FIRST AND SHORT

Coach's Confidential: Can competitive balance be achieved?

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

The issue of competitive balance has been an oft-discussed topic within the WIAA, tying in to just about every discussion circling prep sports on the state level (including conference realignment). We asked our anonymous panel of coaches what they'd recommend.

Do you feel the WIAA has done enough to address competitive imbalance among area conferences? If not, what more could they do?

Coach 1: I think they should have super conferences of 16 teams and the bottom two of the top half switch with the top two of the bottom half each year. This way, even the worst 8 could compete for a conference divisional title.

Coach 2: Line up, and we will play them. I’m not overly concerned about it, to be honest.

Coach 3: Our job as high school coaches and competitors is to develop the student-athletes we have in our school and compete against the opponents we are given. We are huge believers in controlling the controllable. Conference realignment is outside our control.

Coach 4: The No. 1 criteria for competitive imbalance should be enrollment. Period.

Coach 5: The WIAA is in an impossible position. The WFCA's district plan addressed this a few years ago.  Hopefully, the district plan (football-only conferences) gets another look.