REPORT OF THE
DIVISION III MANAGEMENT
COUNCIL PLAYING AND PRACTICE
SEASONS SUBCOMMITTEE
ACTION
ITEM.
Playing and Practice
Seasons Model. The subcommittee discussed the issue of
playing and practice seasons for all Division III sports as a follow up to its
initial discussions in October 2001.
The subcommittee strived to create a playing and practice seasons model
that was consistent for all sports and that would provide opportunities for
students to pursue excellence in athletics and academics. Pursuit of athletics and academic
excellence includes the opportunity for student-athletes to prepare for
competition; engage in outside competition; pursue a championships (regional
and/or national) opportunity; engage in academic endeavors and the social and cultural
activities of their respective institution. The subcommittee agreed that this approach is consistent
with several elements of the Division III philosophy statement including the
development of sportsmanship, maximizing the number and variety of athletics
opportunities and an opportunity to pursue the highest level of performance
possible. Both models are based generally
on the principle that 60 percent of a student-athlete’s collegiate time would
be consumed by participation intercollegiate athletics.
In
its review of NCAA Bylaw 17, the committee also noted the inconsistent
approaches found within the bylaw, the clear lack of any basic principle upon
which all legislation is based and the impact that sport-specific legislation
adopted over the years has had within the bylaw. The committee also noted that almost all Division III sports
do not use the allotted 21 weeks.
With these ideas as a basis for its discussion, the subcommittee
presents the Management Council the following two options. It should be noted that the
subcommittee prefers the institutional flexibility of Option No. 2.
|
OPTION
1 |
|||
|
|
FALL |
WINTER |
SPRING |
|
Competition |
9 weeks |
14 weeks |
9 weeks |
|
Practice |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
Contests/Dates |
General rule of 1 to
2 per week |
General rule of 1 to
2 per week |
General rule of 1 to
2 per week |
|
Nonchampionships
segment |
5 weeks with max. 4
contests |
|
5 weeks with max. 4
contests |
|
OPTION
2 |
|
|
Competition |
All sports limited to 18 total weeks. |
|
Practice Opportunities |
20 practice opportunities per sport to the first
contest/date of competition in the championships segment. |
|
Contests/Dates |
Contest limitations would be based average of one
to two contests per week. |
In considering these options, it should be noted
that the subcommittee intends to maintain the nontraditional segment exception
available to the sports of golf and tennis is the current playing and practice
seasons definitions.
Based on the feedback provided by the Management
Council, the subcommittee intends to solicit additional feedback from the NCAA
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport, the Division
III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, NCAA sports committees and various
coaches associations/groups. The
subcommittee intends to review the additional feedback received by these groups
during an early spring conference call and provide further information for the
Council to consider during its April meeting.