CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Board of Education officials again appear to be in unison on the prospect of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission adding a fourth competitive class to high school sports.
Board members, who voted down a proposal for four classes in football by a 9-0 count in 2006, heard a proposal at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday that would add a fourth class in both football and basketball (boys and girls).
The addition of two more activities yielded no additional support for the motion, which the state's middle and high school principals passed in April.
The board's final vote was scheduled for today at the State Capitol Complex.
"As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed," said WVBOE Secretary Ronald Spencer, who also serves as the board's representative at the SSAC. "We have approximately 120 teams playing football, and 48 of those teams make the playoffs as it is.
"I've discussed this with a couple people and when we were in school, two teams out of every division made the playoffs.
"You could go 10-0 and not make it. Now, you've got 5-5 teams making it. To that it's not fair ... I really can't say that."
The proposal, authored by Paden City Principal Warren Grace and overwhelmingly approved by the SSAC's Board of Control, was designed to decrease the disparity in enrollment sizes between the largest and smallest schools in Class AAA and Class A. Supporters have claimed the enrollment differential creates an uneven playing field in the common pursuit of athletic championships.
Although there are positives and negatives in the proposal's theory, Spencer said the practice of such a move would be financially unfeasible and would water down competition more than it already is.
"The gentleman who proposed this to the Board of Control is a great friend of mine, and I don't even know if he believes there should be four classifications," Spencer said of Grace.
WVBOE member and First Lady Gayle Manchin said most of the public comments that filtered their way to the board this spring were from pockets of the state where it would benefit a particular school's chances at success if the measure were passed.
Spencer confirmed Manchin's assessment.
"I spoke to several people who were in favor of the four classifications, and I think they were sincere in what they believe and in what they were saying," Spencer said. "But I cannot see it the way they see it.
"Maybe they've looked at it in more depth, and maybe it's just the best way for their team to make it to state this year."
Also drawing a negative response, albeit one with an asterisk, was the proposal by Hedgesville Principal Donald Dellinger Jr. to extend the summer's off-season coaching period to all but one week of the summer.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Board of Education officials again appear to be in unison on the prospect of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission adding a fourth competitive class to high school sports.
Board members, who voted down a proposal for four classes in football by a 9-0 count in 2006, heard a proposal at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday that would add a fourth class in both football and basketball (boys and girls).
The addition of two more activities yielded no additional support for the motion, which the state's middle and high school principals passed in April.
The board's final vote was scheduled for today at the State Capitol Complex.
"As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed," said WVBOE Secretary Ronald Spencer, who also serves as the board's representative at the SSAC. "We have approximately 120 teams playing football, and 48 of those teams make the playoffs as it is.
"I've discussed this with a couple people and when we were in school, two teams out of every division made the playoffs.
"You could go 10-0 and not make it. Now, you've got 5-5 teams making it. To that it's not fair ... I really can't say that."
The proposal, authored by Paden City Principal Warren Grace and overwhelmingly approved by the SSAC's Board of Control, was designed to decrease the disparity in enrollment sizes between the largest and smallest schools in Class AAA and Class A. Supporters have claimed the enrollment differential creates an uneven playing field in the common pursuit of athletic championships.
Although there are positives and negatives in the proposal's theory, Spencer said the practice of such a move would be financially unfeasible and would water down competition more than it already is.
"The gentleman who proposed this to the Board of Control is a great friend of mine, and I don't even know if he believes there should be four classifications," Spencer said of Grace.
WVBOE member and First Lady Gayle Manchin said most of the public comments that filtered their way to the board this spring were from pockets of the state where it would benefit a particular school's chances at success if the measure were passed.
Spencer confirmed Manchin's assessment.
"I spoke to several people who were in favor of the four classifications, and I think they were sincere in what they believe and in what they were saying," Spencer said. "But I cannot see it the way they see it.
"Maybe they've looked at it in more depth, and maybe it's just the best way for their team to make it to state this year."
Also drawing a negative response, albeit one with an asterisk, was the proposal by Hedgesville Principal Donald Dellinger Jr. to extend the summer's off-season coaching period to all but one week of the summer.
SSAC Executive Director Gary Ray told the board the root of the proposal was to allow coaches to accompany their teams to summer camps conducted by colleges and to have more room to work around the schedules of multiple-sport athletes.
Enough time on the playing field already is provided to student-athletes in the opinion of most board members.
"The summer practice session doesn't need to be any longer than it is right now," said WVBOE member Robert Dunlevy, a Wheeling resident who formerly played for the Dallas Cowboys.
"I think we ought to let our children be children. Hopefully, we'll let them participate in some educational programs instead of just sports."
Spencer said he sees the problem as a potential financial train wreck for school systems across the state.
"I look at it as an unfunded mandate," Spencer said. "If we pass this, sooner or later the athletic boosters are going to require them to have practice all summer long and someone's going to have to pay coaches more for that."
Spencer said he feared rivalries quickly would make use of the open period to practice one sport all summer.
"If Parkersburg High's coach practiced them all summer long, don't you think the alumni boosters at Parkersburg South would require their coaches to practice all summer long, too? Or University and Morgantown?" he said.
"I've had coaches tell me that they needed to be away from the kids in the summer time and the kids needed to be away from them. My own personal experience with my children, I do believe that."
An amended proposal that would allow coaches to attend summer camps with their teams regardless of the week might be welcomed for approval, Spencer said.
"I believe if you would come back to the board and ask (to have) those three weeks plus one week to go to a camp or maybe do away with one of those three weeks and add a week for a camp, I think probably the board would look halfway favorable toward that," Spencer said.
Surprisingly, the proposal that precipitated the most conversation was a motion to allow sixth graders to participate in middle school football. The biggest concern with the ability of sixth graders to play proved to be the uncertainty of schools to be financially ready to accommodate younger players.
"We've wondered if many schools would be financially able to make that adjustment in the short amount of time they'd have to do so for this year if they wanted to accommodate all the new kids coming out," Ray said. "A new football helmet costs around $250, and for sixth graders, they're going to have to get smaller equipment than they already have, I would think."
To allow for participating schools to prepare themselves for the adjustment, the proposal now is planned to be implemented in 2009 rather than this fall, pending its approval.
