Playing up a class, or 2

[ChrisKentRam]

While I get the argument that some small schools are moving up a class or 2 to avoid the private schools, what is the Forest Hills girls excuse?? There are no privates in D6 AAA. Are they just trying to avoid competition and stack district titles? I can't help think that the FH boys going through Richland and LV to win a title would be much more meaningful.

Little fact for u Fh girls played LHAC only 2 loses all year 
Gave cc and pc there losses  how would that be running The reason is up to school and coach but don’t see fh girls running from anyone the was 4 a last two years maybe wanted to stay there 

It’s much tougher to win championships when you have to go through 2 or 3 good teams in a win or go home scenario as opposed to having to beat no one to get to the championship, and then no one in the championship. Forest Hills is very good. However, look at what happened to them in the LHAC playoffs this year. It’s not as easy to win championships when you have to go through a couple tough teams. 

[CCDevil2012]

While I get the argument that some small schools are moving up a class or 2 to avoid the private schools, what is the Forest Hills girls excuse?? There are no privates in D6 AAA. Are they just trying to avoid competition and stack district titles? I can't help think that the FH boys going through Richland and LV to win a title would be much more meaningful.

Little fact for u Fh girls played LHAC only 2 loses all year 
Gave cc and pc there losses  how would that be running The reason is up to school and coach but don’t see fh girls running from anyone the was 4 a last two years maybe wanted to stay there 

It’s much tougher to win championships when you have to go through 2 or 3 good teams in a win or go home scenario as opposed to having to beat no one to get to the championship, and then no one in the championship. Forest Hills is very good. However, look at what happened to them in the LHAC playoffs this year. It’s not as easy to win championships when you have to go through a couple tough teams. 

No one is saying they're a bad team. But as a coach would you rather play a sub .500 team to win a district title or have to play and beat 2 or 3 15+ win teams just to get to the championship game? The path is definitely easier.

[CharlieConway]

This is all tricky.  We have a lot of different variables in PIAAs structure and format.  Some of the issues/questions I see:

[ul][li]Private Schools/Non-Boundary Schools - Students can attend on a tuition basis.  This allows for schools to entice (in various ways, academics, facilities, recruitment, or even play on a team that could win a state title) in whatever ways, students/athletes to attend their school.  This causes multiple issues for schools, without the same resources, trying to compete at different levels, especially at A and AA. [/li]
[li]Charter Schools - Same issues.  Students can attend, not for tuition, but school choice reasons as long as transportation costs are covered.  The lures are the same (academics, facilities, recruitment, etc).  This can cause issues for other schools without the same resources to compete, especially at A and AA.[/li]
[li]Public Schools - Public schools that have taken on the challenges in the two points above (Private/Charter) and found their own solutions to the PIAA problems.  Their solutions, recruit themselves using resources provided from several different ways (school's coach, facilities, academics, etc) so they could compete at the state level with A's and AA's.  [/li]
[li]Public Schools - Some schools that have taken on the challenges in Private/Charter have recently discovered a new solution, avoidance.  Move their school to a different classification to avoid district parings against certain schools (Private/Charter).[/li][/ul]
These are just four things that I am seeing across the board from some schools/coaches/athletic departments.  Do changes need to be made?  Does something need to be done?  I think we all agree something needs to happen, because the publics have started firing back and the landscape is getting even worse.

I'd rather take my true, nonrecruited, public squad up against anybody in the classification the PIAA has deemed for us to play in.  Let the chips fall where they may.  If we lose, to an opponent that has found themselves in a position where they have exploited the rules of fair play, then so be it.  But at least I tried to do it the right way.

What I couldn't do, is pack up on the town and move my own kids to another school.  Even if I knew they would have a better opportunity to be successful at sports.  And my points on this matter, may be stupid to some.

With the divorce rate so high in America, and so many children growing up in split homes, I think this is a wrong message to send.  If things aren't the way you think they should be, pack up and go somewhere else because the grass is greener.  I'd rather have mine stay and grind it out, work it out, and find enjoyment with the good times.  Because those good times are where you were supposed to be and who you were supposed to be there with.  And if you aren't enjoying those times, stay because you made a commitment to those around you.  

The last type of people I want around me are the ones that look for exits when it gets tough, because let's face it, its going to get tough and be unfair.

So for those that have ever packed up and moved, ever recruited, etc for your kids to find success, I hope it was worth it.  I hope that you spent a lot of time with your children and teaching them about commitment and that you don't walk out when times get tough.  I hope they listen, and buy it, because we both know you were talking out both sides of your mouth.

