BY-LAWS
OF THE
LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER COACHES' ASSOCIATION
1.0 Membership
1.1 In order to be a
member in good standing in the association, each member must pay annual dues by
the date imposed.
1.2
An application must accompany the
dues.
1.2.1 The
application must be approved by the Executive Committee.
1.2.2 If membership is denied, the President
shall give written notice to the principal, athletic director or the coach of
the reasons why membership was denied. In order to reapply, the applicant must
wait one school calendar year.
ARTICLE II--FEES
2.0 Annual dues of
twenty-five dollars will cover the period of September 1 through August 31 if
paid by January 15th. Dues
paid after January 15 are thirty-five dollars.
2.1 All checks should
be made payable to the LHSSCA and sent to address listed on the yearly
application for membership.
2.2 Any member in
arrears of dues by the due date of payment shall be suspended from the
privileges of this association.
2.2.1 The
executive committee will reserve the right to review any extenuating
circumstances.
3.0
Executive
Committee
3.1 The Executive
Committee will be comprised of the President, 1st Vice-President,
and 2nd Vice-President. Boys and Girls Division shall be represented
on the Executive Committee.
3.1.1 Duties
of the Executive Committee
3.1.1.1 The President shall be responsible
for calling and presiding over meetings; preparing the agenda for each meeting;
maintaining relations with the various outside sports organizations that may be
relevant to soccer; shall collect all dues associated with membership; will be
responsible for all financial matters pertaining to this organization and will
report to the members at each meeting.
The President will represent the LHSSCA on the Executive Council of the
LHSCA. The President shall also be
responsible for the public relations of the LHSSCA.
3.1.1.2
1st Vice-President shall
assume the duties of the President in the event of his/her absence; is
responsible for the membership directory of
either
the boys or girls division. The 1st
Vice-President will oversee the Academic All-State process for the boys or
girls division. Finally, the 1st
Vice-President will conduct the All-State process for the boys or girls
division.
3.1.1.3 The 2nd Vice-President
shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the absence of both
the President and the 1st Vice-president; is responsible for the
membership directory of either the boys or girls division. The 1st Vice-President will
oversee the Academic All-State process for the boys or girls division. Finally,
the 2nd Vice-President will conduct the All-State balloting for the
boys or girls division.
3.2 Appointed Officers
3.3 Appointed
officers shall include the Secretary/Treasurer.
3.3.1 Duties
of the Appointed Officers
3.3.1.1 The Secretary/Treasurer will assist the
President with all financial matters of the LHSSCA; will be able to sign on the
association's checking account; will give a financial report to the members at
the spring general membership meeting; will communicate the All-State Teams and
Coach of the Year awards to the media of the entire state. The Secretary/Treasurer will generally assist
the President with all communications and public relations of the LHSSCA.
3.4 School Head Advisor
3.5 The
Executive Committee shall appoint the position of School Head Advisor for a
two-year term.
3.5.1 Unless otherwise decided
upon by the Executive committee, the School Head Advisor will generally be the
principal or head master of the school of the president of the LHSSCA.
3.5.2 Duties
of the School Head Advisor
3.5.2.1 The School Head Advisor will act as
liaison for the members of the LHSSCA and the LHSAA; will inform
principals/headmasters of association agendas when necessary.
ARTICLE IV--VOTING
4.0 Each member is permitted one vote per
issue.
4.1 Issues other than membership will require
participation by at least fifty percent of the membership in attendance at a
meeting, or at least fifty percent response to a mail-out (or email) vote, with
a simple majority of the fifty- percent necessary for a decision to be reached.
ARTICLE V--ALL STATE PROCESS
5.0 All State Selection
5.1 Each division in
both boys and girls will select an All-State team.
5.1.1 Nominations
5.1.1.1 Any member may nominate players or
coaches from his/her division. The players
may be from the nominating coach's team or from an opposing team.
5.1.1.1.1 NOTE: Players
whose coaches are not LHSSCA members are still eligible for nomination and
selection provided that he or she is nominated and/or voted upon by LHSSCA members.
5.1.1.2 Nomination forms will only be
accepted from the members in good standing who have paid their dues by the
appropriate deadline.
5.1.1.3 Nomination forms are due to the 1st
or 2nd Vice-President within 48 hours after the respective division's
Semi-Finals.
5.1.1.3.1
Nomination forms may be sent to the 1st or 2nd
Vice-President any time after the respective division's playoffs have begun.
5.1.2 Balloting
5.1.2.1 A ballot will be created from the
nominations and distributed to the members within 48 hours of the completion of
the division's respective State Championship.
