The Mission Valley Athletic League (commonly abbreviated MVAL) is a corporation of eight schools, of which seven are in the Tri-Cities area of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California and one is in Hayward.
[1] The sports of baseball, football, soccer, softball, track and field, and boys’ volleyball use these rankings within the NCS playoff structures.
Under a slightly modified classification system, James Logan, Newark Memorial, American, Washington, Irvington and Mission San Jose all fall under Division I in some playoff structures, such as basketball, while Kennedy is the only school that remains in Division III in these such playoff structures.
The NCS's newest (2009) designations for boys' volleyball (spring sport) allow for a seven-team MVAL, though Newark Memorial and Irvington do not participate.
The commissioner also works with the schools and the coaches to develop a schedule for league play every year.
The current commissioner, Tom Breen, was a 1968 graduate and multi-sport athlete of Newark High School.
Vares remained very prominent in the League however, continuing to guide Gygax, as well as attending MVAL matches until his death in September 2003 after a long battle with cancer.
In the latest years, the MVAL has shown its greatest strength in football, wrestling, track and field, and badminton.
Mission's boys' volleyball team ranked 2nd in NCS in 2009, only losing to Foothill High School of Pleasanton.