Here's a thought?

[hoop04]

now you guys have my imagination going, how many things can we come up with that havent been used as criteria before and that could be used to help level the playing field. ok here goes and some of these might be dumb but oh well. Number of players on the roster. AVG. ht weight of team. A team with just one or 2 big guns wouldent get hurt if you go by AVG. Avg. point diff. of games Vs. same classification of opponets . make up of roster, as in number of freshman,sophs. etc some of these would be used to classify a team into a differant div. than they where the previous year, suppose a team was made up mainly of seniors they might get bumped down the next year. review of the previous years performance. uhhhhh its late but I bet I could come up with more.some might work some might not, most would take more effort by the TSSAA but some of these are used in other sports already. Oh yea and most would be based on the Honor system but could be inforced, It wouldent take but a few stiff penalties by the TSSAA to keep 99.9% of the schools honest.

[supersteve17]

I like the direction this is going. I agree it is better than vitriolic verbalizing. I have asked this question before and I think it needs to be considered, "Who decides which advantages are unfair?" (This is based on the assumption that everyone can claim some type of "advantage.") Some say a larger budget is an unfair advantage. Some say more coaches is an unfair advantage. Some say having a full-time groundskeeper is an unfair advantage. Some say having a larger student body is an unfair advantage over smaller student bodies. And on and on we could go. Would a committee/board be appointed to analyze advantages and classify them as "fair" and "unfair?"

 

I fear that this is to be a never-ending process (playing field leveling). If you take a look at the history of high school sports in this and other states, you will see that virtually the only constant is change.

 

Maybe I am a little bit too romantic, but I like the David facing Goliath stories, the Hoosiers, the underdogs versus the big dogs. Is it really an accomplishment if there are no obstacles to overcome?

 

I realize this is a little bit rambling, but maybe it contributes in some small way to the discussion.

[sparrish]

Let's just assume that there is an advantage for both private and magnet schools. There is no good solution to create equity.

I do, however, like Alabama's ideas better than ours.

Come up with a ratio. Count private and magnet school students as 1.3 students each, or some other similar number. Put them in divisions with all public schools of "equitable" size.

Splitting is not best.

[sparrish]

Let's just assume that there is an advantage for both private and magnet schools. There is no good solution to create equity.

I do, however, like Alabama's ideas better than ours.

Come up with a ratio. Count private and magnet school students as 1.3 students each, or some other similar number. Put them in divisions with all public schools of "equitable" size.

Splitting is not best.

[hoop04]

I would say that it should be the coaches association. TSSAA only has 8 board members and no private representation. In the coaches association they each will have a vote and a voice. These are all competative people but they are alxo Educators and good people for the most part. and with larger numbers come better averages and more democratic decisions. It would also force the people who are involved in this to talk about the issues and hear all sides. If they can take a vote on seperation then they could do the same for this issue. And the coaches who dont attend or vote well you had your chance.

[imasoftballer]

With the post you just made, I take it you are in favor of going to just one class??? I have no problem with this solution either. Everybody has to play everybody! The small schools may only win a championship once every 50 years but oh what a movie it would make.

 

I to, don't like the David and Golith analogy. That story is of David with God(who is much greater than Golith) defeating a giant. Without faith and God on David's side what would have happened. Without God directing the stone what would have happened? I dare say that if the stone hit him in the knee, David would have been killed. It was also kind of like the guy who takes a knive to a gun fight deal.

[supersteve17]

Imasoftballer,

 

Did you answer the question? How do you decide what is fair and what is unfair? Is it majority rule only? Is there some independent panel? How about a suggestion?

 

By the way, the David/Goliath analogy was not used to start a theological discussion. I simply used it as an example of an underdog overcoming tremendous odds to come out victorious. Of course I know that God gave the victory. (To Him be the glory in all things!) But please remember that David had to pick up the stone!

[imasoftballer]

I don't decide. I have never said what would be fair. I do know that the system is place does not work. Do I have a solution? NO. Do you? NO. Going to one class would be a solution that I would not have a tremendous problem with. One state with one state champ. Fairly simple. It pretty much eliminates the small rural schools from competiting in the state championship but at least we would know where we stand each year and know what to expect. The classifications were put into place to level the playing field somewhat and it worked to some degree. But now there is an obvious trend of private schools dominating state playoffs in all sports. Why? Many factors, several that I have posted here before and will not go into again. Is a split the only solution? I don't know. I have not heard another one that most like. The multiplier? I guess most think that that situation is going to lead to another BA type deal.

 

I have never claimed to have all the answers and I have never placed blame on any private school. Sure, I use some schools as examples but that is not to say that that school had done anything wrong or illeagal.

 

One other thing. As long as the private schools are in TSSAA, I think they SHOULD have representation on the board of control. I don't know why that problem has not been discussed before now.

[Edited by imasoftballer on 11-20-02 1:54P]

 

[supersteve17]

I agree with you. One class. I even went a little further in a thread entitled "A Really Radical Suggestion." My suggestion was to do away with playoffs in football and go back to bowl games pitting two good teams against each other. My rationale is more fully explained in my first post on that thread. If you haven't read it, you might like to read it and give me some feedback. I did not mean to sound as confrontational as I probably came across. Thanks for your response.

[supersteve17]

I agree with you. One class. I even went a little further in a thread entitled "A Really Radical Suggestion." My suggestion was to do away with playoffs in football and go back to bowl games pitting two good teams against each other. My rationale is more fully explained in my first post on that thread. If you haven't read it, you might like to read it and give me some feedback. I did not mean to sound as confrontational as I probably came across. Thanks for your response.

[imasoftballer]

What would you do in the other sports?

[supersteve17]

Still one class with playoffs, etc. Without sounding too pompous, way too much emphasis is placed on playoffs and winning championships anyway, in my opinion.