NMAA Employs Webcast

I can't dismiss some of the criticisms I've heard surrounding the New Mexico Activities Associations' handling of what's now 16 member schools that have closed this week "due to probable cases" of the swine flu.

Saying it's unfair to the closed schools to hold competition, the NMAA suspended or canceled events in five spring sports and restricted practice to school hours. That's created drastic changes in every sport as the state championships approach.

I've talked to several athletic directors, coaches and athletes in the area, some of whom disagree with the NMAA's rules and approach. There's no easy solution. I'm not going to defend the NMAA, but I will say they've earned a strong grade in public relations.

Less than a day after making the announcement, NMAA director Gary Tripp and assistant director Robert Zayas hosted a webcast. Both gave out their cell phone numbers and encouraged people to text them questions, which they read and answered live.

They went into detail on every imaginable topic, even outlining the revised state championship schedule for every sport and every classification. That's a monumental turnaround for an organization that bureaucratic.

Their plan isn't perfect -- that may not be possible under the circumstances -- but they came across as human, accessible and personable. They took advantage of technology in a fashion and speed normally reserved for the media or generations my age and younger.

They also plan on holding another webcast within the next few days. Some had trouble accessing it, either because it occurred during school hours or because their computers or servers wouldn't let them access the streaming video.

My counterargument is that the webcast is still available for viewing. Plus, the NMAA hashed out an incredible amount of detail Monday morning and had a scheduled meeting Monday afternoon. They could've kept the public in the dark, but they spilled out all the information in a very public and vulnerable fashion.

Argue with their plan, but don't argue with their attempt to communicate.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher