High School Transfers.....

[813Jag]

With the arrival of Tony Dungy's family to Tampa, there has been uproar about his son going to a high school out of their district. There's an article on the front page of the Tampa Tribune about transfers (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/01/na-teen-athlete-transfers-like-free-agency/?news).

Are high school tranfers a problem in other cities?

Is if OK for a kid to change schools just to play sports?

What are some ways to slow down the amount of transfers?

[Gil Dobie]

Minnesota just cracked down on their open enrollment policy. Kids now have to sit a year when transferring. This was to stop kids from going to one school in the fall to play football, and another in the spring to play hockey or basketball. With this policy you really saw the specialized sports schools develope in some cases. I don't see a problem with kids going to whichever school they want.

[andy7171]

This is a huge problem in the Washington DC area. The big private school actively recruit players out of the public and lesser private school. It has pretty much destroyed all fair competition in the area.

Just up the road in Baltimore, I can see it starting to take root, but the schools up here aren't as out in the open as they are in DC.

[813Jag]

This is a huge problem in the Washington DC area. The big private school actively recruit players out of the public and lesser private school. It has pretty much destroyed all fair competition in the area.

Just up the road in Baltimore, I can see it starting to take root, but the schools up here aren't as out in the open as they are in DC.
The funny thing is it's the public schools here that recruit. Especially the wealthier shcools.

[bandl]

This is a huge problem in the Washington DC area. The big private school actively recruit players out of the public and lesser private school. It has pretty much destroyed all fair competition in the area.

Just up the road in Baltimore, I can see it starting to take root, but the schools up here aren't as out in the open as they are in DC.

Cough cough cough...OAK HILL ACADEMY...cough cough cough xcoffeex

[GannonFan]

Not just a simple question. Some kids move districts simply because their family moves (new job, better house, cheaper house, etc). With there being several legitimate reasons why a family could move and switch districts, you have to be careful about draconian rules that don't allow for genuine cases. Why punish a kid and make them sit out a season of sports just because their family had to move? That's putting high school sports on a level way out of proportion to what it should be.

[andy7171]

Cough cough cough...OAK HILL ACADEMY...cough cough cough xcoffeex

ahem DeMatha cough cough Gonzaga cough cough Landon ahem

[bandl]

ahem DeMatha cough cough Gonzaga cough cough Landon ahem

Eff Landon xmadx ...used to play them in Lacrosse.

[andy7171]

Eff Landon xmadx ...used to play them in Lacrosse.

Me too, lacrosse and football. Rich cheating bastages!

[OhioHen]

Transfers for sports are always bad situations. Not unusual for a kid to go live with aunt and uncle to "move" to a new district. Less common and more unethical is for a coach to be granted guardianship so the athlete can live with him/her and play ball.

Locally, a small school suddenly had OJ Mayo and Bill Walker at the same time, with neither having lived locally until they were in high school. Amazingly enough, they won consecutive state championships after being non-competitive prior to the arrivals!!

[andy7171]

Host families are the big rage in the DC area.

[Marcus Garvey]

If the parents want their child to play sports at another school, then they should move, if it's required. I personally detest the idea of high schools recruiting athletes, and I'm particularly annoyed that my old high school appears to be doing so these days.

If you don't live in the district, then you can't play there. I also don't belive home-schooled children should be allowed to participate in athletics at the local schools either.

[813Jag]

Not just a simple question. Some kids move districts simply because their family moves (new job, better house, cheaper house, etc). With there being several legitimate reasons why a family could move and switch districts, you have to be careful about draconian rules that don't allow for genuine cases. Why punish a kid and make them sit out a season of sports just because their family had to move? That's putting high school sports on a level way out of proportion to what it should be.
I don't think the issue is kids that have to go to a different school because of the issues you mentioned. The kids I'm talking about are kids that jump from school to school because that team is good.

I'll give an example here in Tampa there are about 4 good football programs. Three are run oriented football teams, the fourth is a pass happy team. Plant (the pass happy team) has produced a QB that is at Miami and another on his way to whatever BCS school he chooses. This school has won a state title and made a deep playoff run the last two years. In the last month Plant has recieved 3 key transfers, two from a school district that is on the other side of town (one being Coach Dungy's son), and the other from a suburb of Tampa about 25 miles from Plant. Basically to transfer in Tampa you have to do a special assignment and prove a hardship that would allow you to go to another school. But now schools (I'm not saying that Plant does this) seem to be finding ways around that special assignment issue.

These kids, who were starters, at their old high schools have raised eyebrows by their moves.

[813Jag]

If the parents want their child to play sports at another school, then they should move, if it's required. I personally detest the idea of high schools recruiting athletes, and I'm particularly annoyed that my old high school appears to be doing so these days.

If you don't live in the district, then you can't play there. I also don't belive home-schooled children should be allowed to participate in athletics at the local schools either.

