Serious Question That Requires Serious Input

[Guest DickVitale]

Tell me what you think about this:

I had a coach to call me on yesterday, (and I won't blast him by saying who) trying to cancel a non district game with my school for this reason; The last couple of years have been close games with them winning 2 and LHN winning 2.  He heard that our team would be dramatically different and feels that OUR team would not gain anything by playing them , and HIS team had EVERYTHING to gain, so he wanted to cancel for that reason....Is that not the most RETARDED thing you have ever heard? I reminded him that I LEFT the game on the schedule, when I had ample opportunity to back out and play someone BETTER, but kept the school's COMMITMENT to play. This burned me to no end, because I had to find another tourney to play in for THE EXACT SAME REASON...Let me remind you that we play in TAPPS and all of my players are high school eligible..My question is, why are coaches so cowardly these days? What would some of YOU guys do in this situation? If you were ME OR an opponent? Seriously...I would like some real input.  Thanks.

[Lazeek]

I am not qualified to answer this.  It is above me, so I will refrain from answering it!!!! : :

[no-look]

Schedules shouldn't be changed this late unless its something that cant be helped. If they make commitments they should hang with it.....If they want out, change it early so it doesen't put the other team in a bind....backing out this late for that reason is not exceptable....thats my story and I'm sticking with it.......

[The Ingredient]

Go check out TABC website under games needed. Several schools are in your same boat. It is pretty stinkin late to drop a game, but you do have time to replace it.

[Guest DickVitale]

I am not qualified to answer this.  It is above me, so I will refrain from answering it!!!! : :

We all KNOW that is the case.... 8)....BUT, I KNOW you have an opinion on the matter anyway....AND I half way respect it, too! :D  Come on, Lazeek, lets have it!

[Lazeek]

Nope...........no opinion!!!!! 

Actually I do........I think that it is crap to cancel this late, because it likely puts you in a bind to find a game.  If the guy is gun shy about playing a team that is better than him than he has some issues.  Play to win regardless of who you are playing.  It likely will help his team in the long run to play a team as good as Lutheran!!!!!  It will be as close to playing in a college game as some of these kids will ever see!!!! ;D ;D ;D

[Guest nostradamus]

I don't think you cancel this late on anyone unless there are extenuating circumstances.....that being said....if it is a public school....it is hard to blame them because you guys don't have to play by the same rules.....

[Guest DickVitale]

Nostradamus, thats just not true! What rules are different? TAPPS rules are actually MORE stringent than UIL rules, although they mirror each other.  Different rules, NOS? Not the case.

BTW, it was another private school.

[Guest nostradamus]

Is a kid required to live in a certain area in order to go to school at a private school?

[Guest DickVitale]

Is a kid required to live in a certain area to go to PUBLIC school? Don't feed me THAT nonsense, NOS... : You know better than that!

[Guest nostradamus]

And if you play by the same rules then tell me how your team has "changed significantly"?  Why aren't you inheriting the same players from the last couple of years.  How come, every year private schools suddenly have new kids that are upper classmen that have never attended there before.......and don't give me the crap about "their parents just decided to move them to a private school"....

[Guest nostradamus]

YES!  They are...I can name a dozen kids in our school district who, in the last 6 months, have receive letters stating that the district is aware that they do not live within our zone and will not be allowed to enroll in our school for the upcoming year.

[Guest nostradamus]

And before you get all fired up....I am not accusing you of anything....I am just saying that ALL private schools do not have to play by the same rules....and ANYONE that has half a clue knows that is the case.

[AggiesAreWe]

I have to agree with Nos on this one. Private schools have a much better opportunity to "change significantly" their teams from year to year, publics don't. That is a great advantage.

[Guest DickVitale]

YES!  They are...I can name a dozen kids in our school district who, in the last 6 months, have receive letters stating that the district is aware that they do not live within our zone and will not be allowed to enroll in our school for the upcoming year.

Yeah right....Jarvis Bernard....Liberty...nuff said :

And if you play by the same rules then tell me how your team has "changed significantly"?  Why aren't you inheriting the same players from the last couple of years.  How come, every year private schools suddenly have new kids that are upper classmen that have never attended there before.......and don't give me the crap about "their parents just decided to move them to a private school"....

Tell me how Houston Yates "changed significantly"? They have transfers....Just because HJ does not get move ins, (well TRUE move ins anyway) does not mean that in a larger setting such as HOUSTON, it wont happen.  Elsik just lost their BEST player to Stratford! Nic Wise transferred to Kingwood in 05! Thats sounds like public school to public school to me! The list goes on and on.  YES, their PARENTS WANTED THEM IN PRIVATE SCHOOL....NO BRAINER. You guys act as if this does not happen anywhere but in private schools and thats not true.

