Wallkill Valley community rejects combined team
HAMBURG — More than 20 members of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School public expressed concerns over the proposed establishment of a combined indoor track team with High Point Regional High School and convinced the board to not approve the program
After coming off an impressive cross country season, athletes would have found themselves making nice with their rivals.
The cooperative rogram, which is recognized by the NJSIAA, would have begun practice on Monday, Dec. 1, and continued until June 30, 2016. However, members of the public convinced board members on Tuesday night to rethink approving the program.
“For the 28 years as an employee here at Wallkill and 24 years of coaching various sports," Wallkill Valley indoor coach Sabrina Lucas said. She also coaches fall cross country and spring track. "I want to provide what is best for the student athletes. Cooperating indoor programs are not good for our very own Wallkill athletes. You will be participating in removing athletes from competition; each meet has a limited entry. High Point athletes will be learning the Wallkill way, and come winter, they will be competing against us."
Lucas said Wallkill does not need to cooperate with another indoor track team, since Wallkill has enough athletes to sustain its own team. Currently, Lucas said she has 30 students on her roster and expects more after basketball cuts.
Equipped with power point printouts and pre-written letters, cross country and indoor track athletes came out to explain how the co-op would hinder their ability to get into a great college.
“Why would we want our competitors to know our recipe to success?” asked Wallkill indoor track member, Nick Hoyle.
With an undefeated cross country season, the Rangers are not quick to share their wealth of knowledge with another school, since it takes the competition out of the sport. Knowing first hand is Craig Corti, who placed first in the state meet and fourth at the Meet of Champions.
“If my direct competitors are my teammates, I will no longer feel comfortable at practice because my time and effort will be spent protecting my training regime from him. I will, ultimately, feel stress and pressure for the entire season."
Parent Francis Koch expressed his concerns.
“Why would we want some of our students to have to be on the sideline when they can be there for us? The ability to compete builds confidence; it builds success," he said. "I truly believe you should consider, gravely, if you want to do this. There is no reason. This only hurts our students."
However, Wallkill Athletic Director, Daryll Jones, explained why he felt Wallkill could benefit from the co-op program.
“We help each other out and have a great working relationship with each other," Jone said. "I know that (High Point) trains hard and they can learn some stuff from us and we can learn some things from them. I understand their concerns, but I just see things in a different light."
After a discussion by the board the school board let the motion dissolve. So on Dec. 1, Wallkill had its first practice without High Point.
“There is literally not one reason why we need to co-op with High Point. We are not gaining from it,” said school board member Ron Neal said.
Currently, Wallkill has a co-op program with High Point in ice hockey and Skiing. However, this would be the only co-op in the state for indoor track for the years 2014-16, according the NJSIAA website. In order to be eligible for a co-op, both schools must demonstrate a decline in interest or participation in the sport and must not be formed to enhance the competitive advantage of a member school or the reduction of opportunities of students to participate in a particular sport, according the NJSIAA Bylaws.
The indoor track team at Wallkill has been running, competitively, for 6 years.