BEST PLAYERS IN A/AA?

[duce777]

Personally I think the private schools should play each other and the public schools should play each other.........it gets really old when mainly the private schools are in the finals. They need to comptete against each other and let the public schools compete against each other....

 

Maybe the public schools need to up their performances, football does fine for public schools, in fact it's the private schools complaining in football. But the TSSAA will do anything for football, but soccer.... phhh!

[stealthccrunner3200]

Duce is right, small private schools that are good at soccer (for example CCS and FRA just to name a few) get ran through during football and basketball season by the slightly larger public schools. Im not downplaing any of these small private school fball and bball programs, im just saying that it isnt like CCS and FRA kill everybody in every sport. TSSAA will not change it

[flashgordon]

Maybe the public schools have a case if kids at private schools can be 5 year starters.

Actually you're talking about a TSSAA rule (however it is my understanding that you cannot play as a seventh grader...so I'm not sure where anyone came up with 6 year starters?) You can play varsity as an 8th grader per the TSSAA (my daughter did and started, and it was great for her) but most public schools have separate middle schools or may not want to bring kids over from another school to play...thus some of the self-imposed limitations...so this has NOTHING to do with private vs public....the question is "do you make a decision based on what is best for the player (play up with better competition to get even better)...or best for the middle school (keep that strong player to present a stronger middle school program)"? Obviously, I support playing up (if the player can truly play a meaningful role in high school)...make the player better, make the high school better, and give more playing time to another middle school player that can also develop!

[flashgordon]

Personally I think the private schools should play each other and the public schools should play each other.........it gets really old when mainly the private schools are in the finals. They need to comptete against each other and let the public schools compete against each other....

We've already implemented the most punitive multiplier in the country. If you do as you propose, (and I'm not necessarily for or against it) you'll end up with a lower quality of play for the "championships" and you are also going to find everyone (public and private) traveling a lot more and scrambling to match up with competition...many schools will be commuting 4 hours or more to games....that is probably not a good thing for many reasons????

[basehits]

Maybe the public schools need to up their performances, football does fine for public schools, in fact it's the private schools complaining in football. But the TSSAA will do anything for football, but soccer.... phhh!

So what you are saying is that if the private schools only played private schools during basketball and football it would surely help them during their seasons. And we know that if the public schools only played public schools during soccer it would only help them during their season. That would be great!!! I think maybe the soccer players go to private schools because of their great soccer programs and maybe their parents can afford to send them there, but mayybe the football and basketball parents cant afford the same. Could that be true??

[basehits]

We've already implemented the most punitive multiplier in the country. If you do as you propose, (and I'm not necessarily for or against it) you'll end up with a lower quality of play for the "championships" and you are also going to find everyone (public and private) traveling a lot more and scrambling to match up with competition...many schools will be commuting 4 hours or more to games....that is probably not a good thing for many reasons????

I think the private schools would have more of a problem with this not the public schools. The public schools may have to play larger schools, but they could find schools to play.

[kickgrass]

I for one would prefer to see all of the public and private schools play together. Of course then the recruiting issue becomes a factor. Some kids would be punished in that they may deserve academically to go to a private school that offers them a better education than they could get where they are zoned and are bright enough to be given financial assistance. Then if those same kids play sports is it recruiting? Then there are the schools that do recruit athletes from the other programs, so that causes the problems that we have today.

 

Soccer does not suffer too much from this situation, but some sports such as wrestling do suffer greatly, in my opinion.

 

There doesn't appear to be a good answer to this situation, so I guess it's the best we're going to get.

[soccer246]

I think its ok to let players play up on varsity. I mean, if you have a player that is good enough to play on that level, I say go for it.

[flashgordon]

I think the private schools would have more of a problem with this not the public schools. The public schools may have to play larger schools, but they could find schools to play.

Obviously there are fewer private schools so there would be more travel for privates, but your solution of publics playing larger publics just trades one problem for you to complain about for another. Years ago we had that....and there was one state champion...that is why they put in classifications for size. Also no one benefits from sending school teams on regular four hour bus rides to play ball, plus it hurts the gate receipts for the schools etc. Why do you think Ronnie Carter worked so hard to keep the split from happening. My guess is that it eventually comes and everyone has to realize the problems it brings up.

 

To the original thread...Best players in A/AA, the reality is that there are some really talented soccer players with lots of skills and there are some really talented athletes without as much soccer training that do a very good job on the soccer field....I think at the top level (championships) the skilled players usually come out on top...and coachng should never be discounted! A great coach can do wonders....but maybe not MIRACLES!

Edited November 2, 2005 by flashgordon