MIAA Rules Regarding Out-of-Season Activities

Everyone should understand the MIAA rules regarding out-of-season activities for teams and individuals. I urge people to read the relevant MIAA rules and become familiar with both the letter and spirit of those rules (links are provided below). I intend to comply fully with both.

The rules for coaches and out-of-season activity are spelled out in the MIAA Handbook for 2005-2007. The MIAA has also written a summary of the rule and its implications:
MIAA Position on Out-of-Season Activities (PDF)

The latter document makes it clear that coaches and volunteers for high school teams are not allowed to coach their athletes out of season. There are a few very specific and limited exceptions, one of which (40.5.3) refers to supervising groups. That exception states:

"At no time may the coach supervise any group or subgroup which includes 50% or more students who are among his/her candidates."

The NSRP is not some way of getting around the technicalities of the MIAA rule. The clear intent of the rule is to make sure that students and their parents are completely free to make their own decisions about how to train or not train during the summer months and at other out-of-season periods with NO consequences for eventual participation on the team. I completely support this position.

The NSRP is not affiliated in any way with Newton North High School. It is barely an organized activity at all. (You would know this if you stopped by). It is primarily a chance for a group of (mostly) NNHS alumni and their friends to get together for summer runs. However, one of my goals is to promote more communication and camaraderie between runners from surrounding towns. That's why I'd like to invite alumni, parents, and others from surrounding towns to stop by run with us from time to time.

So far, nobody but me has been representing the middle-aged population, but I have hope, I have hope...