MSTCA Sending This Letter To Member Coaches Updating Stance On Disagreement With MIAA

Massachusetts Coaches Come To "Truce" With State Governing Body

A letter issued by the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association, May 7, 2019 to its member coaches. Published by DyeStat with the permission from the MSTCA.

Dear MSTCA Membership, 

Thank you for your patience as we have been working diligently to make sure that Massachusetts high school track athletes and their parents are aware of what has transpired thus far this season.  

Initially, the MIAA were claiming 6.5 (percent) losses in the sports of cross country and track and field.  The MSTCA contested this evaluation instantaneously as false and did a deep dive into the finances of the MIAA, much of which was difficult to obtain, even after asking repeatedly. Important to note is that more high school students in Massachusetts participate in the running sports — cross-country and track — than any other sports in MIAA schools, about 60,000 of the total 230,000 participants. The state association governs interscholastic competition for 378 member schools in 33 sports.

The MSTCA Executive Board and many of its passionate membership banded together against the MIAA to protest this new fee as proven through many venues the MIAA was coming after cross country and track when they had no reason to.  The MIAA backed down from the imposing cuts and imposing fees to so-called “non-revenue” sports like Mass XC & Track.  Other so-called “non-revenue” sports who are also governed by the MIAA were raising the possibility to break away. 

Angered by the MIAA’s plan to cut costs and assess fees on so-called “non-revenue” sports like ours, we made a plan to hold our own championships for Massachusetts high schools at Merrimack College on May 25 and July 1 — the same dates as the MIAA’s championships.  That was the plan. For this spring season, after being stonewalled by the MIAA for weeks on end, a discussion was had and we negotiated with the MIAA in good faith, trusting that the MIAA will follow through with their end of the bargain. We came to a truce...for now. 

The compromise followed negotiations between William Gaine Jr., the MIAA’s executive director, Frank Mooney, the MSTCA’s executive director, and Wellesley High principal Jamie Chisum, who chairs the MIAA Track and Field Committee.  It is an ongoing process. We will come back to our members with a recommendation and we are always open to new suggestions and welcome any feedback at any time. 

In a letter written to principals and athletic directors across the state last Tuesday, the three stated, “We wish to affirm our collective commitment to providing the best experiences for our student-athletes this spring and into the future.  To that end, we are pleased to announce the sponsorship of single divisional and all-state track meets.”

The EMass and Central/West divisional state championship meets are scheduled for Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26. The All-State championship is slated for Saturday, June 1.

The MIAA said it is committed to the financial investment necessary to procure eight-lane track facilities for all spring meets. The MSTCA will assist in that procurement process. Information regarding locations/times for EMass divisional meets will be released as soon as details are confirmed.

Tournament directors will inspect sites prior to meet days, per tournament by-laws.  Chisum, Mooney, and Gaine acknowledged there have been numerous concerns raised by members of MIAA Track and Field Committee and the track community. Conversations about those concerns, they said, will continue beyond this spring.

“The MSTCA’s list of concerns will be reviewed at the June meeting of the Track and Field Committee and input from non-committee members will be welcomed at that meeting.”

This is not over..far from it, actually. The MSTCA will continue to always fight for our cross country and track athletes here in the state of Massachusetts. If we see an injustice, we will take action do what it right. At the end of the day, the MSTCA exists to ensure that student athletes are offered positive athletic opportunities, as well as provide many more athletic opportunities.  We also always will fight to do what is right for cross country and track and field coaches in the state of Massachusetts, and as one of the largest coaches unions in the USA, we will continue to make our concerns heard. 

Thank you all for your patience with this situation. 

Yours, 

THE MSTCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE