Imagine ‘promoting’ schools that perform too well
Here’s some food for thought for anyone who likes to debate classification and alignment when it comes to prep athletics.
Imagine Albuquerque Academy’s boys soccer program, owners of the past two Class 5A titles and the last four title matches, playing in 6A next year. Or how about Albuquerque Hope Christian’s boys basketball team jumping from 4A to 5A because the Huskies are five-time 4A champions? (Watch it. Some of you are already drooling onto your shirt.)
Well, there are states that do exactly that.
Take the Illinois High School Association for example. In 2015, the state opted to add a formula to its classification and alignment system in which the recent success of a programm is factored into it. Commonly called the “success factor,” the formula is used in an attempt to level the playing field among its member schools.
It sounds like a novel approach to make classes competitive, but, to be honest, most programs affected by the “success factor” are private institutions. The argument goes that because private schools have no district boundaries, they can attract potential athletes from anywhere. It’s a common refrain by some coaches in New Mexico, and they point to programs like Hope Christian in boys basketball.
Well, let’s be frank, most of them simply begin and end their argument at Hope Christian.
Those coaches do have a point that Hope Christian has a larger pool of athletes to choose from because it is in Albuquerque. But it also distracts from the larger issue that a program is being punished for its success or its perceived advantages.
The Huskies have gone nine straight years reaching the championship game, but much of that credit shouldn’t go to the “talent” it accumulates. It’s more about the successful system designed by head coach Jim Murphy, which is a well-oiled machine that has kids at the middle- and high-school level playing together practically yearround for years.
What about the success of Texico and Pojoaque Valley in volleyball, Belen in wrestling, La Cueva in baseball in recent years, or Artesia in football in perpetuity? It seemed that the criticisms of those programs were mostly mute, except for La Cueva because coaches argued that the best baseball talent went there. Still, where would La Cueva go since it already is a big-school program?
If anything, the “success factor” reeks of opposing coaches, administrators and parents hating other programs’ success.
Ironically, that formula was brought forth to the New Mexico Activities Association’s classification and alignment committee for discussion about six years ago, but it didn’t go very far. Imagine if it was implemented and Hope Christian still won state titles.
Could we have seen the Huskies playing in 6A? Probably. And the rest of the state would be happy — except for the 6A schools.
How about forcing Hope Christian to play at the junior college by that point? Better yet, how a rule that we just disband the Huskies’ hoops program, since we can’t stand their success?