"NEED BASED FINANCIAL AID" and Other Thoughts...

[WPIAL~Titan]

There's always a thread hating on private schools here, or virtually every thread here makes some reference to this age-old discussion or Publics vs. Private schools.

Think about this publics...Isn't it great to go out and pound a hand picked private school all-star team?

I say: "Don't get bitter, get BETTER."

Publics who complain about all the advantages private schools have should knock it off and devote their energies to getting better. Just ask Rocky Grove (who beat the North Catholic All Stars last Friday night) and Beaver Falls (who went into McCruit's back yard, and from my understanding, brought their "C" or "D" game and still won.)

Why complain about something you can't control? Heck, the PIAA allowed the Philly area Catholic Schools into the PIAA, so they're not going away any time soon.

Conversely, I laugh at the private school followers who say that their coaches don't recruit. That is comical. Are you kidding me? That is a bold faced lie. If private schools coaches don't recruit, they'll lose their jobs. I personally know private/Catholic school coaches (who BTW, I have a great deal of respect for) who have told me that it's a big part of their job to sell the school while using athletics as the main recruiting caviat. They MUST recruit to sustain the school or their doors will close. Anyone who works/coaches in a private school and tells you they don't recruit is lying. Isn't lying breaking a commandment or something?

I am sure after missing the playoffs this year for like the first time in 15 years, a certain large private HS in PA is out there trying to get players right now, and ready to hit all of the parochial and private schools on the post-season sports banquet circuit. I'm also sure that scholarship sponsors and donors are being lined up for the "athletic boosters'" summer and fall golf tourneys and smokers to replenish their (athletic) scholarship funds. Anyone who doesn't think this happens is naive. These fundraisers insure that the school budget has plenty of "NEED BASED FINANCIAL AID" to be distributed...and much of the time the "NEED" is "BASED" on a whether the student ATHLETE is a quality point guard or QB.

With all this said, it doesn't mean public school backers have to like it, but it is what it is. Go out and beat private schools. Beat them so badly that noone will want to attend there anymore and they'll fade into oblivion. With that said, I always have thought how interesting it is to see the "smaller" private schools *(ie-Basketball academies or sports magnets) beat up on the little guys in A and AA, but in AAAA they have trouble competing.

Having all private and Catholics play AAAA regardless of the enrollment would be great to see. Wouldn't you love to see Bishop Carroll, Guilfoyle, McCruit, Serra Catholic, "Linkin" Park, or some of these other little basketball magnet schools lace them up against Harrisburg, Reading, or Chester??? Wouldn't that be fun?

It would be fruitless though, because many folks associated with those little private schools believe that AA basketball is better than AAAA in basketball anyway, so they'd never play up because to them it would be like playing down. Why play AAAA when they actually believe that AA basketball is better anyway, right?

[Crimson09Crazy]

This whole argument can't be pointed right at me can it? LOL


C or D game? hahaha yeah their best player brought his C game when one the best coaches on the country is there to watch him. Thats a good one.


Recruiting is a funny word. I might need a definition.
Did you know 450 kids attend Bishop McCort? Not just the 4 kids from public schools that play football. And HUNDREDS of them get need based scholarships. Even Trumpet players, Chess club members, and ordinary students. You wouldn't know that if you listened to every clown out there.

I think it is equally funny when someone's nephew's barber's neighbor tells them so and so was recruited, so it instantly turns to fact.


And since 4A Basketball coaches,fans, and players from the WPIAL invented the game of Basketball, we would stand no chance.

I think its equally as comical that people out there really think Bishop Carrolls,Serra,and North Catholic's of the world can be compared to Roman Catholic,Imhotep Charter ect ect....


Philly PUBLIC and private schools recruit. FACT. No way getting around it. Its absolutely ridiculous to think Bishop McCort is in the same league,division, same anything with Roman Catholic. They have two guards that start in the Big East, with countless other D1 players. Bishop McCort's best player in Basketball is a backup in the WVIAC. Bishop Carroll,Bishop Guilfoyle probably don't have a player that plays in College. Serra and North each have 1 D2 player, yet we want to rope them into the same category as the Philly PUBLIC or Catholic league. Youre Public school brothers in Philly recruit too. These schools that sound made up aren't all necessarily charter schools. They are in fact the Public Schools for the city of Philadelphia and you sound silly making fun of these teams, when the residents of that city send their kids to these schools.
If I was a public school fan, I'd be ashamed of what the Ligonier coach said, and what the clown from Northern Cambria said a few years back. Hell Northern Cambria beat Bishop McCort twice the first year they were any good, and guess what....The Lady Crushers didn't have 1 girl that was outside of the Parochial system. But no we gotta set ourselves for the excuse before we play the game because if we lose, we were supposed too, if we win we killed the dragon. Those coaches are absolute jokes, and embarass themselves and their teams. GO play the game!!!! Hate excuses before the game. Its basically saying you suck.

