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Will the Format of NYSPHSAA State Meets in Cross Country and Track & Field Be Changed by the NY Legislature?

The Section V Indoor Track web-site brought this to my attention ... A bill has been introduced into both the NY Assembly (Bill A2162) and NY Senate (Bill S2064) that would change the participation make-up of intersectional State championship tournaments ... the actual Bill A2162 is shown below (along with its Summary).

The NYSPHSAA President (Kathyrn P. Faber) has written a letter in opposition of the bill ... her letter is shown below.

In essence, the bill says that the current intersectional tournament make-up (all sports) is unfair because the the eleven geographical sections allow "disproportionate" representation ... that is, some sections have vastly more athletes than other sections, and are not fairly represented at State tournaments.

If these bills are passed and signed into law, I wonder what the State Cross Country and State Track Meets will look like (Federations also).

 

 

   Assembly Bill 2162: ( http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A02162&sh=t )


                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                         2162

                              2005-2006 Regular Sessions

                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                   January 25, 2005
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  MORELLE, SANDERS, ORTIZ, SEDDIO, ROBINSON --
         Multi-Sponsored by -- M.  of A. DelMONTE, PHEFFER,  TOWNS,  WEISENBERG
         -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education

       AN ACT to promote interscholastic athletic programs and competition that
         provides  equal opportunities to all students on basis of athleticism,
         sportsmanship and performance

         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section  1.  This  act  shall  be know as the "Fairness in high school
    2  athletic competition act".
    3    S 2. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that  interscho-
    4  lastic  athletic programs promote positive social, physical and academic
    5  development in students. Furthermore, students who excel  at  interscho-
    6  lastic  sports  may  be  afforded  athletic scholarships and/or weighted
    7  consideration when applying to colleges. Since this system  allows  such
    8  benefits  for  athletic excellence, the methods by which interscholastic
    9  athletic competitions are conducted must provide equal opportunities for
   10  all students to compete. No priority should  be  given  to  students  or
   11  school  programs, with regard to representation at interscholastic cham-
   12  pionship events, based on geography or any other  factors  unrelated  to
   13  the  standards of athletic competition and sportsmanship. Any system for
   14  determining participation in championship events, which is  utilized  by
   15  the  public schools of the state of New York, must be accountable to the
   16  student athletes, and provide a fair opportunity  to  compete  based  on
   17  athleticism, sportsmanship and performance in qualifying events.
   18    The  legislature  finds that the current system utilized by the public
   19  schools of the state of New York does not meet this  standard.  For  the
   20  purposes  of  high  school  sports,  the  state  is  divided into eleven
   21  sections. These regions consist of a number of  schools,  which  compete
   22  within  a single section, for rights to represent that section in higher
   23  level  championship  events.  The  sections,   however,   are   severely

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             { } is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05526-01-5

       A. 2162                             2

    1  disproportionate,  and for certain sports representation at championship
    2  events favors athletes who compete in sections with fewer  schools.  The
    3  legislature  further  finds  that talented athletes, who may rank at the
    4  top  of  statewide  standings,  are  unable  to  compete in championship
    5  events, while lesser athletes from smaller sections have  qualified.  In
    6  some  sports, these students are disenfranchised by their geography, and
    7  an inadequate system used to determine qualifying athletes.
    8    Additionally, the legislature finds that, outside of  New  York  city,
    9  the  public  schools of New York state participate as members of the New
   10  York state public high schools athletic association. The  organizational
   11  structure of the New York state public high schools athletic association
   12  does  not allow for equitable representation of its voting members based
   13  on the number of schools each voting member  represents.  Each  section,
   14  regardless  of  the number of participating schools per sport, shares an
   15  equal voice in deciding championship standards.  The  legislature  finds
   16  that this disproportionate representation unfairly discriminates against
   17  student athletes from larger sections.
   18    The  legislature  intends,  by enactment of this law, to require equal
   19  opportunity for high school  athletes  to  participate  in  championship
   20  events,  that is based solely on athleticism, sportsmanship and perform-
   21  ance in qualifying events.
   22    S 3. No system for determining participation  in  championship  inter-
   23  scholastic  athletic  events  shall be used by the public schools of New
   24  York state, unless such system provides a fair and equitable opportunity
   25  for students to participate in championship events based on athleticism,
   26  sportsmanship and performance in qualifying events.    Furthermore,  any
   27  system  implemented  must  defer from using a geographically based entry
   28  format, unless such system applies a multiple-entry format that provides
   29  proportional representation of the geographic regions or sections.
   30    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
		