I agree. xthumbsupx

[Marcus Garvey]

I don't think the issue is kids that have to go to a different school because of the issues you mentioned. The kids I'm talking about are kids that jump from school to school because that team is good.

I'll give an example here in Tampa there are about 4 good football programs. Three are run oriented football teams, the fourth is a pass happy team. Plant (the pass happy team) has produced a QB that is at Miami and another on his way to whatever BCS school he chooses. This school has won a state title and made a deep playoff run the last two years. In the last month Plant has recieved 3 key transfers, two from a school district that is on the other side of town (one being Coach Dungy's son), and the other from a suburb of Tampa about 25 miles from Plant. Basically to transfer in Tampa you have to do a special assignment and prove a hardship that would allow you to go to another school. But now schools (I'm not saying that Plant does this) seem to be finding ways around that special assignment issue.

These kids, who were starters, at their old high schools have raised eyebrows by their moves.

Bethlehem (PA) Catholic High (Becahi) was notorious for recruiting in the 80's and 90's. Their head coach used to tell reporters, "I don't recruit." Yeah, no ***** (Bob) Stem! Everyone knows that your top assistant on your staff did your recruiting. xrolleyesx

Eventually, the local high schools got sick of it and the conference broke up. They were forced to travel far to fill out a schedule. Eventually, a new conference with pretty much all the same schools (re)formed, but before they'd let Becahi in, Stem had to go.

[Marcus Garvey]

I agree. xthumbsupx
I love the argument that the parents pay taxes, therefore their kid should be allowed to play. xrolleyesx

Based upon that logic, if my child attends Valley Christian High in Chandler, AZ, he should still be allowed to play football for Hamilton High in Chandler, a perennial state power.

[GannonFan]

I don't think the issue is kids that have to go to a different school because of the issues you mentioned. The kids I'm talking about are kids that jump from school to school because that team is good.

I'll give an example here in Tampa there are about 4 good football programs. Three are run oriented football teams, the fourth is a pass happy team. Plant (the pass happy team) has produced a QB that is at Miami and another on his way to whatever BCS school he chooses. This school has won a state title and made a deep playoff run the last two years. In the last month Plant has recieved 3 key transfers, two from a school district that is on the other side of town (one being Coach Dungy's son), and the other from a suburb of Tampa about 25 miles from Plant. Basically to transfer in Tampa you have to do a special assignment and prove a hardship that would allow you to go to another school. But now schools (I'm not saying that Plant does this) seem to be finding ways around that special assignment issue.

These kids, who were starters, at their old high schools have raised eyebrows by their moves.

Oh, I'm not saying that kids and parents gaming the system doesn't happen, it certainly does. My comment was that in the rush to stop these schools from recruiting and from parents gaming the system we have to be careful not to put high school sports on such an important pedestal that in the interest of protecting those games we unintentionally punish kids who's moves had nothing at all to do with sports. I've seen too many applications of strict guidelines in both SE PA as well as DE that do just that - innocent kids who move without sports in mind are punished just so that we can have airtight guidelines preventing people from getting around the system.

[813Jag]

Oh, I'm not saying that kids and parents gaming the system doesn't happen, it certainly does. My comment was that in the rush to stop these schools from recruiting and from parents gaming the system we have to be careful not to put high school sports on such an important pedestal that in the interest of protecting those games we unintentionally punish kids who's moves had nothing at all to do with sports. I've seen too many applications of strict guidelines in both SE PA as well as DE that do just that - innocent kids who move without sports in mind are punished just so that we can have airtight guidelines preventing people from getting around the system.
I think we're on the same page. But some way something has to be done to prevent kids from going to different schools, just because they want to play for a different team.

My wife's alma mater (and my favorite school in Tampa) Hillsborough has been accused of recruiting, but they lose more players than they gain. Last year they gained a great player but he basically stays in their district. This is due to his former schools district overlapping with Hillsborough's.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

We have some of this going on in southern Maine, mostly in basketball. There are 16 Class A (largest) schools. The 3 Portland schools have kids transfering back and forth all the time. One is a Catholic school (the only one in the league) so they can get kids from anywhere. I does really upset the ballance of power.

[Gil Dobie]

Should people be required to live in the cities they work in? You go to work at the place you think is best for your career, why shouldn't a kid that likes basketball be able to go to a school with a basketball tradition or the school that fits best with what the kids wants.

[813Jag]

Should people be required to live in the cities they work in? You go to work at the place you think is best for your career, why shouldn't a kid that likes basketball be able to go to a school with a basketball tradition or the school that fits best with what the kids wants.
I agree to an extent, I think you can have that choice but at some point some stability has to be established. It may not be that bad in some places but in Tampa there's 34 high schools and some of those schools lose players with out being able to put up any fight.

