Southern Section Kills Dead-Period Rule

Although the so-called dead-period rule originally scheduled to take effect among Southern Section schools Aug. 1 has been killed, the idea behind the regulation lives on.

At least that’s the view of Southern Section administrator Dean Crowley, who attempted Thursday to clear up confusion about the proposal because the section’s 1990-91 Blue Book that outlines regulations includes the summer dead-period provision.

The measure was passed in the spring of 1990 and was scheduled to take effect at the start of next month. The rule bans contact of all kind between coaches and athletes from Aug. 1 to Aug. 26, the start of fall practice. The rule allows weight training during that time but no other forms of conditioning.

The weight-training provision irked some coaches’ groups who claimed the rule aided football coaches who were allowed to maintain contact with their players through daily weight-training sessions.

Cross-country coaches in particular opposed the rule, saying they needed contact in August to supervise conditioning programs for their runners. They brought their case to the section’s general council and persuaded the group to adopt a proposal at the March 14 meeting that killed the dead period.

“The cross-country coaches did a good job presenting their case, an excellent job,” Crowley said.

But news of that vote has traveled slowly. Crowley estimates that he has taken one or two calls a day this summer from coaches inquiring about the dead period. Although Crowley tells them to disregard the Blue Book, he expects that the concept will eventually become section rule in some form.

As part of the proposal passed in March to set aside the dead period, a committee was formed to study the impact of a dead period for all sports. The rule may reappear with specific applications for different sports, Crowley predicted.

“No coaches group thinks a dead period is a bad idea,” he said. “I think there’s no doubt that it’s needed. Hopefully, we’ll get it next summer.”

Crowley characterizes the current state of summertime high school sports activities as out of control. Too many demands are placed on athletes who often must sacrifice vacation time with parents because of overloaded summer schedules, he said.

Crowley, who administers the section’s basketball programs, points to that sport as a primary culprit.

“We had one team in our section play five games on a Saturday and had to play two more on a Sunday because of tournaments,” he said. “Those kids were driving all over Southern California playing basketball games.”

Crowley said he receives calls from parents who complain about the demands placed on their children, especially if they play more than one sport.

“We hear it from kids, parents, coaches and administrators. Something has to give,” he said. “I think coaches are the first to admit, ‘I’m doing it because the other guy is doing it.’

“Are we burning kids out and creating stress injuries? These kids can’t go on vacation. There’s a lot of feeling among administrators and coaches that there are a lot of abuses in the summertime.”