The Tri-Valley League or TVL is a high school athletic league located in towns in Middlesex and Norfolk counties, Massachusetts. The league was founded in 1966 by principals and Alfred “Hap’’ Mazukina, who served as the league's commissioner for 23 years. In its infancy the TVL struggled but over the years has undergone changes and is now regarded more than 50 years later as one of the most respected high school sports leagues in Massachusetts.[citation needed]
The TVL was formed by 12 schools who were either former members of the Southern County League or independently organized their own schedules. The teams were divided into 2 divisions, Millis, Medway, Medfield, Dover-Sherborn, Holliston and Hopkinton in the Eastern Division; and Bellingham, Norton, Hopedale, Nipmuc, Norfolk Agricultural and Blackstone (which merged with Millville in 1967) in the Western Division.
In the inaugural 1966–67 season the schools competed in football, basketball, baseball, track and tennis. Millis, Medway, Medfield, Dover-Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton and Norton had football teams that year and Bellingham entered a team in the following 1967-68 season.
In the founding seasons, girls sports were not scheduled through the league, schedules for girls sports were organized independently by school. It was not until 1972 that Title IX was passed that stated, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." The title was signed at the collegiate level but after its passing the TVL also included girls sports in its scheduling.
In the early days of the TVL. The smaller schools were not able to compete with those with larger enrollments, so defections started to occur. Norton left for another league and the principals welcomed Blackstone Valley Tech to replace Norton. Norfolk Aggie, Hopedale, Nipmuc, Blackstone-Millville and BVT left the TVL with the creation of the Dual Valley Conference (DVC). After the creation of the DVC the TVL was left with only seven members. Ashland and Westwood wanted out of the Dual County League and gained TVL membership in the early 1970s. In 2002, Norton was readmitted, as the 10th member. In 2017 Dedham joined the TVL from the Bay State Conference as the 11th member.[13] Norwood also from the Bay State Conference became the league's 12th member a year later.
The 12 schools that currently comprise the league are Ashland, Bellingham, Dedham, Dover-Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norton, Norwood, and Westwood.[14]
Athletics
Some or all of the schools in the league compete in the following sports:[15]
