Board of directors also votes to stop endowment games
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
RALEIGH – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) board of directors has voted to pay catastrophic insurance premiums for all of it members.
TUCKER
That decision highlighted the spring meeting of the board of directors, who voted on several changes on Wednesday.
The moves were released on Thursday via an e-mail and come about a week after NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker met with a state legislature subcommittee that is investigating the NCHSAA.
One of the hot topics in that hearing was how the NCHSAA doubled its assets from $20 million to $40 million over a period of about 10 years. Tucker said the association has $26 million in its Endowment Fund.
The press release said the NCHSAA intends to begin paying the catastrophic insurance premiums for participants in every sport that has an NCHSAA championship and cheerleading programs. That will begin in the next school year, which begins in August.
The release did not specify the total cost of the NCHSAA paying those premiums, which are a set amount times a school’s enrollment.
There are 421 schools currently in the NCHSAA.
The full press release:
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NCHSAA Board of Directors concluded its annual spring meeting yesterday afternoon at the DoubleTree Hotel in RTP.
The Board dealt with a weighty agenda and progressed toward long-time Association goals while responding to challenges experienced by member school athletic departments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among many other important decisions, the Board passed a motion that will see the NCHSAA assume responsibility for payment of catastrophic insurance premiums for sports in which the Association offers a sanctioned championship and each member school’s cheerleading program.
Commissioner Que Tucker noted, “In reviewing goals set by previous Boards along with the Association’s financial position and understanding our member schools’ strained resources due to the pandemic, the Board of Directors made the decision to assume the cost of catastrophic insurance premiums as a benefit of membership in the NCHSAA.”
She continued, “This step of leadership and faith is only possible because of the visionary leaders and financial stewards who have served this Association as Board of Directors members over the course of the last 30 years or more.
“We are pleased to be able to make this a benefit of membership, especially during a global pandemic which has caused financial strain for many state associations and high school athletic programs across the country.”
The Board of Directors also tackled several other items during their Spring meeting:
— In response to declining number of junior varsity teams, the Board reached a decision to allow up to 10 athletes to use the eight-quarter rule for football participation in all four of the Association’s classes.
— The Board also will establish an Endowment Review Committee to work with the Board’s Finance & Personnel Committee in directing the Association’s endowed investments.
— The Board affirmed the Association’s suspension of the endowment game concept while revising the NCHSAA’s share of playoff gate receipts in Lacrosse, Dual Team Wrestling and Dual Team Tennis.
— The Board did adopt a Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommendation to amend the Modified Sports Manual to follow CDC guidance stating a fully vaccinated student-athlete, coach, or athletic staff member who has had direct exposure to COVID-19 does not need to quarantine or test unless the exhibit symptoms.
— The group also elected to put a measure in place that will not allow teams to wear protective equipment for skill development and workouts during the week of June 28 through July 3. This decision allows a chance for the Licensed Athletic Trainers and First Responders responsible for medical coverage of any football skill development where protective equipment is being worn to have an additional week to recover from the compressed sport season.
Tucker said: “This Board of Directors has piloted the NCHSAA and our member schools through a very trying time with grace and vision.
“We are a better Association today because of their efforts and sacrifices on behalf of our member schools.”
