conference realignment

To Whom it may concern:

Please please realign conferences this year with a similar # of teams. Not 4,7,5,6.

If I was doing it I would put Lumsden and Kindersley in the Southwest. The conferences would be as follows: 5 teams in the Northwest, 5 in the Southwest, 6 in the Northeast and 6 in the South East).... this makes sense as Lumsden use to be in the Southwest and Kindersley is fairly close to the Southwest also.

By changing Kindersley's conference from the Northwest to Southwest, our travel costs would automatically double, and would put our program in jeopardy. I had this argument with SHSAA 2 years ago. This exact situation killed this team in 1990. Traveling an hour to Unity and 1 1/2 hours to Delisle is a heck of a difference to traveling 3 1/2- 4 1/2 hours, at minimum, to play ALL of our away games. I also fight with our division for Friday travel days as it is and I can just hear what they will say if I want to take students out for lengthy travel days. Before you go off on conference numbers, carefully consider the bigger picture.

Well somebody needs to move and you are the closest. Maybe you could play your games on Saturdays if your school division is giving you trouble about Friday games. I know it probably sucks for you but I don't really see any solution to the problem of unbalances conferences.

The problem that I see with Realignment is what Coach Al has brought up, and that is geography. Unfortunately there are no other centers that are close enough to the Southwest to have it make financial or school sense for them to move to that conference. Lumsden would be in the same boat as Kindersley. There travel and time away from school would be huge to play all of their away games. These games for teams coming in would be day trips, not just an afternoon. This means increased travel costs and sub costs (an afternoon can usually be covered internally, but all day is very tough to do).

This situation is not like Meadow Lake or Swan or Nipawin were they are already playing in the closest conference so they only have 2 choices, travel or not play. There are 3 teams there so any one coming in would have to travel a great distance to play them when there are closer options for league play.

The only thing that I can see to help out the Southwest, lets face it this is the one that is affected the most, is to have some sort of interlocking schedule with another league at a neutral site. I am not sure how this would work or if it even could work (the season in our league already starts before Labour Day and our playoffs are the week before provincials start). To make the games meaningful as well they would have to count in both teams standings in their league.

It will be interesting to see though what comes up in the General meeting about this.

Any idea of teams that will be moving down to 6-man like Canora did last year.....or moving up to 12-man. Is there any teams starting a new program like Kamsack did last season. Are teams folding or coming back because of numbers. This will play a big part to conference alignment. Just curious to know if all teams are staying in 9-man. Let me know of any rumblings.

I have heard some serious rumblings about Indian Head starting a 9 man team for the coming season. I heard some kids from Indian Head talking about it at our division carear fair.

I have been told by fairly reliable sources the the Catholic school in North Battleford will be entering a team into the Northwest ( Man football league. I have also heard some talk about Kindersley being moved to the Southwest now that NB is moving in. Not sure if this is true-has anyone else heard anythign about that?

I have heard Clavet is also moving up from 6 man. Not sure which league they will go in NorthWest as it is close to Saskatoon or NorthEast. Looks like there could be lots of changes.

All of these possible additions will actually make realignment easier, I think any way. You can now move a group of teams around rather then just one. This would maybe cut down on travel depending on how they do the leagues.

The SHSAA has a lot of thinking and moving to do......maybe they can have an East/West division with the East being Lumsden,Fort,Indian Head and the west stays as is to make up that conference. I know that the NW conference did something similar with their schedule last season with a saskatoon/rural split to cut down on travel.

Maybe Kindersley and Delisle can move to the SW and the new NW can have Clavet,Martensville,Warman and the rural will be Unity, North Battleford, Meadow Lake. Lots of options now for SHSAA IF these teams are coming into 9 man. When will they know as schedules should be getting made soon.

I know for a fact that Moosomin has made a high school team for the fall, but won't be ready until next year. They are also thinking of joining either the 9 man Sask SHSAA League, or else go with the Manitoba league because they are so close to Manitoba.