Re: 2013-14 Football Plan?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 6:54 pm
Hinsa wrote:NDplayin wrote:Using the DPI numbers on the NDHSAA site, I would say this:
AA = 300 and above
A = 80-299
9-man = under 90
Hinsa- this is exactly why I don't think we can go back to three classes, the enrollment disparity is just too great. In the case of your proposed numbers, it effects the middle class. The words I've used before are reasonably fair, obviously the largest in any class will always have an advantage over the smallest... that's the real world- the purpose of divisions is to ensure that it's reasonable to expect the smaller class to be able to overcome that disadvantage.
This is my opinion Hinsa, but in the sport of football, I think it's very unreasonable to expect a school enrollment 80 boys to compete against a school enrollment 299 boys. Here's some math:
You had mentioned a 40% participation rate. I wish we could expect the average school to have better participation, but I do think 40% sounds reasonable so I'll stick with it. At 40% participation your school of 80 has 32 kids out, but that doesn't mean all 32 are varsity ready. With evenly split classes you could have 8 seniors, 8 juniors, 8 sophomores, and 8 freshmen. Meanwhile, you school of 299 has 120 kids out- 30 seniors, 30 juniors, 30 sophomores, 30 freshman.
For all intents and purposes, your school of 299 has as many seniors as your school of 80 has in the entire program. Now if this were basketball where you need 5 on the court and 10 capable athletes to make a good competitive practice I would agree this could work; I cannot agree that these numbers are fair for a sport where you need 11 on the field and 22 capable athletes for a competitive practice. Your school of 299, by the math, could have an all senior practice. Your school of 80 not only has to draw down to the sophomores for practice, but all the way down to the least talented sophomores. By football math and football logic, this is a long ways away from reasonably fair.
I'd still be happy to consider 3 classes Hinsa, but I can't find any good cutoff numbers for it myself. In the case of your 80-299 class, I have to disagree with it for reason that go beyond what is reasonably fair... consistently putting schools of 80 boys against schools of 299 boys in the sport of football is a certain way to get several young kids hurt.