and Sites
  Know the Rules:
Question- “A former student recently returned to our district and wants to use the District of Residency waiver. When can he/she start practicing?”

Answer- Schools must submit the required transfer for the Section office. Athletes are not permitted to practice before the form has been submitted. Athletes are not permitted to complete without Section approval.
Let's Vote
 Some action items for the October 19th Executive Committee Meeting:
  • Two Divisions of Girls and Boys Bowling
  • To request a minimum number of 4 panel judges and 1 safety judge in Cheerleading Championships

  • Cheerleading rubrics for 2016-17 school year
  • Use of video replay for safety and deduction points at the NYSPHSAA Cheerleading competitions
  • Prohibit the use of props as bases, in all Cheerleading competitions
  • Wrestling dual/regional tournament
  • Girls and Boys Swimming and Diving to award NYSPHSAA Team Championship

  • Expanding the Girls Golf State Tournament to include Section Champions
Upcoming AD Workshops

-Section VII      Tuesday September 13th     8:30am
-Section XI       Thursday September 15th    8:30am
-Section VIII     Friday September 16th         8:30am
-Section I         Monday September 19th       8:30am
-Section IX       Tuesday September 20th      9:30am
-Section X        Thursday September 22nd    8:30am
-Section IV       Tuesday September 27th       9:00am
-Section 2         Wednesday September 28th 8:00am
-Section III        Tuesday October 4th             8:30am
Something to Think About:
  “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- Abraham Lincoln

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