Weber board hears possible UHSAA-driven limits on practice hours, discusses ninth-grade eligibility and emerging sports
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Summary
Superintendent Butters told the board the Utah High School Activities Association survey and possible legislation could add a summer moratorium and lower allowed practice hours from 20 to 15 per week; the board also discussed a UHSAA handbook change allowing some junior-high participants to try out for high school teams and the potential sanctioning of pickleball and mountain biking.
Superintendent Butters updated the Weber School District board on pending conversations at the Utah High School Activities Association and at the state Legislature that could affect local high-school athletics. She said Representative Katie Hall circulated a survey about adding a third summer all-sports moratorium and tightening limits on school-sponsored off-season participation, and that one proposal under consideration would reduce weekly practice caps from 20 hours to 15 hours.
"She claims that she's hearing from a lot of patrons that say practices are lasting too long during the week," Butters said, describing the rationale behind the proposed changes. Butters said monitoring and enforcement present practical challenges: "It's very difficult to monitor all that at our high schools," she told trustees, adding that sanctions typically arise after regional principal reports to UHSAA rather than proactive statewide audits.
Board members asked how compliance would be discovered and enforced; trustee Kelly noted reporting often depends on other schools or parents notifying UHSAA. Butters said district leaders (including Luke Grama of the Ogden School District) will meet state lawmakers to "give her our perspective" and to press for local handling where possible.
The board also discussed a recent UHSAA handbook update that allows some junior-high players who participate in a fall schedule to be eligible to try out at the high-school level (ninth graders) when that high-school season is in the spring. A staff addendum aligning district policy with the UHSAA change was placed on the consent calendar.
Superintendent Butters flagged the growth in sanctioned activities and the operational impact of adding new sports. "There are emerging sports right now that are in the pipeline," she said, naming pickleball and mountain biking as sports under consideration for sanctioning, and warning that outside-site rentals and gym-line logistics could add costs and scheduling conflicts.
The superintendent noted three district coaches were nominated for a UHSAA "gold star coach" award; the board agreed to honor recognized staff at a future meeting. No formal votes or policy adoptions on practice-hour limits occurred at the meeting; Butters said the district will continue to engage with lawmakers and UHSAA officials before any local policy change is adopted.
The matter was left with staff to provide further guidance and, where appropriate, bring recommended policy language back to the board for formal consideration.