November 28 - Let’s be honest, the Virginia High School League going from three classifications to six has been a disaster.
Three years ago, rather than make the logical change of simply adding one classification, the VHSL made the unprecedented move of doubling the number of classes its teams compete in. The realignment was intended as a way to ease travel and create more competitive balance (and revenue, let’s be honest) in the state’s high school athletics.
But what has it really accomplished? Numerous reports have the VHSL as actually having lost money due to the realignment. The meaning of winning a state championship has been diluted. They dropped the district system and the names that came with them in favor of a numeric-based conference system, which caused additional confusion - “Oh, we’ve got the three seed from Conference 35 in regionals. Who the heck is in Conference 35?”
They fixed that, and the plan for the new alignment plan set to go into effect for the 2017-18 school year is to go back to the district system and return their names.
However, as a whole, the band-aid of a new plan set to go into effect for the 2017-18 school year is only creating more chaos. Some districts will have schools from as many as four different classes (yes, seriously), creating the need to formulate a power points system to seed teams in regionals. The VHSL can’t even keep accurate won-loss records, how in the heck are they going to formulate a reliable power point system in non-football sports?
Folks, we shouldn't sit on our hands and accept this. It’s a broken system, and before the new alignment plan goes into effect, it’s time for the VHSL to take a step back and consider other options.
Here’s one I have for them.
Four classifications, and each class would have seven districts with two divisions in each district. I’ve even taken the time to draft up potential districts, with my apologies to what would be the 1A schools in the southwestern part of the state. I won’t act like I’m familiar with the geography and adjustments would need to be made and a seventh district created.
Anyway, teams within each district’s divisions would play home-and-away regular season series against each other. They would then compete for a district tournament championship with the teams from the other division. Division winners get the top two seeds, then seed accordingly.
In each class, a couple schools geographically not able to be slotted in a district play as ‘Independents’, and each two-year schedule cycle are paired with a different district. Then each of those years during the schedule cycle, the ‘Independents’ play home-and-away series with teams from one of the two divisions. They would then participate in that district’s tournament. It would spread the travel burden around the state, and give teams say from Northern Virginia an opportunity to travel somewhere they otherwise wouldn’t - Albemarle, Franklin County, Roanoke, for example - but not be on the hook to do it every year.
The format would yield seven district champions, and seven district runners-up. That would be 14 of the teams for what could be a 16-team state tournament in each of the four classes. The state’s coaches and athletic directors from each classification are then able to vote on two ‘at-large’ berths for states, identifying and rewarding teams that built a good resume during the regular season but may have been upset in their district tournament.
Yes, I realize this eliminates regions and regional tournaments. To recoup the revenue lost by not holding regionals, county and city championship tournaments could be held. And I’d be a proponent of private schools being invited to those tournaments, should VHSL and VISAA agree to it. These tournaments would take place between the district and state public school tourneys, and after the private school state tournament, which ends about the same time public school district tourneys wrap just prior to Memorial Day.
Just imagine a Fairfax County Tournament pitting public school powers such as Madison, Lake Braddock or West Springfield playing the likes of Paul VI Catholic or Flint Hill? Or on a smaller scale, an Arlington County Tournament featuring Bishop O’Connell, Washington-Lee, Yorktown and Wakefield, or a City of Alexandria Tournament with T.C. Williams taking on private schools Bishop Ireton, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes and Episcopal.
Downstate, this would create a Chesapeake City Tournament pitting public school and private school powers Western Branch, Great Bridge and Greenbrier Christian Academy. Or in Richmond, private school power Collegiate School taking on all public school comers.
Now that would be cool. And what a great prelude to a 16-team, winner-take-all state tournament in each of the four public school classes. The state events could be seeded in regional pods as to cut down on travel, holding the four rounds over two weekends.
Look, I realize it’s a different society: they have ‘safe zones’ for students to avoid their mean classmates on college campuses; people were actually in tears earlier this month because their presidential candidate didn’t win; they changed high school hours that were in place for decades because now all of a sudden kids weren’t able to get enough sleep. I coached a travel team a few years back that received a 2-foot tall trophy for finishing 11th in a 16-team tournament. Eleventh!
This change in society greased the skids on this six-class system that was thrust upon us. The VHSL and other powers that be felt more kids needed to be recognized, even if it meant making Virginia one of the country's easiest states to win a championship in.
What it has led to is a question that the VHSL needs to be held accountable for answering: How are we going to teach younger generations that you need to try harder, to compete, to out-work others to be rewarded, when you constantly make it easier for them to earn those rewards?
Recognizing kids is great. But challenging them to work harder to to achieve that recognition would be even greater.
