7-12 Staff

Board to Consider Football Classification

November 12th Board Meeting

bv Mr.Ningen, Supt.

November 01, 2007

Information for our November Board Meeting Football Classification Discussion

I have included a link below that will take readers to the NSAA web-site. The page patrons are taken to describes a little of the process that we will all be part of in November (specifically deciding to remain 11-man in football or change to 8-man)

In this note, I hope to share actual enrollment figures as they stand today in our school. This may have some bearing in how the vote on November 12th falls. Patrons, students, and others are encouraged to tell a board member your thoughts. Please remember that our enrollment figures change somewhat during a single year, and the figures below lay numbers out for the next eleven years.

At the end of September, 2007, our student count of females and males in grades 9-11 stood at 87. That is the number the NSAA uses to set up Varsity Football schedules for the following two years. If a school has 83 or fewer 9-11 students, they may participate in 8-man football and be eligible for state play-offs. The reason that schedules are set for two years at a time is to make scheduling stay the same for two years, ensuring that teams normally play one game at home, and one game away with the same opponent.

As of today, (November 1^st , 2007), our 9-11 student count at HHS has dropped to 84. It is possible – perhaps probable, that our 9-11 student count will change up and down a few more times this school year – all before a single football game is played next fall. One can see in this day and age, mobility and changing employment opportunities create more changes in student populations than in years past.

I want everyone to know that our school will be able to play 8-man or 11-man football next year, but because of having an official Sept. 2007 count of 87 students in grades 9-11, we would not be eligible for state play-offs for next year (2008-09) and the following year (2009-2010), without the NSAA granting us an appeal if we chose to file one.

The public also needs to be aware that during the next 11 years, using actual numbers from students in our school from pre-school through 11^th grade, our school will qualify for 8-man state play-offs every year. The numbers:

Numbers taken from today’s (Nov. 1^st, 2007) enrollment totals at Hemingford Public School

Grades 9-11 student count (83 or fewer students needed to be eligible for 8-man play-offs)

2007-08 87 (as of today, the number is 84)

2008-09 80

2009-10 82

2010-11 79

2011-12 77

2012-13 73

2013-14 73

2014-15 75

2015-16 70

2016-17 75

2017-18 77

You can see from these figures, it is likely our school will qualify in every way, (including play-off eligibility) to play 8-man football for the next decade, if NSAA rules remain what they are today, as well as if our numbers stay close to where they are today.

The next few sections are my own thoughts, based on experiencing coaching and teaching in large and small schools, as well as how success in activities raises behavioral attitudes in the hallways and in town, and actually encourages students to do better in the classroom. I believe the success our school had in Volleyball this season showed that.

Even if our boys were not eligible for state play-offs the next two seasons, they might have the opportunity to experience greater success and enjoyment playing teams with student numbers and sizes that compare to ours. For the past few seasons, Hemingford has not been in the state play-offs either.
Changing to 8-man next season instead of waiting two years would actually put them in a better position to be ready to compete successfully when they are eligible.
There is a small chance that the NSAA would approve our appeal if our enrollment is in fact 80 next fall, as compared to 87 this fall, allowing our boys to have just one year of ineligibility.
Ultimately, my goal is not to change things so that our boys make it to play-offs – rather it is to change things so that we compare better to opponents in number, in size, and in the way we enjoy this sport.
For those patrons, parents, and students that may feel this discussion of a sport has small importance for the classroom or for life in general, I would say that if student athletes feel that they are matched evenly, and have a fair chance for success, better success in the classroom will also take place, as well as better involvement after school.
In the early 1980's, Hemingford also played 8-Man football for two years.

Thank You,

Mr. Ningen

(link to the NSAA site)

http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/fbl/fbschedtl.pdf

(link to a comparison chart)

Comparison Chart of area 11-Man and 8-Man schools