5.1.2.2 Members
who did not send in nominations are still eligible to vote.
5.1.3 Voting
5.1.3.1 Only members in
good standing may vote for the All-State teams.
5.1.3.2 Each
member school may send in only one ballot for their respective boys and/or
girls divisions.
5.1.3.3 A
coach/member may vote for players of his/her own team.
5.1.3.4 Each ballot must be identified with
the member’s signature and school of association. (Note:
Typing a name in an electronic blank constitutes a coach’s signature.)
5.1.3.5 Each member may vote for up to 14
players in your respective division (including your own), one State MVP,
and one Coach of the Year.
5.1.4 Naming of
All-State Teams
5.1.4.1 All-State first
and second teams shall be named for each division (Boys and Girls).
5.1.4.2 There shall be at least ten field
players and one goalkeeper named to the first team.
5.1.4.2.1 Players
making the first team shall be determined by a combination of two factors
including the total number of voters in the division
and the natural cutoff (or break point) of the votes.
5.1.4.2.2
A player must receive a minimum of
four votes in order to be considered for the 1st team.
5.1.4.2.3 The results of the voting will be available
to any member of the LHSSCA at the spring general membership meeting. Immediately after the meeting all ballots
will be destroyed.
5.1.4.3 There shall be at least ten field
players and one goalkeeper named to the second team.
5.1.4.3.1
Players making the second team shall
be determined by a combination of two factors including the total number of
voters in the
division and the natural
cutoff (or break point) of the votes.
5.1.4.3.2
A player must receive
a minimum of three votes in order to be considered for the second team.
5.1.4.3.2
The results of the voting will be
available to any member of the LHSSCA at the spring general membership
meeting. Immediately
after the meeting all
ballots will be destroyed.
5.1.5 State
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
5.1.5.1 Each
division in both boys and girls will name a Most Valuable Player.
5.1.5.2 The
player who receives the most MVP votes will be named the LHSSCA State’s Most
Valuable player.
5.1.5.2.1 The
MVP does not necessarily have to have the most 1st Team votes
because there is separate voting for the MVP.
5.1.5.2.2 If two or more players receive the
same number of MVP votes, the tie will be broken by using the number of 1st
team votes.
5.1.5.2.3 If the number of MVP votes is tied, and
the number of 1st team votes is tied, then CO-MVP’s will be named.
5.1.6 Coach of the
Year
5.1.6.1 In order to be
selected as Coach of the Year, the coach must be a LHSSCA member in good
standing.
5.1.6.2 The Coach of the
Year balloting will occur as part of the All-State balloting.
5.1.6.3 The Coach who
receives the most votes in each division shall be named the LHSSCA Coach of the
Year.
5.1.6.3.1 If the number
of votes is tied, each coach will receive the distinction of being named Coach
of the Year.
6.0 Academic All-State
6.1 Each division in
both boys and girls will select an Academic All-State team.
6.2 Criteria
6.2.1 Each varsity head soccer coach will
nominate varsity soccer players who meet the following criteria:
6.2.1.1 The nominated player must be in his
or her senior year in high school.
6.2.1.2
The nominated player must have a
minimum of an accumulated 3.50 grade
point average based on a 4.0 scale for his seven previous
semesters in high school.
6.2.1.2.1 Do not give extra quality points for honors courses, AP
courses or other extra quality point courses.
(A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0).
6.2.1.2.2 GPA is based on first seven (7) semester grades. Be sure to include the 1st semester of senior
year.
6.2.1.2.3 GPA must be carried out to two (2) places. Round to the nearest
hundredths place. (3.499 becomes 3.50)
6.2.1.2.4 Use your school’s system of computing GPA’s for
graduation.
6.2.1.3 The nominated player shall have exhibited
excellence in high school soccer.
Coaches will use discretion to determine “excellence” in high school
soccer.
6.3
Selection
and Recognition
6.3.1 Student-Athletes who meet all of the
criteria mentioned in section 6.2 shall be considered Academic All-State.
6.3.2 Schools may honor their student-athletes as
they see fit. However, the LHSSCA
requires the following:
6.3.2.1
Student-Athletes should not be recognized as Academic All-State players
until:
6.3.2.1.1 The completion of the high school soccer season.
6.3.2.1.2 Their school’s All-District selections have been
completed.
6.3.2.1.3 The grades of the nominee are verified by their schools’
academic administrator, senior guidance counselor or athletic director.