Back to my original points, we are stuck here in this cycle until state lawmakers make changes or join one of the four options laid out above.  Either way, the answer to if you are right or wrong, that comes from the person in the mirror.

If you can live with it.

[Bballfan45]

I just saw the scores from last night, I have to say that Kennedy Catholic playing A for so many years was the biggest joke in the state. They just crushed State High 97-53 in AAAAAA. Shanksville or Bishop Carroll could've made the state finals if they had moved prior. We complain about the privates locally, but it's a small gripe compared to what KC was doing.

Amen  

[Blueandwhitefan]

This is all tricky.  We have a lot of different variables in PIAAs structure and format.  Some of the issues/questions I see:

[ul][li]Private Schools/Non-Boundary Schools - Students can attend on a tuition basis.  This allows for schools to entice (in various ways, academics, facilities, recruitment, or even play on a team that could win a state title) in whatever ways, students/athletes to attend their school.  This causes multiple issues for schools, without the same resources, trying to compete at different levels, especially at A and AA. [/li]
[li]Charter Schools - Same issues.  Students can attend, not for tuition, but school choice reasons as long as transportation costs are covered.  The lures are the same (academics, facilities, recruitment, etc).  This can cause issues for other schools without the same resources to compete, especially at A and AA.[/li]
[li]Public Schools - Public schools that have taken on the challenges in the two points above (Private/Charter) and found their own solutions to the PIAA problems.  Their solutions, recruit themselves using resources provided from several different ways (school's coach, facilities, academics, etc) so they could compete at the state level with A's and AA's.  [/li]
[li]Public Schools - Some schools that have taken on the challenges in Private/Charter have recently discovered a new solution, avoidance.  Move their school to a different classification to avoid district parings against certain schools (Private/Charter).[/li][/ul]
These are just four things that I am seeing across the board from some schools/coaches/athletic departments.  Do changes need to be made?  Does something need to be done?  I think we all agree something needs to happen, because the publics have started firing back and the landscape is getting even worse.

I'd rather take my true, nonrecruited, public squad up against anybody in the classification the PIAA has deemed for us to play in.  Let the chips fall where they may.  If we lose, to an opponent that has found themselves in a position where they have exploited the rules of fair play, then so be it.  But at least I tried to do it the right way.

What I couldn't do, is pack up on the town and move my own kids to another school.  Even if I knew they would have a better opportunity to be successful at sports.  And my points on this matter, may be stupid to some.

With the divorce rate so high in America, and so many children growing up in split homes, I think this is a wrong message to send.  If things aren't the way you think they should be, pack up and go somewhere else because the grass is greener.  I'd rather have mine stay and grind it out, work it out, and find enjoyment with the good times.  Because those good times are where you were supposed to be and who you were supposed to be there with.  And if you aren't enjoying those times, stay because you made a commitment to those around you.  

The last type of people I want around me are the ones that look for exits when it gets tough, because let's face it, its going to get tough and be unfair.

So for those that have ever packed up and moved, ever recruited, etc for your kids to find success, I hope it was worth it.  I hope that you spent a lot of time with your children and teaching them about commitment and that you don't walk out when times get tough.  I hope they listen, and buy it, because we both know you were talking out both sides of your mouth.

Back to my original points, we are stuck here in this cycle until state lawmakers make changes or join one of the four options laid out above.  Either way, the answer to if you are right or wrong, that comes from the person in the mirror.

If you can live with it.

Wow. That is, without a doubt,  the best post I have seen on here in a long time!!!!

[Bballfan45]

Little fact for u Fh girls played LHAC only 2 loses all year 
Gave cc and pc there losses  how would that be running The reason is up to school and coach but don’t see fh girls running from anyone the was 4 a last two years maybe wanted to stay there 

It’s much tougher to win championships when you have to go through 2 or 3 good teams in a win or go home scenario as opposed to having to beat no one to get to the championship, and then no one in the championship. Forest Hills is very good. However, look at what happened to them in the LHAC playoffs this year. It’s not as easy to win championships when you have to go through a couple tough teams. 

No one is saying they're a bad team. But as a coach would you rather play a sub .500 team to win a district title or have to play and beat 2 or 3 15+ win teams just to get to the championship game? The path is definitely easier.

Other side of coin Forest Hills was legally aaaa school for two years staying there with what u have played in states knowing the teams seems smart  you’d rather send a different school to the state championships instead of the school that’s been defending it.. I don’t understand how either way is wrong sounds like some people are just mad because they don’t do it  and that’s saying then Huntington or Bedford would be less than someone else just look at district 5 thought it always comes down to play who’s in front of you... you can only beat the teams that are there.