If you're sick of the topic, please click back now. It seems that 98% of the stuff on this topic is just typical back and forth blather, and maybe this is, too. However, the proposal intrigued me and so I'm sharing it here. This isn't mine (I originally found it here: http://rocketcorner.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20845&st=20) and I'm sure there are holes in it, but it seems to have some merit...
As it stands, there are currently 3 groups of schools relative to this topic:
1.) Public schools who want a separate tournament due to private schools having what they perceive to be an unfair advantage.
2.) Public schools who want to continue to compete in the same tournaments as their private counterparts.
3.) Private schools.
Thus far, the proposals have been met with skepticism, and ultimately failed, because they have focused on the wishes of primarily the first group. Until that changes, not much else will in regards to this topic.
With that in mind, in an effort to please everyone as much as possible, I submit the following idea:
We create two tournaments (similar to a college intramural system in that, in essence, one will be a "competitive" league with the other being a "recreation" league, though we can't call them that for obvious reasons).
The three groupings of schools will be placed in the respective tournaments in this manner (keep in mind, this proposal could be applied to each individual sport separately, rather than having a blanket system that applies to every sport):
1.) Private schools will automatically be placed in the competitive tournament. While there will surely be a small percentage of private schools unhappy with the forced hand, the majority would have no qualms with this. Furthermore, the continued effort to separate privates as a whole as it currently stands, despite numerous failed attempts, shows that the current proposals couldn't care less about the stance of private schools to begin with.
2.) Public schools will have a few options that they will be able to choose individually, as a community/district, rather than have their hands forced by the OHSAA. Their decision will last for a total of 4 years, and at the end of each 4-year period, each school can re-evaluate their current situation and decide if making a change is in the best interest of their individual school and, on a more micro-level, their individual programs (since this can be applied to all sports, its possible to choose different tournaments for different programs).
A.) Public schools who still want to compete against their private counterparts can choose the competitive tournament. This would appease, in our area for example, schools like Coldwater, Marion Local, St. Henry, Kenton, and many others, as they certainly aren't interested in not competing against the best and have had no problems out-performing private schools on a yearly basis.
B.) Public schools who feel that they can't compete with private schools due to unfair advantages will have the opportunity to choose the recreation tournament and compete against like-minded schools (I don't mean to sound like this is a "lesser" tournament, rather just providing a substantial percentage of public schools the opportunity that they're currently asking for). However, since this entire debate is happening because of perceived advantages that result in disproportional results, if a program wins 2 recreation titles within a 4-year span, they will be placed in the competitive tournament at the next date schools can reapply for either tournament. This should appease the schools that feel disadvantaged, like the NWC for example.
This proposal does several things.
1.) First, it gives each faction of schools what they want (other than the privates who would like to compete in the recreation tournament, which would total less than 1% of the total schools in Ohio).
2.) It gives the decision making ability individually to each school and their community, rather than have their hands forced by the OHSAA. With the power in their hands to choose where they want to compete, it should eliminate almost all gripes about unfair advantages their school faces.
3.) It allows schools to re-evaluate their situation on a regular basis, allowing individual schools the opportunity to make changes as they see fit.
4.) It allows schools to place their various programs in different tournaments based on the competitiveness of each individual program.
As it stands, there are currently 3 groups of schools relative to this topic:
1.) Public schools who want a separate tournament due to private schools having what they perceive to be an unfair advantage.
2.) Public schools who want to continue to compete in the same tournaments as their private counterparts.
3.) Private schools.
Thus far, the proposals have been met with skepticism, and ultimately failed, because they have focused on the wishes of primarily the first group. Until that changes, not much else will in regards to this topic.
With that in mind, in an effort to please everyone as much as possible, I submit the following idea:
We create two tournaments (similar to a college intramural system in that, in essence, one will be a "competitive" league with the other being a "recreation" league, though we can't call them that for obvious reasons).
The three groupings of schools will be placed in the respective tournaments in this manner (keep in mind, this proposal could be applied to each individual sport separately, rather than having a blanket system that applies to every sport):
1.) Private schools will automatically be placed in the competitive tournament. While there will surely be a small percentage of private schools unhappy with the forced hand, the majority would have no qualms with this. Furthermore, the continued effort to separate privates as a whole as it currently stands, despite numerous failed attempts, shows that the current proposals couldn't care less about the stance of private schools to begin with.
2.) Public schools will have a few options that they will be able to choose individually, as a community/district, rather than have their hands forced by the OHSAA. Their decision will last for a total of 4 years, and at the end of each 4-year period, each school can re-evaluate their current situation and decide if making a change is in the best interest of their individual school and, on a more micro-level, their individual programs (since this can be applied to all sports, its possible to choose different tournaments for different programs).
A.) Public schools who still want to compete against their private counterparts can choose the competitive tournament. This would appease, in our area for example, schools like Coldwater, Marion Local, St. Henry, Kenton, and many others, as they certainly aren't interested in not competing against the best and have had no problems out-performing private schools on a yearly basis.
B.) Public schools who feel that they can't compete with private schools due to unfair advantages will have the opportunity to choose the recreation tournament and compete against like-minded schools (I don't mean to sound like this is a "lesser" tournament, rather just providing a substantial percentage of public schools the opportunity that they're currently asking for). However, since this entire debate is happening because of perceived advantages that result in disproportional results, if a program wins 2 recreation titles within a 4-year span, they will be placed in the competitive tournament at the next date schools can reapply for either tournament. This should appease the schools that feel disadvantaged, like the NWC for example.
This proposal does several things.
1.) First, it gives each faction of schools what they want (other than the privates who would like to compete in the recreation tournament, which would total less than 1% of the total schools in Ohio).
2.) It gives the decision making ability individually to each school and their community, rather than have their hands forced by the OHSAA. With the power in their hands to choose where they want to compete, it should eliminate almost all gripes about unfair advantages their school faces.
3.) It allows schools to re-evaluate their situation on a regular basis, allowing individual schools the opportunity to make changes as they see fit.
4.) It allows schools to place their various programs in different tournaments based on the competitiveness of each individual program.
