Latest WIAA amendment rejection on increasing basketball games: 'We are losing ground'
Onalaska High School athletic director Dennis Bower is empathetic toward the stress of high school basketball game management in Washington.
Now 64, Bower admits the grind has gotten more challenging over time.
"It's tough opening gyms and getting workers there every night," said Bower, also a WIBCA hall of famer with the school. "But I know it's good for kids - even the small fishes in the pond."
WIAA representative assembly voting results for this year's amendment proposals were released earlier this week - and once again the plan on increasing basketball-game capacity authored by Bower was rejected for a third consecutive cycle.
"I don't get it," said Nalin Sood, WIBCA president and boys basketball coach at Mountlake Terrace High School. "We are not asking for the world on this."
The most disheartening news is that the no-go vote is widening, going from narrowly missing in 2021 (20-14 in favor; 58.8 percent approval rate but missing the 60-percent approval rate needed by one vote) to more convincing rejections in 2022 (20-15 not in favor; 42.9 percent approval rate) and this spring (21-14 not in favor; 40 percent approval rate).
"We are losing ground and going the other direction," Bower said.
Bower's amendment proposal for the past three years has essentially been the same - allowing teams to utilize one of their allotted 20 games to play in a multiple-game tournament (up to four games total).
The biggest shift in approach over the past months was educating district administrators - and voting members - about the benefit of approving this amendment under the proposed guidelines.
"We went with more of a grassroots approach where ... we got the message out," Bower said. "People didn't understand the amendment in its entirety."
With the help of WIBCA officials, one of the primary points of emphasis with the amendment is that schools didn't have to adopt it if they chose not to.
"You could have played your conventional 20 games and life went on," Bower said.
After the latest rejection, Bower admitted he was deflated, adding "a fresh approach ... or voice might work" in a future proposal.
But he also said he'd like to take another shot at it next year.
"My biggest fear is we are losing something here. We've got a good product - good coaches at all levels and kids and families who want to play more games," Bower said. "So, why not? If we don't, do we lose this model to outside sources like AAU with their 60 games."
Some WIAA amendment approval highlights:
Rule 4.2.0 - Adjusting enrollment parameters for Class 4A and 3A
In an effort to balance out the state's highest two classifications - and eliminate the 20-team state tournaments in 3A - the WIAA representative assembly voted to decrease the 4A cutoff point by 75 students - from 1,300 students to 1,225 students.
Under the new parameter, 14 schools that were in 3A in the last reclassification cycle would have been 4A-eligible.
The next reclassification cycle is in 2024.
Rule 18.6.0 - Distinguishes difference between 'resident public school' and 'school of choice'
At the outset of high school, students can declare a "school of choice." But if they intend to transfer now based on a hardship, the only school they would maintain immediate eligibility at is their resident school - or closest public school to their residence.
Rule 41.5.0 - Number of team and individual matches in boys and girls tennis increases
Starting next season, a school can schedule up to 18 team matches - up from the previous number of 16 matches.
The number of matches an individual can play in also increased by two - from 23 to 25 matches.
