Softball: Oakfield girls knock out #1 seed
Submitted by Mary Beth Mcmartin.
Pembroke Girls Softball team knocks out # 1 seed Gananda
to meet Oakfield in the Class CC Finals on Wednesday
softball
NYSPHSAA cuts are going to be at least two years
The Buffalo News today reported a story in which reporter Maki Becker gives us some more detail on the New York State Public High School Athletic Association cuts as he interviewed executive director Nina Van Erk.
There wasn't a whole lot of information than what we have previously reported, but there are a couple of interesting items in the piece.
Van Erk says that it is expected that the cuts will save schools in the state up to $10 million, with nearly $6 million of that going to officiating fees.
The other thing that comes from this story is that the cuts are expected to be for two years.
The changes, which were approved by a slim majority late last month, would begin in the next school year and would remain in effect for two years, Van Erk told the paper.
This opens up some more questions.
Did Van Erk and the rest of the NYSPHSAA directors make these cuts for two years because it is a quick fix to help schools and families get through these difficult economic times?
Was it announced that the cuts are for two years because that is the original plan or because of all the backlash the NYSPHSAA has received from coaches and athletic directors?
And what happens after two years? Will these policies just continue or will they be reviewed again at that time, with the number of games being returned to the schedule?
Buffalo Public Schools athletic director David Thomas summed up what a lot of people are thinking when they hear this with his quote late in the story.
“I don’t think we should be worried about funding school budgets on the backs of the kids playing sports,” said Thomas told the paper.
Cutting the number of games might help school districts in the more remote areas of Western New York that require longer traveling distances, Thomas said, “but it doesn’t save it up here [in Buffalo], where we are trying to keep the kids off the streets and busy with school and athletics.”
The current schedule allows Buffalo athletes the opportunity to play in suburban areas and “to travel to some nice tournaments,” Thomas said. “Now we have to pull back on that.”
Thomas also questioned whether the cuts were really temporary. “When they take things away,” he said, “they don’t often come back.”
Major changes for Batavia High athletics
Batavia High School has been one of the smallest schools in the Monroe County League for a long time.
It has hindered the chances some programs have had to win.
But those things are about to change as realignment has given Batavia a chance to remain part of a league, yet be competitive in sports it normally struggled to compete in.
"With our school and our size, Monroe County recognized that our school and Greece Odyssey were a little different," Batavia athletic director Mike Bromley said. "You have to give them credit for that because they give us a league affiliation and will allow us to be competitive."
The Blue Devils will be playing in Monroe County League Division III, but will be essentially playing a half-league schedule.
Geography is a big consideration for Monroe County as teams were realigned. Division I and II teams are matched up as much by travel distance as school size. Division III is mostly about size.
Batavia will play each team in Division III once in both boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and volleyball. That means the Blue Devils will get to play seven league games, which is also happening with Odyssey.
While Batavia will no longer be eligible for league championships, it will give teams chances to schedule non-league games with teams that they can compete with.
A prime example is the boys soccer team, which experimented with the schedule least year. Batavia went 7-10, going 7-1 outside of Monroe County and 0-8 in the league.
"We gave up the opportunity to win a league championship because we don't play everybody twice," Bromley said. "But to be able to go out and get schools that are closer to our size and be more competitive makes more sense than trying to win league titles."
Kids will still have a chance to be recognized as all-county and there will be no changes for track & field or cross country.
This sets up some potential great local rivalries, especially as Batavia drops down to Class B. Imagine home and home series' with Attica or Albion. Those could be great local rivalries for Batavia.
Once you get past not being able to compete for a league championship, there are still goals for Batavia teams.
There will also be changes in the modified programs at Batavia, as the drop in numbers will no longer support a seventh and eighth grade team. The two grades will be combined for modified and will play a schedule based on geography.
Here is the new alignment for the Monroe County League:
Division I: Canandaigua, Irondequoit, Fairport, Penfield, Rush-Henrietta, Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas.
Division II: Brockport, Churchville-Chili, Gates Chili, Greece Arcadia, Greece Athena, Greece Olympia, Hilton, Spencerport.
Division III: Batavia, Brighton, Greece Odyssey, East Irondequoit Eastridge, Honeoye Falls-Lima, Pittsford Mendon, Pittsford Sutherland, Victor.
