Now that Seattle School District principals are considering a move back to the Metro League, most Ballard coaches say the KingCo Conference offers better competition but the travel times are too long.

Ballard, Roosevelt, Garfield and Franklin could return to the Metro League in the fall of 2008 if the Seattle School District's high school principals vote for the change later this year.

Seattle principals have met several times this year to vote on the issue, but have not been able to reach a decision. Two-thirds of the principals must vote for moving 4A schools, Ballard, Roosevelt, Garfield and Franklin, back to Metro and must work out various issues related to a move.

The Beavers became a KingCo 4A school in 2002 when their enrollment topped 1,600 students. Roosevelt, Garfield and Franklin merged into the suburban league in 1997. The Seattle 4A schools have student populations of 1,400 to 1,600 students.

The Metro schools would be in different divisions. The 4A and 3A classifications are determined by enrollment figures.

Bainbridge, West Seattle, Ingraham and Nathan Hale average more than 1,000 kids and up to 1,300 are considered Metro 3A. The smallest Metro 3A schools, Chief Sealth (906), Cleveland (600) and Rainier Beach (457), are at a big disadvantage with fewer students to fill the athletic teams.

Metro's private 3A schools, Bishop Blanchet (1,078), Seattle Prep (683), Holy Names (645), Lakeside (518), Eastside Catholic (504) and O'Dea (480), have small student populations. O'Dea is traditionally a power in football and basketball. Seattle Prep has had recent success in basketball.

Some schools do not have enough student athletes to field a full range of sports programs. Smaller schools may only be able to field varsity teams. Ballard has freshman and junior varsity teams in most sports and will have fewer teams to play against in Metro.

Ballard Principal Phil Brockman said it would be nice to go back to Metro. Many athletes know each other from competing in city club teams, little leagues and youth sports, he said.

If Ballard and the other three 4A schools go back to Metro, they will retain their 4A classification, which becomes a factor come playoff time.

The playoff structure will be different. The Metro 4A schools will be in a 4A bracket leading to district and state, while the Metro 3A schools will be in the 3A bracket.

This could make it more difficult for the Beavers if they play their regular season against 3A schools then face unfamiliar 4A schools they are not used to playing in the post season.

Making things more equal with the smaller enrollment 3A schools is an issue principals must deal with, said Brockman.

Ballard softball coach Al Lowe said under the proposal, the four Seattle 4A teams would play each other twice during the season and play the 3A teams once.

Transportation/class time

The school district is concerned about the rising costs of transportation. The road trips, often in rush hour traffic to the Eastside schools, are long and can rack up 50 miles or more.

"I have so much trouble with transportation of the kids," said Bruce Drager, coach of the track and field, cross-country teams. "It's been a real problem getting kids to meets, it has been a real battle. We have been late to meets."

Loss of class time is the other big issue. This year the district started classes later at 8:20 a.m. and school was out later at 2:50 p.m. In past years, school was out at 2:15 p.m.

In order to make start times for games on the Eastside, players would leave class early to board yellow school buses.

Opponents have waited for the late arriving Beaver girls golf team at upscale golf courses with strict tee times.

Gymnastics coach Stephanie Gundel said one of the positives of moving to Metro would be less commuting which she describes as not much fun.

"Transportation is a big issue for us," said Lowe. "The kids miss a lot of sixth period. Traveling to the Eastside we lose so much class time and get there late."

Sometimes, instead of going to practice, softball players use that time for make up tests or tutoring sessions they skipped to go on the road with their team.

The school is monitoring the sixth period situation for athletes.

"For the most part it worked out," said Brockman. "We keep an eye on it so academics don't suffer."

Competition

Overall, the Seattle 4A schools found the transition to the KingCo Conference more difficult as they went up against well-funded Eastside teams, with better facilities and extensive youth sports programs to develop talent for the high schools.

A case in point was a softball game this spring.

Woodinville beat Franklin in softball by the lopsided score of 64-0, causing the KingCo Conference to call an emergency meeting of coaches to discuss rules and sportsmanship issues.

Franklin had an inexperienced team of players new to the sport. Woodinville's roster was full of players who had played in youth leagues since they were young and were highly skilled.

The Ballard Beaver football had a magical 4A debut in 2002. They had four division one college recruits in Keantea Bankhead, Cole Morgan, J.T. Diederichs and Tyler Ashby who lead them a second place finish in the state 4A football championship game. All four graduated that season.

Since that title game year the football team has not done as well in KingCo. Eastside teams have large youth football programs that develop talent for KingCo teams, while some Seattle freshman are playing the game for the first time.

Beaver football coach Alex Barashkoff sees some positives in moving back to Metro.

"It will cut down on travel costs and bring back some local rivalries," he said.

The stiff competition from schools like Redmond, Woodinville, Inglemoor and top 4A school Bothell in football would be replaced by private schools like Lakeside and O'Dea, which offered Ballard a big challenge in the past.

