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By a vote of 416-82, member schools of the Missouri State High School Activities Association have adopted an amendment to By-Law 235, Nonschool Competition, for the sport of swimming and diving, effective for the 2004-05 seasons.

This proposal was supported by the MSHSAA Board of Directors and other educational associations after the MSHSAA's ad hoc Swimming and Diving Study Committee recommended this change to address the lack of pool time currently available to school programs and other concerns. The committee was formed earlier this year and was comprised of both school and nonschool swimming and diving coaches and administrators who were unanimous in making their recommendations to the Board. The Board of Directors subsequently called for a special election of the membership to potentially put the change in place for the upcoming season.

"The ad hoc committee worked hard to bring a lot of information to the table, and its final recommendation was one that protected the school day and made the school program the priority," said MSHSAA Executive Director Becky Oakes. "It also allows students who wish to get extra pool time for practice and conditioning to do so if all the requirements to the school and the school program are met."

Emphasizing the process involved in changing Missouri's high school activity regulations, Oakes also stated that regardless of the outcome of any issue, school administrators ultimately have the responsibility in making these decisions.

"No MSHSAA By-Law can change without a vote of the member schools," Oakes noted. "That involves discussion, dialogue and often debate among our schools and within their school communities. With any issue, it is important for that to take place so that administrators are informed when they vote. Sometimes that process takes time, but ultimately the schools are deciding what is best for their educational athletic programs and for their students. Our Board and staff have worked very hard during the past year to encourage that discussion take place on this issue and to make sure that the issues specific to swimming and diving are communicated to all schools at the grass-roots level."

The new provision provides, in part, that after fulfilling all requirements, practices and competitions of the school swimming and diving team, a student may practice and compete in an organized nonschool swimming and diving practice or competition under the following conditions: 1. Priority shall be given to the school team and practices, and the school team shall take priority if there is a direct conflict with nonschool practice or competition. Prior approval by the school administrator may grant permission for a student to participate in the nonschool swimming and diving program if there is a direct conflict with the school program; 2. School time shall not be missed to compete, practice or travel to the site of a nonschool swimming and diving competition unless such absence is approved in advance by the school administrator; and 3. A school shall not replace its swimming and diving program with any nonschool swimming and diving program.

By-Law 235 will still apply to other MSHSAA-sponsored activities, as conditions in these sports do not mirror those of swimming and diving.

The special election ballot to amend By-Law 235 was sent to all MSHSAA member schools and conducted during October. Schools had until October 22 to postmark their ballots before they were counted by an independent committee of school administrators Thursday morning.