Advertisement

This week it became 100 percent assured that high school sports seasons will be rearranged. A lawsuit lasting almost a decade came to an end Monday, the verdict being that high schools have to move several sports seasons, including girls basketball and volleyball -- the two focal points of the lawsuit.

The suit contends Michigan high schools have been negligent toward female athletes by not having their seasons align with college schedules. It's a process that started in 1998 and finally came to a conclusion Monday, and it's a decision for which the Elk Rapids Public Schools athletic director has been preparing.

Under the new guidelines, girls basketball will play in the winter, with the boys. Volleyball will be moved to fall with other sports, including boys golf, also being changed. In previous seasons, and including the schedule for 2007-08, Elk Rapids has been prepared in case that judgment came at any time.

"We've done our homework when it comes to scheduling," Standerfer said. "Two sets of schedules have been made up. Basically we had two notebooks.

"By no means are we done, but we have a good start on it."

The bulk of the work left to be done with schedules revolves around nonconference play.

Boys and girls basketball will share the gym during the winter, and high schools were not required by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to follow any particular scheduling plan for girls basketball regarding what combination of nights the girls and boys would play.

The Lake Michigan Conference voted to split the season into halves, with boys playing on Tuesdays and Thursdays and girls games on Wednesdays and Fridays. After 10 games, or the halfway point of the season, that will reverse. All games on those nights will be doubleheaders, as freshman basketball most likely will play on Mondays because scheduling practices for both teams demands much of the court time.

"We need to let a practice in right away after school on Monday and get it done for the freshman to start at 6," he said. "We will play both boys and girls."

Standerfer said support from the coaches and maintenance staff at Elk Rapids is going to be essential for the early stages of the new schedule. With the gym demands and sanitation requirements to keep the basketball court up to par five days per week, both parties will need to chip in.

"We're fortunate to have coaches that are devoted to coaching and outstanding custodians," Standerfer said. "I don't see a big issue with either one right now. But everybody is going to need to have patience. There may be bumps in the road."

One of those bumps is more like a bunker for the boys golf team.

Moving to the spring season, now the boys golf teams not only will have to abandon many 18-hole games due to scheduling conflicts in playing during a season with more activity at local courses.

"It was easier in fall to get on the courses, and now we'll be competing with a lot of people that want to get out on the course early in the season," Standerfer said. "And with school, we will have to do all nine-hole matches during the week and wait for Saturdays to hold 18-hole events."

He added that 18-hole matches are essential because they are the format the MHSAA uses in its post-season tournaments.

"It isn't the format for the state or regional," Standerfer said. "And on Saturdays, a lot of golf courses won't want to give a bunch of high school teams their course."