NCHSAA holds press conference following spring board meeting Subject:* A friend wanted you to see this item from High School OT: https://wr.al/1KSOX Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, holds a press conference to discuss action taken by the board of directors at its regular spring board meeting. Show Transcript on the call today, we are recording this and I'll send it out as a link for you to download. Should you need to uh Commissioner tucker is here as well as President jerry Simmons and Vice president and president elect bobby Wilkins, who is the principal of Hendersonville High School. Uh Gary Simmons obviously is the principal at New Bern High School as we talked about numerous times this year with you guys, I think he's a friendly face, a familiar face to you all at this point, uh and we look forward to helping you guys get to know bobby a little bit better over the coming years. So we'll ask Commissioner tucker to open it uh with a brief opening statement and then you can use the Q and a function down and the participants menu to insert your questions there. I'll read those out and direct them to the appropriate person. So uh if you would put your outlet in with the name of your question, uh your name, your outlet, and we'll ask your question that way. So if you you and a function for that and with that I will turn it over to commissioner Tucker. Well, good morning to those of you who are on the, in the zoom with us, who happened to maybe fit one of these rectangle or square boxes that we have. We thank you much for being with us. It is a little different for us. Typically when we finish our spring meeting, uh, our annual meetings, we have had the opportunity to have you in person where we can sit down and talk about the work that the association, um, has um, that the board has done on behalf from the association. So we are pleased that we do have this platform where we can still share information and answer your questions as it relates to the work we just completed. Uh, I want to thank you uh the members of the media for what you've done on behalf of education based athletic extract this very difficult and trying year of dealing with challenges and hurdles. But as President Simmons has reminded us often we have tried to turn those into opportunities uh to be better and to make a difference uh still in the lives of our student athletes. And I think as we concluded our meeting yesterday, we look back on the work that had been done not only last december but that we've done all season long and putting guidelines and protocols in place to help keep our athletes safe, uh to try to mitigate the spread of covid 19 and the work that we've done uh you know, off of those scheduled meeting dates meeting by way of zoom meeting uh by way of conference calls, answering emails and voting through electronic means. So, uh, the board has worked extremely hard this year, but we we see the finish line ahead. I told someone it's like that finish line tape, you see it ahead of you and you're just running, trying to get to the end and that's what we're doing. We're looking forward to the final, the final event that last weekend of june and then we can look back and really feel good about what we've been able to accomplish and the opportunities that we've given our student athletes. So for those of you who have helped tell that story, thank you very much. And again, thank you for being with us today as we try to address your questions about the work of the boat. Thank you. Commissioner Tucker, We will go right to the questions. We've got Langston works from the charlotte Observer, his question How will the new mask mandate work athletes on the bench or coaches still need to wear it? Question mark. So we'll allow you to take that one. Commissioner. Well, thank you Langston. Uh, good question. Honestly, some of this will be a work in progress we've talked about as we've gone through Covid, we built the bridge as we crossed it. So as we now transition out of wearing mask, uh, it will be a challenge for our coaches and all involved to try to make sure that if I'm playing on the field. So let's just take uh, let's take soccer, girl, soccer is still in progress right now. So if I'm playing, uh, effective with this new order, I don't have to wear the mask while I'm out there playing within the confines of the chalk lines. When I come off, I should try to maintain social distances, distancing my teammates should do the same thing while they're waiting. If they're on the bench, as long as they cannot cluster and be all uh in each other's space and face, uh then not wearing the mask on the sideline, I think it's fine. But if I'm the coach and I'm having a team meeting and everybody's sitting side by side, then I might ask my girls take your mask out, put them on while we have this conversation. So the expectation is that we will social distance when we're on the sideline, but wearing the mask is not required at this point. If I'm coaching, uh you know, I might still wear my mask on the sideline, but I would also not hesitate to drop it down so that I can now talk. All of us are very familiar with seeing basket about just pulling the mask down so they can give instructions while the kids were running up and down the floor. That being the case as we move forward. Alright, Another question from Langston. Any thoughts on acquiring vaccination for fans next season or having vaccine zone? Because we're seeing in other places? Well, I told someone last night we were on a on a webinar, excuse me last night with Dr Tillerson Tilson with the Department of Health and Human Services and she was talking about someone asked that question. Currently we have no plans to require proof of vaccination to participate in athletics. No proof of vaccination. Would the Nchs a require to come into the stadium now? That's today? I don't know what will unfold as we move forward, but Dr Tilson also agreed that there are no plans for that at this time. And uh I can't imagine that that would be something we would require, especially making a decision like that today. So we'll see how it all unfolds. And again, we'll be guided by the Department of Health and Human Services as we move forward and get closer to the start of sports next year. All right, thank you. We'll take our next question from joseph Reira, Greensboro losing record in the Winston Salem Journal. Uh, When will the association to take over paying for catastrophic insurance? Uh, How much will the total payments be per year? As uh, as an estimate at this? Well, first of all, um, we we just had our annual