DIAA BOD Meeting Thursday 5/12

[BackinBlack86]

Interesting items on the agenda. MT self reports and the Tresolini black coaches article

Public Meeting Calendar: State of Delaware

publicmeetings.delaware.gov

II. Action Items

A. DIAA Regulations
i. Repeal of Regulation 1006 Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA)
ii. Repeal of sections of Regulation 1008 DIAA Junior High and Middle School Interscholastic Athletics and 1009 DIAA High School Interscholastic Athletics
iii. Adoption of Regulation 1020 DIAA Board Procedures
iv. Adoption of Regulation 1021 DIAA Committees v. Adoption of Regulation 1024 DIAA Member Schools
vi. Adoption of Regulation 1034 Health and Safety Requirements
vii. Adoption of Regulation 1035 In-Season Athletic Activities and Contact
viii. Update from the Public Integrity Commission’s April 19, 2022 Meeting and Adoption of Regulation 1040 Out-of-Season Athletic Activities and Contact
ix. Adoption of Regulation 1042 Coaches
x. Adoption of Regulation 1043 Officials

B. Request to Allow Eighth Grade Participants at the High School Level – Regulation 1009 2.7.5
i. Laurel High School
ii. MOT Charter High
iii. Newark Charter High School
iv. Seaford High School

C. Request to Move from Football Classification 2A to 1A by Alexis I. DuPont High School

D. Approval of Executive Director’s and committee chairpersons’ recommendations and appointment or reappointment of DIAA committee members – Regulation 1006-3.2

E. Approval of Sanction Events

F. Vacancy of Board Chairperson position and election of a replacement (14 Del. C. § 307(a))

G. Approval of DIAA Board of Directors Meeting Schedule 2022-2023

H. Middletown High School 2021 Football Season Self-Report of Playing Ineligible Player* *The Board intends to move into executive session to discuss the contents of a pupil file, the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of personal privacy. All other portions of the hearing will be conducted in open session.

I. Middletown High School 2022 Baseball Game Self-Report of Playing Ineligible Player* *The Board intends to move into executive session to discuss the contents of a pupil file, the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of personal privacy. All other portions of the hearing will be conducted in open session.

J. Concerns from the Northern Delaware Basketball Officials Association


V. Other Items for Discussion Only
A. Kevin Tresolini’s article from The News Journal – “Are there enough? Black head high school football coaches in the minority in Delaware”

 

[dovetail]

AI moving to 1A?

 

[First_state_gridiron]

2 ineligible players for MT -hard to believe it was an oversight 2 times

 

[fanoffootball123]

Tresolini article should be thrown in the trash.

MT should forfeit state championship in football. Wait they cheated in baseball too!!! Ugh.

No problems with 8th graders playing in high school as long as it's safe for them.

AI can move down.

bang!!!! Meeting over.

 

[BackinBlack86]

I am disappointed there is not a request from DSA to move up to 3A. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Seerock9223]

No movement of teams for two years was implemented in the new divisions. AI should not be allowed to re-classify. If approved, flood gates open.

 

[Woody_Wood]

No movement of teams for two years was implemented in the new divisions. AI should not be allowed to re-classify. If approved, flood gates open.

AI wasn't able to complete their season last year. Partially because of injuries (and other issues). If they request to be moved down for the safety of their players, how can the board say no? What is the board going to say? You committed, so you have to stay in your assigned division? The safety of the kids have to be a priority.

 

[Seerock9223]

CR got hammered in almost every game they played last year, so I am sure they would love to drop to 2A. All they need are excuses, like some will make for AI. AI was competitive in some games and did win one. They have several players that will be juniors and seniors. All others can get experience as the season goes on. DIAA said no changes for two years, so let's just go with that.

 

[fanoffootball123]

CR...... LOL. What is the deal with CR why are they so bad? They should move down.

 

[SmyrnaOnTop]

CR...... LOL. What is the deal with CR why are they so bad? They should move down.

I wish CR was good again. They had some really good teams. What happened?

 

[BackinBlack86]

I wish CR was good again. They had some really good teams. What happened?

Dover built new school and facilities. With school choice ballers migrate to the shiny new places. Then those program starts winning and that fuels the fire. When we first moved to Delaware, Smyrna and Woodbridge were terrible teams. What happened? Both built new schools and facilities. Build it then they will come.. or stay home in some cases. Then they started winning and there you have it. Look what happened to Poly and Sussex Tech, they were the new thing and pulling ballers then the new schools get built, players stayed home or choice to those schools. They (Smyrna and Woodbridge) start winning and Poly and Tech start losing hence no more ballers coming in. The fall of Tech's program helped Centrals rise back as well.

 

[Seerock9223]

I used CR as an example in my response regarding AI and their request to drop down a division. I did not use CR as a way to call them out, so if that was inferred, my sincere apologies. CR and a dozen other teams would probably like to change divisions, but the realignment has only been in place a year. DIAA said two years and then discuss. DIAA can't handle things now, much less requests to change divisions every year. Need to ride this out another year.

 

[Huskerman7]

AI wasn't able to complete their season last year. Partially because of injuries (and other issues). If they request to be moved down for the safety of their players, how can the board say no? What is the board going to say? You committed, so you have to stay in your assigned division? The safety of the kids have to be a priority.

This is an odd request from AI. If it is indeed a safety issue & I’m a board member, I’m asking how changing from 2a to 1a makes the kids safer. It seems the best answer would be to not field a team.

