The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) met last month to discuss BEDS (Basic Educational Data Survey), Unified Calendar approval, health and safety and soccer ejection reports.
Maybe the biggest impact out of the meeting comes from the health and safety portion where the IHSAA will now shift heat-related guidance standards from Heat Index to Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT).
Heat Index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidty is combined with the air temperature and is calculated takes temperature and relative humidty into account. WBGT is calculated with the temperature measured in the sun but also includes variables such as humidty, wind speed, sun angle, cloud cover and physical activity.
The National Weather Service states if you work outside or plan on any sort of vigorous outdoor activity in the full sun, WBGT should be used.
In regards to athletic classifactions, Clear Lake saw a decrease in BEDS going from 356 to 354 so nothing should change for the Lion athletic teams in terms of class.
The Board of Control reviewed ejections in spring sports, with soccer featuring 81 ejections through April 23 across the varsity, sub-varsity and junior high levels. Varsity boys’ soccer has accounted for 65 of those ejections, only two of which were handballs.
“Topping 80 ejections in the first month of the season is extremely concerning,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “It will take a statewide effort of players, coaches, officials, and administrators to restore an acceptable level of sportsmanship to soccer this spring.”
