The Public School Athletic League’s expanded softball playoff format doesn’t help anyone.
The league traditionally allowed 32 teams each into postseason play in both its Class A and B divisions. This year, Public School Athletic League let all 104 teams in the league compete in the playoffs.
Even Petrides from Staten Island (0–16) is in the playoffs as the No. 39 seed out of 40 in the A division, where the bottom 16 teams have a combined record 51–166. There are 16 teams in the B-division playoffs with two wins or less.
The top eight seeds in the A division have to sit around for two rounds and nine B-division teams get first-round byes based on the number of teams in their borough.
I get it. Let the kids play, even if it is for one more game. But that’s not what high school sports are supposed to be about. Leave that to the middle school leagues.
There are winners and losers in life, as harsh as that may sound when talking about a group of teenagers. Sports are supposed to teach you about working as hard as you can to achieve a goal. For some teams that is winning a city or a division title. For others it is making the playoffs. Doing so consistently or following a rough season with a playoff berth was a badge of honor for a lot of programs.
It showed the kids progress as much as their improved record does. If this format continues, making the playoffs stops being something special and becomes a given for everyone. What realistic goal do you give those teams that aren’t at the top of their division?
What good are you doing the teams at the top and bottom of the seeding? Another loss probably looms for the lower half, and even if the team wins, its second round game could produce an ugly result. For the clubs at the top, how does waiting two rounds help them? Softball is about repetition and playing regularly to stay sharp. The Catholic and private school playoffs are in progress, so opportunities for scrimmages are limited.
Also, stretching out the playoffs more also leaves you increasingly susceptible to rain wreaking havoc on the schedule. The title games are a week later than last year.
While the idea of letting everyone play sounds great, it’s not something that should be practiced in this case. It helps no one, devalues the regular season and gives dozens of teams nothing to strive for.
Keep the playoffs as a meaningful accomplishment instead of a given from day one.