 

A02162 Summary: ( http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A02162 )
SAME AS    Same as S 2064  (Senate Bill)

SPONSOR    Morelle

COSPNSR    Sanders, Ortiz, Seddio, Robinson, Tokasz

MLTSPNSR   DelMonte, Pheffer, Towns, Weisenberg


Promotes interscholastic athletic programs and competition that provides equal
opportunities to all students on the basis of athleticism, sportsmanship and
performance.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A02162 Actions:
01/25/2005 referred to education


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A02162 Votes:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A02162 Memo:
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to promote interscholastic athletic programs and
competition that provides equal opportunities to all students on basis
of athleticism, sportsmanship and performance

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this legislation is to
ensure that al equitable system for determining eligibility for partic-
ipation in championship interscholastic athletic events be employed by
any entity which New York State public schools might use to organize
such events.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one proclaims that this bill shall be known and cited as the
"Fairness in High School Athletic Competition Act."

Section two of the bill provides the legislative intent.

Section three of the bill requires that no system for determining
participation in championship interscholastic athletic events shall be
used by the public schools of New York State unless such system provides
a fair and equitable opportunity for students to participate in champi-
onship events based only on athleticism, sportsmanship and performance
in qualifying events.

Section four of the bill makes the legislation take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION: Currently, most of New York State`s public schools are
members of the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association
(NYSPHAA). NYSPHAA employs a voting structure that does not provide for
proportional representation based on the number of schools in a section.
In cases of some sports, where there are vastly disproportionate numbers
of schools participating in a particular sport, student athletes in
sections with fewer schools enjoy a greater chance to qualify for cham-
pionship competitions. The impact that this may have on a student`s
future athletic career, including statewide standing and collegiate
recruitment and scholarships, is not justifiable in a public education
system.

This legislation seeks to ensure that all students have an ability to
qualify for such events based on their athletic talent, and performance
in qualifying events, rather than geography. It complements the philoso-
phy behind the public education system: that all students have an equal
opportunity to learn. While not run by New York`s public schools, inter-
scholastic athletic programs participated in by our schools must conform
to standards of equality.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Undetermined

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately
		

 

Letter from the NYSPHSAA President ... (from the Section V Indoor Track web-site)

 

February 11, 2005


TO: Central Committee Members
Sport Coordinators
Past Presidents
Ex-Officio
Officers


Assemblyman Morelle’s proposed legislation has been introduced to the Assembly (Bill A2162) and to the Senate (Bill S2064) supported by Senator Libous from the Section IV area. This legislation, if passed, will completely alter how we establish and conduct our state tournaments. Please understand that with its passage we will lose the control to have a school, league, section or committee present future proposals to improve our programs and championships.

It is imperative that all of us involved in high school athletics voice our opinion of this legislation so that we may maintain control over the future of our association. If you are opposed to the legislation please take the time to write to your local legislators; both in the Assembly and the Senate. A sample letter is attached to assist you in this endeavor. It is important for your letter to be mailed on either personal or school letterhead. A complete list of all members of the Assembly and the Senate is also included.

Please forward this information to your Superintendent, Principal, School Board members and coaching staff so they may also support the NYSPHSAA by expressing their opposition to this legislation.

Every letter will count in our effort to maintain member school control in the decision making process of the NYSPHSAA.

I thank you in advance for your attempts to preserve the philosophy and integrity of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.



Sincerely,


Kathryn P. Faber
President