Michigan joins the rest of us

[bgtg19]

I live and officiate in Michigan. It is my opinion that the lawsuit was wrongly decided by a judge who did not, and does not, understand the purpose of high school athletics.

Having said that, the woe-is-me lines I have heard from many in my state are wearing thin. We'll adjust and we'll be just fine. As Rut pointed out, it's not like Michigan has any fewer gyms than high schools in other states. Now the boys and girls basketball teams will have to share gym time? I suppose if the girls volleyball teams were practicing out in the snow, that might take a bigger adjustment, but it turns out that volleyball practices take place ... wait for it ... in a gym. I don't think the concerns about lack of quality officials are legitimate either. In my area, we've all received our assignments and the assignors are not pulling out their hair about any shortages. Assignors around here have insisted that if you want to work boys games you'll work girls games, too (and vice versa). So, for good or for ill, boys and girls will have the same "quality."

Parenting has taught me that "equality" does not mean "sameness." And, even though Michigan's sport seasons are now the "same" for boys and girls, we still have work to do (as most every state and area do) before we reach the desired and deserved equality. The lawsuit was a crutch, and a poor one at that. But where our feet take us now that we're done with the crutches is up to us.

[JRutledge]

I think I have a very good understanding of High School Athletics. What is so great about having two different seasons for the players? Also keep in mind that the rest of the country plays basketball at the same time for both genders. What is the benefit? All I have heard was official's shortage and gym space (which are problems around the country). Are the girl's getting more volleyball scholarships?

Peace

[bgtg19]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think I have a very good understanding of High School Athletics. *** Are the girl's getting more volleyball scholarships?

I do not at all question your "very good understanding of High School Athletics." However, if you think your final question is probative, then I do question how well you understand the purpose of high school athletics.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by bgtg19

the purpose of high school athletics.

The purpose of high school athletics is to provide a venue for parents who have failed in their prior sporting endeavors to live vicariously through their children's accomplishments. That's why the amount of importance put on high school athletics is grossly out of proportion to academic achievement.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by bgtg19

I do not at all question your "very good understanding of High School Athletics." However, if you think your final question is probative, then I do question how well you understand the purpose of high school athletics.

Stop being evasive. Just say that the reason guys like you dislike this change is because it makes you have to work more games in a shorter period of time. If you are unwilling to be candid about why this was a benefit when the rest of the country then I question your knowledge of high school sports. High School sports have been operating the with girl's and boy's basketball being played at the very same season for years with no major problems. I see no benefit to have the girl's play a different season, none which so ever. And maybe it was arguments like yours that made the judge say things need to change. I just wanted a candid explanation that made sense. It is clear there was no argument but you were afraid of change because it has always been that way.

Peace

[bgtg19]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Stop being evasive. Just say that the reason guys like you dislike this change is because it makes you have to work more games in a shorter period of time. If you are unwilling to be candid about why this was a benefit when the rest of the country then I question your knowledge of high school sports. High School sports have been operating the with girl's and boy's basketball being played at the very same season for years with no major problems. I see no benefit to have the girl's play a different season, none which so ever. And maybe it was arguments like yours that made the judge say things need to change. I just wanted a candid explanation that made sense. It is clear there was no argument but you were afraid of change because it has always been that way.

Peace

Whatever, man. You make so many assumptions. I personally prefer having the boys and girls both play basketball in the same season. More than 80% of Michigan schools, and more than 70% of Michigan high school female athletes, preferred things the way they were. Just because the change benefits me personally does not mean the lawsuit was correctly decided.

I am not wishing to be "evasive," but I do not have the time or inclination to try to educate you on this point. If you truly are interested -- if you truly have NO idea why there might be some benefit to high school athletes in having separate seasons, then feel free to peruse the Michigan High School Athletic Association website (www.mhsaa.com) archives. (Some of the "explanations," as I earlier indicated, I disagree with -- e.g., shortage of facilities and officials -- not everything the MHSAA put out should be taken as the Gospel.)

[CoachP]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I see no benefit to have the girl's play a different season, none which so ever.
Peace

When you get outside of the bigger schools (Mich uses classes based on enrollment A-B-C-D) is where all the problems lie.

Most of the larger A schools and "some" B schools have gym sizes to accomodate everybody but that is not the norm.

With most schools there are 2 V teams 2 jv teams and 2 freshman hoops teams with even an A and B team on some freshman boys teams. All these teams need games and practices in the same gym all week.

Volleyball normally filled up their game schedules with a week night and all day Saturday tourneys/invites. So they only required (a lot of times) one night a week for games. And one BBall court holds 2 VB courts for practices which for a lot of rural schools is V and JV only. So their practice scheduling was much easier....And they managed to play dozens more matches than other states because of the longer season.

Girls had a great benefit playing hoops on Tue and Thurs in the fall as they did not have to compete with boys sports (friday night football)
Girls VB will enjoy some of that benefit now except for the saturday part (college football coverage)

My biggest gripe is they passed it off as a gender equity suit so volleyball would match the rest of the country....which btw 10 years ago 8 other states played GBB/Fall GVB winter.

[truerookie]

IMO, this arguement is baseless. A decision has been made combine the season and live with. We as offficials do not have an arguement in this fight. We can work the games offered to us or not. I live in an areas were the seasons are combined, the gyms are smaller and I do not here the coaches, players or officials complaining about the two sports being played in the same season. We have bigger issues in society to worry about. Issues like Jena6 in Louisiana.

respectfully