Wednesday, March 03, 2010
MIAA MIA on D2 Championship Game Time?
Very reliable sources report that the MIAA is trying to schedule the Melrose-Arlington Catholic Division 2 North championship game at 10:00 A.M. at Emmanuel Saturday.
A.C. has a hockey game later that day, and one can only speculate what the MIAA is thinking. The Division I North title games get played in prime time in the Boston Garden, and the Melrose-AC girls have breakfast on the hardwood?
These young ladies have prepared for years to get to this point and deserve better. Many have sacrificed literally years of physical training and dedication to basketball to achieve these goals. And it is fair to say, that as a group, the higher the division, the higher the quality of play, and the likelihood of personal and family sacrifice (e.g. AAU commitments, et cetera). This is not to suggest that D3 or D4 players have not also made a great commitment to excellence; rather, it emphasizes the capricious and arbitrary treatment of these girls at this time.
Historically, the games have alternated between girls and boys with the LOWEST divisions playing first.
Yes, the court is the same for both teams, as well as the time, but (again) historically, most players do not play their best early in the day, with some potential physiologic explanation as adolescents require more sleep.
Years ago the MIAA scheduled a Melrose-Reading D2 North semifinal volleyball game at the old Reading High School, a facility that had 1) very limited seating, 2) an exceptionally low ceiling, and 3) very poor floor conditions that put players at risk. Many Melrose AND Reading fans were turned away because of the seating restrictions. I wrote a letter complaining about the treatment of the fans and the players to the MIAA and never even got the courtesy of a reply.
We can only hope that the Melrose and AC Superintendents, Principals, Athletic Directors, and Coaches fight for a reasonable time slot...and that the MIAA responds in a professional, non-autocratic way.
A.C. has a hockey game later that day, and one can only speculate what the MIAA is thinking. The Division I North title games get played in prime time in the Boston Garden, and the Melrose-AC girls have breakfast on the hardwood?
These young ladies have prepared for years to get to this point and deserve better. Many have sacrificed literally years of physical training and dedication to basketball to achieve these goals. And it is fair to say, that as a group, the higher the division, the higher the quality of play, and the likelihood of personal and family sacrifice (e.g. AAU commitments, et cetera). This is not to suggest that D3 or D4 players have not also made a great commitment to excellence; rather, it emphasizes the capricious and arbitrary treatment of these girls at this time.
Historically, the games have alternated between girls and boys with the LOWEST divisions playing first.
Yes, the court is the same for both teams, as well as the time, but (again) historically, most players do not play their best early in the day, with some potential physiologic explanation as adolescents require more sleep.
Years ago the MIAA scheduled a Melrose-Reading D2 North semifinal volleyball game at the old Reading High School, a facility that had 1) very limited seating, 2) an exceptionally low ceiling, and 3) very poor floor conditions that put players at risk. Many Melrose AND Reading fans were turned away because of the seating restrictions. I wrote a letter complaining about the treatment of the fans and the players to the MIAA and never even got the courtesy of a reply.
We can only hope that the Melrose and AC Superintendents, Principals, Athletic Directors, and Coaches fight for a reasonable time slot...and that the MIAA responds in a professional, non-autocratic way.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 10:15 PM 
