Last Train To Clarksville

Not a few members of the Arkansas Activities Association governing body will pass by Clarksville on their way to Little Rock to vote on Proposal 9 Monday.

An innovative proposal submitted by Clarksville, if passed, equals Farmington basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and track and field coaches and athletes, their families and fans, will take their last train to Clarksville for 5A West league play sometime during the 2017-2018 school year.

Farmington assistant softball coach Steve Morgan, who plays with the Southwinds Band, might want to take along a guitar for a softball road trip to Clarksville in the spring and cover an altered version of the Monkees' 1966 classic No. 1 hit "Take The Last Train To Clarksville."

take the last train to Clarksville

be waiting at the indoor facility

be there by eleven-thirty

'cause you're a pinch base-runner, don't be slow

oh, no, no, no

oh, no, no, no

Football didn't make the list.

Both Farmington athletic director Brad Blew and head football coach Mike Adams have gone on record indicating they favored including football within the new proposal. Yet, the AAA appears content to omit football from the major revisions in classifications and conferences that result from a pass vote on Proposal 9.

The AAA's apparent position is football doesn't have the same problems as other sports right now. Football games predominantly happen on Friday nights, which the AAA translates as student-athletes tend to miss less classroom time compared to other sports that compete more than once a week.

Proposal 9 mandates changes in classification that restructure just about every other sport. Among drastic differences from the current system, cross country will have five divisions instead of the six for 2018. Soccer and volleyball remain relatively unchanged sporting four classifications -- Class 6A, Class 5A, Class 4A and Class 3A and below. Wrestling and swimming, two sports which Farmington currently does not compete in, add a classification and compete at Class 6A, Class 5A and Class 4A and below levels.

According to the 2017 agenda, the AAA Board of Directors studies proposals from various activity districts, suggestions from the AAA staff, results of a spring survey and advice from various committees before making recommendations and submitting the proposals included in the agenda.

The board expresses its opinion on the long-term effect the proposals will have on the association through its recommendations and explanations. If a "do not pass" recommendation is made, the board feels that the long-term effect would not be in the best interest of the association. Thus, the opposite is true for proposals receiving a "do pass" recommendation.

Some proposals receive a "no recommendation" status which indicates effect of the proposal could best be determined by the opinion of a majority of the schools voting.

Should Proposal 9 pass the changes become effective during the 2018-19 school year.

MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER.