Winslow athletic director urges switch from Olympic Conference to Cape-Atlantic League to improve competitiveness

Taishima Lane, the Winslow Township School District athletic director, told the Board of Education on July 11 that the district should move most sports programs from the Olympic Conference to the Cape-Atlantic League to restore competitive balance and improve student-athlete morale.

Lane said the district had won 94 games and lost 463 games against Olympic Conference opponents over the past four seasons, and shared team-level records such as field hockey 0-22, girls soccer 4-42 and boys soccer 3-41 in that span. She said track is an outlier that continues to perform at state and national levels and was excluded from much of the comparative analysis.

Lane said the Olympic Conference charges $3,800 annually and uses two-year divisional realignments based on school size and mandatory crossover games that make up a large portion of team schedules. She recommended the Cape-Atlantic League (CAL), which she said realigns yearly by strength of record and charges about $1,000 a year, arguing it would place Winslow in divisions with more evenly matched opponents and reduce the demoralizing losses that, she said, have depressed participation and coach retention.

"We do have a duty to reassess to assure that we are positioning our students to be successful," Lane said. "This transition isn't just about wins or losses. It's about restoring balance, boosting participation, and creating a thriving educational-based athletic environment for all of our student athletes." (Lane, Athletic Director)

Board members and administration expressed support but recommended monitoring. Superintendent Doctor Poteet (identified in the meeting as the superintendent) and other board members praised Lane's research and said the administration can proceed without a formal, immediate vote, while the board will review outcomes after a trial period. Board members asked that progress be reported back to the board after two years.

Board discussion included clarification of exemptions in conference play: a partial exemption reduces mandatory crossover games but still requires some conference play, while a full exemption allows a school to create its own schedule but disqualifies players from conference all-star nominations, Lane said. She also presented a commute-time comparison that showed only modest differences between the conferences (averaging roughly 33–44 minutes depending on division alignment).

No formal motion or vote to change conferences was recorded in the meeting minutes. The administration indicated it would proceed with exploratory steps and scheduling discussions with CAL officials and existing opponents if there were no board objections.

The board asked the administration to return with follow-up data on participation, competitive results and travel impact if the district implements the change; Lane and administration said they would monitor results and provide updates.