[Guest nostradamus]

First....you come over here right now and I'll drive you to the house where Jarvis LIVED when he was in school here.  The kid went to school here for 11.5 years.  Quit bringing up people.....you don't have a clue about Jarvis' situation and why he was FORCED to attend Liberty for one semester.

Second,  I didn't say it doesn't happen in public schools....I am very aware that it happen....but public schools are held accountable and must go through a process OUTSIDE of their school for a player to become eligible.  That doesn't happen at private schools....if a kid checks in and "meets the criteria" then he/she is in...it is up to the school........in public schools it is up to the UIL.

[AggiesAreWe]

First....you come over here right now and I'll drive you to the house where Jarvis LIVED when he was in school here.  The kid went to school here for 11.5 years.  Quit bringing up people.....you don't have a clue about Jarvis' situation and why he was FORCED to attend Liberty for one semester.

Second,  I didn't say it doesn't happen in public schools....I am very aware that it happen....but public schools are held accountable and must go through a process OUTSIDE of their school for a player to become eligible.  That doesn't happen at private schools....if a kid checks in and "meets the criteria" then he/she is in...it is up to the school........in public schools it is up to the UIL.

I would consider that different rules.

[Guest DickVitale]

Second,  I didn't say it doesn't happen in public schools....I am very aware that it happen....but public schools are held accountable and must go through a process OUTSIDE of their school for a player to become eligible.  That doesn't happen at private schools....if a kid checks in and "meets the criteria" then he/she is in...it is up to the school........in public schools it is up to the UIL.

WRONG! Each transfer kid must be APPROVED by TAPPS in order to participate in varsity athletics.  BTW Houston ISD and several others here have OPEN ENROLLMENT, which means that a kid can go to what ever school he or she wants, no matter WHERE they live, starting in 9th grade. Thats PUBLIC school...

[shorttexas1]

Just like Ivan McFarlin went to Fort Bend to play with Willowridge and so did Lanny Smith and those kids.  Families move to put their kids in a better position.  True it happens more in the Bigger Cities....  Most small towns don't experience this; but it doesn't mean it does not happen.  DV has a name in the Houston area, kids want to play for him, they have the grades to perform in private school, and their parents want something better than their kids being taught TAKS 24-7 in some public school!

As far as DVs topic I think it was a bad move on the coaches part, both in not believing in his kids and for being an inconvenience.  I do understand his thinking but I don't condone his actions.

[BLUEDOVE3]

What I find interesting is that the same transfer techniques used by coaches when I was in high school is still being used today. I had a very respectable coach tell me this year it is not hard to transfer from one district to another. In HJ's case, the area probably doesn't have the attractions for moving a basketball family there. Therefore they have a wide zoning area and actually take away some of HF's athletes...man, this subject has really expanded ...... ;D

[BLUEDOVE3]

But, to answer the poster's original question, I never could understand why coaches run away from competition. I thought that was one of the primary reasons for being in sports. Play good teams gives you an idea what areas your team need the work.

[Guest DickVitale]

They want people to believe that basketball is just bred in Sour Lake, Nome and China.....They would NEVER THINK of pulling kids from anywhere else.... : :

[AggiesAreWe]

They want people to believe that basketball is just bred in Sour Lake, Nome and China.....They would NEVER THINK of pulling kids from anywhere else.... : :

DV, are you suggesting that HJ recruits or has recruited in the past?

[dav-joel]

On Topic:

1.Tell the coach thanks for his concerns and that you will be glad to TRY to accomodate him/her but he needs to give you a week or so to find a replacement.

2. Ask for his assistance in finding a quality replacement team.

3. Tell him you will accomodate him IF yall can schedule someone else.

4. If they insist you're probably better off anyway.

JMO  

[Guest DickVitale]

They want people to believe that basketball is just bred in Sour Lake, Nome and China.....They would NEVER THINK of pulling kids from anywhere else.... : :

DV, are you suggesting that HJ recruits or has recruited in the past?

I am not suggesting anything....I just know that the innocent approach that they take saying "we have turned away kids that do not live in our zone" is a crock...Especially if those kids happen to be former HJ "little dribblers"...There are not THAT many ball players in the Sour Lake community...They can come from other  places, and nothing is wrong with that, just don't try the purely innocent deal with us on here.