Changes in OHSAA VB tournament proposal, Your Opinion?

[jkumpire]

The person who wrote this is a long-time official and former College Men's VB player.

Comments?

OHSAA Volleyball Tournament

In college I once majored in Recreation. Over the years I have thought a lot about how to increase participation and enjoyment in wholesome recreational activities, especially those which people can participate once pass their high school and college years. I believe single-elimination volleyball is unnecessary, even detrimental to the enjoyment of the game. Volleyball is unique in that it is the only team sport that never involves body contact between opponents. Injuries are fewer, and expulsions for poor sportsmanship are rare. The OHSAA dictates unnecessarily short seasons in volleyball and seems to want to "get it over with" lest it interfere with football. Some of our neighboring states allow longer seasons.


Proposal: The State Volleyball Tournament should be played on a double elimination format!

The Rationale
The OHSAA downplays volleyball compared to other sports.
1. The season is too short.. Basketball and football are not limited to six-week seasons. When our state tournament was in its second week (District level), Pennsylvania was still playing regular season games. At the same time, football in Ohio was also playing regular season games. Why is there such a hurry to get volleyball over with?
2. When the Volleyball tournament is in its final week (the state tournament), football still has three weeks to go.
3. State tournaments in Wrestling, Tennis, Golf, Track & Field and Cross Country are already played on a double elimination basis, or at least the number of participants from one regional is not limited to one. Teams and players can go to state without winning first place in a sectional, district or regional tournament.
4. Championship games face inclement weather in outdoor sports which is not a problem for indoor sports.
5. Volleyball is a non-contact sport, so there is no need to limit the season because of the threat of injury.
6 . Whenever volleyball administrators conduct tournaments, it is never on a single-elimination basis. They usually organize pool play, or allow "consolation games" such as is done in JO volleyball.
6. There is ample time to play the extra games. Currently, some teams go a whole week between tournament games at the Sectional/District level..
7. The additional revenue of more contests would benefit schools and officials. Too many excellent officials never get the chance to work a tournament game.
8. The present system dooms half the teams to a single tournament contest.. Only high-seeded teams normally get to play a second tournament game. First-round contests are usually lopsided and a better format would afford every team the opportunity to play at least one closely-competitive tournament contest.
9. The argument of "tradition" is spurious. Volleyball has changed from the traditional game with advent of rally scoring and the libero.. Traditional baseball changed with the designated hitter and the padded fences. Traditional football changed with the two-platoon system and unlimited substitution.. Traditional basketball changed with the use of three officials, shot clocks, and the elimination of the center jump after every score.. There is always room for improvement.
10. As an example, college baseball has become more competitive with the double-elimination format. Even though only one team from each district advances to the College World Series, more games are played and more excitement results. A team has a chance to recover from one bad performance -- or even from a poor officiating decision.
11. Getting to "go to state" is an unforgettable thrilling experience for those who make it. Too many young people never get to enjoy that privilege.

The Proposal
Two teams would advance from every Sectional/District --. the winners' bracket champion and the winner of the loser's bracket. That would send eight teams to each Regional which would also be played on a double-elimination basis. Eight teams in each of the four division would have the opportunity to go to State, two from each regional.
In the losers bracket, winners of first round games would play teams who lost their second round winners' bracket matches, but from the opposite bracket. That would prevent early re-matches.
At the Regionals, the four District winners would be paired first against second place teams from other Districts, just like is done in Wrestling. At State, the four Regional winners would first play against second place teams from other Regionals.

The additional matches would give teams more to look forward to at the end of the season than getting destroyed in lopsided first round matches. It would generate more revenue, more opportunities for officials, and much more interest from parents and players of mid-level teams. .

[run-n-gun]

I love this thought. I think it would be very well at the Regional/State level. It would be great competition and allow teams multiple chances.

[crashnburn]

Great ideas, but unfortunately I could see basketball putting up a HUGE fight when it comes to volleyball cutting into their pre-season gym time. Maybe it's not that way in your neck of the woods, but here it is already hard enough to keep our practice times in the gym and we are IN season!
While I kind of enjoy the single elimination format for the intensity it creates in each match along the way, if it would somehow change up the whole Marion Local and St. Henry playing in Districts thing, I would be all for it. That really sucks for them.

[WitnessProtection]

Great idea! Never gonna happen.
OHSAA wants golf, volleyball, field hockey, cross country, tennis, and soccer out of the way ASAP so it can concentrate on the football championships. Not saying it's right. Just how it is.
Watched the volleyball state finals on STO. Entertaining and exciting.
OHSAA reported that the total attendance for the state tournament -- 16 matches -- was 13,644. Average of 853 fans per match. Max seating at the Nutter Center is 12,000, depending on the configuration and event.