meeting where we shared with the membership of the fact that this would occur, uh and it is to be effective for the next school year. Um So moving forward in the fall or in the late august early september, when we typically would be sending those invoices, we will now be sending other kinds of communications so that we know how many folks are being covered, uh, which catastrophic insurance covers everybody who participates in our, in our sanctions sports as well as cheerleading. And so that includes coaches, it includes the managers and trainers. So we'll have to have some mechanisms in place, but it is slated to go into effect for next school year. Um, uh, so I'll have to look up and see what that cost will be. I don't have it right in front of me, but before we finish, I'll kind of give you an estimate of what that cost will look like. Thank you for that. Commissioner tucker nick stevens kind of piggyback on that from high school to dot com, uh, for you and for for dairy and, or bobby. How much has the legislative investigation driven some of the changes made by the board this week as it relates the finances, catastrophic insurance. Uh, and has there been any discussions with legislators about these changes? Sure. I'll yield to President Simmons and let him share how we uh kinda as we came out of our session uh with the legislators, we talked about what we heard and witnessed and then uh, that was shared with our board member. So um President Simmons. Yes, ma'am. Um, I mean, the board and our association staff were already considering some things differently prior to any any of the goings on with the General assembly. And that's why you start to see things um look a little differently like our realignment formula. And I know that's not necessarily, I'm talking about finances, but it is addressing the fact that we needed more equitable processes in um um, as as it relates to our member schools and and how we handle business, but that's that that sort of set the stage for the caps. Um That again, we had already started moving in that direction prior to um prior to having having these conversations with the General Assembly, but I won't tell you, I won't tell you that it had no influence on this, because that just wouldn't be true. Um But but so we're clear when we had, when we had the um the hearing with the General Assembly a couple of weeks ago, one of the very first statement was that the statements that they made was that we've done absolutely nothing wrong, um and and how we handle finances, but um we realized there were more things we could do in the way of doing things right. Um and and so that's why we came back, started reevaluating and, and I commend our board and, and um, um, of course, um Commissioner Tucker and her staff were looking for different ways of what, what benefits, what additional benefits can we include um, for our folks who are members of the association and one that one that sort of stood out was catastrophic. Insurance and the fact that we have our, our schools already, of course paying dues, but then they pay catastrophic. So, um, as a separate payment that we just of course passed along to, um, then, um, the insurance folks. So I'm very happy that we are in a position where we can, um, take that on and included as a benefit and that warning that won't include any increases in, in the dudes that are member schools pay. But um, we, as you said at the start of this in their opening statement, um, the what, what began as maybe not as as comfortable situation meaning our dealings with the General Assembly. We know those folks only want what's best they want, what's best for the schools and for the student athletes. And we want the exact same thing. So we, we, we are sure that at the end of all of this is going to come out, making, making all of us stronger and nick. Let me also add that as, as jerry said, we, we have always been looked in for ways to do things. Uh, I can tell you that as we've looked back in as we were preparing information to send to the General assembly. Uh, we looked in documents and, and, and years ago when the vision and the idea of an endowment came came forward. One of the goals was that we would be able to pay. um, the catastrophic insurance is that we could get to a point. And so I think over time, every board of directors or every board, uh, those members challenge us as staff to come up with ideas and share those with us what our, something, things that we do to benefit our schools. And we know that obviously, uh, it has been difficult for the schools. So we've tried to do everything we can to ensure that they would be able to, to make it so we're pleased that we're able to fulfill one of those goals. Thank you for that, everybody. And we'll go next to just herrera again with news and record in Greensboro does indefinite suspension of endowment games. Mean, just the 2021 2022 school, you hear? Thank you. Had to jump out. But, um, Indefinite certainly means the 21 22, um school year. But that will be something that of course we expect that that future makeups of our board of directors that they're going to continually look at and and and reevaluate. So we have not put a definitive um um in date on on on whether whether that will continue for being suspended for the next five years. We did not determine that. We think that's something that needs to be re re evaluated each year. Um and and it will base that decision. I would I would imagine the boys will continue to base that decision on um the data that um that our our association staff is able to collect and and where we are. Thank you for that. President Simmons think think uh Commissioner Tucker is back with us now. I think she had to go get a power cord for a computer. So the, pardon, pardon us for that. But, uh, next we will go to kevin Morris from W. C N C T V in charlotte. Uh, what is the guidance for fans and wear masks in the stands currently and going home? Well, as I try to digest the executive order and what we shared with our membership a little earlier is encouraging them to look at that executive order and look at the section at this, uh, with Spectators. This particular order has a section that is really, it actually has the heading youth sports and uh, which includes high school and then it specifically mentions colleges, et cetera. So, uh, not a lot changed in the language or Spectators. Uh, I think the idea and based upon what I heard the governor say yesterday, is that any large crowds, uh, where social distancing will be a challenge is that the expectation would be that they continue to wear those masks? So