6.4
Promotion
and Publication
6.4.1 The
LHSSCA will promote and publicize the Academic All-State teams during the
weekend after the State Championship matches.
6.4.1.1
Schools wanting to have their
student-athletes publicly recognized must email, fax, or mail the enclosed
LHSSCA form the corresponding
Vice-President
(Boys or Girls) by the due date.
6.4.1.2
Schools must use the official form
to send in the Academic All-State selections to the LHSSCA. (All detailed information about each student-
athlete
will be held in the strictest of confidence.
Only the names and positions of the selected students will be released
to the media.)
6.4.1.3 Schools may
reproduce the official LHSSCA Academic All-State certificate to give to their
selections.
6.5
Oversight
6.5.1 The Executive committee reserves the right
to insure the legitimate conduct of the Academic All-State process.
7.0 Hall of Fame
7.1 The LHSSCA will name at least two
persons per year to the LHSSCA Hall of Fame.
7.2 Nominations,
with resume, must be submitted to the President and postmarked no later than
January 31st.
7.3 The
Executive Committee will select members to the Hall of Fame from the
nominations. The recipients will receive
a plaque at the annual All-Star Classic.
7.3.1 The President will keep an on-going file of
nominations to be considered each year.
Future nominations will be selected from the historical nominations or
the current year's nominations.
8.0 Appellate Process
8.1 All
appeals regarding a member's unsporting conduct, unprofessional conduct, or violating
the association Constitution or By-laws must be directed to the President. The
President will bring this issue to the Executive Committee and will be dealt
with in accordance to the LHSAA rules and regulations.
8.2 Any member is
entitled to a hearing before the Executive Committee. All appeals will be heard at the spring
general membership meeting.
9.0 All Freshmen Team Selection
9.1 Each girls
division will select an All-Freshmen team.
9.1.1 Nominations
9.1.1.1
Any member may nominate freshmen
from his/her division. The players may
be from the nominating coach's team or from an opposing
team.
9.1.1.2
In order to be eligible, a player
must be a first-year freshman in high school and must have met the criteria to letter
on his/her school’s
varsity team as a
freshman.
9.1.1.3 Nomination forms
will only be accepted from the members in good standing who have paid their
dues by the appropriate deadline.
9.1.1.3.2 Players whose coaches are not LHSSCA
members are still eligible for nomination and selection provided that he or she
is nominated
and/or voted upon by
LHSSCA members.
9.1.1.4 Nomination forms
are due to the 1st or 2nd Vice-President at the same time
as the all-state and academic all-state nominations.
9.1.1.4.1 Nomination forms may be sent to the 1st or 2nd
Vice-President any time after the respective division's playoffs have begun.
9.1.2 Selection
9.1.2.1 The 1st
and 2nd Vice-Presidents shall select committees in each of the three
divisions to review the nominations. The
committees
may not consist of more than one member from a district and
should, whenever possible, reflect geographic balance.
9.1.2.2 Member
coaches wishing to serve on the All-Freshmen Selection Committee should notify
their appropriate Vice-President in writing.
9.1.3 Voting
9.1.3.1
The
committee members must submit their rankings of the nominated players to the
appropriate Vice-President by the deadline that is
imposed for the all-state team selections.
9.1.3.2
Each team should
consist of at least ten field players and one goalkeeper (if a goalkeeper is
nominated). There does not have to be a
second team if the committee determines there to have been
insufficient nominations of appropriate quality.
9.1.3.3
A committee member may vote for
players of his/her own team.
9.1.4
Results
The results of the All-Freshmen Committee’s selection process will be made available at the annual spring membership meeting.
10.0 Milton
“Milt’ Gaudet Coach’s Award
10.1 Milton
“Milt” Gaudet was the first coach of St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans
when the program began in 1993. He had
already enjoyed a successful coaching career in baseball, basketball and football
in Louisiana and Texas, but he would return from retirement to coach a new
sport and work with young women. From
its inception, Milt would plant the seeds of success for the growing Dominican
program. He would be honored with the
District Coach of the Year award in 1997, and his final year of coaching in
1999-2000 saw the very beginnings of a team that would win the school’s first
state championship in 2003. Milt passed
away in September of 2007.
10.2 This
award will be bestowed upon a coach whose team shows significant on-the-field
improvement during a period of at least one year. The coach should also display some of the
many qualities that Milt displayed: a genuine concern for student athletes,
leadership, spirit, generosity, and sportsmanship.
10.3 The
committee chairman shall be the vice-president in charge of the girls’
division. He/she shall appoint a
committee of other LHSSCA member coaches in the girls’ division with the advice
and consent of the President.
