High school swimming won’t be officially added as a sanctioned sport in the state of Tennessee anytime soon.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) announced that a proposal to add swimming as a sanctioned sport was denied in its recent Legislative Council Meeting.
According to the meeting agenda, the proposal was submitted by Elizabethton High School, located in the city of the same name located just east of Knoxville.
The TSSAA Council voted to implement new standards regarding emerging sports—a sport will be eligible for sanctioning once 20% of the TSSAA membership are participating in the sport and are “committed to continued participation in the sport once sanctioned.”
A state championship will not be offered until participation increases to 25% of membership and the sport has gone through a one-year trial period.
High schools in Tennessee currently compete within TISCA (Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association). TISCA opposed the TSSAA being added because TSSAA rules wouldn’t allow athletes to practice with their club teams during the high school season (September through February), and because the TSSAA would have split them from a single division state to multiple divisions based on enrollment.
According to TISCA survey responses, Tennessee coaches had numerous concerns regarding TSSAA adding swimming, including logistics and creation of by-laws and potential increased costs to schools and programs. There was also concern over the implementation of divisions regarding pool access for state championship meets, the summer “dead period” impacting clubs, and the effect that TSSAA inclusion could have on home-schooled athletes and their ability to participate.
A total of 81.5 percent of the membership surveyed were opposed or strongly opposed to the TSSAA including swimming, including 78 percent of public school representatives and 83 percent of private school representatives. The survey included 103 of the 138 teams who serve as members of the TISCA.
This past February, the Ensworth School girls and McCallie School boys won the TISCA state swimming & diving titles.
The TSSAA also tabled the addition of girls’ flag football for future consideration.
Are there any other sports where you are disallowed your club team? Can a tennis player not get private lessons during the season? Can a baseball player not go to a performance development center in season? Are they at least consistent?
This seems like clickbait. **Tennessee has HS swimming under TISCA** Swim coaches and TISCA opposed folding into TSSAA b/c club swimmers would not be able to swim with club teams for a big chunk of the winter.
How do you have objections to a sport that’s top 10 in popularity for men’s and women’s high school sports nationwide?
Or one that promotes healthy excercise along with preventing drowning which is too common.
The more sports the merrier.
I think the Tennessee swimming people didn’t want to fold into the TSSAA system, is the reality.
That’s true. From what I understand, they already have a nice (and competitive) state championship meet and qualifier that works hand-in-hand with club swimming. Why let a bunch of administrators that know very little about swimming, or are potentially uncooperative with club swimming, have control? This is a good thing.
Did you read the article? Pretty self explanatory.
Sounds like coaches had the balls to tell TSSAA to kick rocks over the fact that club athletes should still be able to train club during high school season
Some heroes really don’t wear capes.
The legislation was not supported by TISCA the swimming governing body. TSSAA would have split them into four different divisions and per tssaa club athletes wouldn’t be allowed to practice with their club teams from sept through February. Currently they have a single division state champion and all year round kids can continue to excel with their club coach. So swimming community saw no reason to join
Four sports in Tennessee: football, basketball, fishing, and Cracker Barrel.
Luddite knuckledraggers in charge!
The swim coaches opposed it.
luddite knuckldragger swim coaches?
Their swim legends all came out of private school. Public school system probably doesn’t want to deal. Bummer. It’s a great sport and anyone who has swum HS can remember a kid on their team who only joined because it was a sport w no cuts. Then they loved it! It deserves funding in the public schools.
Swimming? Too progressive for Tennessee schools, apparently. They’re still debating if water’s necessary for life.