At the JBA, we are committed to providing the most competitive environment possible for the benefit of all of our teams. When teams enter the season, their coaches are not always certain of the competitive levels at which they should play and place their teams in divisions that are too competitive or not competitive enough.
As we did last season and as we informed all of the coaches who attended our preseason meetings, teams performing considerably above or below the competitive levels of the other teams in their respective divisions are subject to be moved to a more appropriate division for the playoffs. So, as the season approaches an end, we review the records and scores of all of our teams’ games in order to determine disparities that impact the competitiveness of each of our divisions.
This season, we have moved ten teams to higher divisions – one of which was moved up two divisions. We have also moved twelve teams to lower divisions.
In seeding the playoff brackets, we have taken pains to consider what is most fair for both the team(s) being moved and the teams in the division to which they are moved. If we move a team up, that team is seeded (with the exception of an eight-team division) in the lowest rank providing them a home game as compensation for the perceived disadvantage of moving into a more competitive position. If two teams are moved up into the same division, the two teams are seeded in the lowest two slots providing each team a home playoff game. If a team is moved down, that team is seeded in the highest rank among those teams without a first round home playoff game.
At the JBA, we consider that our League and youth sports in general should be learning experiences for their participants – extensions of the classroom providing new challenges to those who have mastered more basic ones. It is not so much about winning as it is progress, teamwork, and the opportunity to grow as players and people.
We thank all of the towns, organizations, and teams participating in our League this season. We have worked hard to make it a fair, enjoyable, and memorable experience and wish all of our teams good luck in this season’s Playoffs.