California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is considering releaguing Irvine high schools, sparking discussions about its impact on high school sports teams.
This change could possibly transform the dynamics of CIF games. Skilled, higher division teams could be matched with teams of lower divisions, leading to unequal competition.
“This has a chance of occurring, but it’s very doubtful that it would happen, because CIF doesn’t plan on separating teams that want to play against one another,”athletics director Rick Gibson said. “But it does have a chance of creating tougher competition, in a sense.”
If releaguing occurs, athletes will have to elevate their game to a whole new level to compete with the other teams being

placed in their leagues. On the other hand, it could cause the athletes and coaches themselves to encounter an even tougher road to CIF than they had before the releaguing had occurred. With the unfamiliar nature of the new teams in new leagues, it could cause roadblocks to CIF playoffs. However, it could also encourage athletes to increase their confidence and faith in their abilities, finally testing their skills against new teams.
“The changing of the leagues we are in for CIF gives everyone an equal disadvantage, but it makes the game more fun and interesting to me,” football player and junior Emanuel Goffe said.“The mystery of the game and not knowing what the opponent is capable of and adapting to it on the spot [could] cause me to raise my game to a new level.”
Not only will the releaguing impact the teams themselves, but it will also have a profound effect on the coaches.With teams scattered around different leagues, coaches may have to revise their game plan and strategy to train their teams effectively against new competition.
“We would have to watch new films, find new tactics, new people to size up, and decide the best offensive and defensive plays to beat the other team,” football player and junior Austin Gaines said.