Division II State Championships

[meritage]

That is not true at all... Here is the misconception. Almost all students do some form of athletics many of the private schools ... I know many kids who are on teams, hardly ever play but receive aid. Financial aide is determined by an independent company and can be given out to a white kid who runs a 6.7 40 yard time . I mentored a kid who went to MBA from a single parent home and his mom still had to pay a certain amount. He was a straight A student and never once started on the football team.

 

you are correct. i know the BA stats and i was quite surprised at those that receive financial aid - way over 50%. and they are kids in no activities, those in fine arts, those in dance, those in athletics, and on and on. there is not 1 kid at BA who receives 100% tuition. i'd guess the same is true at other private schools. folks who do not know the facts have simply made up what they think to be true.

 

i was at a school sports event about 3 wks ago - BA vs public, we had just won and the public school parents really started to say very inappropriate things with lots of 4 letters - screaming comments, not just talking. it was really out of control and BA folks were a bit scared. I finally commented to a group of them but to no avail, they were all commenting that private school parents have been handed everything and have worked for nothing. of course hardly true - sounded like an occupy "x" rally. folks need to look in the mirror - they are their own worst enemy - no one else

[KWoodroof]

As is so often the case, Bluemom has said it best (no shock, mother knows best). As much as I enjoy a good skunk fight, I think I'll follow the counsel of another source that suggested not casting one's pearls before swine.

[GoldenGoose85]

D2 is a whole different ballgame than the public schools. It is almost not fair to compare the two on large team sports. There is plenty of honor in winning a title in 1A-6A, why do people always want to unnecessarily compare the two?

Edited December 9, 2011 by GoldenGoose85

[sandlot5]

You don't get the point. We aren't comparing privates to publics....I am pointing out that regardless of the skill level there is still only 12 teams you have to compete with to win a state championship. 12 teams resembles more of a conference championship rather than a state championship. I agree Ensworth can beat anybody. They should... considering they can pick the players they want, and offer their financial aid to athletes only. High school athletics used to be my town vs. your town. Look at their roster, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Hendersonville, etc. aPut together your best all-star team. DII should be renamed Travel Ball.

[GoldenGoose85]

If this is the case, then what about individual sports? If a D2 athlete is the fastest athlete in the state, yet wins D2, do you still call him a conference champion? No, they are a state champion.

 

Unclassified sports, or a true playoff would determine the best- but who has the time or patience. After a couple years of the egos, everyone will be back to classifications anyways.

 

There is plenty of honor winning state in anything.

Edited December 9, 2011 by GoldenGoose85

[KWoodroof]

You don't get the point. We aren't comparing privates to publics....I am pointing out that regardless of the skill level there is still only 12 teams you have to compete with to win a state championship. 12 teams resembles more of a conference championship rather than a state championship. I agree Ensworth can beat anybody. They should... considering they can pick the players they want, and offer their financial aid to athletes only. High school athletics used to be my town vs. your town. Look at their roster, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Hendersonville, etc. aPut together your best all-star team. DII should be renamed Travel Ball.

Call it anything you like, call it Henrietta Louise if it pleases you. We call it a travesty, because it was forced on us after decades of playing together in three classifications. It comes down in large part to BA thumping Loretto and Riverdale in play-off games over a period of years. In a previous era (known as "the '60's and '70's"), coaches would take losses as an incentive to work harder and prepare the teams better, and to look forward to a rematch. This was an era of giants among coaches...the Warren Dunns, Garland Russells, Nick Coutras, Wes Elrod, Ernest Smallen et al (I confine the list to Nashville area coaches because I'm familiar with them, but it was the same all over). Now of course, we're ruled by pygmies. If my team can't beat yours, you must be cheating. And the kids need to feel good regardless of whether they've accomplished anything or not, so let's have 8 state football championships for a relatively small state.

 

You're right...it's not much of a state championship. And if you'll persuade the TSSAA to let us come back, I venture to say that almost all of these schools would be happy to reintegrate into the 6A group. It would reduce our travel costs considerably. And when the TSSAA does this, I'll host the party. I'll plan on barbecuing a unicorn.

 

(I'm mindful, respectful, and supportive of Coach T's rules regarding no profanity. But know if this conversation had been held in a bar, I'd have blistered the varnish off the tables over this nonsense.)

[GoldenGoose85]

Good post. Also, TSSAA has more playoff games in 8 divisions partially because it generates more TSSAA revenue. Barbecuing a unicorn- funny!

[jon26]

Call it anything you like, call it Henrietta Louise if it pleases you. We call it a travesty, because it was forced on us after decades of playing together in three classifications. It comes down in large part to BA thumping Loretto and Riverdale in play-off games over a period of years. In a previous era (known as "the '60's and '70's"), coaches would take losses as an incentive to work harder and prepare the teams better, and to look forward to a rematch. This was an era of giants among coaches...the Warren Dunns, Garland Russells, Nick Coutras, Wes Elrod, Ernest Smallen et al (I confine the list to Nashville area coaches because I'm familiar with them, but it was the same all over). Now of course, we're ruled by pygmies. If my team can't beat yours, you must be cheating. And the kids need to feel good regardless of whether they've accomplished anything or not, so let's have 8 state football championships for a relatively small state.

