TMC ponders spring tournament format

The Tournament Management Committee agrees with the Board of Directors — a tournament should be held if a spring season were to take place.

What kind of postseason is where they have a difference of opinion.

The TMC met by conference call Thursday morning to act on the Board’s request to put together some sort of tournament format. Last week, the Board agreed to extend the season a week to June 27, giving everyone hope a traditional state tournament could take place.

The TMC didn’t share the same sentiment and addressed it right from the start. They were virtually unanimous in the belief that kids would be better served by having a 12-game schedule followed by a sectional tournament and no state tournament.

“You have more kids playing in more games this way,” said Lowell athletic director David Lezenski. “The kids just want to play, that’s the bottom line.”

Burlington Athletic Director Shaun Hart proposed a formula in which a sectional tournament could be run. He suggested the season run from May 11 to June 12 with a seedings meeting to take place June 13. Opening round play would commence on June 15 and run all the way to the final on June 27, a format which many of the committee members had no fault with.

“It was pretty clear from listening to the committee members that sectionals is the way to go,” said TMC chairman Jim O’Leary. “Just about everyone agrees the best way is to have a regular season schedule and a sectional tournament.”

The one dissenting voice came from Wellesley Athletic Director John Brown. Long before COVID-19 became a household term, Brown found out the hard way what it was like to win a sectional title and have the season end there. He was a standout outfielder on a loaded Natick team that won 21 games and the Division 1 South title, only to have the season concluded because of Proposition 2 ½.

“In 1982, we won the sectional title and I know we would have gone on to win a state title. It still bothers me to this day,” said Brown, who went on to play at Boston College. “You’re talking going only two more games to get to a state championship. We’re not doing anyone any favors if we don’t get a chance to finish it off if we have the opportunity to do so.”

One postseason tournament which will not take place this year is the Super 8 baseball tournament. All 16 members on the conference call were in agreement that it would not be held this year. Another event which won’t take place is the State Individual Tennis Tournament — the committee felt it made more sense to have them focus on a regular-season and tournament schedule to give the kids more opportunities to compete.

The TMC voted 16-0 to keep the qualifying standards in place for a sectional tournament. That means league champions and runner-ups, teams with a record of .500 or better and those who qualify by the Sullivan Rule would get in.

Track and field would have a June 15 cutoff, giving them two weeks to have a sectional and divisional meet. Golf would be discussed in further at the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, April 6.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2X53BSL