And I gotta listen about a team bringing their C and D game when a Hall of Fame coach is in the crowd. Even when their coach said after the game that the gap between D5/6 and the WPIAL is closing. He didn't make an excuse. Because he's a man.

[vman]

WPIAL, wannabe Titan...what a joke you really are! You remind of a line from Harriet Johnson in Blazing Saddles directed towards the gov....."just goes to prove that you are the leading a$$hole in the state"!

[knowitall]

Why isn't Johnstown Christian School a district 5 power?

The real question isn't does Bishop McCort recruit, the question is why does it really matter.

[WPIAL~Titan]

My post was directed at noone in particular, just an addition top the whole private-public discussion. Don't flatter yourself by thinking I was addressing you, Crimson! LOL.

Fact: In private schools EVERYONE is recruited...and special efforts are made to recruit student ATHLETES. How else could a private school in Ebensburg or Johnstown sustain itself without aggressive recruiting that involves athletics (school strengths at McCruit and Blacklick Carroll and the Guilfoyle Mtn. Lions/Tigers) as a basis for that recruitment? Anyone who thinks otherwise is breaking a commandment.

I'll believe the two folks (very successful coaches) I talked to who know basketball and BFalls who were at the McCruit game who said BFalls didn't play well. Jeter already has an offer from WVU, Huggins obviously wants the kid if he showed up at Richland HS. Do you think Huggins was there to see the McCruit players or check out UPJ's campus or make an offer for McCruit's or BFalls coach to join his staff? If he was willing to go through the aggravation of driving or flying to Jtown to watch bad class AA HS basketball in a small gym, he obviously thinks Jeter can play at WVU and wants him.

Private schools are lumped into the same category because they can choose any player they want, not from within a set area. Residency? Doesn't matter. Don't have the money to attend and have good point guard skills? No worries, get the kid some "Need Based" financial aid. The private schools that board students are even at more of an advantage. Do you think those fundraisers put money in the coffers for textbooks, salaries, etc.? That's what tuition payments from those tuba players, artists, and cheerleaders is for.

I agree with the whole excuses thing, which is the context of my post.

[Crimson09Crazy]

The AA-AAAA thing in there, perked my ears up. Definitely thought it was to me. And it kinda has to be towards me, 99% people on here hate McCort. So in essence in kind of falls on my plate, and it falls on every public school fans plate as well.

I didn't think Beaver Falls played well, I don't think McCort played well either. McCort's A game beats Beaver Falls' C and D game. McCort's C game doesn't fare well against Beaver Falls. Thats why they won.


I think Huggins was there to watch the kid play, and once he offered me a scholarship I don't think I put forth my C effort. If he's there he wants to see his boy do well, I don't think Jeter was thinking, "Man coach Huggins is here I guess I won't play hard because he's in the stands and he offered me already so I'm good."
Quite the opposite I'd imagine, he's thinking"dang coach is here, I better show him I'm still worth it."
But apparently to the all knowing WPIAL Basketball fan, He must know.


Side note, Richland isn't really a small gym, One of the nicer ones in the state I'd imagine.....Hell it better be for what they spent on it.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Here are the two things nobody from private schools have an answer for and wants to talk about, because anyone with any honesty and integrity who works in a private school knows them to be true:


"Fact: In private schools EVERYONE is recruited...and special efforts are made to recruit student ATHLETES. How else could a private school in Ebensburg or Johnstown sustain itself without aggressive recruiting that involves athletics (school strengths at McCruit and Blacklick Carroll and the Guilfoyle Mtn. Lions/Tigers) as a basis for that recruitment? Anyone who thinks otherwise is breaking a commandment."

"Private schools are lumped into the same category because they can choose any player they want, not from within a set area. Residency? Doesn't matter. Don't have the money to attend and have good point guard skills? No worries, get the kid some "Need Based" financial aid. The private schools that board students are even at more of an advantage. Do you think those fundraisers put money in the coffers for textbooks, salaries, etc.? That's what the full tuition payments from those tuba players, artists, and cheerleaders are for..."

