Leading up to last night's public debate over Dedham High School's possible switch from the Bay State Conference to the Tri-Valley League, the Dedham Coaches Association came out strongly against the move, announcing that its members voted 17-3 against the transfer.
The group voted Feb. 24 and made the results and coaches' comments public this week. Dedham Coaches Association liaison Jim Walker said the report was sent to the School Committee and administration over a week ago, but because of the public attention that the Tri-Valley League issue has attracted, his group decided to release its report so Dedham residents know what coaches' concerns are.
Walker said there were many reasons - both team-specific, and overall academic and athletic considerations - "that led the great majority of coaches to cast their vote in opposition to transferring to the Tri-Valley League."
He is the girls cross country coach, and assistant coach for girls indoor and spring track. In the Tri-Valley League, Dedham's track teams would use the Hopkinton High field house instead of competing at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. Walker said meets at the smaller track in Hopkinton can last up to six hours, whereas meets at Reggie Lewis finish in three.
Walker noted that teams in Eastern Massachusetts worked for a couple of decades to get the top-notch Reggie Lewis facility. "To give that up to go to a league where no one wants to go except for essentially one or two coaches would be a travesty," he said.
Association President Don Parr also voted against the move. He is in his 28th year as the girls tennis coach, and has coached the girls ice hockey team, now in its tenth year, since its inception. The team has won three state championships since 2001.
All 12 Bay State Conference schools have girls hockey teams, so Dedham's team currently plays 16 games within the Bay State and up to four non-league games.
But the Tri-Valley only has three schools with girls hockey squads, not enough for a league.
If Dedham joined the Tri-Valley, girls hockey likely would have to adopt an independent schedule.
"We've had trouble over the last three years filling those non-league slots," Parr said. "It's just very, very difficult mainly due to the availability of ice, the fact that we've been a successful program, and a lot of teams are not willing to step up to play us or don't have the time to."
PDF: See how the coaches voted and read their comments. 