 

[BackinBlack86]

This is an odd request from AI. If it is indeed a safety issue & I’m a board member, I’m asking how changing from 2a to 1a makes the kids safer. It seems the best answer would be to not field a team.

or just field a team and play a JV schedule like others (RLCA, Dickinson, Poly, Odessa) have until you get your numbers back up

 

[fanoffootball123]

I don't have a problem with AI requesting to move down or any program really. It gives DIAA something to do. Make them actually do some work. I mean they really haven't done anything until recently for football in Delaware for the last 30 years.

As far as AI goes that place is in trouble. Enrollment down, sports participation down. They barely field teams and not just football. Football had 20 players last year. How the hell do you compete in football with 20 guys. I don't care what division you are in.

 

[Huskerman7]

DIAA completely whitewashed the Middletown football situation today. Any credibility they may have had disappeared today.

 

[nomorenonstop]

DIAA had credibility prior to today?

 

[Seerock9223]

So Middletown keeps the championship and baseball suffers no consequences for an ineligible player? Rationale is...

 

[smack.jack99]

Absolute bullshit

 

[fanoffootball123]

I guess the self reporting helped. Just kind of a red flag though that they broke rules in baseball also. Sketchy.

 

[Seerock9223]

So, precedent is set: do whatever works for your teams, and if it is against the rules, just self report after you have success. The AD has to be fired with two infractions in a short amount of time and the ADM in charge of athletics has to go as well.

 

[Notursmine]

DIAA completely whitewashed the Middletown football situation today. Any credibility they may have had disappeared today.

Just another example. You gain respect by making decisions firmly with rationale and stewards to carry the message. Unfortunately it seems they can not agree if a ball is round,oval,or square. Therefore there are no 🏉🏉🏐🏐🎱⚾️⚾️🥎🥎. We will fast forward 1-3 years and it will be the wild Wild West, east south and North. Why would any coach or AD stay within the rules when there are zero, and not defined clearly. Peace and Love

 

[Woody_Wood]

So what was the decision with AI? Is it safe to say they were not moved down?

 

[Huskerman7]

So what was the decision with AI? Is it safe to say they were not moved down?

They tabled it until next month since no one from AI was on the call. The board gave strong indications though that the move would be denied, at least until the 2023 season.

 

[BackinBlack86]

It think a Red Clay District football team should be considered. Combine players from AI, Dickinson and McKean to form a district team and have them play in 3A. This has worked pretty well in other cities (Baltimore, Detroit, Etc.)

 

[Seerock9223]

Just read the Delaware online article. Middletown's principal or AD said this was a one time mistake. They just self reported a baseball player, so not a one time thing. The coach is trying to convince us, or himself, that coaches are that much out of the loop on eligibility and new players. Does not fly. Next DIAA meeting, someone bring them butter and syrup since they will waffle again on something big, like realignment after the realignment was supposed to last two years.

 

[dovetail]

Ouch! that hand slap really hurt!

 

[BackinBlack86]

Just read the Delaware online article. Middletown's principal or AD said this was a one time mistake. They just self reported a baseball player, so not a one time thing. The coach is trying to convince us, or himself, that coaches are that much out of the loop on eligibility and new players. Does not fly. Next DIAA meeting, someone bring them butter and syrup since they will waffle again on something big, like realignment after the realignment was supposed to last two years.

So a D1 offered student/athlete from Philly who is academically ineligible in PA transfers to Middletown, DE , reclassifies down a year and no body knows nothing until a college eligibility coordinator comes looking in February?

 

[SmyrnaOnTop]

So a D1 offered student/athlete from Philly who is academically ineligible in PA transfers to Middletown, DE , reclassifies down a year and no body knows nothing until a college eligibility coordinator comes looking in February?

They had 3 chances to figure this out before they did.
1. When the student initially transferred
2. Right before the first game of the season
3. Whenever the Second Quarter of the year started
Idk how it took them this long to figure this out

 

[BackinBlack86]

They had 3 chances to figure this out before they did.
1. When the student initially transferred
2. Right before the first game of the season
3. Whenever the Second Quarter of the year started
Idk how it took them this long to figure this out

I don't know any high school head coach who isn't checking on and top of his players academics and eligibility. Well except now Middletown's apparently

 

[FCABucks]

Well they were put on probation and if that doesn't work...

 

[BackinBlack86]

Well they were put on probation and if that doesn't work...

 

[Seerock9223]

They had 3 chances to figure this out before they did.
1. When the student initially transferred
2. Right before the first game of the season
3. Whenever the Second Quarter of the year started
Idk how it took them this long to figure this out

Actually, they chose three different times to ignore it as he was a star player.

 

[Longagoplayer]

So what does probation even mean...just don't do it again kind of thing.

 

[BackinBlack86]

So what does probation even mean...just don't do it again kind of thing.

 

[BackinBlack86]

So what does probation even mean...just don't do it again kind of thing.

or

 

[Huskerman7]

The funniest part was when one board member suggested that Donna Polk should audit the transcripts of all 600 MT athletes. Even Donna laughed out loud at that one.

 

[BackinBlack86]

est part was when one board member suggested that Donna Polk should audit the transcripts of all 600 MT athletes. Even D

 

[nomorenonstop]

friend of mine sent me this photo he took of the meeting