An email from Head of School Julia de la Torre to the school community on December 7, 2022 indicated that the MFS Athletic League Committee is considering the possibility of leaving the Friends School League (FSL) and joining the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL).

This consideration stems from recent disparities between the player levels of Moorestown Friends School Athletics and those of other schools in the Friends League. In past years, the issue of recruiting student athletes seemed less prevalent. However, as stated from the email regarding the issue, it has recently become “widespread” within the Friends League. Due to New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) rules, MFS is not allowed to recruit; according to the email, the increase in athletic recruitment from FSL schools has created a “growing competitive disparity in many sports.”

Furthermore, as stated in the email on December 7 and an article by “The Press of Atlantic City,” another main reason for this possible transition comes from recent developments in policies from the NJSIAA, which states that “out of state contests” will begin to be excluded from “Power Point calculations,” which determines the school’s ranking for playoffs. Currently, with the amount of out of state games that MFS plays, should teams lose in-state games, this will place the school at the bottom of the brackets. This placement limits chances for the school to host playoff games.

Founded in 1981, the FSL is a sports league that comprises nine independent schools – Friends Select School, Friends Central School, Westtown School, The Shipley School, George School, Abington Friends School, The Academy of New Church, Germantown Friends School, and Moorestown Friends School – that share the same Quaker values regarding healthy athletic competition. MFS is one of its founding members and the only member located in New Jersey.

Above all else, the core reasoning stems from the desire to make the experience of MFS Athletics the best it can be. Director of Athletics Danielle Dayton said that with the recent policies created by the NJSIAA and disparities in Friends League matchups, leaving the Friends League may provide a better experience for student athletes: “Our goal and our mission is to provide the best student athlete experience that we can for our students … it isn’t [only] about how many championships you can win … it’s also about the experience. Are kids having fun? Is it fair?”

Dayton expressed that ensuring a fair experience for athletes is the school’s “number one objective,” and the main step in doing so is to “make sure that we have a space and a home for our student athletes that treat them the absolute best … so that they can get the best possible experience that they can.”

Should the shift from the FSL occur, Dayton stated that MFS would look to join the BCSL, which would provide student athletes with a fairer athletic experience: “We chose specifically to research the Burlington County League because they have divisions which are split by like competition, [allowing] fair matchups.”

Furthermore, as stated by the email, there were also concerns regarding the distance between FSL schools. Some were concerned regarding the large amounts of missed school time due to these trips. Others disagreed with this in Agenda Committee, stating that the long bus rides allowed for deeper team bonding. In Agenda, Dayton stated that she believes that those team connections can still occur, even without those long trips.

Following the news of the potential departure, students were concerned about the possibility of losing relationships and traditional rivalries with Friends League Schools, such as that with The Shipley School. Dayton assured that it could be possible for the Athletics Department to continue to maintain those relationships even without League participation: “If we were to make a switch, we will be looking on a sport-by-sport basis to see [which] schools in the league would still be a good competitive match so we could continue those relationships.”

As for hearing back regarding the decision, Dayton stated that, although undetermined, the earliest time could possibly be “late winter” to “early spring” of this year. “The decision would not be for this year,” Dayton states. “It would be for either next year, or in general, for the future.”

Some believe that the potential transition could be refreshing. Michael Brunswick, PE and Health Department Chair and Head Coach of the US Girls’ Varsity Basketball team, has been advocating for the move away from the Friends League: “As we are a Quaker School, I think it’s a big decision to leave the [Friends League].” Brunswick continues, “I think what’s good for us if we leave, is that it [gives] more of an equal playing field in terms of athletics.”

Bella Didie ’24, who plays field hockey, also thinks that leaving the Friends League could be beneficial for the athletics program: “I like the idea of us leaving Friends League, [since] recruiting is [somewhat] unfair and they play by different rules in Pennsylvania.” Didie explained, “I think with [BCSL] teams, we can have a better time playing teams that are our level.”

Lacrosse and field hockey player Maya Beatty ’24 shared this sentiment as well: “At first, I wasn’t so sure about the idea since I’m so used to being in the Friends League. [However,] after hearing Ms. Dayton in Agenda, I realized that it probably is best for our school.”

Some believe that the transition would be crucial to ensure a fairer and more fun sports experience. Basketball player Sophia Rutherford ’24 expressed her thoughts about the serious disadvantages that the Friends League places on her team: “For girls’ basketball, we’re put at a disadvantage because all the other schools [in the Friends League] can recruit internationally to get great players, and we cannot because we are restricted by the rules from the NJSIAA. It creates unfair matchups, destroys team morale, and just makes for a less fun season.” Rutherford elaborated, stating that the new Power Point rule also puts the team in a “state disadvantage” if they were to stay in the Friends League. Rutherford fully supports the idea to move away from the FSL.

Others have mixed opinions about the possible change. Boys’ soccer, basketball, and lacrosse player Matthew Chen ’24 believes that both sides of the argument have their own advantages, but he “wouldn’t mind” either decision. “I liked the experience of long bus rides that the FSL gave us, but for me, on some days, getting home at around eight or nine PM with a big test or project the next day wasn’t great.” Chen added, “I do enjoy being in the FSL, but I wouldn’t be super upset if we entered the BCSL.”

Regardless of the decision, Dayton believes that MFS Athletics will still shine wherever it heads into the future: “The unknown can sometimes feel a little nerve-wracking, but I know it will all be okay, whatever decision we make,” she commented.

Brunswick echoed this notion: “It doesn’t matter where we are. We’ll coach the same way, we’ll play hard, we’ll compete, and we’ll do what we need to get better to make the experiences as good as we can.”