Principals agree with director in spirit of fair play

When 33 principals met in 1920 to frame a constitution and bylaws that gave birth to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA), they agreed that the membership would be open only to public schools and that the principals would be the lone legislators of the rules.

And, certainly, considering women’s sports in that equation was not part of the conversation at that time. Congress had just recently ratified the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.

Every principal in that room was a man. Subsequently, the talks centered on the sports of football, baseball, track and field and basketball.

It took nine years for the growing organization of principal-run schools to admit non-public schools to the LHSAA.

They’ve been sorry ever since, and throughout the next 94 years have made several attempts to stymie the success of their private, parochial and charter peers through stifling rules and definitions.

The most recent came in 2013 when the membership voted to hold separate playoffs for the large body of public schools and the much smaller body of non-publics in five varsity sports.

LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine took it upon himself to bring sanity to the association’s 10-year split of “select” and “non-select” championship sports by redefining which schools are defined as “select” and “non-select.” Bonine did that without a vote of the membership, which prompted a small group of principals from central and north Louisiana schools to go to court and obtain a preliminary injunction in August. That injunction required a vote of the entire membership to keep Bonine’s change of definition in place.

Bonine’s sin was not that he changed the definition of “select” and “non-select” schools – transferring several public (or “non-select” schools) to the “select” side in the spirit of fair play. In fact, by moving nearly half of the LHSAA’s 404 member schools to the other side of the brackets, Bonine created a more even and equitable playoff system.

In spite of his noble intention, however, Bonine committed a venial sin by taking on the task without allowing his 404 bosses to formally vote on the change.

A change for the better

But, how things have changed.

During a special meeting on Oct. 3 at the Baton Rouge Marriott, 68% of the LHSAA membership voted to maintain Bonine’s definition of “select” that was approved and adopted by the executive committee more than a year ago. Upholding the revamped definition required a simple majority of 50% plus one vote. To the delight of almmost everyone in the meeting room, the result was a deluge of “yes” votes.

The actual count of the ballots – placed in one of four boxes – was 259-126 in favor of the change.

The 103-year-old association is still a principals’ organization, and their approval via the vote is the only thing that counts. They saw to that at the initial meeting in 1920.

Apparently, more than two-thirds of the principals or their surrogates, which numbered 385, agreed it was time for change and bought a few months’ time for a viable plan to be discussed and adopted that would end the injunction that is still in place.

Representatives from every school in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and most other Catholic dioceses in Louisiana voted in favor of the definition, as did Chalmette. A large majority of voters representing Orleans and all Jefferson Parish schools that were moved to the select side because of open enrollment, cast “no” ballots.

A key factor in the overall vote that may lay the groundwork for change in the LHSAA is that a significant number of principals have less than three years of experience at their positions. Many of the hard-liners of past years have retired or moved on.

Another is that many of the designated surrogates who voted are athletic directors who understand the importance of fair play.

And, the vote of women principals and ADs, whose numbers rivaled their male counterparts, was also an integral part of the overwhelming outcome.

Consequently, there will be no change to the current playoff structure through the school year.

The select school playoffs will have four divisions of 24 teams each and four divisions of 28 teams in the non-select playoffs at the end of the current football season. In December, eight state champions (four on each side) will be crowned in the Caesars Superdome.

Boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball and softball brackets will continue to be filled with equal numbers.

It took a century, but finally, the LHSAA got it right … at least until January when the body of principals meets again at the annual convention. At that time, the question of the day will be, “Should the LHSAA go back to a playoff system that includes public and non-public schools, and ditch the nonsensical ‘select’ and ‘non-select’ labels?”

That further step forward is unlikely, but the current membership finally understands the spirit of fair play.

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