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INVITATIONS FROM ONE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. SCOTT. STACEY. RIGHT NOW THE LITTLE HAWKEYE CONFERENCE HAS SEVEN MEMBER SCHOOLS PICTURED HERE. THE FARTHEST DRIVE FOR A GAME WOULD BE A GAME BETWEEN DALLAS, CENTER-GRIMES AND OSKALOOSA. THAT’S A 65 MILE DRIVE ONE WAY. THE CONFERENCE HAS EXTENDED AN INVITATION FOR SEVEN MORE SCHOOLS TO JOIN GAMES BETWEEN AMES, A NEWCOMER POTENTIALLY, AND OSKALOOSA WOULD REQUIRE TEAMS TO TRAVEL NEARLY 93 MILES THERE AND ANOTHER 93 MILES BACK. HERE IS THE TOTAL LIST CURRENTLY ON THE LEFT. THE LITTLE HAWKEYE CONFERENCE HAS DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES, INDIANOLA, NEWTON, NORWALK, OSKALOOSA, PELLA, AND PELLA CHRISTIAN. THEY HAVE INVITED TO JOIN URBANDALE, AMES, DES MOINES CHRISTIAN, NEVADA, PRAIRIE CITY, MONROE, KNOXVILLE, AND VANMETER. NOW, I DID LEARN TODAY. KNOXVILLE AND VANMETER ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE THIS MOVE. IF THE LITTLE HAWKEYE CONFERENCE GROWS TO AT LEAST TEN SCHOOLS, THEY WOULD BREAK THESE UP INTO TWO DIVISIONS OF A BIG SCHOOL AND A SMALL SCHOOL DIVISION. THIS WOULD NOT IMPACT FOOTBALL BECAUSE THE STATE DECIDES FOOTBALL SCHEDULES. THE URBANDALE SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSED THE TOPIC AT THEIR BOARD MEETING TONIGHT. IF THEY CHOOSE TO MOVE TO THE LITTLE HAWKEYE CONFERENCE, IT WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE 2026 2027 SCHOOL YEAR. URBANDALE HAS STRUGGLED TO BE COMPETITIVE IN MANY SPORTS SINCE 2021. THAT’S THE YEAR METRO SCHOOLS AND SOME OTHERS LEFT TO FORM THE IOWA ALLIANCE. THIS IS THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR URBANDALE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE HAS INCLUDED ONLY THE SUBURB SCHOOLS, AND IN THAT TIME, URBANDALE. GIRLS BASKETBALL IS OH AND 40. IN CONFERENCE GAMES, LOTS OF GIRLS HAVE QUIT. THERE ARE ONLY 19 PLAYERS IN THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. JV AND VARSITY. MANY FEEL LIKE SWITCHING CONFERENCES IS THE ANSWER. IT’S PARTICULARLY HEARTBREAKING TO WATCH OUR JV TEAM PLAY THIS YEAR AND LOSE BY AN AVERAGE OF 50 POINTS. MOST ARE FRESHMEN. THE FUTURE OF OUR PROGRAM AND MANY HAVE QUIT MID-SEASON AFTER THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A CIML SCHEDULE. WHEN THEY’RE BLOWN OUT OF EVERY GAME, CAN YOU BLAME THEM FOR QUITTING? SOME OF YOU HAVE YOUNG DAUGHTERS THAT PLAY SPORTS. WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO PLAY BASKETBALL IN HIGH SCHOOL? IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH WITH THE CIML, WE’LL BARELY HAVE ENOUGH GIRLS FOR VARSITY TEAM IN TWO YEARS. I HOPE THAT OUTWEIGHS THE COST OF SLIGHTLY INCREASED BUSSING COSTS. URBANDALE HAS HAD TO CANCEL SOME JV GAMES THIS YEAR. THE SCHOOL BOARD PLANS ON VOTING ON THIS POTENTIAL MOVE TO THE LITTLE HAWKEYE CONFERENCE AT THE NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON FEBRUARY 24TH. BEN. YEAH