The balance between participation opportunity and competitive equity often becomes the focus when WIAA co-op programs are discussed.

Around the state — from last week’s WIAA area meeting in Mount Horeb to Wednesday’s session in Mauston — folks from member schools have had an opportunity to dissect high school athletics topics.

Talk might turn to virtual schools or conference configuration. One subject discussed this time around, often in small groups at the seven area meetings, was cooperative team programs, which the WIAA began in 1982 to provide more opportunities and potentially increase participation.

When one high school didn’t have enough athletes for a certain sport, a co-op allowed two or more schools to combine and form one program in that sport.

WIAA officials have been scrutinizing the co-op idea during the past 10 years, eager to maintain a balance between participation opportunity and competitive equity — where the emergence, existence or persistence of all-star, super-team co-ops can threaten the spirit of the co-op idea.

So, discussion of the subject really is old hat to WIAA representatives.