Every four years, The OK [Ottawa-Kent County] conference committee realigns schools into different athletic groups known as conferences. FHC happens to be placed in the OK White conference and will stay for next year’s realignment. Although the Rangers won’t switch leagues, the movement of other schools will affect the conference and FHC overall.
Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, the OK White will dop Northview, Lowell, and Greenville. In turn, Wyoming, Zeeland East, and Zeeland West are being added. The addition of competitive teams may worry some, but not soccer head coach Paul Kramer.
“I’m excited by the new OK White alignment beginning next season,” Kramer said. “From a soccer standpoint, I think it strengthens the conference overall. Adding teams such as Zeeland East and West will only help teams in our conference prepare for the post-season.”
Athletes as individuals are affected by the changes, too. Playing against different schools can mean unfamiliar team tactics of opposing teams or players, as well as harder competition itself.
“I think it will provide more competition,” said junior cross-country runner Jacob Sanford. “We’ve seen the newer schools have really good results in past seasons and continue to achieve those results.”
While one might think realigning conferences is based on athletic skill level, many other factors are put into consideration to form a conference.
“The OK conference wanted to accommodate the wants and needs of each school,” said FHC athletic director Jonathan Goei. “Each school offers unique opportunities and the OK conference felt that it was important for similar schools to be matched together.”
Such wants and needs include school population, geographical location, school programs offered, and previous rivalries. Each school is different in its own way; no two schools are alike, regardless of how close they seem. Making sure that each school can get what they want is the utmost concern of the committee. However, not every want and need can be accommodated.
One of the largest downsides to the new conference changes is the travel strain on FHC. While Wyoming is only a twenty-minute drive, both Zeeland schools pose an hour or more of transport time. With the many sporting teams FHC offers and the two Zeeland schools’ distance, away games can be a burden on bus drivers.
“Due to bus driver shortages we are already experiencing, transportation will be harder to organize next year,” Goei said. Finding drivers willing to make the trip is going to prove tricky, which means the need for private charters at times.”
The need for bus drivers has grown in past years, forcing more teams to order a private charter. However, some people aren’t opposed to the possible change in transportation.
“I don’t mind the longer bus rides,” Sanford said. “It gives us more time to bond on the bus and play music.”
As the bussing issue might seem like a logistical nightmare, it doesn’t cover the fact that the OK White conference will grow and thrive due to the upcoming changes next year. More Division I schools in some sports not only will give the Rangers more competition for conference titles, but also more preparation for important end-of-year games.
“I think the challenges for FHC are navigating this tougher, new OK White conference and coming out successfully,” Kramer said. “These teams will always be competitive and put up a good fight no matter what their record shows.”
