It is hard to say you are the best when there is no way to prove it.

For nine Foothill League sports, that is exactly the case.

Of the CIF sanctioned sports found in the Santa Clarita Valley, 10 have CIF state championship competitions, while the others are left speculating.

But the debate over who is the best team in California could come to an end soon for some of those sports.

"We do have a structure in place where we are going to be adding regional and state championship events within the next 10 years," said CIF executive director Marie M. Ishida. "It identifies the sport that we would adopt next. A lot of the sports that are on the list are in an order that makes sure we maintain equity between boys and girls and an equal number of championship opportunities between boys and girls."

Boys and girls basketball, boys and girls cross country, football, girls volleyball, boys and girls golf and boys and girls track and field have paths to a state title. Wrestling does as well, but it is not a Foothill League sport.

In fact, girls wrestling teams will begin competing for state championships beginning in January 2011, Ishida says.

Boys volleyball and boys and girls soccer each peak at regional tournaments, while baseball, softball, boys and girls swimming and diving and boys and girls tennis cap out each season at the section level.

Other CIF sanctioned non-local sports on the outside of the state title are field hockey, gymnastics, lacrosse, skiing and snowboarding and water polo.

"Whenever we get a state-championship proposal, we will review that and send it for a vote," Ishida says.

The Federated Council is made up of representatives from all 10 sections. It makes the final call on approval and implementation.

One ruling of local significance regards football, which in some ways functions like the Bowl Championship Series in the college football.

Multiple CIF State Championship bowl games are played each year, delineated by the school's level, but with no clear-cut playoff system to get there.

In 2006, Canyon football beat Concord De La Salle 27-13 in the Division I title game. The Cowboys remain the only Foothill League representatives to play in the bowl game.

For the 2010 season, teams will be selected for the game by CIF section commissioners and the State CIF Football Advisory Committee.

A regional playoff system was proposed a few years ago, but was voted down by the Federated Council.

"That issue will come up again, but it won't come up for a vote again for a couple years," Ishida says.

Ishida also mentions badminton, swimming and diving and water polo as sports that could soon see state-level competition.

However, swimming presents an interesting blend of potential and problems.

Even though the sport is currently structured very similarly to track and field, coaches remain split on the addition of a state meet.

Swimmers and track and field athletes compete at the CIF-Southern Section level, where they qualify for a Masters Meet.

But instead of going to a state meet, swimmers head home after the Masters Meet, which is commonly viewed as optional by the competitors. The meet might also be headed to the chopping block in the near future, according to longtime Hart head swimming coach Steve Neale.

Based on the current swimming structure, adding a state meet could be a logistical nightmare.

"The reason is, the way the club programs are so powerful, you would be right in the middle of their season," Neale says.

"The whole psychology of training a swimmer would have to change," adds Neale, noting that a state meet would necessitate a different approach at practice throughout the season. "Where are you going to show up? Is it at league or at CIF? Then there were some that did it at Masters."

Given the sport's heavy emphasis on club programs, the niche nature of swimming presents problems with extending the season.

Neale points out that high school competitors finish short-course training with the conclusion of the CIF-Southern Section Finals.

Shortly thereafter, athletes switch to long-course training for the club season.

The timing leaves little flexibility for a state meet.

"In most states, like Florida and Colorado, they have (swimming) in the fall," Neale says. "In the Midwest, a lot (of states) have it in the winter. California is one of the few states that has it as a spring sport. ... If it is a spring sport, a lot of the kids have to miss sports for the AP test. A lot of the swimmers are very good students, so to have another competition is a real detriment to their schooling."

Baseball, boys tennis, boys volleyball and softball run into the same problem.

"I think the main challenge is squeezing that many games into the academic year, especially with the spring sports and graduations," says Greg Lee, the director of human resources and equity services for the Williams S. Hart Union High School District. "(Graduation) can only be pushed back so far."

Lee handles athletic issues within the district.
He notes that the financial ramifications of traveling to Northern California also serve as a barrier to championship games.

Many coaches remain in favor of state competitions despite the potential monetary hit.

However, the athletic demographics in Northern and Southern California do not necessarily line up.

Boys volleyball is one example of this.

"There is a lot of boys volleyball in Southern California and a little in Central California. You get to Northern California and there are just not a lot of teams or strength (in the sport)," says Valencia head boys volleyball coach Mark Knudsen. "So there's probably not a lot of interest across the state. Until you get more interest, there's probably not going to be a lot of motivation to add that next level."

From a national standpoint, state championships are not black and white.

There are many factors to be weighed and many approaches to take.

"Each state has to do it differently," says Elliot Hopkins, director of educational services for the National Federation of State High School Associations. "What works in Alabama might not work in Alaska in terms of cultural events. In South Carolina, you can play a lot more baseball games than in North Dakota. California is a big state. Do we really want to run a school from the farthest north in California to play one from the farthest south. How much school time is going to be lost? And expenses? In this economy, that is not a good thing to talk about."

Whichever direction the CIF decides to approach state championship games, all teams want is the chance to prove they are the best.

It may take some time to put the system in place, but in time, that opportunity will likely present itself.

"I do know that there is a great desire to have a state championship because everything else is basically a minor championship," Lee says. "People want to settle it on field."