Total split:BAD

[just1np]

As many of you have probably noticed, I tend to go back and forth on this particular conundrum. I have recently come to the conclusion that most of the desire for a split is based on old animosity or any number of other reasons that are not entirely well founded. But I still feel that 1A(and maybe 2A as well) is not the best place for MOST private schools. I base this opinion on the fact that MOST private schools get their student body from large city environments. So, in a sense, those schools have a small student body derived from several different large public schools. I think this is something that isn't brought up enough. Let's take my area for example.

We (Sumner Co) are getting our first private school in Pope John PaulII. While no one can predict how well they will do and how fast, I find it hard to believe that they will struggle. Even though their student body will likely be 2A or 3A(# wise), they WILL BE PULLING STUDENTS from Hendersonville, Gallatin, Beech, White House, and likely some (not many) from Father Ryan and other Davidson Co schools.*The school is located on the south side of Hendersonville if you didn't know* Those schools are all 5A or 4A! No that does not neccesarily mean every student athelete that they get is "high" quality. But it is very simple. Small rural school have a small population from which to draw. Large public schools and MOST private schools have a large population from which to draw. That is a huge difference. Take a look at the quality atheletes in professional sports. For every Larry Bird from French Lick Ind., there is two dozen John Hendersons( don't ask me why I thought of him) from a Nashville or Chicago. It is simple odds.

So I say put EVERYONE back together and put private schools in the same class as the two public schools closest to them. Now, I know that isn't going to be fair for the Lighthouse Christians out there. So I would also add something in place to allow schools to be lowered such as an appeals process. This appeals process should be done once before any realignment takes place and everytime a new private comes on board. Obviously there would have to be some kind of 'appeals court', and this would have to be made up of equal private and public A.D.s or other administrators. "No taxation without representation" kind of thing, right?

Look, this country was founded under the bases that everyone had the right to pursue happines. If a total split is what you want I have to inquire as to whether your intentions are pure or not. Private schools have a place in society and they have a place in the TSSAA, and it is not Div II. If one looks back over the last 25 years I don't think you would see a lot of titles for private schools at the highest level of competition. Just off the top of my head I can remember back to '91 in football. And only one private school that won it all during that time: Brentwood Academy. All the others were the likes of Oak Ridge, Gallatin, and Chattanooga Red Bank. If you look at the lower classes the trend flip flops( all sports).

There is a better system out there. But if we continue with a poor and ignorant attitude we will end up like Israel and Palestine. We hate each other and not even remember why.

[just1np]

I was just wondering if anyone ever read this.

If not I'll delete it.

[lazarus]

i read it, and i think it is one of the more rational posts on the subject, well worth leaving up. it gets discouraging to only read posts from one extreme or the other. i also would hate to see a total split, but the only way to avoid it is if both sides make some concessions. i know it can work.

 

about the time that the BA thing in single a was becoming a big controversy here, i sat in a hotel room and read a long article about another state's "reclassification meeting". in essence, an arbitration panel met & determined what class certain private school's belonged in. a couple were moved up & one was moved down because they obviously were competing in the wrong class. what impressed me was what was done with a school that had just won back to back state basketball titles in the smallest class. they were NOT moved up even tho that state's rules automatically provided for a private to be bumped up after consecutive titles. they stayed in the smallest class because the panel determined that they had just benefitted from having a one exceptional athlete, and had not "made a commitment to becoming an athletic power." and that decision was made by representatives of schools that played them.

 

unfortunately i cannot remember what state it was. at the time i was still competing and spent a lot of nights in hotels all over the country. this forum seems to mostly appeal to the extremists on either side, but i have been impressed over the years by the people from both the private & public schools, and i believe we could produce an "arbitration panel" in tennessee that would make fair decisions.

[TheEgoHasLanded]

Give me one reason why it is an advantage of having kids from all over a city as opposed to one particular area...

 

 

Are you saying one area can not compete with the majority of the city?

 

I mean can you tell me that East, Melrose, Whitehaven, Covington, Bartlett, and other public schools wouldn't be dominate, if they got to draw kids from all over...I mean Melrose thrives on Orange Mound and its athletes.

 

So you get kids that live through out the entire city.

 

I just don't really see the advantage of being able to draw kids from an entire city, when all those kids that are going to that particular school are PAYING to go there.

 

How does Trousdale County, South Pitt, Cloudland, and now teams like Collinwood...continue to be good regardless of where their kids live.

[panfan]

EGO,

 

the public schools you mentioned are good b/c they run a quality football program. Notice the word program. From middle school to summers, winters, and in season programs. There are public schools out there that still only open their weight room three days a week. And, they have no off season condidtioning program. then they wonder why they lose.

 

As far as entire city, I assume you are talking about privates. Remember, privates are very limited by those who can afford to go to the school and those who have the academic credentials. if you limited privates to a zone, there would not be enough kids to fill a team.