Re: 1A &2A State Championship Format; Must read
Posted on BSports.org by Chad Dinkins, site opperator and former basketball coach:
"I took the name off of this letter but I will tell you it was written by maybe the most influential coach in Washington Boys Basketball. If not the most, he is in the Top 3 and his creditentials are Amazing..
'Dear WIAA representatives,
I sit here thinking, should I rearrange my schedule for Friday March 18th to go and fight to do what’s right for basketball in the state of Washington or am I wasting my time again. After talking to people and observing the tournaments last weekend I was mad but then I looked at the survey and became apathetic. I had to rate from 1-7 the importance of the tournament events and I said to myself this survey handcuffs me and will not let me give my true feelings that all seven items are poor. I believe the survey is set up to soften the feelings of the fans and not let them give their true feelings. After looking at the survey is when I said why am I wasting my time and feelings on Washington basketball when the green jackets just do what they want to do anyway. I know the green jackets love this format. You only have to spend 3 days at the tournaments----not 3 weekends. The regional are run by whomever and WIAA gets all the money. I watched Eric Davis work his rear end off putting together the regional at CWU. He got sponsors to covers all the costs and ran a great tournament. The sponsors were told they could not hang their banners only Les Schwab and Dairy farmers of Washington, who did nothing for this regional, and WIAA took all the money. Now the green jackets can say it was a great tournament because look at all the money we made. I then got into a conversation with an Athletic Director and I was explaining how Jackson, Tumwater and Puyallup high schools got to play regional in their own gym, all three won close games and all three then lost out in 2 games at state on neutral floors. His answer was well, the AD’s on the West side love the new format because the attendance was good and we made lots of money. My point exactly, I am talking about fairness and all that comes out of his mouth is money, money and money. Plus, a lot of the money you received from the regional took away from the member schools that in the past used those tournaments to finance their districts. I know the Big Nine and Spokane leagues took a big hit and it felt like the WIAA saw how much money we were making on our Regional so big brother will just come in and take their District money maker for themselves.
After 34 years of teaching I know several of you personally and I hope you respect me or at least see me as someone who is for the students. I have never taken a cent from my 30 plus years of Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) work, WIAA meeting work, District 5 work or any other state support I could give. I was appalled at Mike Colbrese’s e-mail answer when his growing salary was questioned. Mike sounded like some of the CEO’s the past couple of years justifying their importance. Mike is talking to the wrong group of people when talking to teachers and coaches and their salaries. Mike’s raises and statement does not sit well with one of my former players who had to borrow money when he got to the Sundome when he found out at the door it was $24 for him and his son to go watch a game in Yakima. I thought the idea of the change in format was so we did not have to raise prices? We hammer our fans both ways? If money is that big of a problem I suggest an Audit. I will propose to WIBCA to pay, or find some sponsors, to pay someone the $1,000 fee to go over the books and see what money we can save. I know that the whole staff goes to the summer National convention. Why? If we, the member schools you represent, just sends one representative who can share the results with the other staff members the state saves several thousands of dollars. Plus, if money is so tight do we really need 5 assistant directors?
I was very saddened by the reduction of trophies to six places. This takes 24 trophies away from communities who in the past would love these memories. This might be a small school issue but I have a fishing buddy in White Salmon who still talks about an 8th place trophy from 1982. I realized another factor at the Ellensburg Senior night when a majority of the senior band members said their best experience in band was attending the state tournament. I tried to stay out of the initial fallout from last spring’s tournament decision. After about a month we starting having coaches picking sides and sending nasty e-mails back and forth to each other and I forwarded it to Mike Colbrese and said it saddens me your decision has made good coaches turn against each other. He wrote back saying it was not his decision and he was surprised the executive board came up with this decision. I decided after that e-mail I would just wait and see how the tournament went and stay positive. During the summer I talked to a couple of executive board people who felt the decision was a Mike Colbrese brainstorm and he convinced the board to act on it. Someone is not telling the truth. I even felt sorry for Mike Colbrese at the Yakima tournament as I watched him walk around looking like the loneliest man in the gym. I even heard a Grandview fan point at Mike and say to his friend “hey, that is the evil man who ruined the state tournaments”. Even if this was not a Mike Colbrese agenda his name is all over it. Maybe this is why the executive board keeps giving him raises.
Let’s fix the problems. If WIBCA had their way we would go back to the 16-team tournament. Or, if it is a 4A/3A problem then lets have these classifications go an 8-team state tournament and the other classifications go back to the 16 team state tournament.
First we must admit the regional is not state. A 16-team state cannot have a team, Clover Park, lose the first round and win state.
We must have a better atmosphere. Squalicum goes to Tacoma, wins regional and is scooted off the floor quickly. They did not get to cut down the nets, the lights are turned off quickly and they are asked to dress quickly and leave.
We are having non-state like experiences. For example Mountlake Terrace first game of the year is at Marysville-Pilchuck and last game of the year is at Marysville-Pilchuck. Curtis wins regional so they go get to play Puyallup on their home floor. Arlington first state since 1960 is held at a league gym that they play in every year. No pictures in the programs, no pins and just another game. The players are leaving the gym thinking I played hard all year for that experience?
Several communities have already expressed their students torn apart by having their girls and boys team playing in different towns at the same time.
We cannot allow the statistic taken at regional be in the record books. Unprofessional people took the statistics and we have fought that battle for years because Richland wants Phil Neil’s records in the books. I am sorry but Phil’s records were at regional and not state so they should not be included. This is another example that regional is not state.
This is a major basketball decision and the Washington State Boys Basketball Coaches Association is not even heard or listened to about this decision. I attended the District 5 meeting and the representation from the superintendents, principals, athletic directors and officials associations also felt they were not heard on this decision.
I am very nervous about the WIAA survey. The one they did the previous year swayed the voting about the 35-second clock. Cindy Adsit from the WIAA was in the room when the Washington State Boys Basketball Coaches Association voted against the 35-second clock. But, when the vote came for the clock, the voting members were told the coaches support the shot clock because of a survey the WIAA did. Randy Winters and Bill Walker, two voting members told me they voted for the 35-second clock because they were informed the coaches wanted the clock. I am nervous because looking at this survey, they way it is set up, can also give false results.
As I sit here trying to figure out if it is worth attending the March 18th meeting I ask myself is WIBCA being heard? I am saddened to say no. WIAA should provide a clear communication channel for its member schools. Is this being meet? No, I have not heard in my 34 plus years so many people from superintendents, principals, athletic directors, coaches and fans complain they are not being heard. Were the playing conditions equitable between high schools in this year’s tournament? No. The WIAA is here to serve the member schools and it has taken on a feel of we are being told what and how we are going to do things. I have never seen or felt the members of the Washington State Activities Association in such disarray. I may be a slow learner and someday may realize that everything I have done does not matter but please let me know if it is worth attending the Friday March 18th meeting. Thank you for your time.'"
