Eagles Ready for Move to Suburban Conference

Grain Valley High School Activities Director Brandon Hart appreciates the time Grain Valley High School spent in Missouri River Valley Conference (MRVC), but he is also excited about the opportunities that await for the Eagles as they prepare to enter the Blue Division of the Kansas City Suburban Conference.

The Suburban Conference consists of 27 schools that are aligned by student enrollment. The four divisions (from largest to smallest) are Gold, Red, White, and Blue. With an enrollment of over 1,300 students, Grain Valley joins Grandview, Kearney, Platte County, Raytown South, Smithville, and Winnetonka in the Blue Division.

Grain Valley has had great success in the Missouri River Valley Conference, winning the last 10 consecutive MRVC All-Sports titles. The move to the Suburban Conference was precipitated by Grain Valley High’s increasing student enrollment and the desire to compete with schools of a like size.

“We are grateful for the community’s support of this move. It was one of the factors in the

Suburban Conference’s offer for us to join them,” Hart said. “The conference was seeking a school with the size, geography, and type of community we have in Grain Valley. We were just a logical choice for their invitation.”

Hart is well-versed in all things Suburban Conference, after having served previously as Activities Director at Fort Osage High School, a conference member, and currently serving as chairman of the conference.

Hart believes the start of competition in the Suburban Conference provides more exposure for students and says everyone is welcoming that opportunity to prove themselves. The move includes not

only athletics, but all activities offered by conference schools, for example Debate and Forensics.

One initial challenge is having only one gym, as most host schools in the new conference have multiple gyms, according to Hart. More gym space is in Grain Valley’s plans as bonding capacity allows.

“Until then, we have to be very strategic and logistical in the planning of practices and games,” Hart said.

Moving away from the MRVC into the Suburban Conference may also leave a void in some of the hotly contested rivalries Grain Valley has participated in over the years. And it may take a while for those to form again, according to Hart.

The Suburban Conference

evaluates enrollment on a two year cycle, so If Grain Valley continues to grow, it is possible that in the next two year alignment of the conference, Grain Valley could move again, to a different division within the conference.

“It may take longer for Grain Valley to gain natural rivalries because of the sustained growth of the community. This may cause movement up in the divisions,” Hart said.

Additionally, since Grain Valley is the single high school within the district, there is no chance for indistrict rivalries, such as ones that occur naturally in communities like Blue Springs, Independence, and Lee’s Summit, where multiple high schools exist.

For more information on GVHS Activities and schedules, visit http:// gvhs.grainvalleyschools.org/activities/