Semrau: Siphoning off elite athletes a threat
ROTHSCHILD -- High school sports as we know them may not exist for much longer.
That message rang true loud and clear during executive director Doug Chickering's "state of the association" speech at the WIAA's 113th annual meeting at the Stoney Creek Inn Wednesday.
Chickering warned of a very real threat on the horizon.
And he wasn't talking about such hot-button issues as the divisional placements of public vs. private schools, drug testing, charter schools, tougher transfer rules, open enrollment, falling attendance and rising fuel costs.
While those issues were discussed and will certainly remain on the agenda for next fall's area meetings, Chickering focused on what he deemed was a more pressing issue.
During his executive director's report, Chickering told the 412 delegates in attendance from 341 of the 505 member schools of a recent meeting with several sports governing bodies whose mission was to take the best athletes from around the country and make them better.
We've already seen that happen in sports like soccer and hockey. In particular, it is rare to see the elite hockey players last much past their freshman or sophomore seasons let alone still be playing for their high schools as seniors.
But Chickering said the future of all high school sports -- not just hockey, soccer, football, volleyball and basketball, to name a few -- is at stake.
Organizations including the U.S. Soccer Academy, USA Football, a joint venture between the NBA and the NCAA and the Nike and LeBron James Skills Academy are offering or planning to offer specialized programs for elite prep athletes.
To make his point, Chickering read from a letter from the U.S. Soccer Academy in which it criticized participating club programs for allowing their athletes to play high school soccer.
"The message is clear, 'don't play high school soccer,' " Chickering said of the soccer association's intent. "The five or six people who talked to us last week in Indianapolis, they all want to be part of the sports scene. But they only want to be involved with the most elite kids."
Chickering said there are some local programs, too, that pose a threat by siphoning off the elite athletes, in some cases removing them not only from high school sports but from their high schools altogether, and creating a specialized year-round atmosphere for one sport.
For high school sports to continue, Chickering said, "We have to dig in and we have to fight for what's in the best interest of everybody, not just for the elite. If people want to siphon off the elite, it makes our job a little more difficult. But we're going to have to find some ways to counter that."
Chickering acknowledged that the prep sports landscape has changed. In response to that, the association has become more liberal in allowing more contests and increased out-of-season contact between coaches and athletes.
"We have to be advocates for education-based athletics with the number of national programs emerging focused only on the elite," Chickering said. "Our kids deserve more games and more coach/athlete contact. We need to work in that direction and focus on raising the funds necessary, but at the same time maintain institutional control that is necessary for the WIAA to be successful."
But he encouraged the assembled athletic directors, principals and superintendents to take the initiative to prevent the demise of high school sports. He advised those in attendance to be ready to discuss the threat further at the area meetings in September.
"If we don't react to this, eventually we won't have to worry about public schools vs. private schools and drug testing and fair competition and facilities and charter schools and any of that," Chickering said. "We won't have anything to worry about, because we'll be out of business.
"I believe that if we're going to maintain the influence that we have in our schools on the games that these kids play, we're going to have to dig in. If we want everyone to participate, and not just the elite, we're going to have to address this issue."
Five other points to ponder from the meeting:
** WIAA Board of Control president Gus Mancuso of Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln told the delegates that a proposal was taken off the ballot that would have relaxed a rule that prohibits teams from competing out-of-season at national tournaments during the school year. They believe the rule helps prevent the specialization of athletes.
"We want it to go back to the area meetings for more discussion," Chickering said. "The whole issue that athletes don't participate in just one sport was part of the issue."
Mancuso also said the Board of Control asked for clarification from the WIAA staff on the number of athletes from a particular school that could participate on the same club team outside that sport's season but during the school year. The limits are six for soccer, five for baseball and softball, four for football and three for basketball, hockey and volleyball.
** The WIAA membership voted 302-8 to change its bylaws to make it easier for schools to participate in contests held or sponsored by non-educational agencies. That includes the Milwaukee Bucks' sponsorship of prep basketball games at the Bradley Center prior to Bucks games and high school baseball games held at Miller Park or the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Participating schools now only need approval by their respective school boards or governing bodies.
** The membership also voted 259-50 for an amendment that requires schools to provide parents with the Association's Rules of Eligibility each year and mandating a signature to acknowledge they have received the information.
** By a 303-6 margin, the membership approved an amendment that reflects a current interpretation of the transfer rules. The measure prevents a loophole in the determination of residency for public school students within student populations.
** Chickering said more time was needed to study the effect of public school open enrollment before making any changes on the divisional placement of schools for postseason play.
"The number of open-enrolled kids on public school teams was not as many and the number of kids on the non-public school teams that came from outside of that school district was higher," Chickering said. "And those open enrollment numbers are going to go up and the (private school) numbers are going to go down. As each year goes by, the likelihood of a very quantifiable measure to be put in place is going to do down."
dsemrau@madison.com
File photo
WIAA director Doug Chickering says high school sports may lose elite athletes incoming years.
