Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation Board Meeting Minutes Sunday, March 8, 2009 Telephone Conference via ConferTel 7:00 p.m.
I.
Call to Order – President Robin Buckley called to order the Board meeting of the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation at 7:05 p.m. on March 8, 2009 via telephone conference call. Attendance -In attendance via conference call: Robin Buckley, Mike Wenzel, John Haney, Mary DiGiacomo, Rich Poirer, Dave Wollin, Joe Botticelli and Sid Flanders.
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III.
Old business A. US Lacrosse Level I Coaches Certification - April 1st 1. On line Level I CEP 2. Level I PCA - online or workshop- MALA workshop had 15-20 attendees (decreased attendance due to winter storm); MAYLA had 35 attendees for Level I and 20 for Level 2; GB had 2 attendees for Level 2. 3. In person clinic - USL CEP Level I-New coaches have up to 16 months after coaching first game to complete this clinic. 4. Accountability and reporting- Area reps are to collect all data from coaches regarding certification and send to Mike Wenzel. Please forward the coaches’ certificates and include the following information on a spreadsheet: Team, coach’s name, training completed (list all training sessions/workshops), certification, level of play and date started coaching. Referee Training – Sid Flanders 1. New referee training - dates and funding a) MALA –Classroom: 3/7; on-field: 3/29 in Waunakee b) MAYLA – Classroom: 2/26 and 3/12; on-field: 3/14 and 3/21in Shorewood c) GB- Classroom: 3/14; on-field: 3/21. d) Treasurer Joe Botticelli has received the invoice for referee packets. More have been ordered to accommodate trainees. 2. Experienced referee re-certification- 3/22 in Fond du Lac. 3. Clarification of new rules: a) Tinted Sunglasses- if a player has a clear shield on his helmet, he may not wear tinted sunglasses.
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b) Gloves- gloves with manufactured cut-out palms are no longer allowed. c) Balls- The new balls with ―dimples‖ are legal for HS and youth. d) Sid Flanders passed on the following question from a ref training session: What happens if a team has just one certified coach who must leave a game (emergency, ejection, etc)? Can a non-certified coach or parent take over coaching or must they forfeit the game? After discussion Robin Buckley made the following motion, second by John Haney: All coaches in the coach’s box must be USL Level I certified. Exception is made for coaches who have been coaching for less than 16 months, who must have at minimum US Lacrosse Level I online CEP and PCA, Level I. If a coach must leave during a game and there is no other staff with above mentioned training, the game cannot continue and results in forfeiture. If an individual steps forward and declares that they have the minimum training required for a new coach, the game may continue. However, if it is discovered after completion of the game that the individual who took over coaching duties did not possess the necessary training as previously mentioned, the game would be declared a forfeiture after the fact. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. e) John Haney brought up that a motion he made in a previous meeting (1/13/09) had some ambiguous wording and could be interpreted differently from what was intended. The motion in question was read as follows from previous minutes: 1)All coaches are required to have completed US Lacrosse CEP level 1 on-line training and PCA Double-Goal Coach "Coaching for Winning and Life Lessons" (on-line or at a workshop) prior to coaching in any WLF sanctioned event after April 1, 2009. 2) All coaches are also required to obtain US Lacrosse Level 1 Coaching Certification within 16 months of coaching their first WLF sanctioned event retroactive to the start of the 2007 season. 3) A failure to comply with any of these requirements will result in an illegal procedure penalty* being assessed at the start of any game in which a participating coach is non-compliant. (*The ball will be awarded to the opponent at the start of the game.) It was suggested to clarify that all coaches must comply with statement #1 above as the minimal qualifications for a coach. This would include former players/college players who wish to assist with coaching. A ―coach‖ is defined as having completed the
minimal requirements and any persons not completing these requirements would not be considered a coach or assistant coach. Per statement 2, a coach is not in compliance if he/she has not obtained the USL CEP Level I in-person training and the USL Coaches Level I Certification within 16 months of coaching his/her first game. At this time, the penalty described in statement 3 would be imposed. All were in favor of above clarification via voice vote. See addendum*. f) Pre-game coach’s certification— ―2009 NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rule Book" page 18 Rule # 1 section 11 Equipment Certification ART 1.. a. through e. to add a NOTE to read the same as the NCAA Mens Lacrosse Rule Book page 21 Rule # 1 section 22 = a. - e. and then "NOTE: "a" through "e" can be covered by the Referee asking the head coach the following: "Coach, are all your players legally equipped by rule?‖ It is suggested that all regions bring this up at their regional meetings so all coaches will know what they are being asked and what their answer is certifying. C. Umpire Training – Dave Wollin There was training held in Brookfield. Dave Wollin was present and stated it was a good training session, but there continues to be a shortage of umpires. As the girls program continues to grow, there is a need for a local (in-state) umpire trainer and coordinator.