[Crimson09Crazy]

I'll talk about it all day, but at the end of the day the witch hunt continues....the false allegations are brought up, Timmy and Joey didn't win districts from Public School A, Coach Smith from Public school B is still going to make a comment in the tribune prior to their playoff game saying its ok because they are a Catholic School.


At the end of the day, It is a Witch Hunt. Nothing is going to be done, Hell if you want something to be done....Use the no credability story from Pop from the pub down the street and take it to District 6 and make a formal complaint that this kid in particular was recruited. Why not? Why **** and moan all dang day on here? Be proactive, you want a change, MAKE A CHANGE. I'll tell you right now, you won't find the verdict you want. But hey at least you gave it a fighting chance. Nobody has any accountability anymore. If we lose, its the Catholic school's fault. We are going to make false statements on a message board, but we know deep down inside that Johny wasn't recruited so we can't do anything with it.


Sorry. Don't see it any other way.



And your words, How can a Catholic School sustain in thia area.....Well I don't think they will be able too for much longer. Just keep holding on, at some point when Johnstown and the rest of Western PA becomes one giant ghost town(which isn't too far away) than the Catholic schools won't exist. The tiny schools will be merged, and Wyoming will have a higher population density than Western PA.

[WPIAL~Titan]

I dislike the excuses that public schools make almost as much as I dislike the DENIAL, DECEPTION, and BS that private schools serve when saying "We didn't recruit Petey Point Guard; he wanted to come here." I guess nothing is ever done to seal the deal then, huh?

Fact: If recruiting doesnt happen, private schools cease to exist. I don't care of you're in Jtown, PGH, Philly or Wyoming. Athletics is what many private schools offer which attract "student-athletes." Simply stated, recruiting is a way of life for private schools. If they don't recruit, they don't exist. If they don't showcase strong athletic programs and get athletes into their schools, their enrollments and reputations take a hit and jeopardizes their exietence. Can anyone intelligently argue that this isn't true?

Again, no supporter from private schools has an answer for or wants to discuss the information below, because they know it to be true.

BTW, when is the spring golf outing for ABC Private School anyway? I heard that this year's proceeds will go to landing a new PG for the boys' hoops team and a shut down corner, and the funds raised at the silent auction will pay the QB's tuition.

Some may laugh at this stuff, because it's my examples seem so blatant, but don't think for a second that the outings/events that raise money for a private school benefit Johnny the tuba player or Sally the cheerleader in any meaningful way. In reality, those funds do go to students who have athletic talents (and a few who may even qualify or require financial assistance legitimately, and a few who don't but get "a little unneeded financial help", heck maybe even pay rental for a nicer apartment for the student-athlete's family.)

The corporate sponsorship of golf holes and folks throwing around money at these events isn't like a public school booster event and doesn't just buy the bball team sweats and t-shirts or the football team meals for away games...They're much more than that because they HAVE to be for private schiools. getting the right players and having winning teams makes all the difference at private schools. It's all about perception.

Again, it's NEED BASED...If we NEED a point guard, the amount of the schiolarship will BASED on who fills the need and how good the player is.

So, in summary, YES PRIVATE SCHOOLS DO RECRUIT BECAUSE THEYHAVE TO IN ORDER TO EXIST and athletics isTHE primary focus for the recruitment efforts of many private schools.

When is that golf outing again??? I want 9:15AM tee time with Dan Marino and Mark Bulger, and I'll bring lots of $50s and $100s...


"Fact: In private schools EVERYONE is recruited...and special efforts are made to recruit student ATHLETES. How else could a private school in Ebensburg or Johnstown sustain itself without aggressive recruiting that involves athletics (school strengths at McCruit and Blacklick Carroll and the Guilfoyle Mtn. Lions/Tigers) as a basis for that recruitment? Anyone who thinks otherwise is breaking a commandment."

"Private schools are lumped into the same category because they can choose any player they want, not from within a set area. Residency? Doesn't matter. Don't have the money to attend and have good point guard skills? No worries, get the kid some "Need Based" financial aid. The private schools that board students are even at more of an advantage. Do you think those fundraisers put money in the coffers for textbooks, salaries, etc.? That's what the full tuition payments from those tuba players, artists, and cheerleaders are for..."

[Crimson09Crazy]

So every athlete can't afford to attend Catholic High Schools?
Please.


IF all you have is speculation, than thats about all you got.