TSSAA Voting System Not Representing Our Coaches!

[coachp22]

Coaches are told by TSSAA executives that they" have no control over decisions" and that we should voice our opinions to the representatives in our area because they are the ones that vote. If that is true then why do the executives give their recommendation right before the vote takes place? To remind the board how they want them to vote and to influence the vote. With the current system coaches are supposed to trust the representative from their area to go and vote for what the majority wants. There are some board members that never met with coaches before the vote to allow them to voice opinions...How is that representing coaches? There is one board member "Ricky Catlett" that apparently voted opposite of what his area wanted according to several coaches that I spoke to that he represents. Jody Wright from Fulton is a coach and on the board. How is that not a major conflict of interest??? He is gonna vote the way that has the best outcome for his situation...Who wouldn't??? Our Executive Director that claims that "he has no control" stated yesterday that " We always feel like we have to keep our football numbers as far as enrollment figures in schools going against each other close together" Who is we??? and what about the other student athletes around the state?? All athletes should be treated with fairness and with our current system TSSAA has way too much power. The hard working coaches that really care about our athletes and are not blinded by $$$$ have no voice!

[spanarkle]

Really thought this was the year for a change. Have waited for 28 years and thought this was it, what a kick in the gut. I was shocked!!! I attended one of the meetings here in West TN and after our "pow wow" was left thinking the 4 class (60, AA,AAA, 60 ) was the move we were voting for. After talking to some of the principals this last week they were saying 6 classes. Heck I didnt care because either way my little school was going to be in better shape. Instead here we are back playing the 500 enrollment schools with our 105 enrollment. One thing I hear is the coaches were afraid of losing district tourn. I would hate that too not because of the money but because of the great atmosphere of all the teams getting together....if its because of money someone is making a lot more than our district. Look at a boys and girls team that is eliminated in the first round at a higher seed....bet their bus trip cost more money than they will get back from the higher seed team. I am at a loss. One day the small schools will get a fair shake or for that matter BASKETBALL schools will get the fair shake. They say if its not broke dont fix it...its broke, been broke for a long time, would have loved to finish my coaching career playing teams closer to our enrollment but it looks as if thats not gonna happen.

[cdt]

I was hoping something would also change but football is the only thing that matters to the tssaa. There are more basketball schools than football but half as many classes. I think football should go back to one class only. Then winning a game in the playoffs would mean something. 1A basketball should be cut off at about 350

[GridironGuru]

It was a terrible vote by the TSSAA. To classify 315 football teams into 6 classes and leave 360 basketball schools in 3 classes in an embarrassment. Shame on the TSSAA! Schools need to come together and file a Title IX lawsuit against them and any school that has any concern for ALL of its athletes should look to form another association.  

 

I've heard the excuses why they couldn't change it and NONE of them hold water. It's a clear display of favoritism and discrimination.  

[cbg]

Basketball is where it should be with regard to the number of schools participating and the number of classifications other than all the private schools should be playing with the public schools like they do in 95% of the other states.  Football is the sport where everything is screwed up with them having so many divisions.  In football it would be less expensive to just mail every school a state championship trophy and forget about playing any games.  It seems as if the schools and the TSSAA have become like most  youth sports parents and are doing nothing more than trophy chasing with little regard for the life lessons learned from tough conditions and competition. 

Edited July 30, 2016 by cbg

[12thmanGCA]

Basketball is where it should be with regard to the number of schools participating and the number of classifications other than all the private schools should be playing with the public schools like they do in 95% of the other states. Football is the sport where everything is screwed up with them having so many divisions. In football it would be less expensive to just mail every school a state championship trophy and forget about playing any games. It seems as if the schools and the TSSAA have become like most youth sports parents and are doing nothing more than trophy chasing with little regard for the life lessons learned from tough conditions and competition.

Epic 👊ðŸ»

 

Tennessee should have 4 classifications in basketball then at end of the year 8 from each class go to One. 32 team tournamemt

 

KY has one big one

[QSouth89]

Basketball is where it should be with regard to the number of schools participating and the number of classifications other than all the private schools should be playing with the public schools like they do in 95% of the other states.  Football is the sport where everything is screwed up with them having so many divisions.  In football it would be less expensive to just mail every school a state championship trophy and forget about playing any games.  It seems as if the schools and the TSSAA have become like most  youth sports parents and are doing nothing more than trophy chasing with little regard for the life lessons learned from tough conditions and competition. 

I agree 100%.  Three classes is more then enough, there are still districts with only 4 or 5 teams so there is no need to expand.  Football is ridiculous.  Should be 4 classes in D1 and two classes in D2. Embarrassing is what it is.

[chizzel]

No need talking about what should have happened. We all know that. We must go after the board members and the joke of an association we have (TSSAA)! Here are the BOC members that opposed the majority and didn't have enough backbone to stand up to the TSSAA office recommendation! Here were the votes for 3 classes:
Mike Roller-Lipscomb
Jody Wright- Fulton
Mike Reed- Morristown
Greg McCullough- Memphis
Ricky Catlett- Chester Co.
David Meske- Webb
Tommy Layne- Sequatchie           

[chizzel]

Coaches are told by TSSAA executives that they" have no control over decisions" and that we should voice our opinions to the representatives in our area because they are the ones that vote. If that is true then why do the executives give their recommendation right before the vote takes place? To remind the board how they want them to vote and to influence the vote. With the current system coaches are supposed to trust the representative from their area to go and vote for what the majority wants. There are some board members that never met with coaches before the vote to allow them to voice opinions...How is that representing coaches? There is one board member "Ricky Catlett" that apparently voted opposite of what his area wanted according to several coaches that I spoke to that he represents. Jody Wright from Fulton is a coach and on the board. How is that not a major conflict of interest??? He is gonna vote the way that has the best outcome for his situation...Who wouldn't??? Our Executive Director that claims that "he has no control" stated yesterday that " We always feel like we have to keep our football numbers as far as enrollment figures in schools going against each other close together" Who is we??? and what about the other student athletes around the state?? All athletes should be treated with fairness and with our current system TSSAA has way too much power. The hard working coaches that really care about our athletes and are not blinded by $$$$ have no voice!

Couldn't agree more!