**NEW IDEA**Resources/Enrollment Classification Pl

[wildcatfan]

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the RECP plan is to prevent unfair match-ups. It is true that the larger schools will have to contend with private schools, but unlike the smaller public schools, the larger schools are more equipped to handle the challenge.

Want to see the whole plan? Here's the link...

http://middleregion.com/recp.htm

[Edited by wildcatfan on 12-21-02 2:15A]

 

[wildcatfan]

Hmmm, any comments on this plan?

[BDURHAM]

Private Radio Man:

 

You should be commended for developing new ideas, however, I disagree with your premise:

 

The decision on what should happen in Tennessee should be made by a panel FREE of input from athletic coaches. Unfortunately, the coaches are not the ones that are looking ten years down the road.

 

I believe coaches should be involved. Part of the problem the TSSAA is having with the proposed split is that they are not directly involving coaches.

 

Posted by wildcatfan:

Hmmm, any comments on this plan?

but instead by classifying schools according to how much the schools spend on athletics combined with enrollment.

 

Has this ever been done? I don't think every program is going to provide a copy of their athletic budget. Put booster clubs into the equation, and you have more problems.

In other words, I don't think this is practical.

 

This are two of the issues raised in your proposal that got my attention.

 

I assume you are coming from an independent, private school perspective. The small rural schools will not agree with this plan, and neither will the larger public schools.

 

There has to be some resolution to the "undue influence" (recruiting) issue before you can bring the publics and D2 schools back together.

[BDURHAM]

One possible complaint about this system of reclassification is that smaller private schools will again be competing with the public schools. The purpose of the TSSAA was to bring schools and students together for athletic competition. In recent years, the membership has forgotten its purpose and have stricken some schools from mainstream competition simply because they refuse to tell an athlete that since he cannot afford the full tuition, he cannot play sports.

 

I don't aqree with your historical review. Some schools who are presently in D2 violated the financial aid rule, and had too many financial aid students in different sports.

 

Some of the schools who are presently in D2 openly recruited athletes. In some cases, it may have been an issue of true need and financial assistance. Yet, too many independent private schools violated the letter and spirit of both the undue influence and financial aid regulations.

[wildcatfan]

Stan, I respec t your opinions, but it is not impractical from a budget standpoint. As taxpayers, we ought to see how public schools spend every penny of their money. If they aren't willing to disclose their budgets, then the administrations need to be removed, or they should cease to recieve taxpayer funds. Simple as that. I want to see how MY money is spent at public schools (This doesn't mean that they don't deserve the money. If a public school wants to spend their aloted funds on building a flower bed, then have a great time digging!). Also, private schools that are non-profit also would have to disclose how they spend their money. Just a thought.

Coaches should have AT MOST minimum input. I don't think that many football coaches can look at the whole problem objectively without trying to figure out a way to make things easir for themselves. Not all though, some want to seek the best competition, others don't. I think that is where the problem lies.

Thanks for your input- it is a work in progress.

A true state champion can not be crowned if you split everyone up.

[dogbreath]

wildcat fan Many private schools almost exclusivly play private schools in the regular season now. They just want to play some small public schools in the playoffs. To make it easier for them to steal the championship. You don't want competition, if you did you would want to be in division 2. By the way, look at Boyd Buchanan's website and see if their football coach is not over addmissions. I don't have proof that any of them recruit but it is simple for anybody to see that players can come from anywhere. That alone is an advantage. If you think that a school with 200 students can compete with a school that has 1000 students you are lost UNLESS THEY HAVE SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT. If you only want one champion it will probably be the Titans. I say the more the merrier. Will it hurt you for a small (1 or 2-A public school to win a championship? If so, I feel sorry for you. TOTAL SPLIT TODAY

[Edited by dogbreath on 12-21-02 6:59P]

[37421]

You are mistaken, dogbreath. Mr. Akins is the school president. His duties include many aspects of Boyd-Buchanan's operations but enrollment and admissions are directed by Mrs. White. Prospective students must be approved by the Mrs. Wood, the Principal.

