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Is it time to rethink league allignments.
Submitted by GHSlax1 on Tue, 2007-04-24 08:28.
In both D-1 and D-2 boys leagues, there is a large disparity between the really good teams and teams that just aren't doing real well. What good does it do for any team to win or lose by scores of 19-2, 13-0, etc. The winner isn't challenged and the loser doesn't take much away from the game. And it is really difficult to build a program when the team is constantly losing - it's hard to recruit to a team that has little hope. Is it time for three divisions? Here's one idea that would make for better competition (and isn't that what we should be looking for, close competitive games, not blow-outs that pad the stats)? An ëlite division of 8 or 9 teams that are perenially among the best. They can play each other twice during the year. A second division, with 14-16 teams, with either one or two conferences. These are teams that have established a track record of being able to put together a competitive team. A third division with the rest. These are the teams that are new, have a small draw for players, or face other difficulties of getting a competitive team together.
I think this is a great way to promote the growth of the sport, and will allow more entry to the sport and better competition.
nope
Playing only bad teams will not make a bad team better. Playing good teams will help them realize. The way we have it is okay, not perfect by far, but better than having three divisions. YOu would have put a brand new northshore team in your d3 because they were new...and they would have crushed everyteam, gone undefeated and had no fun, and not learn a thing...same thing with lynnwood, they finished 2-10 or something, so you would have kept in your d3...and they would have not learned a thing by killing teams.
point is, no new alignment!
I totally agree with new leagues
There should be three divisions for Washington lacrosse to help promote good level of play. There is a huge level of play throughout both divisions here in Washington. The three divisions should be D1,D2, and D3. D1 should be filled with the top teams already in division 1. Then D2 should be filled with the bottom teams from D1 and the top teams from D2. Then finally the last divsion should be filled with the bottom teams from D2. This will make a more level playing field for all. Right now there is 2-3 team in each conference in D2 that are going through the season with lopsided scores. For example when Snohomish and San Juan played the final score was 23-0. This shows a big difference in level of play. You can see theses kind of scores throughout the entire D2 games.
So in the end there needs to be a new system put into place so lacrosse can be more competive and by having three divisons this will help.
High School is a little different
From the youth vision of growing the sport at this point. High School Lacrosse is about promoting the game through good competition and a higher level of play. I disagree with your statement about the parity in Division I versus division two. In division I, the top 10 teams are vying for playoff spots, with possible records between 10-4 and 7-7. This demonstrates a great amount of parity in the division, and shows it was set up correctly. The wildcard games should be good.
Division II is a little less obvious, because the top teams are so far above everyone. The question is, who will be the wild cards after the top two in the division?
There is noticably less parity, and that is because DII is where every new team must land. Each team has less structure, and may be good or bad year after year. The teams that continue to develop will advance to Division I.
Eventually, WIAA will associate Lacrosse with the school size and region- so yep- it is just fine, it will all work itself out.
The idea behind the
The idea behind the divisions stems from the support in the lower ranks- meaning most, if not all D1 teams, have supporting youth programs whereas many D2 programs have none (I am thinking franklin for example). The idea is that some years are going to be down years and the teams who are teaching their kids well are the teams who will at the top.
While there is no way of knowing whether or not a 6th grader with good skills is going to be an All-American when he is a senior, the idea is that and his teammates will have played together for many seasons by the time they are seniors whereas in some other programs simply do have that structure but still can put a team together. That is what happens with other sports, so why does lacrosse thinks it should be different?
Take football for instance; Should Bellevue drop from 3A to 2A because they have an off season? A resounding NO. So what if Eastside is 1-13, there are circumstances in this program that had a serious impact on that team but should work themselves out as the dust settles. Lynnwood pleaded to move up.
Point is back east, and we always seem to want to compare ourselves with the east, teams at the top are almost always near the top every year and then there are the also rans. Why are we concerned with that there are some good teams and some mediocre teams and some horrible teams here. Happens in every sport, in every location. We do not have a special situation here. This is normal. Leave it be.
If you were to change it, start making divisions more in line with WIAA divisions.