School reform’s next chapter: Sports
by Mark Rauterkus, water polo coach and member of the PPS Athletic Reform Task Force, Mark@Rauterkus.com
Serious changes to the scholastic sports landscape in Pittsburgh are brewing. The City League may try to fold its teams into the ranks of the WPIAL. The City League, also known as PIAA’s Division VIII, includes all the high schools of Pittsburgh Public Schools: Allderdice, Brashear, Perry, Schenley, Peabody, Westinghouse, Langley, Oliver, Pgh Obama, Sci-Tech, U-Prep and CAPA. The WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic League, see WPIAL.org) is PIAA (see PIAA.org.) District VII.
With the exception of the private schools (Central, Oakland, Winchester Thurston, Ellis) the WPIAL circles the city’s borders.
If the city teams join the WPIAL, city and suburban athletes get to compete on a daily and weekly basis, not just at exhibition games and state playoffs.
Some might say the City League is to the WPIAL as a doughnut hole is to the doughnut, both in terms of geography and overall sporting opportunities and programs. The city teams have a few outstanding programs and athletes, but all in all, the city needs an overhaul to match the competitive standards of the WPIAL programs.
Some are elated with the realization of a possible move to the WPIAL for city student-athletes. Allow PPS schools a chance to play and compete on a daily basis with suburban schools. The idea has been promoted for more than a decade, and with the closing of Schenley, Peabody, South Vo Tech, and other schools throughout the decades, the move is necessary as so few teams exist and school spirit has never been worse. The City League’s termination has been platform planks from a few candidates too.
Ken Miller wrote in an email, in part, after this news hit the Post-Gazette on Oct 6, 2010, “This will be a difficult issue for Pittsburgh's African American community. There will be some who speak out in opposition. I think a joining of the City League and WPIAL will be GREAT for race relations in Western PA and provide greater opportunities for PPS students. I urge B-PEP to be a strong voice in support of merging the City League and WPIAL and to do so soon. It hits on the key issues of integration and residential segregation. It forces white people to deal with their perceptions and the reality of inner city youth.
“Every season when Pittsburgh City School athletes, and bands and cheerleaders are not traveling through out Western PA to participate in sporting events is a step backwards. We should be part of demanding that our merger into WPIAL happen immediately and that the details be worked out/adjustments made within the context of a full merger.
The decision about a full merger with WPIAL rests solely with the PPS Board - they could force this to happen immediately by returning their PIAA Charter. Everything about negotiating with PIAA or the WPIAL leadership is bogus and missing the point. The PPS Board is empowered to make this happen and they should do so assertively.
Competitive balance has been a top problem within the City League. The disparity with big schools playing many games against small schools is troublesome. The AAAA (quad A) schools don’t match up well with A (single A) schools. Neither side wins as that happens.
None win when the competitive balance is wrong. In-house comfort and geographical competitors are not keys to long-term sports success. Having big PPS schools (Allderdice and Brashear) playing small schools (Langley, Westinghouse, Sci-Tech, U-Prep) is rotten competitive balance. Thankfully, that chapter in Pittsburgh’s sports scene can come to a close.
When conditions are not fair, people “tune out” and “vote with their feet.” PPS enrollment and PPS sports participation plummeted. A measure of fairness needs to exist in sports or else it isn’t fun, challenging, nor worthy.
One benefit of the merger with the WPIAL is membership size. There are plenty of tiny, small, medium and mega schools within the WPIAL. With rivals of similar size, the play is more fun because of competitive balance.
To illustrate, consider the NCAA and its balance with Division I programs, such as Pitt and Penn State, Division II programs such as Slippery Rock and IUP, and Division III programs such as CMU, Chatham and Carlow. It would be ridiculous if Pitt’s schedule was filled with games against CMU, Chatam and Carlow. Pitt’s sports teams are not in the same league as Carlow. On athletic fields, Pitt and Carlow are far apart, yet the schools are neighbors in physical geography. Likewise, the Perry High School Commodores should not schedule games with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Closeness provides nothing regarding promising athletic competitors.
Departing the City League and landing within the WPIAL could backfire if the city implements an extensive plan of “Co-op Teams.” The newer 6-12 grade PPS school devoted to IB academics, Pgh Obama, an outbirth of the death of Schenley, is a small school. Sports teams form Pgh Obama could rock up and down the WPIAL seasons across many sports if it ges placed into its proper classification. Meanwhile, the prospects of Pgh Obama amount to a misery with the sustained coop where the athletes from three schools play under one banner: Pgh Obama + Sci-Tech + U-Prep. When the three schools are pressed together into co-op teams, they enter the WPIAL and must play giant schools such as Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills and North Allegheny every match. That’s a train wreck that can’t be allowed.
PPS schools could have five girl teams with five starters per team so that 25 kids around the city can claim to be first team varsity basketball players. Or, PPS schools could be fortunate to have 11 teams with 55 student athletes making the same claim. Should we have 25 or 55? We win by addition in sports. Every school should have its own sports opportunities without making coops.
Coops have been in place at two junctures within the PPS. Since the formation of U-Prep and Sci-Tech, the athletes there who want to play varsity sports have been shifted to the teams of Schenley/Pgh Obama. Problem is, the shifting didn’t happen. Students don’t want to play. Participation is terrible. Research has proven that the coops that exist have been a failure for the students -- so that should not be repeated. But some are pushing the crazy options to make every Pittsburgh school enter into coops for their sports teams. School spirit, common sense and competitive balance demand otherwise.
See chart:
Insert one chart from this posting.
http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-if-city-league-sports-teams-merged.html
In some sports, such as soccer, there are three classifications. In other sports, such as basketball, there are presently four. The smallest schools are Single A. The largest are Quad A. The smallest schools are listed at the top of the list. The largest schools at the bottom.
