SuperUser Account posted on September 11, 2011 13:03
What stands out during your first months as Executive Director of the MHSAA?
Don Hinton: I think the communication between the MHSAA office and our schools is improving, which remains a high priority. I feel we are continuing to establish relationships between our schools and the new staff. We have people who are qualified to answer questions, so we want schools to feel comfortable when they contact our office. As far as our activities go, we’ve been really excited with all the championship events we’ve had so far — from football and slow-pitch softball and volleyball to band, cross country and cheer/dance. The Mississippi Association of Athletic Administrators’ conference was a big success, too. We feel good about the changes and enhancements we’ve made across the board, from planning and managing the events to receiving feedback from the participants afterward.
Can you tell us about the response to the new MHSAA website and the launching of the MHSAA Network (misshsaa.tv)?
DH: We’ve gotten tremendous feedback from our schools and even the state as a whole. We have a great partnership with PlayON! Sports. People have had an opportunity to see events on the MHSAA Network who wouldn’t have been able to do so otherwise. Students enjoy being able to come back and watch themselves in those events once they are archived. We are looking forward to having all of our events available for viewing on the web at some point. Our new MHSAA website has been really well received, too. It is user-friendly and a major improvement from an accessibility standpoint. Coaches can go get all the information they need on their particular sport. We are going to continue to add to and enhance our web site as we go forward.
You have talked a lot about upgrading MHSAA game officiating. How is that progressing?
DH: That is another of our top priorities. From professionalism to knowledge of the rules to game management, we are continuing to seek new ways to educate and improve our game officiating. We also want to recruit good people who have the desire to officiate on the high school level. This is something we will continue to focus on and work on as an association.
There have been a few eligibility cases concerning transfer students that have garnered a significant amount of attention. How is the MHSAA addressing those situations?
DH: We have had some issues, but we are going to continue to follow the rules. We have schools that are learning the rules as far as eligibility is concerned. With the change in MHSAA leadership, schools have to learn how we are going to lead and enforce the rules and make decisions. We won’t stick our heads in the sand. We are going to act and respond when there is information that something is not being done in an appropriate manner. We want to be proactive in that, too, by helping our schools in answering questions and clarifying rules. Our MHSAA rules handbook is currently being reviewed by a statewide committee of superintendents, principals, coaches and educators. We want to make sure the rules are clearly understood in the future. This is not an ‘us against them’ situation. We are here to provide solutions to issues and problems as opposed to going searching for trouble.
In general, how have schools responded to that approach?
DH: Our schools want us to emphasize and administer the rules. They understand that those rules are there for a purpose. They want us to adhere to those rules so we have a fair and equal playing field for everyone.
What is the reasoning behind the MHSAA’s decision to evaluate all championship venues and formats?
DH: We’ve said from Day One that we want an MHSAA state championship to be a top-five experience of a lifetime for our students, coaches and families. The site, facility and format of the championship are very important parts of that equation. We are continuing to gain input and gather information to creatively find the very best venue — and not just for football and basketball but for all of our championships. We have had some productive meetings in looking at a different format and venues for our state tournament in basketball. That’s something we will continue to explore in the very near future. Again, we want to make it all it can be for our teams and fans.