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Coaches Contact Blackout Week
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:57 pm
by The Bone
Can anyone tell me what the rational is for the MSHSL Coaches Contact Blackout period in the middle of the summer?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:17 pm
by allhoc11
I think the theory behind it is to give the kids a week off so they can be with family around the 4th of July. AD's are now being told it should be treated more like the NCAA dead period rule, where not only should coaches not run camps they should not have contact of any kind with their athletes during the week. I think this is followed and enforced to varied degrees.
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:50 pm
by hockeywild7
This started in the summer of 2010 requiring all coaches who work with athletes during the summer must sign a summer contact waiver and abide by a week long blackout period. The black out date is not optional, all coaches must not have any contact with players.
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 7:58 am
by zambonidriver
Mainly implemented because of Football. Because coaches were running there off season camps right up to two a days. Some teams were in pads the whole month of July.
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:24 pm
by allhoc11
hockeywild7 wrote:This started in the summer of 2010 requiring all coaches who work with athletes during the summer must sign a summer contact waiver and abide by a week long blackout period. The black out date is not optional, all coaches must not have any contact with players.
True however schools self report just like the transfer rule, and my point wasn't that it was optional, it was it is enforced to varied degrees. Similar to the no contact is enforced in non-summer time. Meaning there are some teams/schools who run "open gym" but it is the expectation for the basketball team to be there. With the blackout rule some AD's say no contact meaning not even text, email, call, some say just no activities that are sport related with athletes.
The rules according to the MSHSL have changed in the last couple years, however coaches have been signing the summer waiver for much longer than 2010.
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 7:39 pm
by hockeywild7
Teams can practice all they want as long as a coach isn't present during the blackout. There is nothing wrong with that. Coaches can only have contact until July 31st and then not until the season starts. You can contact athletes all you want with texts, emails and phone, you just can't "coach" them. Rule is very clear, AD's have no leeway to interpret differently. Not aware of any schools that are knowingly violating these rules and I doubt any are. But if they do, it's not like they are gaining some huge advantage, hence it is a none issue.