10.4 The
nomination form will be distributed to member coaches and made available on the
LHSSCA website.
10.5 LHSSCA
members may nominate any other LHSSCA member coach in the girls’ division.
10.6 Nominations,
with any attachments, shall be submitted in writing to the Vice President in charge
of the girls’ division, who will serve as chairperson of the Milt Gaudet Coach’s Award Committee. Nominations will be due at the same time as
the nominations for all-state.
10.7 Committee
members shall select one recipient from the nominations received.
10.8 The
recipient will be invited to attend the annual spring meeting of the LHSSCA and
will receive a commemorative plaque.
11.0 Robyn
DesOrmeaux Courage Award
11.1 The award recognizes the tremendous courage
displayed by Robyn DesOrmeaux. Robyn is a former Carencro High School and
Louisiana State University goalkeeper.
When Robyn finished her career, she was second in LSU women’s soccer
history all-time in career saves and shutouts despite being able to play only
two full seasons due to injuries. In
November of 2004, Robyn was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of
cancer. At the time of her diagnosis,
she was given only a ten-percent survival rate chance. She has aggressively battled the disease
since then, including a period of remission.
11.2 This award will be bestowed annually upon a
Louisiana girls’ high school soccer player from an LHSSCA member school who has
displayed some sort of courageous act on or off the field including, but not
necessarily limited to, overcoming an injury or physical handicap or living
through a specific hardship.
11.3 The
committee chairman shall be the vice-president in charge of the girls’
division. He/she shall appoint a
committee with the advice and consent of the President.
11.4 The
nomination form will be distributed to member coaches and made available on the
LHSSCA website.
11.5 LHSSCA
members may nominate any female high school soccer player from an LHSSCA member
school.
11.6 Nominations,
with any attachments, shall be submitted in writing to the Vice President in
charge of the girls’ division, who will serve as chairperson of the Robyn DesOrmeaux Courage Award Committee. Nominations will be due at the same time as
the nominations for all-state.
11.7 Committee
members shall select one recipient from the nominations received.
11.8 The
recipient will be recognized at the annual LHSSCA spring coaches’ meeting, and
she will receive a commemorative plaque.
12.0 The
Distinguished Service Award
12.1 The recipient(s) of the LHSSCA Distinguished Service
Award shall have made outstanding contributions that have furthered the
development and/or recognition
of high school soccer in the state of Louisiana and/or the growth of the LHSSCA
or has/have made an outstanding contribution in a significant endeavor outside
of soccer.
12.2 The Distinguished Service Award will be bestowed
annually to at least one candidate who meets the qualifications as described in
12.1.
12.3 The
committee chairperson shall be the vice-president in charge of the boys’
division. The committee shall include
the members of the Executive Committee and others as nominated by the
chairperson.
12.4 The
nomination form will be distributed to member coaches and made available on the
LHSSCA website.
12.5 LHSSCA
members may nominate any candidate who meets the qualifications as described in
12.1.
12.6 Nominations,
with any attachments, shall be submitted in writing to the Vice President in
charge of the boys’ division.
Nominations will be due no later than January 31st.
12.7 Committee
members shall select at least one recipient from the nominations received.
12.8 The
recipients will be invited to attend the annual All-Star Game, where they will
be recognized and will receive a commemorative plaque.
ARTICLE XIII – MR
/ MISS SOCCER AWARD AND SCHOLARSHIP
13.0
Mr / Miss Soccer Award and Scholarship
13.1
Two monetary
awards will be given to graduating seniors from each graduating class beginning
with the class of 2010. One award will be
for a boy and one for a girl from LHSSCA member schools. These awards will be a
one-time, non-renewable award to the graduating seniors who are selected as “Mr and Miss Soccer” for the graduating class.
13.2
Applicants must
be graduating seniors from an LHSSCA member school who intend to attend a
two-year or four-year college or university.
13.3 Applicants must have demonstrated academic excellence
by maintaining at least a 3.50 unweighted GPA.
13.4
Applicants cannot
have accepted an athletic scholarship from their college of matriculation.
13.5
Applicants must
have demonstrated superb sportsmanship on the soccer field, have contributed to
the betterment of his/her community through volunteer works, and must have
participated at the varsity level in their high school.
13.6
There will be no
limit to the number of applicants from a school.
13.7
Completed
applications must be submitted by January 31 to the LHSSCA Vice President for
each division, who will chair the appropriate award committee for each gender.
