Column: Are we there yet?

Published 2:54 pm Wednesday, February 2, 2005

By Staff
I have resigned myself to the fact that Michigan will join practically the entire United States in switching its sports seasons.
But that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Plans are already in the works in leagues throughout the state of Michigan to prepare for the day when the legal battle finally comes to an end.
Right now the Michigan High School Athletic Association is preparing its case for the United States Supreme Court.
It should be sometime in May before we even know if the Supreme Court will hear the case.
There are more than a few things that I do not understand about this litigation.
First, why are we switching other sports?
Basketball and volleyball are the two sports that were named in the original filing.
So it is beyond me as to why we need to switch boys and girls tennis, boys and girls golf and upper peninsula boys and girls soccer.
Let me get one thing perfectly clear, lower peninsula soccer will not be switched.
Secondly, when did the minority take over ruling in America?
If the member schools of the MHSAA overwhelming voted to keep the seasons as they are, then why is a court telling them that they must switch?
I understand what is at stake here. I get that club volleyball players feel they are losing out on scholarships because they are forced to play in a different season.
My main objection, of many, is that the number of players who receive college scholarships, and will be affected by this switch, is a small number in comparison to those who play the sport at the high school level.
No one is going to convince me that if more players get out and play club volleyball during the winter, they are going to be rewarded with more scholarships.
Let's be realistic here, those players who are good enough to earn college scholarships are going to get them. Those marginal players, no matter how much they play volleyball, are not going to receive a scholarship.
Of course, there will be exceptions to that rule.
In the end, I think that both sports will suffer when it comes to attendance. I know that basketball is going to take the biggest hit when it comes to attendance.