Members of the Missouri State High School Activities Association are considering 12 rule changes for the 2018-2019 school year.
The MSHSAA Board of Directors circulates the Annual Questionnaire each year to all member schools. This instrument is utilized to obtain a consensus from member schools on key issues which will aid the Board of Directors in determining changes that are desired by the majority of member schools, and among the biggest is a proposal to move the start of the fall sports season back one week.
A MSHSAA statement explained the rationale for this ballot item pertaining to a move in fall sports comes from the Board of Directors, based on discussions they have had with schools throughout the state concerning the start date for practices and games for the fall sport season.
Four years ago, the membership voted to move the fall season start date earlier by one week, and the change went into effect two years ago. The membership made the change to address safety concerns expressed by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, Softball Advisory Committee and the Football Advisory Committee.
By moving the start date earlier one week, it allowed for a decompression of the softball season to play the same number of contests with an additional week to complete the schedule. In addition, an earlier start allows football playoffs to be spread out. In previous years, football teams would be forced to play three games in 11 days during the playoffs. The Sports Medicine Advisory Committee determined this was unsafe.
However, after four years of this standardized schedule, more schools are voicing a desire to return to the previous schedule. Of the 392 member schools to participate in the questionnaire, 265 voted yes, while 127 were opposed.
Moving up the start date has consequences. One criticism is that the earlier start date shrinks the summer of both the coaches and student athletes, allowing less time for tourist activities and for students to work.
"I think any time you move the schedule it's going to affect us and the students and families that play these sports with scheduling summer plans and what not," Malden athletic director Tim Harmon said. "But more importantly, we want to make sure the safety of our athletes is at the forefront of this decision."
One way to avoid moving up the start date while also decompressing the football playoffs would be to remove a game from the regular-season schedule. But this is often an unpopular option among parents, students and coaches.
"We like the 10-game season that includes the 10th week being districts and I think a lot of schools feel the same," Harmon said. "We'd like to keep things the way they are, but we have to look at what is best for our kids. I think there's a lot of uncertainty."
If the measure passes, member schools would then vote on two options to adjust the football schedule.
Of the schools surveyed, 159 voted in favor of moving the entire season one week later, keeping the postseason format and playoff spacing the same, and playing the Class 1-5 Show-Me Bowl the weekend after Thanksgiving. Another 112 schools were in favor of starting the district tournaments in Week 9 of the football season (instead of Week 10), and allowing schools that lose the first contest of districts to play an additional game in Week 10 or 11.
The earliest the sports schedule could change would be the 2018-2019 school year. To change the schedule, a majority of the 590 member schools must vote in favor of the change.
Another proposed ballot measure would redefine classification breaks for Classes 1 through 5 in football.
The current classification system states that the largest 32 schools be put in Class 6. Another 64 schools make up classes 1-4, based on enrollment, with the remainder in Class 5 (approximately 44 schools).
The new proposal would keep the largest 32 schools in Class 6, then use equal breaks for Classes 1 through 5, based on enrollment, which would place approximately 58-60 schools in each of those five classes. Questionnaire voters supported the proposed ballot 153 to 89.
Election results will be released in May.
ALL-OFC
The Ozark Foothills Conference recently released its baseball and softball teams. They were:
FIRST TEAM BASEBALL: Jesse Holmes, soph., Clearwater; Heath Ayers, soph., Clearwater; Jake Eddington, fr., Doniphan; Lucas Moe, sr., Doniphan; Corby Seib, sr., East Carter; Hunter Berry, sr., East Carter; Kody Orchard, sr., East Carter; Trey McDaniel, sr., Greenville; Tye Huff, soph., Greenville; Seth Jones, fr., Naylor; Brandon Cook, sr., Naylor; Chaney Trout, jr., Neelyville; Peyton Hobbs, sr., Neelyville; Baylen Teague, sr., Twin Rivers; Jack LeGrand, sr., Twin Rivers; David Deken, sr., Twin Rivers; Zac Hardin, jr., Twin Rivers;
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jared Stockton, Twin Rivers
HONORABLE MENTION: Gage Keller, fr., Clearwater; Jack Becker, soph., Greenville; Will VanMatre, sr., Greenville; Evan Bergeron, jr., Naylor; Wyatt Moon, jr., Neelyville; Tyler Lowe, jr., Neelyville;
FIRST TEAM SOFTBALL: Halle Gooch, jr., Clearwater; Brittany Adams, jr., Clearwater; Paige Eddington, jr., Doniphan; Haley Beale, sr., Doniphan; Andrea Kearbey, sr., East Carter; Shelby Cyr, jr., East Carter; Brooklyn Loftis, jr., East Carter; Makenna Moore, fr., East Carter; Callee Pickrell, jr., Naylor; Gracie Gargac, sr., Naylor; Lexi Day, soph., Naylor; Madison Dollins, soph., Neelyville; Lexi Nippe, soph., Neelyville; Kylee Lewis, sr., Twin Rivers; Emily Knoppe, sr., Twin Rivers; Emilie O'Dell, soph., Greenville; Jaden Francis, soph., Greenville;
COACH OF THE YEAR: Teresa Kearbey
HONORABLE MENTION: Tabby Carroll, jr., Clearwater; Cheyanne Burton, jr., Clearwater; Siera Bennett, sr., Greenville; Hana-Kate Cassinger, jr., Neelyville.