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Legislature proposes changes to limit FHSAA authority

By FRANK JOLLEY, 03/29/15, 10:15AM EDT

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Leesburg High School

The Florida High School Athletic Association could be on its way out if a new bill becomes law.

Members of the state's House Education Committee voted 12-5 last week for a measure to overhaul the FHSAA and possibly even replace the organization in 2017.

The vote on the measure — PCB EDC 15-02 — followed party lines, with the exception of Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vaslinda, a Democrat from Tallahassee who voted with the Republican majority. Democrats who voted against the measure expressed concerns about some provisions in the bill.

One that seemed most troubling to Democrats would allow the state education commissioner to name another group to oversee high school sports in Florida beginning in 2017.

The FHSAA issued a "Call to Action" on its website on Monday, encouraging supporters to contact members of the committee and express their views on the bill. According to the FHSAA, the bill is "far reaching," and the organization believes it will create "free agency" of high school student-athletes by prohibiting private schools and local school boards from adopting more stringent rules on transfers.

Proponents of the bill noted that recruiting, which is illegal under FHSAA rules, would remain illegal. The only exception would be that a student-athlete could not be penalized unless it was determined the student-athlete or a parent committed an impermissible act.

Another portion of the bill would limit the fees that could be collected by the FHSAA through fines. It would also permit schools to join the association on a per-sport basis and mandate that eligibility disputes be resolved by a third-party.

Under the bill, eligibility requirements for student-athletes would remain largely the same except when a grade point average fell below standards. In that case, a corrective action plan could be developed, as long as it occurred prior to the student-athlete becoming a junior.

During their junior and senior years, student-athletes would have to maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain eligible.

Also, a student-athlete would not be deemed ineligible in most cases until a third party issued a final decision. Student-athletes could continue playing while their cases were being reviewed, although wins could be forfeited if a student-athlete was ruled ineligible.

Legislators, particularly in the House, and the FHSAA have been at odds for years. The FHSAA lost a great deal of its power to govern transfers in 2012, when a bill was passed that left school districts responsible for overseeing the movement of student-athletes from one school to another.

"It's long past the time to limit the power of a very large, protectionist organization and place our priority with the students," said Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City. "I only wish it had happened of the association's own volition and not (because the FHSAA) had to be forced to change."

Many supporters of the FHSAA felt the changes regarding transfers would permit schools to create powerhouse programs, although that doesn't appear to have occurred in Lake and Sumter counties.

In fact, since 2012, no area school has won an FHSAA state title.

Leesburg (2012) and Lake Minneola (2014) have appeared in the state championship game for boys basketball, and Wildwood (2015) played for a girls title.

According to reports, the FHSAA agrees with many of the provisions in the bill, with the exception of the FHSAA being replaced.

"We think that that is rather arbitrary and that, as a representative democracy, which this association is, if it's truly violating people's rights and not looking out for the best interests of our athletes, then the FHSAA should be removed," said Juhan Mixon, who was in Tallahassee representing the FHSAA. "But, we think that that should come back to this Legislature and not be put in the legislation at this time."

Stuart Weiss, president of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference, of which First Academy of Leesburg and Mount Dora Bible are members, said the FHSAA has made changes in recent years only because legislators have raised the stakes by threatening to strip the association of its authority.

The SSAC was founded in 2008 as an alternative for independent football programs in the state. It is now the largest independent conference, with 29 teams set to play in 2015. The league began playing boys and girls basketball in 2014.

Weiss said he has been in Tallahassee for the "past few weeks" in support of the legislation.

"I think it is a very fair bill that does not do what the FHSAA has stated," Weiss said. "The efforts of the legislature is truly trying to look out for student-athletes and schools. You can't give a quasi-monopoly to an organization, not oversee it and see what they do."