Any program that wants to get better will play the better teams whenver they can. Boyd was assigned to DI-A by the TSSAA and we play all of our district opponents plus the best teams that will play us. I wish that TSSAA would implement a merit system that would move teams up after a repeat of a state championship, but it seems that is too radical for them. Do you realize that CPA is the only football private to repeat and all others are only working to get there? Why the hate for schools that have done well within the rules?

By the way- My son plays at Boyd and we were all saying that if Cloudland had won the semi we would pull for them big-time in the final so the champ would come from the East! We have great respect for great programs and props to all who provide the chance for the kids to play!

[wildcatfan]

37421 and Dogbreath, this is a thread about a plan, not about a stupid argument over boyd. Dogbreath obviously has no self control in his posts, nor does he think them through before he posts them. Dogbreath, you are a broken record and you are also closed minded. Many small privates play other small privates because they would haveto drive further to play the rural schools and because they have established rivalries with the other schools. And for your info, having been in D-II (Its not D-2, by the way- thats an improper way to abbr. it.) for the last five years or so, I have come to realize that the real competition is in D-II. I love the games. The middle region is tough- there are not a lot or even a few schools that would be willing to step in and play basketball at the D-II level, or baseball, or even football at the AAA level. I think that you dogbreath, might want to consider taking the holidays off from posting or wait until you can come uppp with new material and stop bringing boyd into everything. I think you are insanely jealous of that school for some reason.

[dogbreath]

I have no problem with private schools. I think they are probably very good schools. I was at the Boyd-Buchanan and Cloudland game. They were poor sports from the very start, the very first play they hit late. They have a very good team, so does alot of other private schools. We have played CPA, Ezell, and others. They have alot of big advantages over public schools. They have alot more money, better weight room, but most of all the kids. Every kid is there to work hard and you can see to it that he does. That is not so in public schools. They need to be seperate, it's that simple. If you don't think the coaches should have input on this matter your crazy. Thats like saying that a nurse should do brain surgery. total split today. If you did not understand wildcatfan I was saying if the private schools want competition go to division II.

[wildcatfan]

this is not the proper thread for this dogbreath...have you even seen the plan? If all you want to say is "split today" then start your own thread.

[lazarus]

wildcatfan, hard to get a serious response, isnt it.

public school system information is, well, public. the status of booster clubs, i dont know. but this plan would be tough to implement. a couple of questions come to my mind:

 

1) how would you determine which expenditures were athletic budget, and which werent? the majority of the facilities are general use facilities. the temptation to manipulate the system by hiding facility upkeep and other expenses under non-athletic program headings are obvious.

 

2) how would you handle long-term projects? if a booster club saved up a large sum to do a major project, would the money count against the classification as ir was earned, or all at once when it was spent? for that matter, would major capital projects by the school system bump their teams way up in classification?

 

 

i am dubious as to the potential of this approach both because of those issues and because nothing is easier to manipulate than financial data reporting. as long as nothing material is omitted, there is great latitude in how it is categorized.

[wildcatfan]

Lazurus, YES, IT IS HARD! But thanks for your questions. I would like to answer them in the next day or so. You have raised some good points. Obviously my plan is just a 'rough draft' and certain issues would have to be dealt with before it should be considered for implimentation. General purpose facilities, such as gyms that serve as theaters would be hard to classify.

I guess the proper response would be any work done on the facility that can be used during athletic competition would count in the budget. Obviously schools would have the opportunity to hide expenses and not report them, but I think that the TSSAA should be self-reporting- meaning that member schools do the policing (similar to what happens now).

Large expenditures at one time as county wide or school system improvements is a tough one to classify. Obviously it would bump the school up for a classification period. Possibly if that happened and the budget spiked for a year, the school would rise in classification and after a two year period have the previous two years re-averaged with a chance to move back down.

Just some thoughts, obviously the plan is open to input- I want to make this a working plan that takes ideas from everyone that's decently intelligent and has good working knowledge of the problem. The purpose of me posting this plan was to get folks to offer input and get some feedback on the plan itslef. It took about two weeks to get it to a postable point.

Thanks Lazurus for the input. Hope my answers help you.