High School Recruiting

[El-Moldo]

You know how IUP gets alot of their better players. When players at Pitt, WVU, etc get disgruntled about their chances of playing, they transfer to IUP where they play right away. After all, if they received a scholarship from a Div-I school, they must be good, or at least have talent. In the dog eat dog world of college football this is accepted, because it's every man and every team for themselves.....How would this go in high schools? Let's say you are a very good QB at Altoona High School, but not quite good enough to make the 1st string. So you check out the other local teams to see who needs a QB. It might be Tyrone, it might be Bellwood, it might be Central, all close to where you live. Now let's say transferring was permitted. Would it be fair for you to all of the sudden show up at Tyrone, which would give them a DISTINCT advantage over all the other teams in Tyrone's league. And then when a good RB from Hollidaysburg hears about it, he decides to go to Tyrone also. Now this team, which was pretty good to begin with, is now REALLY good with the acquisition of these new players. How do you think the other teams in the league would feel about this? A little downtrodden, as kids transfer at will to the schools who already have good programs. What chance do these other teams now have when one team in their league is stacked? You see, it's all about fairness amongst the teams and schools. It's not about the individual's rights.

[CRLionDawg]

You can have both.

Build a system that permits movement with some reasonable constraints and timetables.

Give the parents and kids a little credit. Excessive movement is just as bad as no movement.

[El-Moldo]

Reasonable constraints???? So now you're gonna let some kids transfer but not others? Are you gonna limit which schools kids can go to, such as only schools which "border" their present district? And who's to keep someone from transferring several times over their 4 years of high school. You know, until they achieve "the right match" for their situation. And what's with this give the parents and kids some credit? Look, this whole transferring situation is about ME, MYSELF and I. What do they care about stepping on the toes of others. They're looking out for #1, so the heck with the system and reasonable constraints. No one would transfer to FH out of the kindness of their heart to make FH better. They would be doing it to improve THEIR SITUATION!!! Again the system we have now is working for athletics, except for the shady involvement of parochial schools. Leave it alone. If you want to go to Bedford, please move there. Play within the rules. Don't expect the rules to be changed for you.

[CRLionDawg]

That is hilarious. I have no interest in going to Bedford.

Everybody is motivated by self interest and self preservation. Even you EM. Your fear of freedom of choice is quite interesting. Why do you suppose that is?

[ham55]

can you say AYSO mentality???

[El-Moldo]

I don't fear freedom of choice. But I am pro-rules. So if you don't like the rules, get them changed. Until then, you follow them, right? Don't forget, freedom of choice often hurts someone or some group, and may also give someone or some group an unfair advantage over others. What may be a good choice for you, may have bad consequences for others.

[CRLionDawg]

I agree the rules should be changed.

The idea that fairness can be legislated is intriguing. By not allowing students the freedom to choose where they go to school it sustains the commitment to the status quo. With the threat that they might lose students to a neighboring district, choice forces a real commitment to excellence.

[El-Moldo]

It's not that fairness can be legislated, but it should be protected. Consider the recent loss of Aaron Johnson from PSU's B-ball team as an example. Just when PSU was about to possibly turn the corner with everyone returning next year...BOOM...Aaron Johnson, the teams leading rebounder and 2nd leading scorer, decides to transfer and not return next year. Talk about deflating. Guess PSU is now FORCED into "a real commitment to excellence."

[Lion-line05]

All I know is that The rumor of Mark Boyer failing 12th grade to go to Bedford is A TRUE STORY PEOPLE all you people better start taking this seirous because Mark Boyer is Coming!!!

[CRLionDawg]

Why did Aaron decide to leave? WHat could have PSU done to have kept him?