WESTERN MAINE CONFERENCE

 

Athletic Administrators Meeting

 

March 13, 2009  

Captain’s Galley Restaurant, Old Orchard Beach

 

 

I. Roll Call

• Call to order at 8:56 AM
• Absent Gray/New Gloucester, Lake Region, Traip

 

 

II. Executive Secretary’s Report (Ken Levinsky)

Minutes

?      Motion Old Orchard/Yarmouth to approve February minutes passes unanimously

Treasurer's Report

?      Motion Sacopee/Old Orchard to approve the report passes unanimously

?      Ken will provide a breakdown of the indoor track income and expenses at the April meeting

 

 

III. Old Business

 

SMAA/WMC Summit

The group reviewed the minutes sport by sport and adopted three general motions:

• MOTION Falmouth/Cape Elizabeth that non-Heal point sports be scheduled with a geographic based model passes unanimously.
• MOTION Cape Elizabeth/Fryeburg that Heal point sports be scheduled with geographic, competitive crossovers between A and B schools passes unanimously.
• MOTION Falmouth/Poland that Junior Varsity sports scheduling explore a geographic based model passes 13 0 1

 

The group also made sport specific motions and decision, which are shown at the end of these minutes.

 

An Ad Hoc committee on inter-conference play was formed with the following members: Ted Welch, Susan Robbins, Craig Sickels, Jeff Thorek, Todd Livingston and Mike Dutton (Jack Trull is the alternate). Ted will invite the SMAA for a second Summit to be held following the WMC April league meeting.

 

Ted attended the recent Athletic Director's advisory meeting. He reported that there is not much feeling for moving away from Heal points. There is a management committee meeting next week at which the reduction of playoff teams from 66% to 50% will be revisited. If not rescinded by the management committee, it could be at the Principal's meeting.

 

 

Citizenship Banquet

Banquet will be on May 5. Principal's letter will be sent next week. Not an athletic all-star banquet, it is open to all students. Each school will select one boy and one girl. The WMC will pay for the students.

 

St Doms

St Doms application to join the Mountain Valley Conference was approved yesterday and is effective Fall 2009.

 

 

IV. New Business

 

Spring School Calendar and Athletic Scheduling

Coordinating athletic schedules with nonathletic events (for example, the SMAA has two standard prom dates).

Discussion  moved to April meeting.

 

MPA Reports/News/Info

Spring season ends June 13. After that, coaches may work with athletes until two weeks prior to the fall season.

 

MIAAA/NIAAA Reports/News/Info

Board of Directors meeting held recently.

 

Samoset conference

• Sue Thurston, Melanie Craig, and Don King are not attending the conference.
• Craig Sickels distributed a three page memo regarding assigners fees detailing the history, a survey of current practices, and questions/issues. He will pursue this issue at the Samoset.
• Decisions for awards will be made on Monday. Ken Roberts asked to not be considered.

 

 

V. Individual Sport Reports

FALL SPORTS –

Cross Country (Ross Burdick)

Ross will be meeting with Dennis Walton (SMAA) on Monday to coordinate scheduling between the two conferences. They will be discussing the Manchester meet week (September 25) and the Belfast meet the following week. Ross discussed tweaks and will resend the schedule following his meeting with Dennis

 

Field Hockey

Due to St. Dom's departure, it is necessary to redo the schedules

Motion Freeport/Sacopee to give Gray New Gloucester (one year commitment) and Poland a  C schedule and have the eight schools in each class play each other twice passes 13 - 1 opposed (Yarmouth) - 1 abstention (St Doms)

 

Outside chance that Waynflete will not be able to field a team.

 

Football

Campbell conference meeting scheduled for next Friday at 9 am at Grazianos.

·         Agenda forthcoming.

·         Varsity schedule approved last month. 

·         Will work on JV schedule.

 

Golf (Paul True, via email)

Reminder that girls qualifier will be combined with SMAA next fall

 

Soccer

Schedules redistributed. Consensus positive.

 

Volleyball (Mike Griffin)

·         Mike emailed a revised schedule this morning.

·         Will also email notes from the recent coaches meeting.

