Your professional organization is busy preparing for another exciting season of Indiana High School Basketball.
As you know, to better serve our member coaches, the IBCA has gone paperless. This transition, after a few adjustments, has been successful. Once again you will be receiving by email online membership instructions for you and your staff. It is the responsibility of every boys’ and girls’ head coach to see that every coach in their program has the opportunity to join the IBCA.
In January you will be receiving an email that will outline online voting and nomination procedures. Please pay particular attention to all deadlines. Don’t hurt a deserving student athlete’s chances of receiving recognition or a scholarship because you forgot to join the IBCA or you missed a deadline. Only boys’ and girls’ head coaches who are members may vote or nominate.
When a coach joins the IBCA, he/she actually receives dual membership in our organization and the National High School Basketball Coaches Association (NHSBCA). Also by being an IBCA member all High School, middle school and elementary coaches are protected with a $1 million liability insurance policy.
Because of changes in the insurance industry, if you are required by your school corporation to show proof that you have insurance for your camps or summer activities, our carrier will provide you with a certificate of insurance. To do so, our carrier will need documentation from you that you have accident participation insurance. You can purchase your own policy from a local insurance carrier or our insurance carrier will provide you with a quote.
This past summer we had another successful Indiana-Kentucky All Star event. Special thanks to Charlie Hall, Pat McKee and Beth DeVinney for their efforts.
Also, special thanks to Marty Johnson, Kathie Layden, Jane Schott and Pete Smith for their efforts conducting the boys’ and girls’ Underclass Showcase events. We have had some issues related to having these showcase events, and the IBCA will be exploring ways to make these quality events even better.
The IHSAA tabled our proposal regarding summer participation rules from two years ago. We are told this topic will be revisited this coming year. As most of you know, the IHSAA also tabled a proposal this past spring related to athlete participation during the school year out of season. Our IBCA survey indicated that our member coaches were split on this proposal. The IHSAA is trying to clean up some of the language and address the issue related to weight training. I expect to see this topic proposed in some form once again. This is an IBCA proposal year to the IHSAA. Expect to see a survey for your input on possible proposal ideas.
I encourage all coaches to become members of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. The coaches of today are the future guardians of the Hall of Fame and will be responsible for recognizing achievements of players and coaches and for preserving the tradition of our great game. Active coaches may join for the reduced rate of $25 (regular membership is $100). This includes the quarterly Hall of Fame magazine.
The IBCA thanks all coaches for their support of our professional organization. Always remember that kids need coaches. Thank you for all you do for our young people.
Good luck this season.
-- Steve Witty
