Consolidation of playoff system improves competition
Individual sports such as track may be facing cuts in the next year's season. Photo by Niki Webb
Written by Johnny Parker
With the A.I.A. making all Arizona class ranks into single classes (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A) and throwing out divisions such as class one and two, a major shake up is being created amongst coaches across the state. With these changes, powerhouse schools such as Scottsdale Chaparral High School, in football, and Mesa Desert Ridge in baseball, are being added to the 5A I playing field. Several coaches around campus, from team sports to individual sports, sounded off on what they thought of the A.I.A’s new idea to save money, and how it may affect their athletes.
Coach Dan Dunn, the varsity football coach at Gilbert High, said he wasn’t too concerned about what the A.I.A. planned to do. Dunn went as far as to say he wouldn’t be shocked if the A.I.A. even cut some of the major sports across the state. “I don’t really care how they do it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we [A.I.A] cut some individual sports with a lower population. I don’t think football would be cut because its one of the few [sports] that pay for themselves.”
Football, like both basketball and girl’s volleyball, “pay for themselves”. This means that the amount of intake the sports attract with ticket sales, team apparel, and snack bar sales are often used to help the school out in some way. Any excess money that the sport doesn’t need goes to school funds in order to help out in other ways around campus.
Varsity basketball coach, Jay Casserio also agreed with much of what Coach Dunn had to say. “I really like the fact that the A.I.A. wants to expand their conferences. I know back in Michigan they only had one state tournament for all the teams in the state. It made playoff time that much more interesting and fun to watch, and I am glad Arizona is planning to do this as well.”
While the rule change is going to disrupt the playoff field for team sports, the most dramatic effect is supposed to be on individual sports such as swim/dive and wrestling. Arizona typically allows 75% of their individual sport athletes to qualify for state playoffs. With the new and upcoming rule change, this number is going to drastically fall to only about 20%. This means that athletes that would normally make the tournament will fall short of their goal.
Wrestling coach Ken Michaels also showed enthusiasm about the new state tournament rather then the old one. “I like it because the competition is going to increase. We have six state championships now, and with this, it’s going to be a true state champion.”
Michaels addressed the fact that many individual sport coaches are also facing; a possibility of getting cut altogether.
“Of course I’m worried about getting cut but we take very little money in the first place. I think the most money we use is probably on transportation. If worse comes to worst, and we have to end up getting our own means of transportation, I think we could do that. I think if the [A.I.A] is going to decide to cut any sport it should be based on population. I hate to see any sport get cut, but something needs to be done. We [Arizona] are in bad shape,” said Michaels.
With all these new changes coming into effect next year, the coaches at Gilbert High can agree on one thing; the new plan by the A.I.A. is going to establish who the top teams in the state are.
“I really think it gives folks a chance to see the best in the state and go head to head with the best,” says Dunn. “Maybe Chaparral was, maybe Hamilton was. I think this will give people a better chance at determining who the best really are.”
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