Tough spot for Sturgeon Bay

[TomM]

https://twitter.com/AndrewPekarek/status/1159248200710139905?s=20

"...Tough spot for Sturgeon Bay having to cancel its 11-player schedule due to low numbers and attempt to put together an 8-player schedule before the season...."

[ramjet]

Yikes that is not good for such a large school.

[MNbadger]

My high school has 2600 + in grades 9-12
We have only 60 kids signed up for football.
In the late 1980s into the late 1990s we dressed 100-110 for games.  Of course many did not play but it shows the change in participation in the "biggest" sport.

[imnofish]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

[Oz125]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

My district is playing 8-man for the first time this year but can't play in the postseason because our enrollment is too big. Don't quote me on this, but I believe to qualify for the postseason your district must have an enrollment under 180 for 3 consecutive years. We're at 220 and dropping and had only 20 or so kids play last year. Football is dying in our area as well and not just our school.

[ramjet]

Enrollment is not factor or consideration the number of participants in sport does.

This should alarming not because it's football but because it is an organized sport.

Are their less kids to play or are they just not doing much?

The school we belong to went 8-man it is something I pushed very hard for. Just not enough kids to viably sustain a 11 man program. Because of the lower numbers underclass they we're being exposed to much larger more mature upperclassman in games. The potential for them getting injured went up. Plus they got shredded every time they took the field. The 8-man reduces the number of lower classmen  being exposed.  8 man is an excellent option but the trend is alarming.

[Troy Grindle]

 I think that anyone can have eight man football.  But to be playoff eligible your enrollment has to be 200 or less. They are talking about going to two divisions for eight man football. A large and a small.

[TomM]

BOARD OF CONTROL APPROVES 8-PLAYER FOOTBALL ALIGNMENT; ELECTS OFFICERS

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Dennis Birr, superintendent of the New Lisbon School District, presided over the first meeting of the 2019-20 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control today.

The Board conducted its 2019-20 officer elections. Eric Russell, superintendent at Baldwin-Woodville, will serve as the president-elect, and Willy Chambers, superintendent in the Black Hawk School District, was elected to the role of treasurer. In addition, Phil Ertl, superintendent in the Wauwatosa School District and Paul Pedersen, Principal at Regis were introduced as a new members of the Board.           

Among the actions taken by the Board was final approval of a conference alignment plan for eight-player football beginning in 2020. The plan places eight-player programs into seven, six-team conferences and one, five-team conference. Each conference will be paired with another six-team league within their region to provide crossover games.  See 8-player football alignment.

8-Player Football Alignment: https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/News%20Releases/2019-20/8PlayerAlignment2020.pdf

In other action, the Board gave its approval to new appointments to the 2019-20 Coaches Advisory Committees and the annual renewal of the Association's membership in the National Federation of State High School Associations. Also approved were editorial modifications to the 2019-20 Media Policies Guide and Administrative Staff Handbook, as well as the newly created Conference Realignment Task Force Handbook.           

Among the topics shared in the executive staff reports to the Board were reports on the New Athletic Directors Workshop, progress on development of online submittable Eligibility Verification of Transfer Students and Foreign Student Eligibility Verification forms, and an update on a special election to serve a one-year term representing medium schools on the 2019-20 Advisory Council.

Other topics discussed were the agenda for the 2019 Area Meetings in September, development of the 2019-20 operational budget and a review of the 2019 NFHS Summer Meeting. The Board also received liaison reports from Mike Thompson of the Department of Public Instruction, John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Todd Sobrilsky of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 511 senior high schools and 43 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It will sponsor 27 championship tournament series in 2019-20

[joeski]

In that article, it says the wiaa only has 43 members of junior/middle schools. Does anyone know if that is correct? I know what they do does not always make everyone on here happy. But aren't there benefits to being a member? Sorry to change the topic.

[ChargerDad]

In that article, it says the wiaa only has 43 members of junior/middle schools. Does anyone know if that is correct? I know what they do does not always make everyone on here happy. But aren't there benefits to being a member? Sorry to change the topic.

I'm not sure what the benefit would be... there is no post season series that I am aware of for any sport that is WIAA sanctioned..  and for many sports, the restrictions on out of school competition during the athletic season become painful and actually hinder school participation among top athletes.. wrestlers are unable to compete in non school sanctioned tournaments if their MS is a WIAA member so they choose to not be a part of their MS team, and the whole team suffers because the best guys aren't in the room.

[imnofish]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

My district is playing 8-man for the first time this year but can't play in the postseason because our enrollment is too big. Don't quote me on this, but I believe to qualify for the postseason your district must have an enrollment under 180 for 3 consecutive years. We're at 220 and dropping and had only 20 or so kids play last year. Football is dying in our area as well and not just our school.

I think our current enrollment is about 400, yet we are usually lucky to get 30 kids out in our entire football program.  With a historically strong soccer program, we probably don't stand a good chance of improving on that.  Our football team has been getting stomped for the past several years.  I feel badly for the kids and hope that somehow an avenue eventually opens up for their full participation in 8 man football, or they can miraculously get their participation rate up.

[Houndhead]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

My district is playing 8-man for the first time this year but can't play in the postseason because our enrollment is too big. Don't quote me on this, but I believe to qualify for the postseason your district must have an enrollment under 180 for 3 consecutive years. We're at 220 and dropping and had only 20 or so kids play last year. Football is dying in our area as well and not just our school.

I think our current enrollment is about 400, yet we are usually lucky to get 30 kids out in our entire football program.  With a historically strong soccer program, we probably don't stand a good chance of improving on that.  Our football team has been getting stomped for the past several years.  I feel badly for the kids and hope that somehow an avenue eventually opens up for their full participation in 8 man football, or they can miraculously get their participation rate up.

Which part of don't quote me did you not understand?   Just busting your chops Fish.

[imnofish]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

My district is playing 8-man for the first time this year but can't play in the postseason because our enrollment is too big. Don't quote me on this, but I believe to qualify for the postseason your district must have an enrollment under 180 for 3 consecutive years. We're at 220 and dropping and had only 20 or so kids play last year. Football is dying in our area as well and not just our school.

I think our current enrollment is about 400, yet we are usually lucky to get 30 kids out in our entire football program.  With a historically strong soccer program, we probably don't stand a good chance of improving on that.  Our football team has been getting stomped for the past several years.  I feel badly for the kids and hope that somehow an avenue eventually opens up for their full participation in 8 man football, or they can miraculously get their participation rate up.

Which part of don't quote me did you not understand?   Just busting your chops Fish.

Okay.  I'll keep that in mind.   

[ramjet]

I was under the impression that very low school enrollment numbers were a requirement for playing 8-man football.  Has that changed?   

My district is playing 8-man for the first time this year but can't play in the postseason because our enrollment is too big. Don't quote me on this, but I believe to qualify for the postseason your district must have an enrollment under 180 for 3 consecutive years. We're at 220 and dropping and had only 20 or so kids play last year. Football is dying in our area as well and not just our school.

I think our current enrollment is about 400, yet we are usually lucky to get 30 kids out in our entire football program.  With a historically strong soccer program, we probably don't stand a good chance of improving on that.  Our football team has been getting stomped for the past several years.  I feel badly for the kids and hope that somehow an avenue eventually opens up for their full participation in 8 man football, or they can miraculously get their participation rate up.

Your school can go to 8-man any time they choose it's up to the AD to propose it and Board Approval. I think it's a good deal to keep football viable it's a fun game to watch. The speed of the game makes a bigger difference.