13.8
The LHSSCA
President or his/her designee shall appoint members of the committee.
13.9
The committee
shall review the applications and make the appropriate selections from the
nominated players. The honoree will be
notified no later than the annual all-star classic game in July.
13.10 The selection committee will consider the entire
application determining the finalists.
No one section of the application is more important than any other. (For
example, the best on-the-field player does not have an advantage over a player
who was a reserve player.)
14.0 All Star Soccer Classic
14.1
The all-star soccer matches will be sponsored by the LHSSCA and played on
a Saturday in July pending availability of the facility. In the event of a rainout,
there will not be a make-up date.
14.2 Selection
Committee
The LHSSCA Executive Committee
will select one member head soccer coach from each classification to represent
their division on the respective East or West All-Star selection committee along
with two at-large members for the East and two at-large members for the
West. The Vice Presidents will chair the
respective committees for the appropriate genders.
14.3
Coaching
Staffs
The LHSSCA Executive Committee will select a head coach and two assistant coaches for the East and West All-Star teams. The coaches must be members of the LHSSCA in good standing for the current school year in order to be considered.
14.4
Squad
Nomination
All Star candidates may be nominated to their
respective team by their coach, another member soccer coach, or any member of
the All Star selection committee, and provided that a nomination form is filled
out at the time or prior to the selection date. Position played must be listed on the All Star form.
14.5
Squad
Selection
14.5.1
Each squad must consist of at least two goalkeepers, four fullbacks,
four midfielders, and four forwards. The
remaining players to reach the maximum total of 22 will be selected at-large by
the selection committee. All players on
both squads must be graduated seniors who have completed their fourth year of
high school eligibility. A list of at
least ten alternates will also be compiled.
14.5.2
No school may be represented by more than two players per gender on the
match rosters that are initially selected.
14.5.3
Representation on each team must include players from all three
classifications. The formula for
representation will be based upon the number of soccer-playing schools within
each classification. Consideration will
be given to position played. Alternates
will be chosen first based on position played.
14.5.4
If any All Star does not accept his/her invitation to play in the game,
a selection will be made from the respective list of alternates with playing
position considered first.
14.6 Registration and Schedule for the
Day
14.6.1
The Executive Committee will set the
schedule for the day of the All-Star Classic.
14.6.2
All Star coaches will report by the time designated by the LHSSCA
Executive Committee the day prior to the match.
These coaches must also attend the LHSAA soccer business meeting and
coaches’ clinic during July.
14.6.3
If an All Star player has not
reported to the site by the close of registration on the date published, he/she
may be replaced unless he/she has notified the LHSSCA of the reason for being
late. The original player will not be
contacted if a replacement is selected.
14.6.4
Each All-Star player must bring gear
appropriate to his/her position.
14.7 All-Star Matches
14.7.1
The match will be a
regulation match consisting of two forty-minute halves. If the match is tied at the conclusion of
regulation, then the playoff overtime, sudden death, and FIFA penalty kicks
will be followed as needed.
14.7.2
All players on the roster
shall play at least approximately 1/3 of the match (roughly 25 minutes). The head coach has complete authority to
designate his/her starting line-up.
Prior to the match, the “home” team will be decided by the flip of a
coin.
14.7.3
Except for special
All-Star rules affecting play, the game will be played under National
Federation Soccer Playing Rules and officiated by LHSAA-registered
officials. The LHSSCA Executive
Committee is responsible for securing match officials.
14.8
Oversight
The LHSSCA Executive Committee shall make all other necessary arrangements and agreements and provide necessary oversight for the function of the All-Star Classic as a quality soccer event.
ARTICLE XV –
SPIRIT OF THE GAME AWARD
15.0 Spirit of
the Game Award
15.1
The Spirit of the
Game Award will be given annually as appropriate to at least one male and one
female soccer player from an LHSSCA member school.
15.2
The recipients
shall be recognized as having honored the “spirit of the game” by giving of
themselves to the total team concept.
The honored player
shall
have put his/her team ahead of self and represented the qualities that are the
very best the game of soccer has to offer.
15.3
Nominations are
due to the appropriate Vice-President for each division no later than January
31 of the year. The LHSSCA Executive
Committee shall choose recipients from among the nominated players.
ARTICLE XVI--AMENDMENTS
16.0 Amendments
16.1 These
by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at the
annual general membership meeting provided that proposed amendments have been
submitted in writing to the Executive Committee and placed on the agenda for
the meeting. Any approved amendments will be put into effect the following
season.
16.1.1 The Executive Committee may
institute emergency amendments.