Pittsburgh Allderdice and Pittsburgh Brashear are big schools. No matter what, those teams from those schools would play in the bigger classification against the other giant schools in Western PA: Norwin, North Hills, Mt. Lebo.
But Pittsburgh has a number of smaller schools. Unlike the present city league, the teams at Langley, Oliver, Westinghouse would NOT need to play against the soccer powerhouse Allderdice and the over-reaching Schenley. Unless, of course, the ugly plan of coops is put into place. Then the kids at Langley would play with Brashear and face off with the big schools. And if Westinghouse joins with Allderdice, as one of the plans option reads, they would be playing against the bigger schools as well.
Kids from Pgh Westinghouse and Pgh Langley don't want to play all their soccer games against teams from Hempfield and Seneca Valley. The WPIAL kids play soccer year round. Those kids play with their soccer mates for years as they grow and develop in their respective soccer programs and reach varsity status in their high school teams. Programs are not as developed in the city.
Smaller city schools have some talented players. But, the smaller schools don't have a full bench of year-round players. Often, varsity athletes at smaller schools get to play two or three sports per year where the players at the larger schools are often more devoted to a single sport and play year-round in that sport with camps, club programs and specific conditioning.
If Pgh Obama is forced to hook up in a coop with Pgh Sci-Tech and Pgh U-Prep. Then the side goes against Plum, Penn Hills and North Allegheny in every match. Getting a single win might be impossible.
Example of a merger for Boys Basketball Classifications (4 classes)
Single A
Trinity Christian, 38
Eden Christian, 49
Geibel Catholic, 67
Quigley Catholic, 68
Mapletown, 69
Saint Joseph, 72
Avella, 80
Vincentian, 84
Elderton, 91
North Catholic, 98
Western Beaver, 98
Cornell, 99
Winchester Thurston, 102
Jefferson Morgan, 104
Monessen, 106
Sewickley Academy, 108
Union, 112
West Greene, 112
Lincoln Park Charter, 113
OLSH, 115
Leechburg, 116
Clairton, 124
Carmichaels, 125
Rochester, 125
Serra Catholic, 128
Pgh CAPA boys, 128
Bentworth, 136
Double AA
California, 140
Springdale, 141
Aliquippa, 148
Chartiers Houston, 148
Bethlehem Center, 149
Avonworth, 150
Neshannock, 150
Pgh Sci Tech, 150
Wilkinsburg, 155
Frazier, 157
Jeannette, 158
Sto-Rox, 160
Brentwood, 162
Fort Cherry, 162
Riverview, 165
South Side, 171
Pgh Westinghouse, 171
Bishop Canevin, 175
Carlynton, 176
Northgate, 176
Shenango, 177
Pgh Oliver, 183
Burgettstown, 188
Pgh Langley, 188
Laurel, 189
Greensburg Central Catholic, 190
Pgh U-Prep, 190
Seton LaSalle, 199
Apollo Ridge, 202
Mohawk, 207
Shady Side Academy, 213
West Shamokin, 218
Riverside, 219
Brownsville, 222
Freedom, 225
Pgh Obama, 225
South Allegheny, 230
Charleroi, 233
Steel Valley, 241
Ellwood City, 245
Ford City, 245
Quaker Valley, 246
Beaver Falls, 247
Summit Academy, 248
Freeport, 250
New Brighton, 252
Triple A
Burrell, 254
Southmoreland, 261
Washington, 263
South Fayette, 266
Deer Lakes, 267
Waynesburg Central, 267
Beaver, 279
East Allegheny, 282
Mount Pleasant, 285
Pgh CAPA girls, 285
Keystone Oaks, 296
Yough, 309
McGuffey, 317
Valley, 318
Blackhawk, 321
Derry, 321
South Park, 321
Highlands, 325
Kittanning, 325
Pgh Perry, 333
Indiana, 336
Central Valley, 339
Pgh U-Prep + Pgh Sci-Tech, 340
Belle Vernon, 346
Elizabeth Forward, 353
Pgh CAPA boys + Pgh Obama, 353
Hopewell, 356
Thomas Jefferson, 358
New Castle, 360
Ambridge, 366
Uniontown, 375
Mars, 378
Knoch, 380
Greensburg Salem, 387
West Allegheny, 389
Pgh Carrick, 392
Pgh Obama + Pgh Westinghouse, 396
Hampton, 399
Montour, 403
West Mifflin, 406
Ringgold, 418
Trinity, 429
Quad A Classification
Chartiers Valley, 447
Moon, 465
Laurel Highlands, 481
Albert Gallatin, 482
Franklin Regional, 498
Pgh Perry + Pgh Oliver, 516
Peters Township, 541
Pgh Brashear, 558
Greater Latrobe Senior, 560
Upper Saint Clair, 560
Kiski, 565
Woodland Hills, 565
Pgh Obama + Pgh Sci-Tech + Pgh U-Prep, 565
Plum, 568
Canon McMillan, 577
McKeesport, 578
Pine-Richland, 595
Gateway, 606
Fox Chapel, 610
Penn Trafford, 610
North Hills, 619
Pgh Allderdice, 625
Baldwin, 641
Connellsville, 643
Mount Lebanon, 658
Bethel Park, 665
Norwin, 666
Central Catholic, 670
Shaler, 677
Penn Hills, 686
Pgh Langley + Pgh Brashear, 746
Hempfield, 792
Pgh Allderdice + Pgh Westinghouse, 796
Seneca Valley, 899
North Allegheny, 984
Butler, 1107
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