Grassroots Movement In Support Of NJSIAA Gaining Momentum

Representatives from each of the 37 high schools in Essex County crammed into the field house at Montclair High Tuesday morning for one purpose: To rally in support of the state’s embattled governing body for high school athletics.

Similar scenes have played out across New Jersey this week as athletic directors from virtually every athletic conference seek ways to fight back against legislation introduced last week by Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) calling for the dissolution of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Athletic officials have started contacting local legislators to express support for the NJSIAA as it tries to avoid the death penalty levied against it by Burzichelli. This past weekend, the groundswell of support was so overwhelming it temporarily shut down the online listserv shared by all 434 athletic directors in the state.

“The subject line was ‘NJSIAA,’ ” said John DiColo, the athletic director at Jefferson Township High and president of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, “and it was just everybody from everywhere saying, ‘I just sent my letter. I just sent my letter.’ They were flying all weekend long.”

The NJSIAA will discuss its own course of action this morning when it holds its monthly executive committee meeting in Robbinsville.

Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex), who was invited to the gathering in Montclair to field queries from concerned athletic directors, also announced Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation Thursday or early next week that will keep the NJSIAA intact.

The bill will still implement a variety of changes that were recommended in a report released last week by the State Commission of Investigation detailing wasteful spending at the organization.

“The people involved in athletics in the state of New Jersey do not want (Burzichelli’s) bill,” Codey said. “These are the people that deal with the student-athletes every day. They’re entrusted with their welfare. And almost 100 percent of them are saying, ‘Hell no,’ in large, sounding words.”

Meanwhile, athletic directors across the state have started a grass-roots movement against Burzichelli’s legislation. By the end of this week all 12 legislators representing the districts that include the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference’s 39 schools will have received correspondence in support of the NJSIAA, DiPolo said.

Athletic conferences in South Jersey are also discussing the subject. Neil Rosa, the Moorestown athletic director, said the Burlington County Scholastic League is in the process of determining whether the league will speak as a whole to represent all members or if schools will reach out on their own. The Olympic Conference will discuss the same topic at its monthly meeting today.

“We’re all in support of the NJSIAA staying as an independent association for our high school athletes,” said Mount St. Dominic athletic director Lorenzo Sozio, who organized the meeting in Montclair. “We all feel that politics should not get involved with the high school arena.”

Codey’s pending bill, if enacted, would achieve that. He said the legislation is still being drafted but added it would include the need for an outside monitor to oversee the NJSIAA operations for one year. The bill will also call for the incremental downsizing of the 49-member executive committee to 30 members; the NJSIAA auditor to be changed every five years; and the need for members of the NJSIAA finance committee to have professional experience in finance, among other changes.

Codey said Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean (R-Union) would co-sponsor the bill, but when reached for comment Tuesday Kean said he has not yet thrown full support behind the legislation.

“I told him in principle, I agree we’re taking our eye off the ball if we’re taking on a mass of new responsibilities under the Department of Education or the School Boards Association,” Kean said. “Blowing up the NJSIAA is not the right way to go at this time.”

The NJSIAA expressed optimism over the support of Codey and other legislators, including Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-South Plainfield), who said he will introduce the companion bill in the Assembly. Assemblyman Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley) has expressed interest in co-sponsoring the bill but wants to examine it first, he said through an aide in his office.

“It’s a very positive thing,” NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko said of the support.