D. Player eligibility - early graduation. This situation has come up in the MALA conference. It was decided by the MALA Board to follow WIAA guidelines: a December graduate is ineligible for spring sports. E. Treasurer’s Update—Joe Botticelli Botticelli reported that he has not yet received any WLF dues. The due date from each Chapter will be April 15. Joe questioned if the girls’ teams will be paying dues to WLF. He moved that all Varsity boys teams will continue to pay $125 in dues as in previous years and that all high school girls teams will pay $25/team. During discussion it was decided to wait until next year to add JV boys and all youth teams. Motion carried unanimously via voice vote. It was suggested that at the next meeting, Botticelli would review the current financial status of WLF.
F.
National Senior Showcase 1. Nominations due April 10Th- be early! Send to Robin Buckley with a check for $10. . Nomination forms are available on USL website. Coaches must sign to endorse player for nomination. 2. Should be all-American candidates 3. Seven players will be submitted. Teams are selected by USL NSS coaches.
IV.
New Business
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State Tournament update - Bay Valley /Neenah HS rep – Rich Poirer 1. Who will be included-High school: a. Boys Varsity: Championship and Consolation games b. HS Girls: All-Star game c. Youth: one game each for 7/8 and 5/6 level. d. Half-time: introduction of All-State Team, All-American, Academic All-American, 2. Misc. – a. Admission will be $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for youth b. Would like a t-shirt design from WLF (in the past, each conference has designed their own). Looking for a consistent state tournament logo. c. Funding: It was clarified that WLF will give a check to the hosting conference for the amount covered by dues. The hosting conference will then cover all expenses associated with the state tournament, including trophies, field rental, referee fees and athletic trainers’ fees. End of season awards 1. All-Conference- would like to have consistency on this for all 3 conferences. The suggestion was for a 10-player team and having a First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention 2. All-State- it was decided that this would be a good thing to do. Coaches will vote for All-State. Potential candidates must first be Allconference. It was suggested that there also be a ―Player of the Year‖ that would come from either the All-state player with the most votes or to have separate vote for that category from the All-State candidates. 3. All-American selection process – candidates will come from the AllState team. Must be seniors. 4. Announcement and recognition
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C. WLF recognition by WIAA for an emerging sport –deferred due to lack of time. 1. Girls are not able to play IHSA teams due to recognition of by school as varsity sport.
D. WLF compliance to USL - certify the number of teams by region at all levels. Each area representative will collect data on the number of Varsity teams in their region. Please submit that information to Robin Buckley ASAP.
E. Chicago Machine vs. Washington Bayhawks on June 27th at 7:00 PM at Uihlein Soccer Complex.
F. Website: Dave Wollin requested feedback regarding the WLF website. The question was brought up as to what information should be posted. How do we filter what camps to post, etc. It was suggested to look into background of new camps that are coming into the area before posting them on the website.
V.
Meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m. Next meeting is TBD.
Respectfully submitted, Mary DiGiacomo, WLF Secretary *Addendum: John Haney offered the following ―coach‖ definitions via email immediately following this board meeting: Qualified Coach - a coach that has completed PCA DGC1 and US Lacrosse CEP Level 1 online. Certified Coach - Full US Lacrosse CEP Level 1 Certification. There always must always be a Qualified Coach in the box or a team forfeits. A coach with more than 16 months of coaching experience must be a Certified Coach or face a loss of possession penalty to start the game.