·         MPA committee will vote in the spring on reclassifying NYA to class B.  Class A will be composed of schools from the West along with MDI and Ellsworth.

 

WINTER SPORTS –

Basketball (Craig Sickels)

Craig asked the group for their thoughts regarding the next two-year schedule

·         Will be created with out regard to the prior schedule. Possible for repeat team/site from last year.

·         Gould may be willing to play each class C team twice

·         Every B school will play at least 2 C schools. Those should be indicated  among  its preferred list of six schools.

 

Cheering (Lee Hixon)

New assigner needed to replace Lee.

 

Need site for 2010 conference championship.

·         Typically advance alphabetically.

·         Wells hosted last year.

·         York passes, as its team has not participated the last two years.

 

Coaches would like to have the conference championship a week closer to the January 23  regional championship

·         Assigner Denise Gelinas is asking for a date.

·         Selected Saturday January 16 (snow Monday January 18)

 

Ice Hockey

Advisory forthcoming this spring about countable games.

·         For example, will non-officiated games be counted?

 

Nordic Skiing  (Sue Thurston)

·         All-star selections have been emailed

·         Concern that the Portland-based team members have an impact on the league championship race, just as in track

 

Indoor Track (Mike Griffin)

All-star selections have been emailed. Thanks expressed for corrections.

USM bill showed an unexpectedly large cost increase.  Mike will  review.

 

Swimming (Todd Livingston)

Would like to revert to prior schedule. Working on a regionalized schedule with Todd Sampson and Mr. Hale.

 

Wrestling (Jack Molloy)

Will meet following the football meeting.

Please schedule Wednesday matches with SMAA schools before the meeting with the Midstate conference.

·         Jack Molloy will discuss this with Marty Ryan.

 

SPRING SPORTS –

Softball/Baseball (Don King)

Distributed and reviewed guidelines

Motion York/Freeport that:

·         Visitors get the field 45 minutes before the game for a half hour.

·         Home team gets the field 15 minutes before the game for a ten minute warm-up.

·         Umpires conference at 5 minutes prior to the game

Motion passes 9 - 4 opposed (Falmouth cape Poland Yarmouth) - 1 abstention

 

Guidelines will be resent with suggested tweaks (masks, playoffs etc)

 

Coaches meeting on Sunday June 7 at 5:30 at Falmouth

 

No JV softball team at Old Orchard.

 

Schools with baseball first teams (Cape, Falmouth, Poland, Old Orchard) gathered after the meeting.

 

Lacrosse (Jeff  Thorek)

Distributed guidelines including:

·         Important dates

·         Heal point reporting

·         Contact information

·         Officials fees

A single overtime has been added for JV girls (3 minutes) and JV boys (4 minutes)

 

Ken Roberts emailed to Athletic Directors yesterday, a concern expressed by officials that their social security numbers be kept confidential.

 

Contract recommends that officials’ fee for preseason games be paid at the JV rate.

·         Some schools pay travel, not the SMAA.

·         WMC has paid varsity fees with no mileage.

·         Should be revisited next year.

 

Next year’s schedule may have 10 tiered games with room for two rivalry, geographic games.

 

Outdoor Track (Sue)

·         Information on conference meet will be shared next month

·         Greely meet moved from May 15 to May 14

·         Lake Region meet on May 22 may be under the lights

 

Tennis

·         Coaches directory distributed

·         Coaches meeting March 23 at 6 pm at Falmouth High library

 

 

VI. Awards –

Mike Dutton will order plaques for:

• Citizenship recipients. (Principals will send him the names.)
• Outdoor track and tennis.

 

All conference certificates are given to the Player of the Year.

 

Will review named awards in April

 

VII. Announcements

 

VIII Other

 

    IX.            Review WMC Business Calendar for next month’s items

 

X Adjournment

Motion Lake Region/ Gray-New Gloucester to adjourn passes unanimously

Adjournment at 1:59 pm

Upcoming meetings:

WMC monthly meeting on April 10 at 8:30 a.m. Captains Galley, Old Orchard Beach

Remaining Meeting Dates for 2008-09:

·         May 8

·         June TBA

Respectfully submitted,

Ken Levinsky

 

 

Follow-up to the Southwestern Maine Activities Association/Western Maine Conference Joint Athletic Administrators’ Summit held on March 4.

