Sunday, December 24, 2000
High School Insider
State swim meet may lose luster
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Ohio state swimming meet may become a second-class event in the near future.
A recent decision by the Board of Control, the governing arm of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, will force most of the best swimmers to make a difficult decision.
These athletes will have to decide if it's more beneficial to swim for the high school team or a private club team, such as ones that exist at the YMCA.
At the OHSAA's summer meeting, the Board of Control voted to include swimming, golf, tennis, wrestling and gymnastics under a bylaw that reads:
Any coach, paid or unpaid, approved by the Board of Education in the school year just completed, may have contact in an instructional program as director or employee with players from the school where employed for a period not to exceed 10 days from June 1 to July 31.
The summer is when many club swimmers, such as those for the Cincinnati Marlins, are noticed at national and international meets. And the strength of Cincinnati swimming can be traced to such private clubs and YMCA programs.
The problem: Many of the coaches at the private clubs also coach at high schools.
Among those are Ed Bachman (Anderson Barracudas, Anderson High), Jay Frentsos (Fairfield YMCA, Fairfield), Gary Tameris (Milford Swim Club, Milford) and Mark Sullivan (Sycamore Flying Fish, Sycamore).
These coaches rely on the added salary and benefits afforded by the school systems.
“This means I must give up the Fairfield job,” Frentsos said. “The benefits and income from coaching at Fairfield are important to me and my family. I don't think the OHSAA has a right to say where I can work outside the high school.”
Seven coaches were asked about the enforcement of the 10-day coaching rule, and all agreed that many of the top swimmers will skip high school competition and remain with the club teams.
Although St. Xavier and Ursuline won't be affected, Gates Mills Hawken, Sycamore, Fairfield, Anderson and Milford's programs could suffer.
The Ohio High School Swimming Coaches Association has hired Brad Frick, an attorney who has won other lawsuits against the OHSAA in recent years.
More than $10,000 has been raised by the coaches to sustain a lawsuit against the OHSAA. The goal is $25,000, and the lawsuit could be filed as early as January.
Dale Creamer, vice president of the Board of Control, is concerned about the movement.
“We plan to have further discussions on the matter,” Creamer said. “It's a tough one, because Southwest Ohio is a power base for swimming, which isn't a concern in other areas of the state.”
Creamer said he will prefer to work within the OHSAA rather than in court.
“The other members of the Board of Control will listen and understand the problem,” Creamer said. “I'm not going to say we'll change, but there will be discussions.”
St. Xavier will go after a record 23rd state boys championship in February. Its strongest competition is expected from Shaker Heights, Toledo St. Francis and Cleveland St.Ignatius.
If the restriction is upheld, winning a state championship will mean little or nothing if the competition is weak because most of the top swimmers aren't participating.
STATS REMINDER: The Enquirer will accept girls and boys basketball statistics and nominations for Performers of the Week beginning Jan.7.
Wrestling and swimming honor roll nominations will resume Jan.7.
RAWLINGS A WINNER: Ever wonder who benefits when the OHSAA signs a contract to endorse a brand of ball for playoff games?
At the December Board of Control meeting, a contract was renewed with Rawlings to use basketballs for all tournament games through the 2001-2002 season.
“Most of the money is given to the Ohio Basketball Coaches Association to be used for scholarships,” Creamer said.
SOFTBALL EXPANDS: A fourth division will be added in softball this season as 755 schools will field teams, up 52 since the 1998-99 season.
As a result, the state tournament, played annually at Brookside Park in Ashland, also has been expanded from two to three days (Thursday-Saturday.)
“We decided to keep the tournament in Ashland based on a recommendation from the Softball Coaches Association,” Creamer said. “They seem to like it at that site.”
Hidden off a back road on the West side of Ashland, Brookside Park has inadequate seating and is fan unfriendly when it comes to parking and watching the games.
A good alternative would be Ohio State University and Pickerington High School, both with new facilities that have adequate seating and parking.
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High School Insider