Other Ballard sports like girls basketball, boys and girls swimming, volleyball, track and field, baseball, softball and gymnastics have all had some success in KingCo in recent years, but perhaps not as much success as coaches would have liked.

While some teams have made the KingCo playoffs, they have not advanced far. In general, Eastside schools have won most contests.

Gundel said not all Metro schools have gymnastics programs and those that do have less equipment compared to the wealthier Eastside schools.

Moving to Metro would make Ballard more competitive but staying in KingCo with the high level of gymnastics the Beavers face, makes the team better, said Gundel.

Last year Johanna Juarez was the second best gymnast statewide on the beam. While the rest of her teammates are not quite as good, they are getting there.

"As a team, we are rising to that level," said Gundel.

In girl's basketball, head coach Karen Blair says her team has developed rivalries with some Eastside schools. The team made the playoffs last year and beat the mighty Redmond Mustangs for the first time since joining KingCo.

"Those schools are tougher. We try to play as tough a competition as we can. If you have a tougher regular season, the kids have to focus and be ready to play every game," said Blair.

Billy Rodgers, coach of the boy's basketball team, said he can go with KingCo or Metro.

"Either way you have a challenge. I'm not sure how much easier (Metro) is," said Rodgers, referring successful basketball programs, O'Dea, Seattle Prep and Rainier Beach.

"KingCo is a great conference and teams with a lot of energy in the gyms. You have big high schools in KingCo, that makes it more competitive," said Rodgers.

If the recently concluded school year is any indication Ballard sports are catching up. The school has produced three "Coaches of the Year" in the 2006-2007 season. They include; Val Seid, girls soccer; Stan Geddes, girls golf; and Kevin Miller, baseball.

The baseball team made the KingCo playoffs for the first time since joining the league. They were the first Seattle school to qualify for the postseason in baseball since the four city teams joined 4A.

Beaver girl golfers made great progress this year, finishing a surprising third in KingCo. They often competed against Eastside girls who belonged to country clubs and private courses with access to golf professionals and parents who play the game.

"The better the competition, the better you have to be. We learn from competing with the top Eastside teams. It motivates you," said Geddes.

In girl's soccer, the Beavers made the KingCo playoffs for the first time in the fall.

"The in-city rivalry is a good idea," said Seid. While the private schools could be tough in soccer, some schools in Metro are not as strong.

"The competition could be easier. There is false success with easier competition," said Seid.

Miller said across the board, the talent is better in KingCo baseball. "There is more consistency in the teams you play. They are better in 4A," he said.

Swimming will be the hardest hit of all the sports if they return to Metro.

Right now the boys and girls field separate teams. The boys swim in the fall and the girls in the winter with diving added to their routines as a KingCo requirement.

The Ballard swim teams, in particular the boys, have come on strong in diving. In 3A there is no diving. "It definitely would be difficult, it means lost points. It's another disadvantage," said girl's Coach Carlos Palacian.

If they were to go back to Metro, the boys and girls would be a combined 4A team during winter quarter. They would have one meet a week. Currently in KingCo, they have two meets a week.

Last year Palacian had 60 girls on his team and a no-cut policy.

With a combined team that can't accommodate that many girl and boy swimmers, the team would have to cut people to make the roster more manageable or move to a larger pool.

An unusual rule in Metro will also affect Ballard negatively.

District and state swimming meets for the girls are held in the fall, before Metro's winter swimming season. The Beaver girls would start working out earlier than the boys and will be given a three and a half week pre-season to get ready for the fall playoff meets. Then the girls join the boys for a regular season that starts after their playoffs are over.

Under such a system, Ballard's top girl swimmers could qualify for the post season meets, but there would not be enough time for the slower girls to work up to district and state qualifying times.

"We would have to be extremely good at the start, before the season starts," said Palacian.

Palacian knows the Metro league better than most coaches. He is also the girl's swimming coach at Seattle Prep and won the state title three years ago, while being named Coach of the Year. At Seattle Prep, his team competed for district and state without the benefit of first having a regular season and was able to win the state championship because he had a "team of a lifetime," Palacian said.

Most Ballard sports programs have made progress since joining KingCo and are no longer pushovers for their suburban rivals.

"I'd rather play tough teams. I enjoy 4A. It makes you a better team," said Lowe.

"Ballard has made progress in 4A. We are at the point that we can compete" said Seid. He doubles as an assistant with the boy's soccer program and saw that team's improvement this year, coming within one win of making the playoffs.

Drager says his teams could do better in Metro, but he would prefer to stay in KingCo, a more competitive league.

Geddes said his golfers learn from playing against the top Eastside teams.

"It motivates you," he said.

Dean Wong may be reached at 783.1244 or deanw@robinsonnews.com