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Post by dawgster on Feb 9, 2006 8:55:47 GMT -6
I read in today's Advocate that CLA has requested not to be fined for failure to appear in playoffs?
What is up with that? $300.00 for a team that assumed their soccer season was over with no districts wins.
Am I missing something? Don't 3rd, 4th and 5th place teams wishing to make it into the playoffs have to submit their win-loss record along with a processing fee?
Did somebody submit this form without the coach knowledge??
Please help me understand this.
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Post by Mung on Feb 9, 2006 9:27:21 GMT -6
well, picture this: you make the playoffs, then get stuck w/ a huge travel distance; say Loyola(S'port) to Vandy(houma), W. Ouachita to St. Scholastica(Covington), McKinly(BR) to Neville(Monroe). The bus trip is going to cost you $600 to $1000, from soccer programs that make little or no money. I don't know where Country Day is, but CLA is in BR? Maybe they thought they'd be closer to home. I can say I was very surprised at the long travel distances, and will be you get a lot less #4&5 teams willing to goto the playoffs.
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Post by rivers2 on Feb 9, 2006 9:54:04 GMT -6
Dawgster poses a good question......did not someone submit the necessary paperwork to even give CLA the proper credentials to even participate in the playoffs?
Soccer playoffs are good for the sport but something is amiss when a team with no district wins is included. I realize that revenues are the name of the game but shouldn't some standard exist? When the NCAA expanded their basketball tournament to 64 teams you at least had to win your conference before a losing record would get you in and that still only included conferences with automatic bids to the conference winner either designated thru a conference tournament or a better win-loss record in the course of the season.
There should be a minimum criteria to advance to the tournament and a win in your conference should be one of them. I also believe that every consideration should be made to equalize travel distances. It always seems that those teams with a chance of winning never complain but to be a sacrificial lamb and have to travel 400 miles to do it can sometimes be too much.
Oh yeah, Mung, Country Day is in Metairie
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certacito
Bench Warmer
22 players, 2 goals and a ball. Life is good!
Posts: 21
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Post by certacito on Feb 9, 2006 10:42:59 GMT -6
I have heard that in alot of States you have to have a minimum .500 record to qualify. As for having to travel in play-offs, Why would you think you would'nt have to travel it's a State tournament!
Why should a strong area for soccer have to play each other while a weaker area have an easier time qualifying.
As it is right now there is too many strong programs having to play each other in the early rounds giving not so strong programs the opportunity to go further than maybe they should!
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Bench Warmer
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Post by on Feb 9, 2006 12:11:26 GMT -6
First of all....I didn't realize that the LHSAA will fine a team for not going to playoffs.....where does it say that in the rules?
Second of all.......blame the LHSAA for the playoff situation.
In Div III, last year 16 teams made playoffs. The LHSAA in their infinite wisdom doubled the number of teams making playoffs this year....32 teams. They also increased the number of districts....from 7 to 10. So this year there are two districts with only 2 teams in each district.
Now because of the hurricanes and probably other factors, it looks like there were only 34 teams in the whole state in Div III, so only 2 teams would not make playoffs. There are going to be teams with losing records and some with no district wins. It's possible the second place team in the two northern districts would have no district wins, but they get automatic bids to the playoffs. And it's possible they would play a wildcard that is ranked in the top 10.
The rules state that district records, Div III records and overall records be submitted to the LHSAA for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th place teams to be considered for wildcard selection (no processing fee). I suppose the key words are "to be considered". Also, based on the wording, everyone in Div III is eligible for playoffs since there are no districts with 6 teams. So, in our district, the district chairman (and I know this applies to other districts) submitted all the info, therefore CLA was granted a wildcard. Since they didn't have enough wildcards, everyone who submitted records made playoffs. Now, does this mean teams didn't want to be considered, or did they think they wouldn't make it anyways, or did other districts not furnish all info? Who knows?
Teams not going to first playoff games have been going on for years. I think there are too many teams (especially this year) in the playoff format. Then again, you could say just open it up to everyone.
