Summer practice starts for area high schools

MADISON-  With the Memorial Day holiday week over, area high schools began their offseason programs this week. Those often come with a host of questions about activities, mandatory workouts, and play dates.

The AHSAA clearly outlines what is and what is not allowable. This can be found on page 50-52 (Section 21) of the AHSAA handbook. It is online.

One of the biggest questions is about summer practice competition, so called play dates.

The AHSAA has divided the summer into two time blocks. The first is for winter and spring sports like basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer. It runs from May 29 – June 23 and schools may participate in unlimited competitions and camps but for only 3 of the 4 weeks. The same rules apply for fall sports like football and volleyball starting June 26 and ending July 28. Weeks cannot be broken up.

The week of July 17 -21 is the AHSAA Summer Conference & All-Star Sports Week in Montgomery. School competitions are not allowed. It is often referred to as Dead Week.

Sports-specific mandatory practices are prohibited during the summer. But conditioning and weight-training are not restricted and the schools and coaches make decisions regarding times and duration. Conditioning and weight lifting may continue during Dead Week.

Only eligible students may participate in summer competitions. Student athletes may attend camps as individuals at their own expense outside the three-week allowable competition.

Students attending summer school to complete academic requirements are not allowed to participate in summer competitions. Transfer students are not allowed to play in competitions until they are enrolled and declared eligible.

For coaches like Bob Jones girls’ basketball coach Andre Reynolds this is a busy time of the year.

“We have three weeks to practice and play against a couple other schools,” Reynolds said. “With it being this early I don’t put too much stock in the results but it does help to see what we might look like and what we need to work on and see who’s willing to work.

I tell the girls this is the time of year to work on your personal game. Improve your individual skills then bring those skills to the team.”

Bob Jones will travel to MTSU for team camp during the week of June 20.

Reynolds also held his kids summer basketball camp this week.

Bob Jones hosts Grissom for a competition day on Thursday and goes to Huntsville on June 22.