By Dana Hess
For the S.D. Newspaper Association
PIERRE — The reaction of some golf coaches to a change approved in a first reading by the board of directors of the South Dakota High School Activities Association led to a lengthy discussion about communication when the board met on Thursday, June 10.
At issue was the board’s approval at its April meeting of the first reading of a rule that would change the Class A regional qualifying standard from 60% to 50% of players. According to emails the board members received, some coaches didn’t like the change which was approved at the annual athletic directors’ meeting on a 19-14 vote. Some coaches said their athletic directors voted for the change even though they were against it.
The SDHSAA board is the last stop for rule changes that start in advisory committees, go to the athletic directors’ meeting and then to the board.
“I don’t know if they weren’t informed or weren’t paying attention,” said board member Tom Culver of Avon. “It appears to me, everything went through the process.”
SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos said he couldn’t find fault with the coaches who were complaining as they were seeking to take more athletes to a state golf tournament. “They’re fighting for kids.”
SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director John Krogstrand said the change has been discussed for years and any complaining by coaches that they were surprised by the change is a “terrible, gross mischaracterization.”
Looking at past tournaments, Krogstrand said the change would cut the field in the boys’ and girls’ golf tournaments by five to 10 players. The players this change would have affected in the past were an average of 50 shots off the lead for boys and 87 shots off the lead for girls, Krogstrand said.
“This needs to be a competitive state event,” Krogstrand said.
As a board member, Jerry Rasmussen of Dakota Valley said he uses the vote of athletic directors as a guide to the decisions he makes about rule changes.
“If there’s a disagreement at the school level, that’s not something I’m going to wade into,” Rasmussen said.
Board member Mike Talley of Rapid City said there needs to be better communication between the advisory boards, where rule changes start, and the coaches.
“There seems to be some disconnect,” Talley said. “They feel blindsided. They haven’t gotten the information.”
Krogstrand, who is leaving the association after nine years, said that as a short-timer, he felt he could speak freely. “That’s a load of crap.” Coaches who don’t do their homework attack the process, Krogstrand said.
“Let’s attack the messenger,” Krogstrand said, “because we didn’t get our way.”
Board member Craig Cassens of Faulkton said better communication may be needed on the advisory process. “I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel.”
SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Jo Auch said that minutes of advisory meetings are always posted on the association’s website. “I do believe that the process we have is working.”
The board passed a second reading of the rule changes without amending any of them.
