November 2, 2004

TO ALL SECTIONAL WRESTLING CHAIRMEN:

  As per conversation with    Lloyd Mott:                                  

                                                NYSPHSAA – Assistant Director

(518)439-8873

LMott@NYSPHSAA .org

With respect to out-of-state competitions:

            The NYSPHSAA Handbook for 2004-06 (page 64 #13b) states:

            13b.  No (NYS) member school will engage in athletic competition with an out-of-

            state school which is not a member in good standing of it’s respective state high

            school athletic association or has not been approved by the respective state

            association if the school is ineligible to join. Furthermore member schools will not

            compete in any interstate contest which is sponsored solely by an outside agency. 

            For dual contests it is the school’s responsibility to determine the these criteria are

            satisfied. 

            13d.  A (NYS) member school planning to participate in an interstate contest involving

            four or more schools, or any interstate contest which is co-sponsored by an

            organization other than a member high school, must give notice of entry to the

            NYSPHSAA Inc. office so that the school may receive verification that the contest has

            been sanctioned.

Other states have begun a trend of becoming stricter in approving member schools.  The state of Maryland no longer recognizes their Catholic schools as member schools.  The state of New Jersey no longer recognizes Blair Academy as a member school. 

Therefore for the upcoming 2004-05 season:

All NYS schools are prohibited from wrestling in:

-the Beast of the East Tournament (which includes MD Catholic schools)

-and in any contest involving Blair Academy

during the upcoming season.

            13d.  continued:

NOTE: Failure to comply with the above regulation may cause a team or

individuals to become ineligible from that date of participation for the remainder

of that sport season.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS INFORMATION TO ALL WRESTLING TEAMS IN YOUR SECTION TO PROTECT THEM AND KEEP THEM FROM BECOMING INELIGIBLE.

-Jeff Cuilty

 (Section 9 Chairman)