TMSAA Tournaments

[Solomon]

How are the teams chosen for the TMSAA area tournaments? I know that the teams have to be official members of the TMSAA, but what's the qualification process to make one of the tournaments? Are only conference/league winners selected? Are there at-large teams?

 

Just a bored and curious sports fan trying to increase his knowledge.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Solomon

[VicKing]

How are the teams chosen for the TMSAA area tournaments? I know that the teams have to be official members of the TMSAA, but what's the qualification process to make one of the tournaments? Are only conference/league winners selected? Are there at-large teams?

 

Just a bored and curious sports fan trying to increase his knowledge.

 

 

TMSAA assigns member schools to Areas (same as high school districts). Every member school may take part in "Area Tournaments". The top three schools in each Area (in East TN) advance to the sectional tournament. There are three sectionals, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. Unlike the end of season invitational tournaments (TNT, etc.) You must "win your way" into the sectionals. Most middle schools in Tennessee are member schools now, however there are several who have yet to join.

 

East Tennessee Sectonal is always in Pigeon Forge, West Tennessee is always in Jackson, while Middle Tennessee is in different different places from year to year.

[Solomon]

TMSAA assigns member schools to Areas (same as high school districts). Every member school may take part in "Area Tournaments". The top three schools in each Area (in East TN) advance to the sectional tournament. There are three sectionals, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. Unlike the end of season invitational tournaments (TNT, etc.) You must "win your way" into the sectionals. Most middle schools in Tennessee are member schools now, however there are several who have yet to join.

 

East Tennessee Sectonal is always in Pigeon Forge, West Tennessee is always in Jackson, while Middle Tennessee is in different different places from year to year.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Do teams in each area play each other like teams in districts do during the regular season, or is it just a tournament thing?

[VicKing]

Some do and some do not. In East Tennessee Area 2 coaches meet each year and set rules to play by. This year each was required to play everyone on etime. Most play twice but only the first meeting counted toward seedings.

 

Other Areas do it differently.

[ONLYAFAN]

Are you talking about Area 2 large schools? Because I know Area 2 small schools did not do their season like this for the seedings.

 

In my opinion, coaches should not meet and decide how things will be done. The rules should be laid out by the TMSAA for middle school programs just like TSSAA sets rules for high school. There is not enough organization laid out for the middle school season and tournaments.

[VicKing]

TMSAA is not ready to "require" middle schools to ALL follow exact rules. Many counties set rules for their middle schools and expect them to follow those local rules.

 

Yes it would be nice but just not as easy as it sounds.

 

I see nothing wrong with schools in a district making their own decisions when it comes to tournaments and seedings. What works well in Campbell/Anderson/Union/Claiborne may not work as well in Morgan and Scott etc.

[Sledge]

The rules are laid out nicely for football. In the East John Bruce at Jacksboro is in charge and they follow many TSSAA rules. The seedings for the Area II small school are a joke, it went by overall record. Why even have districts? I agree that someone needs to step-up and try to run something. Footbll is simple you have regions, how many region win/losses you have is where you are placed for playoffs, then you play. I don't see why basketball can't have something set.

[bigdave25]

The AII tournament seedings were extremely unfair. We had rules that had been long standing that were not followed! A win against Norwood (Large School) counted the same as a win over Coalfield (AII Small School Dist) That is like saying a win over Washburn should count in the Wartburg, Oneida, Sunbright, OS, Oakdale, Coalfield district. NEVER have I heard of a district seeding using games outside of the um.....DISTRICT. Just plain out stupid, as for the coaches voting for it.....most of them don't feel that they voted on the seeding rules that were used...but that's water over the dam.

 

Vick,

 

If everyone is following different rules across the state, and the people in positions of authority don't step in when things are as messed up as AII small dist was, then why should schools even belong to the TMSAA. There should be a strong set of rules PERIOD! Otherwise hello TNT

Edited January 31, 2006 by bigdave25

[Solomon]

If everyone is following different rules across the state, and the people in positions of authority don't step in when things are as messed up as AII small dist was, then why should schools even belong to the TMSAA.

 

Catostrophic insurance. The postseasons are just an added bonus.

 

Personally, I hope the TMSAA never becomes too organized. High school athletics is already ridiculous, there is no need to filter down to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

[PowerSet]

It would be nice to see TMSAA have both small and large divisions in West Tennessee rather than over 100 schools in one division. East and Middle are not set up this way. Every year the tournament ends up being dominated by Memphis schools with over a thousand 6th,7th,and 8th graders while the smaller rural schools with under a hundred in those grades don't have a chance. I agree that TMSAA doesn't need to be as specific as the high school divisions, but a little equality for West Tennessee would be nice. This was brought up at last February's TMSAA Board of Control meeting, but fell upon deaf ears. Seems to be a pattern of that sort of thing............

 

I'm not holding my breath that anything will get better.

[bigdave25]

Yeah but Solomon says you get that insurance.........So you should be happy. The TMSAA needs to improve their work in AII and sounds like they need to get to work in the west as well.

[Solomon]

Yeah but Solomon says you get that insurance.........So you should be happy. The TMSAA needs to improve their work in AII and sounds like they need to get to work in the west as well.

 

From someone who knows why schools first considered joining the TMSAA, the insurance was a major selling point. I was just saying why schools would be interested in joining. And if you don't think that it is important, go talk to you local school administrator.

 

I will agree, that if they are going to have the sectionals, areas, etc. to at least be organized, but there is no need, and from what I've heard, no desire for it to be a set-up like high school sports.