By Staff
I got some truly bad news Tuesday morning.
It was something I had a pretty good idea was coming, but still was hoping against all odds that I wouldn't receive it.
Dowagiac had to drop its boys' tennis program, at least for the 2008 season.
I have seen other schools in the area drop their programs over the years, but I was hoping Dowagiac would be able to find enough bodies to put together a team.
Cassopolis hasn't had boys' tennis for a couple of years now and Berrien Springs went co-ed several seasons ago so that they could continue to have a program.
Problem at Dowagiac, it has a pretty successful girls tennis program, so co-ed was not an option.
I feel bad for the handful of kids that wanted to play tennis this season. They wanted to continue to try and make the program better.
After all, Dowagiac was coming off its first-ever trip to the state finals in 2007.
But alas, three kids showed up the first night of practice and the numbers didn't increase much as the week went on.
Eventually, athletic director Greg Younger and coach Curtis Partee had to put a number and a time frame on making a decision to have a team because matches were scheduled to begin on Thursday.
There was even the thought of holding out until school started after Labor Day to see if more players could be rounded up, but Dowagiac would have already lost multiple matches, including something like five Wolverine Conference events.
It wasn't going to be fair to the kids or the opponents to put the program on hold.
So when Friday rolled around and there was still not enough players to make a full team, Partee got with Younger, who then got with superintendent Peg Stowers and the decision was made.
Younger broke the news to the Wolverine Conference athletic directors on Monday at a league meeting.
I am not privy to what the plan is right now to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I know after speaking with Younger on Tuesday, Dowagiac is not the only team in the Wolverine Conference struggling to put together full teams.
I know I don't have any say in what the school district does, but I will throw this out there any way.
Dowagiac and Cassopolis should get together and have a co-op team next season.
This means that kids from both schools could play tennis as one, which would hopefully provide enough players to field a team, perhaps even a junior varsity squad.
I don't know what the logistics would be in doing it outside of the fact that you have to get approval from the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
I don't foresee a problem with the coaching, because Partee and Cassopolis coach Scott Marshall are friends and even play doubles together in the Dowagiac City Tennis Tournament.
I would have to believe that they would jump at the chance to work together at the high school level.
I don't know how this will all work out, but I am hoping that something can be done to make sure that there is tennis being played next fall at either Dowagiac, Cassopolis or both schools.
There are kids out there who want to play. Let's figure out a way to give them that opportunity.