The association that oversees middle and high school sports in Tennessee will now allow church-related schools to become members.The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s (TSSAA) Legislative Council approved several changes to its bylaws this month, including allowing Category IV schools, which are church-related schools, to join. Previously, the TSSAA only allowed Category I (public schools), Category II (private schools), and Category III (regionally accredited) schools to become members.Schools that are members of the TSSAA are allowed to participate in state tournaments and are eligible for catastrophic insurance for athletes provided through the association.The bylaw change is one of roughly half a dozen approved by the council at its December meeting.Members also approved moving the first official contest date for all spring sports to March 3 next year. This change will add one week to the regular season and will not change any contest dates or practice times.The TSSAA council additionally approved allowing eight days of off-season practice in all sports except football along with a change to expand the number of competitions golf athletes can take part in each season to 14.The council also voted to implement new standards for emerging sports. All emerging sports, regardless of initial participation numbers, must go through a one-year trial period before a state championship for that sport will be added. Additionally, the emerging sport will be eligible to become official once 20 percent of participants are committed to continued participation.Council members denied a proposal to make Swimming & Diving an official TSSAA sport and tabled a proposal to add Girls’ Flag Football.¶
