HS Question

[GrayBear]

Just an off-season curiosity for the Minnesotans: Does anyone have an early read on how many high school programs will start the 2007 season as MSHSL varsity and how many will reamin with MBSLA?

[TexOle]

http://www.startribune.com/526/story/531538.html

[Rob Graff]

FRom above article...

"The number of boys' teams registering would have to reach 32 for the high school league to sponsor a four-team state tournament."

Does this mean that MBSLA will run the state championships again?

[bjlaxman16]

Does this mean that MBSLA will run the state championships again?

Wouldn't the MBSLA have a championship either way?

Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I saw on LaxPower, it looks like the girls varsity teams have playoffs but not the club teams. It seems fair to me that the teams that haven't made the switch yet should still get their own championship.

[LaxRef]

Does this mean that MBSLA will run the state championships again?

Wouldn't the MBSLA have a championship either way?

Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I saw on LaxPower, it looks like the girls varsity teams have playoffs but not the club teams. It seems fair to me that the teams that haven't made the switch yet should still get their own championship.

IIRC, they do a club championship and a Varsity championship for the women—I remember hearing about EP being the 2005 Varsity champ and Kennedy being the club champ, because they talked about Kennedy becoming Varsity for 2006—but I don't know how that works exactly. Is the threshold of 32 teams for a four-team MSHSL playoff a threshold for being allowed to have a tournament or for having the MSHSL run it (and pay for travel expenses, etc., like they do for basketball and other sports)? That I don't know.

There's certainly no way that the MBSLA stops having a championship as long as there are still club teams, because the MSHSL can't dictate anything to those teams.

[GrayBear]

This is interesting . . . and counter to my (and others', I gather) prior understanding. Any thoughts out there??

"It also looks like we will have a couple co-ops," said MSHSL lacrosse coordinator Richard Matter, referring to cooperative teams, which have players from more than one school. "So we will be in that 19, 20, 22 range, maybe a few more."

[Rob Graff]

I'm fairly certain the MBSLA is looking at options for their tournament.

The big question to me is if less than 32 are going varsity, and if that means NO MSHSL tournament of any type, does the MBSLA keep the Varsity teams out of it's tournament?


Rob

[LaxRef]

I'm fairly certain the MBSLA is looking at options for their tournament.

The big question to me is if less than 32 are going varsity, and if that means NO MSHSL tournament of any type, does the MBSLA keep the Varsity teams out of it's tournament?

As I said, the women don't have 32 teams, and yet there is a tournament of some sort for the women's Varsity teams, as there is for the club teams. See:

http://eteamz.active.com/NSLA/index.cfm?

[mnref]

If the boys follow the girls there will be two tournaments next year, one for MSHSL member teams (aka Varsity teams) and one for MBSLA member teams (aka Club teams).

The girls have had parallel tournaments for the four years that the MSHSL has recognized girls varsity.

Also, the MSHSL won't sponsor or organize a state tournament until there are 32 teams. That doesn't mean there won't be a tournament, it just won't be run by the MSHSL staff. I believe the MSHSL girls tournament is organized and run by the coaches association.

Matt

[laxfan25]

This is interesting . . . and counter to my (and others', I gather) prior understanding. Any thoughts out there??

"It also looks like we will have a couple co-ops," said MSHSL lacrosse coordinator Richard Matter, referring to cooperative teams, which have players from more than one school. "So we will be in that 19, 20, 22 range, maybe a few more."

We have similar co-operative teams here in Michigan. I don't know all the MHSAA rules about them - how long they can operate this way before breaking off into individual teams - if there is a limit.
It's nice, because kids at a school without a lacrosse team can go across town or to a neighboring town and play. IMM, it should all be about getting kids on the field playing!

[GrayBear]

it should all be about getting kids on the field playing!

That's what I'm talkin' about.