PIERRE ā An American Legion official raised concerns after two high schools requested that the South Dakota High School Activities Association consider sanctioning baseball.
The association got the request from Superintendent Matt Alley of McCook Central High School and Superintendent Eric Denning of Mount Vernon High School. Denning also serves on the SDHSAA board of directors.
Dan Wyatt, a Legion member from Madison, spoke to the SDHSAA board via Zoom during its meeting Wednesday, April 17.
āI could see Legion baseball done in South Dakota in three or four years if this goes through,āĀ Wyatt told the board.
SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos explained to Wyatt that after the board sanctioned softball, it approved a formal process for the sanctioning of new sports. That process would take at least a year, Swartos said, and if the sport is approved by the board, it would be another year before the first season started.
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The first step is a written request from a school or SDHSAA staff. In the next year a proposal must be completed that includes a history of the sport, data on interest from member schools, recommendations on a season timeframe and projected start-up costs for schools.
A steering committee would then conduct a post-season finance and venue study as well as study the impact on the school calendar and its impact on current programs. If approved by the board of directors, an advisory committee would be established and a handbook developed.
Swartos assured Wyatt that his organization as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the South Dakota High School Baseball Association would be included in the planning process.
Some high schools offer baseball through the South Dakota High School Baseball Association. Wyatt said the Legion and the baseball association work well together in Madison.Ā
Despite assurances from Swartos, Wyatt remained concerned. āWould I like to see it happen?ā Wyatt asked. āNo.ā
The board unanimously voted to start the process of sanctioning baseball. Denning abstained from the vote.
S.D. schools to vote on NIL amendment, two board members
There are nine people nominated for two positions on the South Dakota High School Activities Association board of directors. The nominations took place Wednesday, April 17, during the associationās annual meeting.Ā
Five superintendents were nominated to fill the West River at-large position on the board. They are Chris Long of Lyman, Kelly Daughters of Faith, Erik Person of Lead-Deadwood, Mark Naugle of Custer and Cory Strasser of Rapid City.
That board position is currently held by board chairman Kelly Messmer of Harding County.
Four athletic/activities directors have been nominated for the Native American school representative on the board. Candidates must be from a high school that has at least a 50% Native American student population. The candidates are Charles Wilson of Todd County, Rich Crow Eagle of Tiospa Zina, Francis Big Crow of Lakota Tech and TreāVoun Buffalo of Wakpala.
That board position is currently held by Dani Walking Eagle of St. Francis Indian School.
To earn a place on the board, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast by member schools. If no candidate can hit that benchmark, the two candidates with the highest vote totals will compete in a run-off election. All member schools may vote on board members.
New board members will serve five-year terms that start on July 1.
All member schools will also vote on a constitutional amendment that delineates in detail the associationās rules governing the use of name, image and likeness for students who have monetized their social media presence. Running afoul of the NIL rules can result in the loss of an athleteās amateur standing for a year.
The associationās constitution currently says that students will be ineligible if they receive āremuneration for the use of their name, picture and/or personal appearance as an athlete in the promotion of a commercial or profit making event.ā
SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos, who would have to rule on an athleteās eligibility, said āas an athleteā is āvery broad.ā
āThereās not a whole lot to go off of,ā Swartos said, as it pertains to determining if an athlete broke the rules.
While students earning money on their name, image or likeness on social media are most often found at the college level, Swartos said he has had some inquiries from the parents of high school athletes about the associationās NIL rules.
The amendment serves to clarify the rules for high school athletes who seek to get paid for the use of their name, image and likeness. According to the amendment, the social media activity of the athlete must not:
ā¢Interfere with academics.
ā¢Be tied to athletic performance such as pay to play.
ā¢Induce the athlete to attend a particular school.
ā¢Receive payment from the school or agents of the school like booster clubs or foundations.
ā¢Use SDHSAA or a member schoolās marks or logos.
ā¢Use the schoolās name, mascot or uniforms.
ā¢Promote or endorse activities associated with alcohol, tobacco, vaping, controlled substances, gambling, banned athletic substances or other illegal substances or activities.
The association also advises international students to consult U.S. visa and immigration rules. Students and their families are advised to seek legal counsel and it is up to them to make sure that their NIL participation does not jeopardize the studentās college athletic eligibility.Ā
To be approved, the amendment will need a yes vote from 60% of the schools that vote.