WESTERN MAINE CONFERENCE
Athletic Administrators Meeting
January 16, 2009
Captain's Galley Restaurant, Old Orchard Beach
I. Roll Call - Attendance
? The meeting was called to order at 8:40 a.m.
? Attendance: All present
? Late arrivals: Greely 9:00 am, GNG 9:20 am
? In attendance: Keith Weatherbie (retired Athletic Director from Cape Elizabeth)
II Executive Secretary/Treasurer's Report.
Minutes from December meeting were sent by Email
Ken Levinsky distributed spreadsheets detailing balances of $1,269.81 in the checking account, and $40,886.65 in the savings account. The sheet also showed school assessments collected to date. All but Sacopee Valley have sent payment.
Motion Yarmouth/Old Orchard to receive the Secretary/Treasurer's report passes unanimously.
III Old Business
League Website (Chris Hughes)
* Website now up at wmcathletics.com
* Chris will continue to tweak the site's appearance.
* Awards information will be added.
* A website update will be included at all future monthly meetings.
Awards (Mike Dutton)
Mike, the contact for awards, distributed a form to review at the next meeting.
IV New Business
MPA ad hoc "cost saving" committee
MPA management committee will vote on the proposal on January 26. The meeting is open to members who provide prior notification.
Time was spent strategizing for the meeting later in the morning with school principals and Dick Durost.
Clarifying questions were drawn up.
Major objectives:
1. How do we delay this and have a collaborative discussion?
2. Request more time and modified process.
Ross Burdick composed a brief statement resulting from the discussion
Ted Welch as League President will send a letter to the MPA in advance reflecting the following concerns:
? Seems more review needed for such important work.
? Only two Athletic directors and five Western Maine representatives on the committee of fifteen. Only one meeting.
? Process questionable.
? No public input.
? Decision should be made by the full body, not just by the committee.
? More time spent debating the open tournament and the move from Bangor to Augusta for the class A basketball tournament.
? Concern that AAU teams may become preferred choice over school teams (for example Junior Pirates Hockey, club swim teams, cross country)
? Parents may take over if opportunities become limited (trips to Florida) and schools would lose control.
? Students' safety compromised by overloading preseason contests.
? Students safety compromised by not giving coaches enough time to evaluate talent
? Swimming and Cheering not addressed
? Savings are more symbolic than substantial
? Overlooked increasing revenue
? Mechanism already available for schools to opt in/out
? Is this an equity issue? Significant local choice is available in academics (for example Yarmouth has purchased laptops for all students) and for non-athletic activities (drama, debate trips)
? Reduction of two countables is from the maximum allowable
Savings could be better gained by:
? Regionalized scheduling and the resulting transportation savings. For example, Boothbay travels three hours each way to play Telstar.
? Double headers
? Overnight stays
? Local control over number of games played, New England competition etc.
? Creatively finding ways to share transportation/venues
? MPA could help by encouraging conferences to work cooperatively as now done with lacrosse. Crazy travel contrary to good academics.
? MPA could help by examining implications of classification/Heal points/conference barriers instead of reducing countables.
? MPA could help by encouraging competition/officials from other states/countries
? MPA could help by examining its policies and charges (for example mandatory coaches meetings, playoff sites etc)
? Decisions should be data driven
MIAAA Reports/News/Info
? Craig Sickels reported that the annual conference at the Samoset is going forward. Five WMC members are not attending
? Sue Robbins reviewed state and national scholarship awards process.
SMAA/WMC Liaison Meeting
Ted Welch reported about the joint meeting with SMAA liaisons on January 8. (Previously sent by email)
Will meet again in March. Suggested dates are March 12 or 13
The following sports and liaisons will be involved:
* Golf: Mike Dutton
* Skiing: Paul True
* Baseball: Mike Roberge
* Softball: Don King
* Soccer: Sue Robbins
* Indoor/outdoor track: Mike Griffin
* Field hockey: Jack Trull
* Football: Ted Welch
* Tennis: Todd Livingston
V. Individual Sport Reports
FALL SPORTS -first reading of fall schedules pushed back from January to February to allow time for budget fallout
Cross Country (No Report)
Field Hockey
· Ken Roberts approved to return as assigner next year.
· Will work on scheduling in February
Football
* Campbell Conference meeting on January 30. Ted will be sending an agenda
* C schools agreed on an eight game schedule and eight team playoff.
* B schools have a draft schedule with nine games.
* There will be fourteen C schools including Maranacook and Oak Hill.
* Paul DuPerre is the conference assignor. (Poland has used a different assignor since last year) There is a concern about travel fees.
Golf
Greely moving to Class A.
GNG moving to Class B
Soccer
Ken Roberts did an excellent job as assigner and will continue.
Volleyball (No Report)
WINTER SPORTS -
Basketball (Craig Sickels)
Coaches meeting scheduled for February 8 (Bring Bio's for potential honorees)
Send Bob Butler nominations to Rick Clark at York by the end of the month.
Awards Night/dessert buffet March 9 (March 10 Senior all-star Game)
* Cost is $5 - $5.50 a person at the door, if not paid in advance by coach.
* Suggested that each booster group contribute $100 to repay Lake Region for the 2007 loss and SMCC for the 2008 balance and to cover the loss of the $1,000 sponsorship. Craig will Email this to coaches and Athletic Directors.
* All checks should be made payable to Lake Region High School.
* Rick Clark is arranging for a speaker. Freeport will donate a $50 LL Bean gift certificate to present to the speaker.
Cheering (Lee Hixon)
Conference championship was held on January 10, 2009 in Wells.
* Winner was the host school, Wells. (Mindful that Poland won the year it hosted, Lake Region volunteered to host in the future)
* 600 in attendance
* Profits go to the conference.
* Income/Expense report will be presented in February.
Email four all conference selections to Lee so that Bob Boucher award names can be released.
Ice Hockey
No Report
Alpine Skiing
No Report
Nordic Skiing (Sue Thurston)
* Reserved Pineland for conference championship. Possible to have the makeup on the same day as the Middle School meet as that course is on the other side.
* AAU has standards for minimum temperatures. MPA sports medicine should set guidelines.
* January 19 meet start time moved up to 10:30 am from 11 am
* Fryeburg's off site facility initiated fees this year. Suggestion that the league take responsibility for billings as with Alpine. Coaches currently put out their own funds and wait for reimbursement.
Indoor Track (Mike Griffin)
* Most schools happy with the earlier vacation week (January 2) start time. Over 600 participants!
* Seeding meeting on Wednesday or Thursday prior to conference championship at Scarborough. (Day will be confirmed)
* Postseason coaches meeting on Monday March 2 at 6 pm in the USM Alumni room. (Will send Email notice)
Swimming (Todd Livingston)
Todd Emailed updated information regarding dates and time schedule for North and South championship meets.
Hi -Tech file will be emailed by officials. Be sure that contact information is up to date
Wrestling (Jack Molloy)
* B/C regionals January 31 at Wells.
* State championship Saturday Feb 7 at Augusta CC
* Jack will confirm JV information. Fryeburg volunteered to host.
SPRING SPORTS - Date by Date at February meeting
Softball/Baseball (Don King)
* Discussion of pregame timetable postponed to February.
* Opportunities for first team competition with SMAA as in soccer
* Questions about Greater Portland Christian School and NYA participation.
Lacrosse (Jeff Thorek)
Jeff Thorek and Gary Hoyt working on SMAA/WMC schedule for boys and girls (KVAC opted out)
* Will use same format for girls as with boys.
* Will also schedule inter conference first team games.
Outdoor Track
Schedule previously confirmed.
Keith Weatherbie will be involved.
Schools asked to bring date conflicts (proms etc) for date-by-date review in February.
Tennis (No Report)
VI. Announcements
Greely: Cheverus joining Nordic meet
Cape: Go around the building and use the side entrance for basketball
IX Adjournment
Motion Lake Region/ Gray-New Gloucester to adjourn passes unanimously
Adjournment at 11:32
Next meeting is February 6 at 8:30 a.m. Captains Galley, Old Orchard Beach
Remaining Meeting Dates for 2008-09:
March: 13
April: 10
May: 8
June: TBA
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Levinsky
Meeting reconvened at 12:05
President Ted Welch welcomed school principals and Dick Durost, Executive Director from the MPA.
Principals from the following schools were present:
1. Cape Elizabeth
2. Falmouth
3. Gray New Gloucester
4. Greely
5. Lake Region
6. NYA
7. Old Orchard Beach
8. Poland
9. Sacopee Valley
10. St Dominic's
11. Waynflete
12. Wells
13. York
Principals not in attendance
1. Yarmouth
2. Fryeburg
3. Freeport
4. Traip Academy
Ted Welch opened the meeting.
* He shared that the league has had cost saving discussions for several years, including at each meeting this year. He gave examples of initiatives already in place and those proposed.
* Ted reported about the Liaisons Meeting with SMAA on January 8 and that the process will move forward with another meeting in March.
Dick Durost presented background information.
* Voting on January 26 is not open to the full membership as it would be too hard to accomplish in time for next year. Political need for expediency. The management committee acts as the executive committee.
* Athletic Directors, particularly if representing a conference, are also welcomed in addition to members (Principals, Assistant principals). Not time or space to include all interested. Committee has the right to go into executive session.
* Proposal can be adopted in full or part.
* Can be revisited by principals at spring business meeting.
* The committee's recommendations are mostly symbolic, with the objective of opening wider discussion as has happened.
* Fifty thousand of the seventy thousand students now participating in MPA programs.
Bob Stevens, principal of York High, shared his perspective.
* Committee looking for succinct input from Athletic directors and principals.
* By being proactive, the committee hopes to reduce pressure from superintendents and public to reduce expenses.
Points of interest:
* State money now being diverted to athletics, may not be allowed going forward.
* The belief that no schools choose to play fewer than the maximum allowed games was refuted.
* Committee is predominately filled by principals, as it is a principal's committee. Many of them are very familiar with athletics as they are former ADs , referees etc.
* MPA runs limited nonathletic events, including the One Act Play regionals and states. (Winners go to New Englands) Upon further review One Act funding should also be on table.
* Difficult for committee to have solid data on savings as each district has unique expenses.
* New England participation circumstances unique for each sport. Wrestlers, for example, are less likely to participate after a month's layoff.
* MPA dropping ATM system. Looking at internal efficiencies such as combining committees, reducing the number of meetings, fine-tuning the location of state championship sites etc.
Meeting adjourned at 1:57 pm.