Leading off today: Two sports. Two rules changes that will make then safer.
That's the verdict on announcements this week from the National Federation of State High School Associations.
The headline-making news from the NFHS baseball rules committee is that the double first-base bag will become mandatory for the 2027 season, reducing the risk of collisions between runners and infielders.
"It will immediately address running lane violations, and it will further protect the players from the violent collisions that have occurred at first base," said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the baseball rules committee.
The other notable baseball change is a crackdown on defensive player meetings, which will be limited to one per half-inning in the interest of shortening games.
Meanwhile, the boys lacrosse rules committee has moved to protect players from their own zeal to do whatever it takes to avoid surrendering a goal. Beginning next spring, no defensive player other than a properly equipped goalkeeper can enter the crease "with the perceived intent " of blocking a shot or acting as a goalkeeper.
Violations will result in a non-releasable penalty.
Given the velocity of shots of the hard rubber ball, the rule is bound to prevent serious injuries somewhere along the line.
Additionally, the loss of a helmet will be a technical foul for illegal procedure to encourage players to properly wear helmets and chin straps during play.
"The committee spent a significant amount of time addressing risk minimization and the personal equipment that supports athlete safety," said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the boys lacrosse rules committee.
Hornell staffers come to aid of stricken umpire
A potential tragedy was averted Tuesday by the quick response from athletic trainers and staff after an umpire collapsed during a collegiate summer-league game in Hornell.
According to the Wellsville Sun, the home plate umpire took a ball off of the chest protector. He appeared stunned for a moment and briefly appeared to shake it off before collapsing shortly afterward while conferring with Hornell GM Paul Welker.
Lyndsey McCoy, an assistant athletic trainer at Alfred University and trainer for the Hornell Steamers of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, as well as Hornell High School athletics, had retrieved the on-site AED shortly beforehand and reached the umpire within seconds, with Olean athletic trainer Josh Sikorski also responding.
An ambulance responded in less than three minutes, the paper reported.
The umpire, who was not identified, was treated at an area hospital and released.
Shakeup at Copiague
Parents and players pleaded with the school board on Wednesday to reinstate Copiague girls basketball coach Kia Wright, who was let go by the district last month.
Meanwhile, the district is moving forward with a change atop the football program after letting coach Ken Rittenhouse go after 16 seasons.
Wright, a former Copiague and St. John's star player who was hired as coach in 2020, said she was told last month by AD William Bennett that she was not being brought back.
Wright said Bennett told her the decision stemmed from a trip Wright took a dozen players on in January to see a basketball game between UConn and St. John's. She told
Newsday the trip was coordinated outside of her role as coach through her nonprofit, Kwiet Storm Inc., that she received permission from all of the parents, and that no part of the trip involved school grounds or personnel.
"A chance to get both of the teams that I played for and get the kids that I coach and mentor to see both teams play, it was inspirational for myself and then hopefully, (gave) them inspiration," she said.
Bennett declined to comment and referred Newsday to district spokeswoman Jessica Novins, who said in an email that the district does not comment on personnel matters.
Wright averaged 24.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 6.3 steals per game and lead Copiague to its first Section 11 Class A and Long Island Championship in 2002 and the Eagles' first state title a year later. She finished with 2,148 career points at Copiague, then went on to become the first player in St. John's program history to score over 1,500 points and amass over 400 assists.
Rittenhouse told Newsday he was informed earlier this year that he would not be brought back for what he expected to be his final season before likely moving to Florida. The school board has approved the promotion of JV coach Phil Fortuno to replace him.
"They told me that they want to go in a different direction," Rittenhouse said. "They wouldn't give me anything more. They're not really telling me any more information than that."
The Eagles snapped their Long Island-record 42-game losing streak last season, closing with two straight wins to finish at 2-6. Rittenhouse said he learned his fate in January during a meeting with AD William Bennett.
"But then I actually scheduled a meeting with the superintendent (Dr. Kathleen Bannon) after the meeting I had with the AD because what he told me was it wasn't his decision; it was coming from above him," Rittenhouse said. "I thought the meeting (with Bannon) went well.'
However, Rittehouse said he received no follow-up. He had been doing the usual offseason work, including putting players in contact with the college coaches.
Just wondering ...
The public (and the media) seldom are privy to all the details of an unpopular decision to fire a coach. It's rarely a "he said/she said" scenario because one side (the school district) almost never discloses the specifics leading up to the dismissal.
Thus, we're unlikely to ever know if there was something more than an unofficial team trip that led to Copiague officials deciding not to bring back Kia Wright for another season.
If the trip to see a college game was the only factor in the firing, then there is something wrong with the way Copiague runs its ship. The trip didn't cost the district a penny, nor did it violate NYSPHSAA rules.
I'd defy anyone to explain who the trip was any more egregious than a coach hosting his or her team for a picnic or a trip to the local pizza joint as a change of pace from practice and games during a long season. Those gatherings take place all the time all across the state.
NYSSWA progress report
We're close to a month after the conclusion of the spring sports season, and the finishing touches on the 2024-25 school year are coming together.
The softball all-state team has already rolled out, and our first-ever flag football all-state team will be next. I'm filling in grades and back-checking some spellings, but we should be ready to post the lists in Classes A, B, and C early next week.
Meanwhile, work on boys and girls lacrosse is in progress, and those all-state teams will be the next to be posted after flag football.
Finally, nominations are still trickling in for the baseball all-star team. The process of paring down options in six classes of nominations for NYSPHSAA players will take awhile, but there will be a team honored.
On another front, the Kerr Cup All-Sport Championship scoring is nearly done, and we expect to make the annual winners announcement at the end of next week.