[Marcus Garvey]

Should people be required to live in the cities they work in? You go to work at the place you think is best for your career, why shouldn't a kid that likes basketball be able to go to a school with a basketball tradition or the school that fits best with what the kids wants.

5 yards for faulty rationalization.

You go to secondary school for an education, not athletics.
He can go there, but as long as he meet's that schools admission requirements. For a public school, that means residing in the district. If parents are willing to make that effort and actually move, I have no problem with it. It's jumping district lines that is ethically wrong, as this is a kid who's not entitled to an eduction from this school.

Oh, but this does go for academics too. If a parent wants their kid to go to a school with a kick-ass AP Chemistry program, then move.

[Marcus Garvey]

I agree to an extent, I think you can have that choice but at some point some stability has to be established. It may not be that bad in some places but in Tampa there's 34 high schools and some of those schools lose players with out being able to put up any fight.

Within a single school district, I'm not sure there's a clear-cut answer.
How many school districts are in Tampa? In Arizona, because district boundries were drawn up decades earlier, some cities have multiple school districts within their limits. This is because as the cities expanded and anexed territory, the district boundries remain unchanged.
Tucson is a city smaller than 500,000, but it has at least 5 school districts within its limits.

[Big Dawg]

Well there's a school(I won't use any names) here in Tallahassee that I believe does recruit and take players. A couple of guys that were zoned for my school ended up going to the school that had been so successful. One our coaches called them out on it and he promptly got fired.

[ngineer]

In Pennsylvania, the PIAA keeps tweaking the rules to catch up to some of these parents that try and scam the regulations. Per PIAA, a student cannot transfer schools for athletic reasons. However, every year there are cases where parents come up with various schemes to circumvent.

[Cocky]

HS recruiting is very much alive in the south. The cost of the recruits are going up also. Some kids move because of the coach some are given more incentives. Housing is very common to be provided and sometimes money. Mom and Dad can be offered jobs that may pay good during their child's HS career.

Alabama does have a rule you must sit for one year unless you are legitmately moving. If you move properly the wait is 5 days and most go this route.

[Gil Dobie]

5 yards for faulty rationalization.

You go to secondary school for an education, not athletics.
He can go there, but as long as he meet's that schools admission requirements. For a public school, that means residing in the district. If parents are willing to make that effort and actually move, I have no problem with it. It's jumping district lines that is ethically wrong, as this is a kid who's not entitled to an eduction from this school.

Oh, but this does go for academics too. If a parent wants their kid to go to a school with a kick-ass AP Chemistry program, then move.

We'll have to disagree on this one. IMO, if the school on the otherside of town has better teachers or better sports, you should be able to send your kids to any school you want. I guess that's one reason some private schoools have better athletic departments and academic program.

[Marcus Garvey]

We'll have to disagree on this one. IMO, if the school on the otherside of town has better teachers or better sports, you should be able to send your kids to any school you want. I guess that's one reason some private schoools have better athletic departments and academic program.

The main reason private school kids do better is because of their parents. The fact that they care enough to send them into a private environment shows that they are part of their kids education. The schools academics are not necessarily better, sometimes they are, sometimes not.

But if parents can cherry pick what public schools their children go to, we'll have chaos. That's why is not allowed in general. The issue of 2 schools within the same district is not as clear cut though as cross-districting. In the end, the school districts have to maintain some semblance of order, hence boundry lines.

[mcveyrl]

Cough cough cough...OAK HILL ACADEMY...cough cough cough xcoffeex

Oak Hill is actually in southwest Virginia.

I don't have as big a problem with private schools recruiting because all the students there choose to go there.

Public schools are a different thing. I don't think that particular schools should go around and recruit. School boards do enough of that on their own with re-districting.

[bandl]

Oak Hill is actually in southwest Virginia.


That's right...I meant Flint Hill in Oakton. My bad.

[813Jag]

Within a single school district, I'm not sure there's a clear-cut answer.
How many school districts are in Tampa? In Arizona, because district boundries were drawn up decades earlier, some cities have multiple school districts within their limits. This is because as the cities expanded and anexed territory, the district boundries remain unchanged.
Tucson is a city smaller than 500,000, but it has at least 5 school districts within its limits.
Hillsborough County school district controls the whole city and it's a mess. At one point they had what they called school choice, which enabled kids to go where ever they wanted to go. About two years ago they went to the special assignments and it's been a mess.

[Marcus Garvey]

Hillsborough County school district controls the whole city and it's a mess. At one point they had what they called school choice, which enabled kids to go where ever they wanted to go. About two years ago they went to the special assignments and it's been a mess.

Yikes!
Note to self: Don't move to deep south until kids are in college! xlolx

[813Jag]

Yikes!
Note to self: Don't move to deep south until kids are in college! xlolx
That would be a good idea. xlolx