what I believe will happen is that every school system will work to determine how they will manage uh letting fans into the game without a mask. Will they tell fans you come in, uh wearing a mask, and then once you get seated, if you're socially distanced, then you can pull them out. I'm not really sure how that's going to work. Uh bobby as a principle of Hendersonville. I know he has a he has a football game this coming uh friday. Uh not sure how they will manage that because the order goes into effect at five o'clock. So those football games are going to occur at the time when I'm sure there will be those folks who will be challenging uh the winner of the mass. So bobby, any thought, anything you might want to add to that, we're actually, uh, in conversation right now in our, in our district here trying to decide what the best thing, uh, the best way to do this. So we haven't made that decision yet. But what you said, we're looking at maybe they need to come in with one and if they can social distance, then not. But we're still playing with that. We we want to do what's right for everybody. So that's where we are right now with it. All right. Thank you for that bobby and Q. Will go to a question from Jason savage at Wh Ky and hickory, uh, where these financial decisions relative to the insurance? The endowment already something the association had plans for? Or was this a result of legislative conversations recently? Well, again, I reiterate the fact that in looking at the minutes and the vision for the endowment paying catastrophic insurance was one of those goals back then is that if a school belonged to the N. C. H. S. A. That the association would be in a financial position where it could cover catastrophic insurance. So as we've gone along and the endowment has has grown as we have positioned ourselves. And again, you have to credit the boards of directors and the wisdom and, and then the people who they have entrusted the dollars to to help us as we invest these dollars. We want to be in a position where one day we'll be able to utilize the monies in a way that it benefits our schools. So to say that it was just the legislative pressure. I think it's not accurate. Did that help us? Uh, did it help us as we were looking at making some decisions? Absolutely. Uh, you always use an opportunity to be able to say, all right, what did we gain out of this experience? And so perhaps it pushed us? Maybe, maybe we wouldn't have done it this board meeting. Maybe it would have been something we held off on a year. But obviously that nudge was there, but it's always been in the works. I remember years ago when Davis Whitfield was sitting in this chair, Uh, there was talk about the membership dues, but at that time, the board's uh, the members of those boards made the decision. We will not eliminate the membership views, but let's start getting money back on the back end. So you pay the membership views up front. And then that was in 2010 11. And that's why when we started with the summer checks, so you pay the membership dues, but then we will try to give some of that money back to you. So I think it's safe to say that it's not about who made us do this or did was there a trigger? I think it was the culmination of the money money being invested wisely. The market has been good. If you think about it this time last year, the market had dropped and then all of a sudden it rebounded. And so we benefited from that. And as a result, we found ourselves in the position to be able to do what we've done. And I think, you know, we're excited about that opportunity and we'll look look forward to moving forward with other ideas that we have. Thank you for that Commissioner tim howard Coastal Preps down into Wilmington area, had some area basketball coaches share their concerns about the decline in JV athletes, especially on the ground, Girl site. Uh, and they believe that the proposed five quarter rule could help that issue. What were the reasons that proposal did not pass? I think part of it had to do with wanting to get a little bit more information about one, uh, those sports where we have the daily limitation, if we're going to make a change for one sport, then maybe we need to be making a daily limitation change for other sports. So instead of doing it for one, because as we found out, uh, if one gets something, then the next one won't sit. And so instead of having just, uh, kind of like the dominoes falling every, every now and then, uh, the committee asked us the policy committee and the board ask us to do a little bit more research and to find out if in fact the quarters, is the way to go? Or is there a way to look at this on a broader perspective, such as looking at it in terms of the daily limitation. So that was the reason for it being uh, really it was tabled. And so that will be revisited at the december, meeting with some of the information that we're able to get from our sister states. We'll talk with our sports medicine advisory committee about the daily limitations for all of our sports and then move forward from there. Thank you for that question from Earl von Junior, City View magazine down in Fayetteville. Uh, and we could give this to any of the three of you on the call. Do you consider it somewhat hypocritical. The association was publicly criticized by the legislature. Well, I'm gonna let the two educators handle that one because they know more about us ranking 45th in the country and spending on public education that I might know at this point. I guess. I guess the trying to figure out, is it hypocritical? I don't know that we want to go down that road, Earl. Um, you know, obviously it is frustrating because we do know that in north Carolina for years we've struggled in terms of the spending on public education. We know that to be a fact. Um, and so, you know, but we don't want to get into trying to, trying to finger point and to say that, well, the General Assembly ought to be doing this instead of messing with us. I don't know that we want to go there, Earl. Uh, we're just pleased that we find ourselves in a position where we can help our schools And we don't want to be 45th in the country, in terms of the kind of association we are. So we feel like we're up there in the top and we feel like some of the moves we've made as it relates to our programs in North Carolina. Move up, continue to move us up in the top. Thank you off the hook. Terry and thank God for that. We'll go to Nick Stevens had a couple more questions from high school. O. T. Can you explain what the Endowment review committee will be responsible for a