A nearly nine-year lawsuit regarding certain sports seasons in the state of Michigan appears to have reached an end, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association expects changes to be implemented next school year.
The United States Supreme Court opted not to review an order from the lower courts, meaning six different sports will change seasons, beginning in the fall.
‘We were surprised by today’s decision, but we weren’t totally caught off-guard by it,? said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts.
‘The United States Supreme Court has denied the petition to review the opinion and the order of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals,? Roberts added at a press conference Monday afternoon. ‘The effect of the Supreme Court’s decision is to require that the MHSAA change its schedule of sports tournaments for some of the programs that we have for boys and girls in this state.?
Girls basketball will move from fall to winter, while girls volleyball will move from winter to fall. Boys tennis and girls golf will both move from spring to fall, while boys golf and girls tennis will move from fall to spring.
‘Literally thousands of boys and girls who had been planning on playing one combination of sports in high school will now find that combination impossible,? Roberts said.
In Lake Orion, like most places across the state, reaction is mixed.
In golf, for example, coaches Megan Daly (girls) and Monty Gallaher (boys) say the change will have vastly differing effect on their teams.
‘It is definitely a negative for boy’s golf,? Gallaher said. ‘We normally start the first week of August and are able to play many 18-hole rounds, including tournament play, before school starts.?
‘We will probably not be able to play many 18 hole rounds in the spring because the OAA had cut down on teams missing school days for tournaments,? he said.
Gallaher added that having tryouts in March, as opposed to the warmer August, and crowded springtime courses are also negatives.
‘There have also been many boys that play baseball and golf, the list can go on and on,? he added. ‘I cannot believe that it has happened.?
Daly said the amount of college coaches interested in high school golfers probably won’t change much, since they often use the summer to evaluate players.
‘I see it as a bonus for my team because it may mean more girls come out for golf,? Daly said. ‘I believe a lot of girls play soccer since the seasons run concurrently. Hopefully, this means more girls come out for golf since it will be in the fall.?
The MHSAA had been fighting since 1998 to keep the seasons the way they were, citing participation numbers. Roberts said Michigan is among the top five states in participation in girls tennis, basketball and volleyball.
‘Now is’the time for our schools to step up and work with the decision of the Court to continue to maximize the quantity and quality of interscholastic athletic participation opportunities for young people in our state,? the MHSAA said in a statement.