By Cody Cutter, Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
[email protected]
The Illinois High School Association�s four-class proposal was supposed to be a simple act. Instead, it turned into one of the biggest issues concerning high school sports since the multiplier.
On January 11, 2006 the IHSA Board of Directors voted 7-2 to extend the classification of the sports of basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball from two to four classes. Track and Field and Cross Country were extended from two to three classes.
The impact on the Northern Illinois high school sports front is outstanding. There are many issues to deal with such as the fact of having too many classes, the impact it as on the state tournament, and talent pools. According to the interviews conducted with area coaches and athletic directors, there seems to be a rift of agreement. While athletic directors are more slanted towards the opportunity of more championships brought to the school, some coaches are disagreeing based on the fundamentals of competition.
Not all coaches dislike the new four-class system. The change would benefit those schools that would be classified into 1A and 3A based on the fact of not having to play larger schools. Schools in 2A and 4A tend to lean more towards disapproval. However, that differentiates between coaches who will have different philosophies of their respective sport.
The topics covered in this story will reflect upon the situations of those sports moving to four classes. |
