Some Talk, No Action for County CIF Section

CIF SOUTHERN SECTION

The California Interscholastic Federation has a most difficult task of keeping track of the state’s high school athletic programs. And that job--with a limited staff--often has come under scrutiny, particularly when a player is ruled ineligible or a coach starts winning with a transfer student. But most coaches, administrators, parents and students think the CIF is doing its job fairly. And because of that, the CIF probably won’t be changing any of its policies in the near future.

Although a proposed plan for an Orange County CIF section has been defeated by county principals twice in the past 10 years, many of the area’s athletic directors and administrators say they still support the idea.

Presently, the county’s 57 high schools are members of the Southern Section, a sprawling, 478-member organization that stretches from Mammoth to Calexico and from the Pacific Ocean to the Colorado River.

More than 212,000 students participate in 25 interscholastic sports; the Southern Section is larger than 41 states. The overwhelming number of schools and the section’s limited ability to deal with some controversial issues has raised the question of whether the county should have its own section.

The advantages of establishing a county section are obvious. Administrators would be able to address issues pertaining solely to county schools.

“I think Orange County is perhaps the most philosophically homogeneous area in the Southern Section, with a compatible group of principals and athletic directors,” said Dr. Dennis Evans, Corona del Mar High School principal. “By nature, I’m a maverick and I wouldn’t mind seeing us having our own section.”

Tom Danley, Katella athletic director, also favors a county section, but claims administrators have taken a passive, apathetic position on the issue.

“It’s not that the administrators don’t want to see this happen,” Danley said, “but most are satisfied with the management and operation of the Southern Section. Meanwhile, we’re losing money by not having an Orange County section.”

Danley thinks corporate sponsorship could fund the building, establishment and operation costs for a county office similar to the Artesia-based Southern Section office.

He points to established facilities, such as Anaheim Stadium and the Convention Center, and to proposed sites, such as UC Irvine’s events center and Cal State Fullerton’s football stadium, as facilities where playoff games could be scheduled.

He also said schools are paying 16 cents per student and sharing 50% of their playoff revenue with the Southern Section office; he wonders why county schools are satisfied with the present setup.

“I’m convinced that after five years, there would be no costs to member schools by establishing an Orange County section,” Danley said. “The money is here in the county, and our own section is a natural.”

Some don’t share Danley’s enthusiasm. They say the Southern Section is firmly established, cost efficient and well organized. Why leave a good organization?

“Right now, I’m for the status quo,” said Bill Boswell, Huntington Beach Union High School athletic director. “I don’t see any advantage in forming our own section.

“At one time, I felt very strongly about a county section while I was a football coach at Westminster. But since then, I’ve become an administrator, and I can see the costs involved in forming our own section.”

Dr. Robert Packer, assistant deputy superintendent for the Tustin Unified School District, said the cost factors and timing of the most recent proposal to form a county section is what ultimately spelled its defeat. Packer thought the first proposal, drafted in 1974, was unorganized.

“In 1979, there was a serious effort to look into the feasibility of forming an Orange County CIF section,” he said. “The principals decided that if we were going to proceed with the idea, we needed a two-thirds majority vote to show we were really serious.

“Proposition 13 had recently passed and everyone was budget conscious. We also couldn’t agree on what to do with Servite and Mater Dei. They didn’t want to join the public schools, and the public schools didn’t want them, either.”

Larry Arason, Santa Ana Unified School District athletic director, served on both committees to establish a county section. He said he’s not discouraged the plans were rejected before they could reach the Executive Council for a vote.

“I’ve always been in favor of a county CIF section,” he said. “I think people are satisfied with the Southern Section, but we all realize that the section is too big. It’s time to overhaul the entire state and its sections.”

There are currently 10 state sections, ranging from Oakland’s six schools to the Southern Section’s 478 schools. County committee members emulated the San Diego Section’s 69-school membership.

The San Diego Section, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has experienced economic problems since its inception in 1960. So, while the Southern Section’s large membership makes the decision-making process difficult at times, the costs are relatively low.

“We could make money with our own section,” Evans said, “but the start costs would be significant. Educators are basically conservative, and we’re talking about a pretty big plunge in forming our own section.”

Said Arason: “The initial costs of constructing the offices and hiring a staff would be heavy. You’re probably looking at a five-year loss. But I also think that once we got the ball rolling, the section would support itself.”

Packer echoed the voices of many colleagues by saying, “I think you’ll see another effort to form a county section again someday. If there is any area in the state that could do it, we could do it.

“But right now, there’s little dissatisfaction with the Southern Section. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Southern Section is the best managed in the state and they would dearly hate to lose its Orange County members.”