The MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) makes and enforces the rules for athletic competition in 33 sports (including indoor track) for 373 high schools in Massachusetts. I was on the MIAA web site looking up the qualifying standards for the Mass. State Meet when I came across the following notice on Page 3 of the 2009-2010 Indoor Track Championship Format document:
"ALL Electronic devices are banned from the gym, track and infield as well as the Shot Put area. The Shot Put area will include inside the fence as well as the cordoned off area outside the fence. This rule will be in force at all times when within the designated areas. This rule will apply to all athletes and coaches as well as officials and meet personnel."
Wow, I thought, that's a broad ban (no pun intended).
I assume "all electronic devices" includes all cell phones, smart cell phones, iPods, and other media players. Surely it does not include digital watches, but does it include digital cameras, GPS watches, headphones?
Does anyone know the background of this new rule, and why the MIAA is so adamant about the ban? Was it put in place to minimize the distracting bursts of music from cell phone ringtones? Or were the officials worried that athletes and coaches were gaining an advantage from taking surreptitious videos and analyzing them between efforts? In either case, my first reaction is wonder why such a big deal. Trying to minimize distractions in the circus that is the Reggie Lewis Track on the day of a big meet is an impossible task. Frankly, you'd be lucky to hear a cell phone ringtone in the cacophony.
And as for the advantage to be gained from recording a throw or jump, well, I agree that it shouldn't be allowed for the purpose of gaining an advantage in the meet, but can't a coach or athlete take a video of a race? The universal ban on all electronic devices seems too sweeping to me.
Haven't kids been listening to their iPods at meets for years? And has this really been a problem? What has changed to make the MIAA go all authoritarian on us all of a sudden? Was there some incident? Did a coach or a parent complain?
The MIAA rules go on to state:
"If an athlete or a coach is found to be in violation of this rule a warning shall be given by an official who will report the violation and warning to the Referee. For a second offense by an athlete, s/he shall forfeit all individual places and points and shall be disqualified from further competition. If a relay event is involved, the team’s relay points and place shall also be forfeited. For a second offense by a coach, s/he will be disqualified from further involvement in the meet and will involve follow-up with school administration and may involve a hearing before the MIAA Track & Field Committee."
Someone is taking this very, very seriously. But why?
6 comments:
Coming from an administrative standpoint (i.e. the MIAA) I don't understand what the big deal is. If an athlete misses check-in or misses their event entirely due to being tuned-in and zoned out, ultimately it only hurts themselves and possibly their team but should not be of concern to other teams, coaches or the sport's governing body.
From a coaching standpoint, I believe that one of the pieces of competition that must be learned and eventually mastered is dealing with nerves: being able to tune-out distractions and zone-in on the task at hand. I believe there is a fine line between getting nervous just enough to help you vs. hinder you. And personally I don't believe that distracting yourself with music helps face up to and ultimately conquer those nerves.
ummm hasn't that rule been in effect for a while? am I making this up? I remember that year being in place 6 years ago, back when I was a first-year at NNHS. At any rate, definitely when I was a senior.
maybe you're confusing where you can't use electronic devices? the stands aren't mentioned in those rules. so yea, taking videos of the shotput and of races is still possible, and all that.
and by "that year being in place" i mean "that rule being in place".
Bonny -- this notice is featured very prominently under the heading "New Rules and Changes for 2010." Did you follow the link? For my pat, I don't remember ever seeing this notice in the state meet entry form in any of my years at NN, nor do I remember discussing it with Jim or JT. So my question stands: what has changed to cause the MIAA to put such emphasis on this rule? And does it really imply that you can't have a cell phone or an iPod with you when you're in the gym?
This is a national Federation rule which hads been in effect for several years. The NEW in the MIAA format was new the last 2 years as well. That format is copy and pasted each year with little change and lots of useless information in those rules.
The purpose is at least 2 fold 1) the issue Bombay points out - athletes missing calls for events. The other athletes getting in the way of other competitors especially in field events as they tune out as officials yell at them.
Anyone that has officiated a meet or worked in meet management knows all the excuses about athletes missing calls.
Safely would be my first priority. The banned devices tend to distract further from a general low level of awareness out there. Note the emphasis on the area where cannonballs are flying (notwithstanding hazards surrounding every T&F event). jk
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