I trust that you are aware that the GHSA web site (www.ghsa.net) has been greatly enhanced in the past few weeks. There are more resources available than ever before. It is the responsibility of administrators and coaches of member schools to know the GHSA rules and procedures that affect their students and their competitive programs. That information is found on the GHSA web site.
Please note that the format has changed significantly in an attempt to make navigation easier and more “eye catching.” We encourage people to look at the web site first before calling the office. The information on the web site has value for the general public as well as for school personnel, so let your constituencies know the value of using this web site.
There are other changes in the communication process between the GHSA
office and member schools. Obviously the GHSA newsletter has been sent electronically rather than through the mail for quite a while. The use of bulk emails has been used with some degree of success. There is a major area of attention needed here, however. Contact persons at each school and their email addresses change more rapidly than the physical address of the school. Please enable the GHSA to communicate with you more effectively by letting us know when you change the contact person, or when that person changes his/her email address. This needs to be an ongoing process throughout the school year. The GHSA is investigating some additional communication systems that will allow for quicker communication in times of emergency. Be watching for more information about this.
For the time being, the GHSA will not be handling eligibility filings electronically. This may happen in the future, but the privacy issues and the need for additional documentation have been a challenge. Other com- munication may be sent out on paper (by fax or mail), but the number and the size of these paper exchanges will be decreasing. Please let us know if these technological changes create difficulties at your schools.
One area of concern involves the online rules clinics. There is a window of opportunity for coaches and officials to complete these clinics – including a participation accountability testing component. The closer we move to the deadline for these clinics, the greater the online traffic to take the clinics. Those who wait to the last minute are inviting difficulties and there is no mechanism to resolve the problem after the dead- line has passed. Please direct your personnel to plan accordingly.
– Ralph Swearngin, Executive Director