Comments on: The Oakland Athletic League’s future

By: LeRoy

LeRoy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:06:42 +0000

I really love the competition within the OAL, as an alumi, i would love to see the OAL expand to some of the other high Schools in Oakland, O’Dowd, St elizabeth, to name a few. It would only make Oakland athletics better, and draw more scouts to our city, which would give our children a greater chance for scholarships. However, we as a community need to support our children, and raise money to support athletics in our city, maybe a 1 cent tax on consumer goods, which would offset transportation, equipment, and facility cost. this would bring our athletics to a whole different level. And attract more athletes, and coaches to our area. Just a thought.

By: Jimmy Durkin

Jimmy Durkin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:53:30 +0000

Fancy Nancy,
The OAL could not become a part of NCS and still be the OAL. If the OAL schools joined NCS, initially (the first year or so) they would be members of NCS and probably still compete as the OAL. But the NCS does regular realignment and after the first realignment, there would be a breakup of the league because of the varying sizes of the schools. McClymonds, which won the Division I (largest) state basketball championship last year would be a Division IV school (and maybe eventually Division V) and would be placed in a league with smaller schools. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say their new competition could be teams such as Head-Royce and College Prep, especially if their enrollment keeps dwindling. No disrespect to those schools, but even they would admit to not being in the same class as McClymonds.

Also, there’s really no way to still have autonomy as members of the NCS. The autonomy is based on being its own section and I don’t see NCS providing any special leniency to the OAL schools. The only way Oakland could develop more of a relationship with NCS without losing its sense of history and its autonomy would be to look to schedule more non-league games and tournaments with NCS schools. One of the arguments for joining NCS is to allow Oakland student-athletes to gain a broader experience, so that’s one way it could be done without overcommitting Oakland. One thing that would help would be for Oakland to switch its soccer season from boys in the fall and girls in the spring to having both in winter, just like NCS and most sections in the state do. That’s one sport where the teams are really limited in their competition, so aligning its season along with NCS would help.

You can check out my thoughts on the talk at our high school sports blog Prep Corner.

Jimmy Durkin
Oakland Tribune local sports

By: Jim Mordecai

Jim Mordecai — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:13:45 +0000

I agree with Commissioner Moore that OAL should remain its own section.

It would be like shooting itself in the foot for the OAL to include charter schools. Charter schools are authorized by Oakland Unified School District but once authorized each charter school is a separate individual corporation that is in competition with its authorizing agency for students and the funding called ADA or average daily attendance state dollars that follows the student from OUSD to charter schools. Being a part of the established OAL will increase the attraction of charter schools. Why would OUSD want to take an action that would interest more students in leaving a district with declining enrollment and a budget under stress?

In a 6 to 1 vote the Board voted against putting Jack O’Connell’s parcel tax on the November ballot but the State Administrator over ruled that vote by making a motion to put the parcel tax on the ballot and seconding his motion and passing his motion.

My understanding is that whatever the decision tomorrow by the OAL commission the elected Board will have the final decision. I only hope the Board does not support charter schools being a part of the league.

Jim Mordecai

By: John

John — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:01:17 +0000

Sue! Great comment! I think I’m in love.

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:49:39 +0000

(With tongue in cheek!)

All OUSD Math Olympics resources and participants should go to OAL. Because math-geeks are all couch potatoes who are part of the American obesity epidemic and need to get off their lazy behinds and learn to move their bodies before they die of heart disease in their 30′s wasting all that time and money that went to their selfish, self-agrandizing, brain-celebrations.

By: John

John — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:03:25 +0000

OAL resources and participants should go to the OUSD Math Olympics.

By: Fancy Nancy

Fancy Nancy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:37:50 +0000

The OAL should choose the solution that both gives the OAL as much autonomy as possible but also be able to participate with the NCS of CIS. If more resources are needed for this, then make a plan on how to fund those opportunities. If they want to keep the tradition in Oakland, maybe creating a OAL trust or foundation is a possibility to ensure OAL can still compete in the NCS of CIS.