MOTION Falmouth/Cape Elizabeth that non-Heal point sports be scheduled with a geographic based model passes unanimously.

MOTION Cape Elizabeth/Fryeburg that Heal point sports be scheduled with geographic, competitive crossovers between A and B schools passes unanimously.

MOTION Falmouth/Poland that Junior Varsity sports scheduling explore a geographic based model passes 13 0 1

 

FALL SPORTS

Volleyball: Mike Griffin

Conferences already have a combined schedule

Hope to have a coaches' meeting within the month to discuss a proposal to divide into two classes.

SUPPORT

 

Football: Ted Welch, Marty Ryan

Consider:

? Varsity inter league play during the SMAA crossover week(s) could reduce travel.

? JV inter league opportunities:

1. WMC JVs don't play if travel distance is great.

2. Mt Valley plays a Mountain Valley conference Schedule.

MOTION CAPE ELIZABETH/FALMOUTH TO SCHEDULE JUNIOR VARSITY GAMES WITH A GEOGRAPHIC BASED MODEL (WHICH MAY INCLUDE HOME/AWAYS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS OR CROSS CONFERENCE) PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

? WMC freshman teams (last year York, Wells and Cape) could fill SMAA openings on a Thursday or Friday SUPPORT

 

Soccer: Sue Robbins and Gary Stevens

Joint scheduling of Freshman teams was initiated last Fall and will continue.

Schools already have their JV and varsity teams traveling together.

Consider:

· Preseason now limited by five dates. There have been some inter league playdates in the past and that could be expanded. The fees should be limited with host sites enjoying any profit. Athletic Administrators will talk to their coaches to gauge their interest.

· Cape and Greely are in Class A. SMAA will examine their constitution with an eye toward regular season varsity inter league play as is already done in lacrosse and ice hockey.

MOTION Yarmouth/Freeport to schedule immediately, crossover games for Cape Elizabeth and Greely; to pursue geographic crossover games with other Class B schools passes unanimously

· Each conference will discuss:

1. Heal point differential between classes and the associated inhibiting of inter league play

2. Implications from the reduction of tournament qualification from 2/3 to ½ of all schools.

3. Inviting retired Athletic Administrators to participate

 

Golf: Gerry Durgin, Paul True

Consider:

? Combining the (currently separate) girls qualifiers SUPPORT

? WMC has fewer regular season matches and a separate qualifier. SMAA matches are the basis for qualification. Greely moving to class A and will have to qualify with A schools. Focus on SMAA crossover weeks.

? Scheduling JV matches geographically. SUPPORT

? As golf teams are small, ride share with other schools or with first teams from their own school.

 

WINTER SPORTS

Basketball: Steve Merrill, Craig Sickels, Joe Kilmartin

Work with Larry LaRochelle to maximize available officials. Three man crew should be able to handle double headers.

Less expensive to have one bus making multiple trips than using a second bus.

Consider:

? Proposed that first team schedules should mirror the soccer geographic groupings. SUPPORT

? Open dates from schools without three teams could be filled by inter league, particularly on Saturdays.

? Preseason playdates

? Sequence dates of play

 

Ice Hockey: Chris Daigle, Jeff Thorek

Continue the current model, which has fostered more competition and less penalties.

Consider: SUPPORT

? Four teams JV round robins to make ice time more affordable.

? Overlapping boys and girls JV games. Both could ride the same bus.

? Back to back games at the two rinks refusing to allow ½ hour blocks. (Girls games increase to 1 ½ hours next season with three fifteen minute periods and new ice between the second and third.)

? The impact on interleague play of the Heal point differential between classes and the reduction of tournament qualification from 66% to 50%.

 

Indoor track: Mike Griffin, Todd Sampson

Significant difference between conference venues and schedules. USM has availability on Christmas vacation week. SMAA locked into EXPO for six weeks.

Consider:

· Not having both championship meets on the same day. SUPPORT

· Have interleague meets instead of going to Bowdoin or USM invitationals COST CONCERNS

· Ride sharing to New England meet. Conferences would provide bus with schools paying per individual