So many of the coaches in soccer aren't faculty and there might be some misunderstandings about fines and such. The CLA coach didn't know there would be a fine, and possibly didn't find out until it was too late that there were other conflicts resulting in their not playing the playoff game.
It's not a perfect system, but nothing is. I think something needs to be done to make the playoffs better.....and better communication!
P.S. As far as travel distances go...the LHSAA did a pretty good job on the boys side in Div III, but really dropped the ball on the girls side......It doesn't look like they took a geography class!
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Post by ashfan on Feb 9, 2006 12:34:18 GMT -6
Division II, District 2, 4rh&5th place teams submitted their own information to LHSAA. That way teams could opt to be in playoffs or not. DeRidder (4th place) did and Pineville (5th place) did not.
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Post by bungee on Feb 9, 2006 13:14:19 GMT -6
There are some interesting points and questions above. And I have very few answers to them, but let me try to say something about the expanded format issue. A few years ago, 5 or 6, all the top Div. III teams were in the same district in New Orleans. And only 2 of those teams actually made the playoffs. In back to back years both Sacred Heart, N.O. , ranked first in the state the year they missed , and Country Day, ranked second or third the next year that they missed, did not advance to the playoffs because there were no wildcards. And so now they have too many teams in...some who legitimately should not be advancing. But without seeding, which would be practically impossible for this state to accomplish, what is the solution?
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Post by ashfan on Feb 9, 2006 14:25:56 GMT -6
What about 24 team bracket? Fourteen 1st and 2nd teams, ten others. Seven 1st and one lucky 2nd (done by drawing) get first round byes.
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Post by dawgster on Feb 9, 2006 15:03:15 GMT -6
I had stated earlier about a processing fee. I stand corrected. The processing fee was on last years form. I did not see the message to find the new form in another location. My bad  As for the fine, I just typed what was mentioned in the Advocate this morning. I am not sure where to look for that info on the LHSAA website. |
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Post by PumasFC on Feb 9, 2006 15:11:38 GMT -6
ashfan,
Don't get to logical, it only causes confusion.
As far as who does and does not make it ot the playoffs. That debates at every level. There will always be someone who is unhappy. St Joes by winding up in thrid place has to travel to Monore while 4th place get to visit Fountainebleau. Not sure the shorter drive is a good thing in this case.
Seems like a bus bill could easily wipe out a schools soccer teams entire budget for the year. Some schools I understand get little or no support from their schools, therefore have to depend on gate, and concessions to raise enough money to pay for referees, let alone travel.
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Post by Mung on Feb 9, 2006 15:58:10 GMT -6
Seems like a bus bill could easily wipe out a schools soccer teams entire budget for the year. Some schools I understand get little or no support from their schools, therefore have to depend on gate, and concessions to raise enough money to pay for referees, let alone travel. I think ASH girls used to get $1000 from the school, but a couple of years ago, parishwide budget cuts eliminated any money from the school for soccer and many other sports. They do turn on the lights for us at the stadium. ;D The budget is the gate, concessions and program ads, used to pay refs, unis/equipment, travel, and my all-district ball girl. So, a $600+ bus bill could kill a team, especially when you consider that the gate is 90% parents. So come get some $3 gumbo tonight to help defray our costs. In years past the longest first round trip was about 2 hours, which no one would gripe at. The current set up will have few WCs willing to qualify. |
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Post by PumasFC on Feb 9, 2006 18:50:10 GMT -6
Mung I think you have lots of company when it comes to how supportive the school is of the soccer program. Yes it is a strain on the schools budget so it requires creative ways (ala gumbo sales) to keep teams afloat. Good Luck in the playoffs. Hope you can haave another home game to avoid the travel cost.
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Post by looking4ward on Feb 10, 2006 23:29:58 GMT -6
OK....I have no idea what happened and why CLA didn't play. However, I do know that I would rather pay a $300 fine instead of paying for an unexpected(?) $600 +++ bus trip.
It's not fair to the kids (if they want to play and have not reported to other sports), but makes sense financially. Just an idea. Like I said, I don't know what happened...just something I thought of because of earlier posts regarding budgets and fund raising etc.
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