 

You're right...it's not much of a state championship. And if you'll persuade the TSSAA to let us come back, I venture to say that almost all of these schools would be happy to reintegrate into the 6A group. It would reduce our travel costs considerably. And when the TSSAA does this, I'll host the party. I'll plan on barbecuing a unicorn.

 

(I'm mindful, respectful, and supportive of Coach T's rules regarding no profanity. But know if this conversation had been held in a bar, I'd have blistered the varnish off the tables over this nonsense.)

 

kwoodroof, thank you for that post. You said in a few paragraphs what most all of us have felt for a long time. We all travel all over the place....because we have no other choice. Don't expect it to ever change again....but if those complaining about us (sandlot) would complain to those that made us change...and let us back in....I will co-host that party with you. We are all sick of this ridiculous topic.

Edited December 9, 2011 by jon26

[Manzikert]

kwoodroof, thank you for that post. You said in a few paragraphs what most all of us have felt for a long time. We all travel all over the place....because we have no other choice. Don't expect it to ever change again....but if those complaining about us (sandlot) would complain to those that made us change...and let us back in....I will co-host that party with you. We are all sick of this ridiculous topic.

I second that. Everything in KWoodruff's last post was dead on accurate (no surprise there) and I can't improve on it so I won't try. As for sandlot5's statement that 100% of Ensworth's financial aid goes to athletes, there is no gentle way to put this-- that's simply a lie. sandlot5 you don't have solid proof, you don't know what you're talking about and to claim otherwise is a further lie. Go away. You have nothing useful to say and no one should pay any attention to you.

[BLUEMOM]

I'll contribute a coolerful and a really awesome banana pudding!

[WesVLT]

Call it anything you like, call it Henrietta Louise if it pleases you. We call it a travesty, because it was forced on us after decades of playing together in three classifications. It comes down in large part to BA thumping Loretto and Riverdale in play-off games over a period of years. In a previous era (known as "the '60's and '70's"), coaches would take losses as an incentive to work harder and prepare the teams better, and to look forward to a rematch. This was an era of giants among coaches...the Warren Dunns, Garland Russells, Nick Coutras, Wes Elrod, Ernest Smallen et al (I confine the list to Nashville area coaches because I'm familiar with them, but it was the same all over). Now of course, we're ruled by pygmies. If my team can't beat yours, you must be cheating. And the kids need to feel good regardless of whether they've accomplished anything or not, so let's have 8 state football championships for a relatively small state.

 

You're right...it's not much of a state championship. And if you'll persuade the TSSAA to let us come back, I venture to say that almost all of these schools would be happy to reintegrate into the 6A group. It would reduce our travel costs considerably. And when the TSSAA does this, I'll host the party. I'll plan on barbecuing a unicorn.

 

(I'm mindful, respectful, and supportive of Coach T's rules regarding no profanity. But know if this conversation had been held in a bar, I'd have blistered the varnish off the tables over this nonsense.)

Truer words hath ne'er been uttered by an MBA grad! (I jest, of course)

 

It's laughable to me. Not only did public schools wave the white flag and push for a split, but now their supporters have the gall to call our league -- a division born out of their cowardice -- illegitimate.

 

I dream of the day when BA, MBA and Ensworth can share a division with Brentwood, Franklin, Ravenwood, Centennial, Independence and Hillsboro. It's especially mouth-watering considering my Eagles have only lost once to a Williamson County team. Ever.

 

Bring it on.

[MoonDogRex]

What is absolutely shocking about the entire DII issue is that the independent schools accepted their banishment into a league of only 12 or so schools and STILL allowed themselves to be governed by the arcane rules of the TSSAA.

 

Let me get this straight: if you go to a school like CPA or Lipscomb and are offered NEED-BASED AID ESTABLISHED BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY SOURCE (not merit aid), then you are NOT allowed to play varsity sports? That's crazy. Absolutely crazy. The Sports Illustrated article about the McCallie cross country team and the issue of merit aid was embarrassing enough for the state, but to penalize a kid because his family doesn't have sufficient income on its own to afford a private school tuition? AND FOR AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TO ACCEPT THAT DICTATE OR EMBRACE THAT IDEA JUST TO BE ABLE TO PLAY AGAINST PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Really? C'mon, man!

 

I go the other way from the rest of you. There are viable, extremely respected all-private school leagues in other states that operate by their own rules. These rules are established in a consensus manner by the heads of the independent schools in those leagues, putting the best interests of independent school education above anything else. Those schools have not suffered in any way in terms of admissions or the competitiveness of their sports.

 

Virginia has the VISAA: http://visaa.org/

 

North Carolina has the NCISAA: http://www.ncisaa.org/