GHSA vote for radical reclassification change is postponed

Macon -- The Georgia High School Association finally found a way to satisfy the majority on the controversial issue of reclassification at Monday's meeting.

They decided to delay a vote for another month or two.

The chairman of the Reclassification Committee, Earl Etheridge, read a few sentences about the "4/8 plan" which had been narrowly approved for proposal the day before. Another GHSA member motioned to table or delay the vote and it was quickly approved by the 50-person Executive Committee.

"I think, among the 50 members, there were some people who liked the ‘4/8 plan,' there were some people that didn't like it, and there were some people who didn't know enough to vote wisely," said Ralph Swearngin, the GSHA's Executive Director.

Ironically, delaying the vote on the "4/8 plan" was a minor victory for supporters of the radical plan, which consists of reducing the state's five classifications to four, and then have two state championships per class for each sport. If the "4/8 plan" would've gone to vote on Monday, it would've likely been denied because of a lack of information and details.

"I think with the limited amount of knowledge that some people had about it, tabling was the best thing to do," Etheridge said. "We've got to do a better job of educating people about it.

"We've got to sit down and talk to people that live in the North part of the state as well as the South and put together something that both of us can live with. If the ‘4/8 plan' is not possible, then let's go to something that is better for everybody."

What's next? The Reclassification Committee will have discussions and then send packets of detailed information to all the of the state's region representatives. It will likely be voted upon in a special GHSA meeting in late April or May that has yet to be scheduled.

With the delay of the reclassification vote, Monday's meeting was much shorter than anticipated. The most important rule changes and clarifications had to do with recruiting and undue influence.

Under the new bylaws, it is a recruiting violation for a booster, along with a coach or school employee, to initiate contact with a student-athlete. A booster was defined as a "member of school's Booster club, alumni, parent, guardian, relative of student or former student, financial donor, or a donor of time and effort."

With reclassification, many of the Atlanta area's athletic directors endorsed the motion to table the "4/8 plan."

"I support it," Buford's Dexter Wood said. "I sat in the Reclassification Committee meeting for an hour and a half on Sunday, and I don't know if it ended with much consensus. It seems like here are too many cloudy issues and too many questions.

"So I think the best thing was to table it, let them get it nailed down a little more, and then get the details out there for everybody to look at it."

Norcross High's Kirk Barton said, "This was the right thing to do at this point. I do not like it because there are too many open questions … this may be the best option, but it shouldn't be passed until there are solid answers to all of the questions."

Roswell's John Coen wasn't surprised with Monday's outcome. "Having spoken with several athletic directors and numerous coaches, I do not see support for this proposal. I believe it is confusing and minimizes the accomplishment of achieving a state championship."

North Clayton's Martisse Troup is a strong proponent of the "4/8 plan" and was fine with the delay so others could understand it better. "I think it was the right thing to do at this point.

"I like it and I support it. I think it is the right thing because of the current state of the economy. This will enable the GHSA to generate more revenue … it can also develop more rivalries and also give teams more opportunities to win a state championship."