One of the most newsworthy FHSAA board of directors meetings is scheduled for April 26.
There,
among the many topics that will be discussed is the planned reduction
of all varsity schedules (football excluded) by 20-percent beginning
next year.
The FHSAA has taken a lot of heat for this from athletic
departments statewide, but in fairness, it needs to be noted the
reduction idea was pushed to the FHSAA by superintendents (though not
all of them) as a way to help schools get through the nation’s current
financial crisis.
The Sun was emailed two letters – one from
Gainesville High School softball booster president Art Bautista-Hardman
and the other from Coral Springs Charter athletic director/baseball
coach Jerry Albert – written to the FHSAA expressing unhappiness with
the plan.
Below are copies of those letters, which should give you a good idea as to how seriously many are taking the proposal.

To The FHSAA Board of Directors:

In conversation with FHSAA officials, coaches and other parents
concerning the FHSAA proposed 20% diminishment from 25 to 20 regular
season games per school year, it has been made clear that it is the
chief administrators, such as Superintendents and similar officers,
from many School Boards that have made the request to the FHSAA to
impose the 5-game reduction for economic reasons. Their reasons range
from paying officials and/or coaches to funding travel monies.
Basically, these elected and appointed officials have turned to an
unelected body to do their heavy lifting for them. If the FHSAA
reduces the number of contests, then these officials can redirect
parental and student-athlete wrath toward an organization that is
completely unaccountable to the average voting parent or athletic
supporter, and thus wash their hands of the matter. “We didn’t take
your games away, the FHSAA did! Please vote for me again.”

Limiting contest numbers, setting travel policy, participation
guidelines, and scheduling has always been and should continue to be
local issues. Those issues are the sole responsibility of the local
School Board and the individual schools attached to them. Only School
Boards and schools should be making decisions relative to their local
economics. Only Schools Boards and schools should have the authority
to cut the number of contests for economic reasons. It is their duty
because they are accountable for their decisions and the impact on
parents and student-athletes. Schools and School Boards should not get
away with surrendering their authority to avoid dealing with their
constituents on this highly emotional issue. Superintendents and
School Boards, by surrendering their authority on the issue of game
limitation, and putting that authority in the hands of the FHSAA,
further strip their citizen constituents of the right as parents to
have a voice in their children’s athletic endeavors.

For the FHSAA to accept this abrogated responsibility, and act on it,
is to overstep their political, ethical and moral bounds, even if they
are within their legal bounds. The FHSAA is exercising a power over
the citizens of Florida that they were never meant to wield.

In fact, an argument that sports such as volleyball, basketball,
softball and baseball should have their number of contests increased
to 30 is quite logical. With cuts in clubs and other extracurricular
activities that do not have booster support and funding, our
almost-grown children are going to need even more constructive
activities to do after school.

The FHSAA should be invested in growth, not contraction. The FHSAA
should be the positive, accelerating force in State athletics, not the
brake. The FHSAA should be searching for funding opportunities and
sponsorships, not participating in local School Board budget policy.
And the FHSAA should most certainly stay out of local politics, even
if the action is taken at a State-wide level.

As former athletes and sports fans, you are, by definition, people of
action. For people of action, with courage and foresight, hard times
are an opportunity for growth. Show us.

Sincerely,
Art Bautista-Hardman
Parent, Softball Booster President
Gainesville High School

March 5, 2008

To The Members of the Board of Directors of the FHSAA,

I am writing to you out of serious concern for the direction
of high school sports in the state of Florida.
As Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach at Coral Springs Charter HS
for the past ten years, I have continually stated that our state has one of the
most organized, efficient, and well run associations in the country.

Their latest decision, though, to reduce the number of
contests for team sports 20% will be one of the worst decisions any association
could ever make. I am fully aware of
financial concerns and issues throughout the state and country, as well as the
challenges many of our colleagues are facing on personal levels at home.

But to target high school athletic contests as a fix for the
schools’ financial concerns is disconcerting and deflating to what is for many
(most) student-athletes the highlight of their day/year/career.

In reducing the number of team contests to a max of 20, we
will have reduced the contests by 33% over the past ten years. We are reducing our athletic schedules to
glorified recreation league status. In a
day and age where high school kids are being manipulated more and more by
unprofessional “outside” coaches (AAU, Travel Ball, Showcase teams, etc.) the
FHSAA will be empowering these coaches all the more by reducing the importance
of the high school teams and seasons.

In a sport such as baseball, with a 20 game season, the # 3
pitcher on a staff may not pitch at all for weeks at a time because most weeks
will only allow for two games per week.
Therefore, what will that #3 pitcher do? – More than likely transfer to
a school where he can be a #1 or #2. We
know the movement of student-athletes is already out of control – this
reduction will just be pouring gasoline on the inferno.

Where is the concern for the student-athlete in this
proposal? It seems that this is a
knee-jerk reaction to our difficult economic times, rather than a well thought
out proposal that would benefit our students. The students are supposed to be what athletic
programs are all about – how is there any benefit for them in this?

I would ask that we consider the following to allow for
fairness to the student-athletes, while allowing financial concerns to be
addressed and handled accordingly:

1. Allow each school
district to decide on their own how many contests will be played in each sport
within the present FHSAA guidelines.
This will allow for districts to determine cost efficiency of sports,
travel mileage required, geographical importance of the sport, and overall
budget concerns of that district.

2. Allow the various
schools to determine if they need to play the full 25 games with regard to each
respective sport. Our soccer and
volleyball teams do not fill their schedules with 25 contests because they
choose not to travel to tournaments. Yet
our basketball, softball, and baseball teams do fill their schedules with the
full 25 games, as they raise the monies needed to compete in various
tournaments throughout the year.

3. Factor in the fact
that many programs are self supportive at both the public and private
schools. From day one, every AD in
Florida understands that programs must raise money to function correctly. Let the coaches be responsible for raising
the extra money needed to continue to have a respectable, worthwhile
schedule.

I am imploring each and every one of the members of the
Board of Directors to fight against this reduction proposal. I would be happy to speak to each of you
about these concerns and would also travel up to speak against the proposal if
need be.

I thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Jerry Albert

Athletic Director/Head Baseball Coach

Coral Springs Charter HS