Some people have difficulty letting go of things that were an important part of their young life.
When it comes to the debate throughout Indiana regarding class basketball and those who continue to howl for a return to a single class tournament, I offer the following sentiment; please, give it a break.
The outcry to return to yesteryear surfaced again recently by virtue of a state legislator with apparently nothing better to do in terms of serving his constituents, but was handily turned back by the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), which remains steadfast in its collective belief that multiple classes for Indiana high school basketball serve the student athletes (remember them?) much better.
Sure, I can understand the tradition and the glory that is now in the rear view mirror for so many of the alleged purists, but I can also easily point to the increased number of young people who now compete on a more level playing field as well as those who have tasted the tears of joy that accompany a championship, one that would not have been possible under the old, and in my opinion, antiquated tournament format.
Before you attempt to bash me over the head with the story of the little engine that could, otherwise known as Milan High School, please let me point out that they were an aberration. That team returned a number of lettermen from the previous season and was certainly not a sacrificial lamb waiting for slaughter. Yes, they were from a extremely small community, but the reality is there were simply a number of talented players residing in the same zip code at the same time.
Yet many of those from that era continue to sing the praises of what simply could not happen in the modern era; true competition between vastly different sized enrollments. As a result, the traditionalists feel cheated and robbed of the potential opportunity to turn back the clock to witness what they would certainly call a miracle upset by a small town group of young men or women against the “bullies” of a larger school corporation.
They also love to point to the movie “Hoosiers,” which is not even close to what the Milan team was all about. (Milan had no one nearly as talented as the mythical Jimmy Chitwood).
While some of my fondest memories as a child include my Pop taking me to Hinkle Fieldhouse to see George McGinnis run roughshod through any and all opposition in the state during the tourney, I firmly believe the system employed currently serves a larger number of young people better than a single class tournament. Giving those who compete a chance to battle it out against reasonable odds simply provides better basketball and the positive experience for those involved is unparallelled.
So before you sit down to send me an email that says I am crazy (for the record, many have), give some thought to your son or perhaps your granddaughter lacing up their Air Jordans against an opponent that is similar to a large degree, and what it might mean for one of those you love to play at a high level, and maybe even cut down the nets in a championship game. I can assure you they too have envisioned it more than just once.
Danny Bridges, who actually played on a basketball team in a small community but still favors the current system, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
