Why is there not small middle and large divisions in basketball

[TimeLtell]

i don't understand why if football has 3 divisions that basketball would be just as easy?

[TimeLtell]

some have told me that tmsaa directors may not care as much about basketball as do the football directors. could this be true?

[TimeLtell]

i was looking in the tnt and jch tournaments and saw they have 5 divisions. Why is that and this tmsaa deal can only allow 2 divisions. Seems like west tenn.is more concerned about fair play than east tenn. ! just a thought or is it true ???

[Courtside]

QUOTE(TimeLtell @ Feb 4 2007 - 10:31 AM) 826357874[/snapback]

i was looking in the tnt and jch tournaments and saw they have 5 divisions. Why is that and this tmsaa deal can only allow 2 divisions. Seems like west tenn.is more concerned about fair play than east tenn. ! just a thought or is it true ???

 

 

these private tournaments have as many divisions as possible to get more teams to attens and make more money. TMSAA only has 2 divisions because they do not sponser any kind of post season tournament. so to them more divisions are not necessary.

[TimeLtell]

i understand private tournaments are trying to make money so if more classes gets more schools wouldn't tmsaa do the same to get more schools envolved also which would maybe make real small schools more competative and real big schools wouldn' get to play schools that are to small to be in there division.

[Courtside]

QUOTE(TimeLtell @ Feb 4 2007 - 05:41 PM) 826358395[/snapback]

i understand private tournaments are trying to make money so if more classes gets more schools wouldn't tmsaa do the same to get more schools envolved also which would maybe make real small schools more competative and real big schools wouldn' get to play schools that are to small to be in there division.

 

 

You are allowed to break up your division into large and small. The coaches decide who is large or small, TSMAA does not mind, we did about 5 years ago and it works great.

[dukefanatic]

There needs to be three divisions, and a set standard across the board as far as what qualifies, small, medium, and large. For example, what qualifies as small school in Area 1 (Johnson City, Rogersville, Blountville area) would qualifiy as large school in area 2, 3, or 4. So when it comes to the sectionals in "Small" School, you can have situation like last year where the Coalfield girls (approx. 60-70 eighth grade students), vs. some of the bigger schools with around 180-300 eighth grade students. That's anywhere from 3 to 5 times as big. There needs to be a set standard, say

 

1-150- Small

151-250- Medium

251-XXX- Large

These numbers represent the number of 8th graders at the school.

 

 

The numbers for medium and large could be played with a bit, but to be fair to the smaller schools, going any higher than 150, is too much. In Area 4 the largest small school is 135, and in Area 2 I believe it is around 100, not sure about Area 3. I understand that some of the schools from Area 1 are not near as large as the "Large" Division schools, but still should we not also give the smaller schools a chance as well? This is why they are divided up in 3 classes in High Shcool, and in Jr. High football as well.

[ONLYAFAN]

It would be so much better if basketball had 3 divisions. Some of the coaches sent in a proposal to TMSAA for that to happen, but no word has come from the people in charge. The way that basketball is run is horrible. It is all left up to the coaches in that area. Of course, coaches are never going to agree. That is a why a standard needs to be set, and everyone should have to follow it. Having 3 set divisions would benefit all teams involved, I believe. Also, I feel like total middle school enrollment should count, instead of only 8th grade.

[ksgovols]

East and West Tennessee must have better participation in TMSAA than middle Tennessee does. There will be 6 teams in the North area small tournament this week. I don't see how another division could be possible.

 

I would like to see a standardized set of rules and all of the secondary schools feeders become members.

[TimeLtell]

if the coaches decide everything then maybe the coaches should decide on makeing a third division.

[Courtside]

QUOTE(ONLYAFAN @ Feb 5 2007 - 07:26 PM) 826359687[/snapback]

It would be so much better if basketball had 3 divisions. Some of the coaches sent in a proposal to TMSAA for that to happen, but no word has come from the people in charge. The way that basketball is run is horrible. It is all left up to the coaches in that area. Of course, coaches are never going to agree. That is a why a standard needs to be set, and everyone should have to follow it. Having 3 set divisions would benefit all teams involved, I believe. Also, I feel like total middle school enrollment should count, instead of only 8th grade.

 

 

If a section only has 7 or 9 teams in it and you make three divisions, how are you going to have three seperate tournaments with two teams in it? Also some middle schools have 5 thru 8th grades, some 6th thru 8th grades and some only 7 and 8th grades. You must count only 8th grade enrollment because usually your starters are 8th graders anyway. Our coaches had no problem voting on the rules for our conference. The most votes get their way. If a team does not like the split or the rules they do not have to participate. High school is the same way, AA in some sports include schools from 500 students up to 990, is that fair? You have to remember is also has to do with the distance each school is away from other schools. If you are a small school there may be 20 large school opponents within 10 miles, on the other hand you may have to drive 50 miles to find other small schools. I guess what I am trying to say is there are alot of factors to consider other than what we consider fair or not fair.

[ksgovols]

That's right. The traditional tournaments like TNT and James Haile take away from middle Tennessee's TMSAA area tournaments. In the MCAC we had 9 teams last year. Three dropped out to join another conference and one was picked up for a 7 team conference this season, 3 large and 4 small. After the conference tournament, the large and smalls go their separate ways for area and there's the same 4 teams we just saw in the conference tournament plus only 2 teams from other conferences for the small division area tournament. The other teams are playing in non TMSAA tournaments or not playing. There's no way middle Tennessee could produce 3 divisions in middle school basketball at the current participation rate. 4 of the 6 teams that participate in the area tournament will go to sectionals as it is.

 

I agree with the 8th grade numbers determining division or possibly 7th and 8th combined.