What follows are news and notes from Monday's monthly Arizona Interscholastic Association executive board meeting. 

Executive director report

The AIA wants to introduce a new heat index guideline with the help of its member schools, which are tracking temperature and humidity readings, said AIA Executive Director David Hines.

Currently, schools use a national heat index to determine if it’s safe for their teams to practice outdoors during the 100-plus degree days.

"The national heat index doesn’t relate to our state’s weather,” Hines said.

--AIA member schools can start using the out of state consent to treat form.

The form gives schools and out of state medical personnel permission from parents to treat student athletes in case of a medical emergency. The one page form will be a requirement for students athletes when the 2019-2020 school year starts.

The form was federally approved within the past month.

--The AIA is planning to examine its prior contact rule in the next month. It’ll study how other state associations are applying the rule as well.

The AIA will present its findings and potential new prior contact language for the board to evaluate.

--Hines thanked the board members and school representatives who will serve on one of the five committees that’ll help develop the next three-year strategic plan for the AIA.

Each committee will consist of 10-15 people, including at least two AIA board members. They’ll meet one time for about 4-6 hours.

“The intend of the committees is to give us feedback and to move forward to accomplish our goals,” Hines said.

The steering committee will meet on Nov. 15.

--Grant money awarded by the Arizona Athletic Initiative enabled the AIA to reimburse athletic trainers who worked during the AIA’s postseason state tournaments. The AIA used up that grant, but another nonprofit, the Arizona Community Foundation, and the Arizona Cardinals raised $120,000 to help the AIA continue reimbursing trainers in the playoffs.

--The AIA is waiting to hear if the grant it and state officials applied for to create the first ever high school state association opioid abuse program will be awarded.

--The California Interscholastic Federation is about to start using Brainbook, an online concussion program for high school athletes that was launched in Arizona by the Barrow Neurological Institute. The program offers information on how to prevent, recognize and respond to concussions.

--The mandatory meeting for winter coaches will be held on Oct. 27 at Central High.

Financial report

Of the 260-plus AIA member schools, only three AIA member schools haven’t completely paid their dues and fees, said the AIA’s Director of Finance Denise Doser.

--Dosier reported a 44 percent increase in proceeds from the purchase of the golf scoring app iWanamaker.com, which powers azpreps365.com’s golf rankings and real time leaderboards.

--The financial report also included the AIA's payment for the development of its mobile app and legal fees that were charged to the AIA.

--The AIA is transferring operating and capital reserves to a new interest bearing account due to the minimal interest earned on current operating accounts.

--As of Sept. 30, the AIA is 25 percent through its fiscal year.

Agenda items approved

The following agenda items were approved:

Two AIA lifetime passes.

--Forty-two contests and or program cancellation requests. The number of program cancellations are down but the contest cancellations are up, Hines said. The addition of more small AIA member schools and the turnover in coaches and athletic directors are factors for the cancellations, Hines added. Schools are also being held more accountable as far as fulfilling schedule and program commitments, AIA Assistant Executive Director Joe Paddock said.

--The student eligibility appeal (paper review) and or request for hardship eligibility (legal guardian) requests from American Leadership Academy Queen Creek, Williams Field and Shadow Ridge.

—The student eligibility appeal (age rule) request by Casteel High School.

--The student eligibility appeal (maximum participation) request for hardship eligibility by Brophy.

--The student eligibility appeal requests from BASIS Flagstaff and Independence High School.

--The additional game requests from 11 schools.

Board approves Empire High motion

5A school Tucson Empire hopes to return to 3A now that students from two neighboring schools without sports programs will stop playing for Empire in the future.

But the students from Andrada Polytechnic and Vail Academy that are currently suiting up for Empire will be permitted to finish their playing careers at Empire. On Monday, the AIA’s board voted 5-3 to count Empire’s entire sophomore class, including Vail and Andrada students, in its enrollment total for the next two-year scheduling block.

Note

The 3A Metro East Region’s request to host a regular season-ending, four-team region tournament for volleyball and basketball for boys and girls this season was not approved.

School violations

These were the recent violations schools self reported and the punishment they received:

Advisement for Marana’s activities program for hosting an unsanctioned tournament.

--Advisement for Valley Vista boys basketball. Coaches invited their middle school-aged sons to participate in drills with the high school team in late August. Students that aren’t enrolled in a high school can’t participate in activities offered by the school.

--Advisement for Fountain Hills boys basketball. The coach allowed his son and the son’s friend to participate in an open gym.

--Warning for the football programs of Maricopa and Central. After their game this season, the head coaches of Maricopa and Central got into an “altercation” at midfield. According to Maricopa’s report, the coaching staffs, administrations and student athletes helped control the situation quickly. According to Central’s report, Central’s coach was the aggressor, pulling Maricopa’s coach toward him in an aggressive manner while yelling expletives at him as the teams were shaking hands. The melee continued after Central’s coach knocked off the visor of Maricopa’s coach. As part of its self correction action, Maricopa suspended its head coach for one game. Central placed its coach on administrative leave during the investigation.

--Advisement for ASU Prep. Officials reported that they were "disrespected" by the school, including its fans, during a volleyball match.

--Advisement for Maricopa girls volleyball for playing a transfer student who hadn’t sat out 50 percent of the season.

--Advisement for Douglas for playing two students in football games whose transfer paperwork weren't fully completed. Representatives from Douglas attended Monday’s meeting. “The AIA appreciates the proactive approach and review of eligibility by Douglas of its students,” said Hines to interim Douglas athletic director Katie Walker.