I wrote earlier about flipping sports seasons and I know it is a pretty radical idea. So here is a more realistic and practical idea… move boys tennis from the spring to the fall. This would mean keeping girls tennis in the spring.
Why boys and not girls:
• High percentage of girls’ tennis players who also play a fall sport (volleyball, soccer or cross country).
• Not rotating seasons (boys spring one year and fall the next) so that kids can know for sure what sports they can play every year in high school.
Why it would make things better:
• Tennis courts – Not enough courts to go around and this in essence doubles the amounts of courts available for high school tennis around the state.
• Coaches – Some schools have a really high turnover in tennis coaches. Many coaches would love to coach the boys and girls teams but that’s nearly impossible when they are in the same season. Some schools are lucky to have two great committed coaches, but that’s not the case everywhere.
• Weather – Sorry girls (you have to stay in the spring) but the fall is just so much drier in Oregon.
• Facilities – Same argument as the tennis courts.
What do you think? Let’s talk about it!
Winners from the 25th annual Bend Park Rec. District Spring Tennis Classic tournament.
Men’s Open Singles – Andres Chong, Redmond
Men’s Open Doubles – Daniel Brown, Powell Butte/Andres Chong, Redmond
Mixed Open Doubles – Douglas Nelson, Bend/Skyler Nelson, Bend
Full Results.
Sometimes you have to think outside the box. My friend Dan Munson, the director of athletics at Bend’s Summit high school recently shared with me an “outside of the box” idea for Oregon high school sports. Flipping the seasons!
This has been a brutal year for weather and prep sports in Oregon… as is every year. So what if you flipped Fall and Spring? Keep the winter sports the same but do a complete change to the Fall and Spring lineups.
CURRENT OSAA SPORTS LINEUP – and what it would mean for those sports.
Fall – Moved to spring.
• Football – This one may be tricky, or it may be awesome! Football has pretty standard dates throughout the USA. But what if this allowed Oregon prep football to become a featured sport? You can imagine a big Oregon HS football game being on ESPN when there isn’t any other football going on.
• Soccer – Can be played in either the spring or fall throughout the USA… no big deal.
• Volleyball – Played indoors, so bring on the bad weather.
• Cross County – Would make for some exciting, wet meets. Totally doable. Would effect the national championships, which are held in Oregon.
Winter – No changes.
• Basketball
• Wrestling
• Swimming
• Skiing
Spring – Moved to fall.
• Baseball – Way less rainouts! Doesn’t baseball season go all year anyway!? You’d have the excitement of the World Series during the high school season.
• Softball – So much warmer and nicer!
• Track – Much warmer track meets.
• Tennis – A no brainer! Oregon prep tennis would be much better in the fall.
• Golf – Another sport that would benefit big time!
It’s just an idea… what do you think?
Boys 10 Singles – Jonathan Wimberly, Bend
Boys 12 Singles – Quincy Guenther, Eugene
Boys 14 Singles – Liam Hall, Bend
Boys 16 Singles – David Stys, Coos Bay
Boys 18 Singles – Trevor Brown, Powell Butte (Crook County High School)
Girls 12 Singles – Sierra Winch, Sunriver
Girls 16 Singles – Catherine Brown, Powell Butte (Crook County High School)
Boys 16 Doubles – Chandler Oliveira/Ethan Young-Smith, Bend
The BPRD Spring Classic Junior Challenger kicks off the summer tennis season tomorrow in Bend. Sure it’s called the “spring” classic and sure it’s “winter” weather, but this still is the start of the summer tennis season.
I’m looking out the window right now and I see blue skies and snow… oh spring in Bend!!!
Spring sports are underway. It’s amazing how many Intermountain Conference teams placed in the top 10 of Class 5A State competitions last spring.
CHAMPIONS
Summit Girls Track
Summit Girls Golf
Summit Boys Tennis
Hermiston Girls Tennis
2ND PLACE
Hermiston Girls Track
3RD PLACE
Bend Girls Tennis
Summit Boys Golf
Pendleton Girls Track
4TH PLACE
Crook County Girls Golf
Summit Boys Track
6TH PLACE
The Dalles-Wahtonka Boys Golf
7TH PLACE
Summit Girls Tennis
Crook County Girls Track
Mountain View Boys Tennis
9TH PLACE
Mountain View Boys Track
Hermiston Boys Tennis
The Dalles-Wahtonka Boys Tennis
SEMIFINALS
The Dalles-Wahtonka Baseball
The Dalles-Wahtonka Softball
Pendleton Softball
QUARTERFINALS
Bend Baseball
I’ve been coach spring high school sports in Bend, Oregon for the past 10 years and today was the nicest first day of the season that I can remember. Sure it may snow later this week, it is Central Oregon after all, but today was amazing.
So how was your first day of practice?
