Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is condemning the decision making within the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).
AHSAA’s choice last week to split up private and public schools for championship competition is just the latest move by the organization that has sparked outrage by parents and officials.
Ainsworth directly called out association leadership over the issue.
“Alabama High School Athletic Association President Heath Harmon and his board announced a new classification system last week that was obviously not properly thought out, and immediately upon reading the proposal, words like ‘unfair,’ ‘unsportsmanlike,’ ‘punitive,’ and ‘mean-spirited’ came to my mind,” Ainsworth wrote on Facebook.
This is just the latest controversy involving AHSAA. The board has received renewed attention after the association treated CHOOSE Act funds as “financial aid,” meaning a transfer student using those dollars would trigger the association’s longstanding policy that transfer athletes receiving financial assistance must sit out one year before competing.
“It opens a never-ending maze of issues and problems, and my phone, texts, and emails have been flooded with messages of concern from coaches, school administrators, and parents in both public schools and private schools alike,” Ainsworth continued.
“Alabama will soon be one of only eight states in the nation that does not allow public and private schools to compete against each other. I join countless others across the state in hopes that the AHSAA will reconsider its decision and adopt a plan that serves the interests of every school across the state, and not just the hand-picked few.”
Lawmakers in Montgomery are considering a move to completely reform the association. State Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) introduced a bill early in the session that would effectively overhaul the structure of the organization.
“And so we dropped the bill in hopes of having a conversation,” Chesteen said, “man did we after I dropped the bill last Tuesday’s first day of session. I spent the entire last Friday on the phone with coaches, with superintendents, with private school members.”
Ainsworth believes the latest acts by the AHSAA just causes more problems for student athletes.
“My point is that I have experienced both public and private schools as a student and as a parent, and I have a longstanding interest in youth sports and athletic competition, so the concerns I have about the AHSAA’s actions are well-informed and deeply felt… Losing 60 private school teams in the playoff regions creates unintended consequences and raises a hint of chaos.”
“The AHSAA’s imperious plan also results in the loss of gate revenues due to long road commutes, the abolishing of historic football rivalries, and other serious issues,” he added. “The loss of gate revenues is especially crucial in small towns and counties that desperately need the money to fund their programs.”
Ainsworth said he hopes the AHSAA will reconsider the decision for the sake of fair competition in student athletics.
“My simple goal is to make sure that all student athletes have the same opportunity to compete in fair and balanced manner that ensures the best team wins,” he said.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
