Sports

Restrictions for Coaches May Change

Coaches authorized for nearly unlimited access to players in offseason, but region could impose stricter limits

A sweeping measure passed by the Virginia High School League could change the face of high school athletics, but its impact in the Northern Region is yet to be determined.

The VHSL Executive Committee approved a measure that will allow high school coaches nearly unfettered access to their players year-round. Outside of 10-day “dead periods” at the start of each season, as well as a dead period in the summer, coaches can now have direct contact with their players for the entire year.

Even though the measure passed the VHSL by a 20-6 vote, each individual region and school district is allowed to impose stricter sanctions, if it so chooses. The Northern Region traditionally has been more restrictive on coaches. For example, Northern Region basketball coaches can only attend two team camps each summer. Coaches downstate are not limited to any number of camps.

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“As a coach, it would be nice to be able to have some access to your kids in the offseason,” said Woodson basketball coach Doug Craig. “I got the sense that [the region] would discuss limiting us further than the rest of the state does, which would not be out of character.”

In addition to placing Northern Region teams on even footing with the rest of the state, adopting the new measure in full would put an antiquated rule to bed. Under the old rule, student-athletes who wanted extra instruction were forced to go outside the school system in the offseason. South Lakes football coach Andy Hill said there were loopholes that made it “a mockery of a rule.”

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“Let’s be serious here,” Hill began. “The day and age that we live in is one where the resources are there, and kids are going to look for ways to do what they love. Under the old rules, you can’t have any contact with your kids, but you can run a weight program. It created a gray area. Now, it’s very black and white.”

The sports where the new measure could have the most impact are likely basketball and football. In addition to being Woodson’s basketball coach, Craig is also the president of the Northern Virginia Boys Basketball Coaches Association. The rule would be a welcome change for his member coaches, who face greater constraints than their colleagues in other parts of the state. While not the only factor, it likely contributes to the fact the region has only had one state champion since the current districts formed in 1993 (T.C. Williams, 2008).

“We would like to be in line with what the rest of the state does,” Craig said. “If the rest of the state does things one way, we feel we should be able to. Ultimately, we’re competing with those schools, and we want to compete on a level playing field.”

Additionally, sessions with a personal trainer or specialized coach in the offseason can cost a family hundreds of dollars. Not only is the playing field statewide askew, but certain areas in Fairfax County may be better situated economically to take advantage of opportunities with a personal trainer than others. That can create an imbalance within the county and the region, as well.

“Take a school with a strong economic base, they may not have a problem with paying $100 for a camp,” Hill said. “It puts some of the [schools with] economic hardships in a tough spot. If you run a camp and every kid can’t show up because they can’t afford the camp, to me that’s a disadvantage.”

The new measure takes effect on August 1. The Northern Region hopes to have its offseason plan in place by May.


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