a noble idea, but ultimately futile - and i don't intend that as an insult to your ideas or your passion.
simply put, TSSAA bases all districts and regions on football and basketball. It is governed almost entirely by geographic locale and size - more recently by scholarship or non-scholarship, etc.
The reality is that TSSAA and TSSA couldn't care less about one another. The political machinery that runs each is so well entrenched that what might be of benefit to the athlete or even mutual financial gain is less than secondary. TSSAA would never entertain the idea of opening any sport to choice of any kind. They determine - based on size - who goes where, and what's good for the goose is good for the gander: if soccer can do it, than so can everyone else, and imagine that fiasco. Imagine the issues that would arise as a result.
I've got to tell you, the problem is less with the system and more with those within the system. Look at schedules when they are posted on eurosport, and look at how many teams rarely travel. part of the illegitimacy of high school soccer in Tennessee is the number of teams who simply sit at home and play in their backyards - not but requirement, but by choice. I have a great deal of respect for a team like St. George's who is extremely small, but (at least it seems on paper) will travel and play big dogs. There are no rules governing who can play whom during the season - only post season. Perhaps the post season play off isn't the best way to find a "true" state champion, but that system simply doesn't exist.
How about this: start by petitioning the state to give the teams their third tournament back. This might get some of the teams off their butts and traveling - likely not, but let's think positive. Let's hope that teams from every area would start to leave their area. It was noted that to be the best you have to beat the best. I agree, but i say it's not the fault of the system - it's the fault of the coach who won't put his team in the big game. I've seen teams win state titles who lost to my kid's team. Does that mean the state title isn't legit? What about the fact that, again, a team like St. George's wins a state title, but gives up 2, 3, 4, or 5 goals to a team from a larger school during their season. What does that say about the title?
Now - the real issue falls to recruitment. Public schools can't; privates can. Is it then fair that a school in TN who offers boarding and in the past may have had athletes from different states, be allowed to compete for a 'legit' state title against a school with athletes from a 20 square mile area? I think the issue is simply impossible. I have to say that fans and parents who want to see your proposal come to fruition, should push their teams to play the bigger and better teams. CAK does, BGA does, a number of small privates and A/AA publics do. When we start seeing more of them leaving home and playing elsewhere, the system will seem more legit, but when a team stays at home and beats up on the same low end teams all season, they are the problem.
