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High school co-op sports teams allow opportunities...

By Tom Dombeck, Manitowoc Herald Times, 01/19/19, 8:00PM CST

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But some say they've grown too big

Manitowoc Lincoln’s Jacque Bartow has coached or competed in gymnastics for 27 of the 37 years since the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association started allowing schools to form co-op teams.

Gymnastics is one of two sports, along with girls hockey, that have seen co-ops dominate the competition since 1982. The last time a gymnastics co-op did not finish in the top two at state in Division 1 was 1991, which is a major reason a new rule will be enacted next season, Bartow said.

“The super teams are exactly why the rule was created,” Bartow said.

The WIAA allows high schools to form co-op teams for the purpose of giving students athletic opportunities that might not otherwise exist at their school. If, for instance, a student wants to play hockey but his or her school doesn’t offer the sport, a co-op with a school that does offer the sport not only allows the student to compete but also helps the school guard against losing that student through open enrollment.

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