More input on NCC invitation

To the editor:
As Jay County High School athletic alumni it has been brought to our attention that recently Jay County High School was invited to join the North Central Conference (NCC) for athletics. Between the two of us we have coached high school baseball, basketball, and swimming in highly completive conferences. Therefore, it was very disconcerting that the School Board did not take a vote on the NCC invitation at their last meeting. Furthermore, we would encourage the School Board members to vote in favor of joining the NCC, while considering the following:
1. Improving the Student-Athlete Experience: Competing as a member of a conference provides the student-athlete with a higher level of competitiveness as well as opportunities for athletic and academic recognition from the conference. Conference Championships (individual or team) mean something, not only the athlete but to the school as a whole. Competing in a conference helps build pride in school athletics! Something JCHS could use a little more of! For us, competing in the Olympic Athletic Conference (OAC) was something that we always looked forward to, enjoyed and never took for granted.
2. Promoting College Recruiting: As a member of the NCC, student-athletes for JCHS will have more opportunities to perform in front of college coaches. This can mean a lot for the student-athlete and help them reach their dream of competing at the college level, something both of us were able to do thanks in part to conference competition. The NCC provides a wide array of talented athletes that will be future prospects for many colleges. This provides JCHS student-athletes opportunities to play in front of recruiters from across the country. High profile conference events like the NCC tournaments, meets and matches are precisely the place these coaches and recruiters go looking to fill rosters.
3. Competitive Improvement and Balance: We have heard people say “the NCC is not right for us because football and basketball cannot compete.” There is no question the level of competition in the NCC is stronger than the 1A/2A schedule that most JCHS sports currently play. Nevertheless, we believe JCHS would still be competitive and improve the level of play and abilities of JCHS athletes at the same time. Not to mention, JCHS would compete, on a yearly basis, for conference championships in the Olympic sports. Additionally, it is the duty of JCHS and its coaches to prepare our athletes for post season play. A higher level of competition will surely help with that!
4. Travel concerns: At first glance one would think the location of the schools in the NCC would make travel a difficult obstacle. We beg to differ. First, most schools across the state travel over an hour to compete in conference games. In fact, schools from Terre Haute, Columbus, and Bloomington travel to Indianapolis regularly to compete in Conference Indiana. Most JCHS athletic programs already compete against Muncie Central, Richmond, New Castle, Marion, Huntington North and Anderson. That comprises over half of the NCC. As freshman and sophomores we competed with schools like McCutcheon, Harrison, and Brownsburg in the old OAC. How were those travel concerns different from current NCC travel concerns? Why must the student-athlete be punished because better competition is a little further away?
We believe the NCC to be one of the top conferences in the state of Indiana. That is precisely why we believe that JCHS should be a member. The performances of the student-athletes on and off the field have earned this invitation and we believe JCHS will continue to thrive as a result of accepting this great honor. Please consider our plea to accept the NCC invitation because it is what is best for JCHS student-athletes, the school and the community!
Thank you,
Andrew Wells, Beech Grove, and Devon Phillips, Indianapolis, JCHS class of 2002[[In-content Ad]]