By R.J. Anderson
As the economy sputters, high school state associations across the country are examining ways to reel in spending. But sometimes, their ideas are very unpopular with the public. That was the case when the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Board of Directors voted to ban lengthy out-of-state travel for sports teams beginning in the fall of 2009.
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With an eye on saving schools money, the MSHSL approved a plethora of cost-cutting measures, including scaling back double-elimination postseason tournaments and limiting scrimmages and jamborees. But it was the decision to restrict team travel that garnered the most attention.
According to the rule, teams will be allowed to travel to states and provinces bordering Minnesota, but no other round trips of more than 600 miles will be allowed. It's expected that many schools and teams will be affected by the decision. For example, this spring 21 Minnesota teams traveled to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla., to compete in various tournaments, trips that will be prohibited by the MSHSL next year.
The move is designed to alleviate the financial stress associated with travel and also level the playing field between teams that can afford such an excursion and those that cannot. "In hearing from school people--superintendents, principals, athletic directors--it's the whole economy," MSHSL Executive Director Dave Stead told the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune. "It's a matter of trying to limit the fundraising with the business community and all those kinds of things, and provide as much equity as we can when it comes to school programs."
But not everybody is on board with Stead's reasoning. "It changes our plans, and I think it's a sad deal for teams that are willing to work at raising money, enjoying the experience and bettering their play," Jim Gess, Head Baseball Coach at Bloomington Jefferson High School, told the Star Tribune. "I'm pretty disappointed in the way they made that decision. There are a lot of schools that have domes and don't go down south; I don't know how that's an even playing field."
Gess has taken his teams to Florida or Arizona over spring break for the past nine years, something he won't be doing in 2010. "Going on a spring trip isn't just given to these kids," he said. "They do things to earn that, and I think it should be available to kids. To me that's why we're here, to give kids the best possible experience."
Mankato East High School Head Softball Coach Joe Madson understands the reasoning behind the MHSHL's decision, but doesn't agree with it. He said the restrictions will only detract from the student-athlete experience. "A lot of the kids really enjoyed those trips," Madson told the Mankato Free Press. "Some said they remember the trips to Florida more than they do trips to the state tournament."
R.J. Anderson is Online Editor at Athletic Management.