WESTMONT, Worse team in the LHAC

[Portage Alum]

I hate Catholic schools...and I'm Catholic!

~PA

[WPIAL~Titan]

Thanks, Gary!

[psycho]

Do not hate public, private or people. This is a bad thing. Instead of hateing a school because it is public or private or Catholic -- why don't you hate the incompetence, the inability to compete outside this tiny area, the inability to enforce discipline, the failure (or inability) to hold accountable and responsible, the disintegration of the family and the tremendous extra burdens that are placed on teachers as a result, the "Everyone Gets A Trophy" mentality, the small mindedness and rank jealousy of some people, the inability to understand competition and the avoidance thereof, the failure to challenge and the political garbage that occurs with the sports media -- hate these concepts and actions -- not people and institutions. For there are great people everywhere -- public and private who do it right (and attempt to do iot right) everyday. It's the system that's badly broke -- not the people within it. They're operating within a bad framework. When you cannot apply and enforce discipline, you lose it all.

As far as sports are concerned, the fact remains that, by and large, our kids are not getting challenged academically and for sure not athletically in the public schools. And nomatter how coaches, non participatory parents or know nothing sports reporters want to spin it, the only teams in the Johnstown area to reach the state finals in any sport in the last 20 years were composed of high school coaches, kids (and parents) who took it upon themselves to seek challenging competition and instruction OUTSIDE OF the high school system so that they could develop their skills in a competitive environment. Be it cup soccer, JO vollleyball or AAU basketball -- its all the same --- Enhanced instruction and competition with and against other kids who want to be there. This is what you miss in the tiny high schools we have today -- there's jsut not enough kids to make it competitive. With 40 kids in a graduating class -- just show up and you are on the team. Show up for practice if you want, do nothing in the summer and then complain about the coach (along with your parents)when you lose.

Vouchers are coming --- finally. The current system broken. We can only hope that vouchers help to fix it.