LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE IN NSAA RULES AND REGULATIONS
Title:

Baseball Fall Evaluation Period

Author:Terrence O
School:Omaha Gross Catholic
NSAA District:2
 
Proposal for:Constitution & Bylaws
 
Classes Affected:Class B
Activities Affected:Baseball
This proposal:WILL NOT increase costs to the school
WILL NOT increase costs to the NSAA
WILL NOT increase travel for participating schools
WILL NOT decrease a student's or coach's instruction time
Implementation date:2023-10-01
Sections affected in Constitution & Bylaws:Page
44
Article
3
Section
3.2.3
Summary:Beginning with Week 14 of the NSAA activities calendar schools are allowed a 3-week evaluation period with no more than 15 hours of practice time per week. During this time frame, coaches are allowed to work with an unlimited number of players from their school who are interested in participating in baseball. These would be sport specific workouts (hitting, pitching, fielding, etc...) and would not include conditioning or weight lifting.
Rationale: The spring season is roughly 12-weeks in length from start to finish. There are 9-weeks of competition from the start of the season to the state championship game. The period between the start of spring sports to the start of competition are typically for tryouts and practice. Tryouts for some programs may last in the upwards of 5-7 days. Depending on the weather, these tryouts may be held inside and/or during off-peak times for winter sports. Once tryouts are completed, players and coaches have roughly an additional 8-10 days to prepare for their first contest. This can also be a challenge with the weather and facility availability due to winter sports and other activities.
Pros:Implementing a fall evaluation period would allow players the opportunity to exhibit their skill set in front of their coaches in a more realistic scenario outside. They are also able to learn their program's philosophy and terminology, prior to the season. Coaches are able to evaluate and work with their players in a setting suitable to accurately gauge ability and would eliminate the constraints of completing tryouts quickly in order to prepare for their first game.
Cons: