Let's Make a Difference: Advocate for Equitable High School Sports Policies

[Letkidshoop]

Do we feel that people are not intelligent enough to understand the motivations of those who try to sell us things, or, in this case, encourage a student's family to transfer? Sure, people will make bad decisions, but how is recruiting someone necessarily bad for them? If you get approached by someone offering you a job, would you rather know or not know? Should we prevent principals from reaching out to athletic directors when there's a job opening? Should we prevent ADs from reaching out to coaches when there's a job opening?

And as for the students who remain, they too have the option to stay or go if it makes sense for them. The point here is that families should be able to make the decisions they feel are best for the family, and not have those choices artificially restrained by a bureaucratic rulebook. If a coach feels his or her family is better served by moving to a new school he has been recruited to, he or she can make that choice without losing a significant percentage of his opportunity to coach. A student, though, cannot make that same choice.

And at the same time, a student who has been recruited for debate or drama or band does not face similar restrictions. Why are athletes singled out?

A longer discussion: https://newsbreakapp.onelink.me/2115408369?pid=mp_1371923&msource=mp_1371923&docid=0prk3vBG&af_dp=newsbreak://opendoc?docid=0prk3vBG&af_web_dp=https://www.newsbreak.com/af-landing?docid=0prk3vBG

Indeed, the notion that individuals may lack the intelligence or discernment to understand the motivations behind recruitment efforts underestimates the capability of student-athletes and their families to make informed decisions. The comparison to job offers for adults is apt; just as professionals are trusted to weigh the pros and cons of career opportunities, so too should families have the autonomy to consider athletic opportunities that may significantly benefit their student-athlete’s future.

The argument against restricting recruitment is strengthened by considering the broader educational context. If a student excels in debate, drama, or band, they are often encouraged—and sometimes actively recruited—to pursue opportunities that align with their talents. This inclusive approach recognizes and nurtures their potential, offering them platforms for growth, exposure, and success. Athletes, possessing similar dedication and skill in their respective sports, deserve no less. Their exclusion from such opportunities not only undermines the equity of student activities but also suggests an inconsistency in how we value different types of talents and achievements.

Moreover, the concept of choice is fundamental to personal development and growth. By allowing families and student-athletes to make their own decisions—be it staying at their current school or transferring for better opportunities—we empower them to take charge of their athletic and academic journeys. This autonomy is crucial for fostering a sense of responsibility, maturity, and ownership over one’s path, which are valuable life skills beyond the realm of sports.

The artificial constraints imposed by bureaucratic rulebooks on student-athletes, but not on their peers in other extracurricular activities, highlight an arbitrary double standard. If we trust a student to choose their academic courses, extracurricular activities, and even career paths, it stands to reason that they should also be trusted to make informed decisions about their athletic futures.

Promoting an environment where student-athletes and their families are empowered to make informed decisions about their futures aligns with the principles of autonomy, growth, and equity. Recognizing and respecting their ability to navigate the complexities of recruitment and transfer opportunities is not only a matter of fairness but also a testament to the value we place on all forms of student achievement and potential.

 

[Letkidshoop]

Transfers, all families should have a choice. That chance comes when they are entering high school as a freshmen, big decision for most. Option #1 you make your decision entering high school and that's your choice. How about teaching some life lessons to our kids and instead of running from an issue or problem, coach, playing time, don't like my team, not good enough all things parents and players need to consider before their onetime decision. It's not right for parents/players to be jumping all over from high school to high school looking for the right fit. Option #2 give the families a onetime chance to transfer after their freshman year. To compare coaches or real life employment leaving and not having to sit out in my opinion not apples to apples. If you want to to transfer after your sophomore year you sit one year. This would eliminate juniors from transferring. Thoughts?

There’s merit in advocating for families to make a considered decision about their high school choice, recognizing it as a significant commitment. This approach encourages students and their families to thoroughly evaluate their options, considering factors like coaching, team dynamics, and academic opportunities. Instituting a policy that allows for a one-time transfer after the freshman year acknowledges that circumstances change and what seemed like the best fit initially may not remain so as students grow and their goals evolve. This compromise offers flexibility while also instilling values of commitment and resilience in young athletes. It encourages students to face challenges head-on rather than immediately seeking an exit, promoting personal growth and responsibility. Furthermore, implementing a waiting period for transfers after the sophomore year could indeed serve as a deterrent against frequent school hopping, fostering stability and community cohesion within high school sports.
However, the comparison to real-life employment situations raises a valid counterpoint. The argument that sports transfers and job changes are not analogous overlooks the increasing specialization and professionalization of high school athletics. For many student-athletes, sports are not just extracurricular activities but pathways to college scholarships and professional opportunities. Thus, being able to transfer without excessive restrictions can be crucial for their development and exposure. Moreover, the suggestion to “teach life lessons” by limiting transfers may inadvertently penalize students for decisions made at a very young age, without accounting for the myriad of legitimate reasons a family might have for needing to move, such as financial hardship, family issues, or seeking specialized academic programs. Additionally, the one-size-fits-all solution of a one-time transfer window does not accommodate the complex and varied needs of all students and their families. Flexibility in transfer policies respects the individual circumstances of student-athletes, ensuring that their well-being and future prospects are prioritized over administrative convenience.

 

[letsski]

While this discussion is interesting, let's be real. Have we ever seen the section bosses do anything that is actually a benefit to the players or their families? They answer to no one, conduct their business anonymously behind closed doors and suffer zero repercussion for any and all rules they selectively enforce.

This kid sits out a year; this kid plays. This one sits out preseason only. This player is quoted as saying she transferred to play for a specific coach...she plays.

Again, love the discussion, but this is going nowhere. IMHO

 

[winetot]

You might want to ask around and see how much public school parents pay their football coaches. The numbers are pretty surprising. (There's a reason some coaches bounce around a lot ...)

To imagine that successful public schools are not mercenary is to ignore reality. One wonders, for example, how the Paris twins were able to afford to move from Modesto and live in Piedmont (a public school). And Miramonte (a public school) had running backs from Richmond for years.

Didn't the Paris twins father play in the NFL?

 

[ClayK]

He did, but didn't have the resources to move the family to Piedmont. They were living in Modesto, as I recall.

 

[ClayK]

While this discussion is interesting, let's be real. Have we ever seen the section bosses do anything that is actually a benefit to the players or their families? They answer to no one, conduct their business anonymously behind closed doors and suffer zero repercussion for any and all rules they selectively enforce.

This kid sits out a year; this kid plays. This one sits out preseason only. This player is quoted as saying she transferred to play for a specific coach...she plays.

Again, love the discussion, but this is going nowhere. IMHO

So I started writing about the inequality and corruption of the NCAA about 40 years ago, and I think I was pretty much the only voice -- and a very small one at that. But chipping away at such apparently invulnerable institutions is really the only way to have a chance for change.

The sections are more forgiving about transfers than they were 20 years ago, and Southern Section has pretty much given up on its restrictions. I think there's hope now, which is more than I could have said in the '90s.

 

[bb-hoops]

Please quit comparing a high school parent and player making a choice to go to a school of there choose to jobs offers, marriages etc. Just say your for transfers, its ok. But to compare it like you are is ridiculous. Find another comparison to justify your belief in transfers when every a parent or player is unhappy.

 

[ClayK]

A college scholarship is worth a quarter of a million dollars. A partial to a D-2 school might be worth $50,000.

Those numbers are real, and very significant.

How many families would be significantly impacted by either gaining or losing $50,000? Or $250,000?

 

[Marcskit]

Agreed! Kids who play intstruments, do theater or art don‘t have to sit out of these activities! Why should atheltes??

AGAIN..... PLAYING SPORTS IS A PRIVALIGE-- IT IS NOT A RIGHT !!!

Acording to CIF rules. It was never ment to mean, YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT, AT ANY TIME.!!!

Here's wishing you great hoops

 

[bb-hoops]

Now were talking, Those are really good reasons to allow for transfers. Why not suggest to change the transfer policy too transfer any where you want at the start of each school year with no pentily. As far as undue influence, same thing let it go its a he said she said argument and can't be avoided to many paths cross.

 

[bb-hoops]

Theater, music, band, academics have know organized CIF competitions that I'm aware of, so why would they need to sit out.

 

[Norcal_Fan]

Agreed! Kids who play intstruments, do theater or art don‘t have to sit out of these activities! Why should atheltes??

Because subjects like band and theater are academic subjects that result in a performance, while basketball or sports is an extra-curricular activity that results in a performance. Very few schools have basketball as a year-round class, and students are not graded. Teachers of band and theater have to get credentialed to teach these classes and give out grades for college credit. Coaches have to take the NFHS course which takes a few hours to a day which could lead to scholarships. Similar, but not apples to apples...

 

[ClayK]

There are organized debate competitions and no debate classes. Admission is charged. The organization in charge of those competitions (and others involving high school students) do not restrict transfers from participating.

 

[bunnyhopninja]

Perhaps a middle ground is to allow transferring for whatever reason as many times as you want; but require the partial sit-out period. In other words, get rid of the dreaded 1 year ban, which is really what screws the kids. The mandatory partial sit-out might be enough to deter team hopping, and transferring more than once isn’t a good look on a player’s resume (much like bouncing around companies). But it provides the kids flexibility and take some power away from the commish.

 

[keepitreal.32]

I say allow athletes to transfer if they want. However, all teams that have players that transfer in automatically go to the OPEN for playoffs.

 

[ClayK]

You'd have to have a really big Open division.

 

[Letkidshoop]

Another question we pose is how can Northern California and Southern California compete for the same state championship if the rules for transferring are not equal?

 

[Norcal_Fan]

There are organized debate competitions and no debate classes. Admission is charged. The organization in charge of those competitions (and others involving high school students) do not restrict transfers from participating.

Okay, I'll give you that. I know that at a lot of schools, debate is extra-curricular but at a lot of private schools, they are classes. What about Drama or music? Those are actual classes that give out grades and college credit. I don't have a horse in this race, but to say athletics is the same as debate, music or drama is not prudent.

 

[cptmycpa]

What hasn't been mentioned yet is the "legitimate" transfer, as opposed to the "competitive-type" transfer. McClatchy has a transfer that had to sit out half the season (eligibility started around December 31 or January 1), just like a "competitive-type" transfer, but the transfer in question was due to her previous high school (Capital Christian) DROPPING girls basketball altogether this 23-24 season--no girls basketball team at Capital Christian this 23-24 season. So not every transfer is the same, and this legitimate transfer should be looked at and treated differently.

 

[ClayK]

Which points to one of the major issues: The rules are enforced blindly, it seems, with no regard for the situation. Here's one:

An East Bay school has a player from Russia who moved into their city. The parents do not speak English. The requirements for eligibility for international students, I am told, require a lease termination agreement from the previous residence and a California DMV ID.

There are no lease termination agreements in Russia, and even if there were, how would you get one? And the parents don't speak English, so navigating the DMV is a nightmare.

And yet, no help from the section, no compromise on the rules. The girl missed an entire year of high school basketball for no good reason. Her family did not move from Russia to an apartment in the suburbs for her to play basketball.

Of course, if the family had the money to lawyer up, she would have been eligible in November. The rich and those who know how to manipulate the system will overpower the bureaucrats; those with less power and money will simply have to sit and wait.

 

[letsski]

Which points to one of the major issues: The rules are enforced blindly, it seems, with no regard for the situation. Here's one:

An East Bay school has a player from Russia who moved into their city. The parents do not speak English. The requirements for eligibility for international students, I am told, require a lease termination agreement from the previous residence and a California DMV ID.

There are no lease termination agreements in Russia, and even if there were, how would you get one? And the parents don't speak English, so navigating the DMV is a nightmare.

And yet, no help from the section, no compromise on the rules. The girl missed an entire year of high school basketball for no good reason. Her family did not move from Russia to an apartment in Moraga for her to play basketball.

Of course, if the family had the money to lawyer up, she would have been eligible in November. The rich and those who know how to manipulate the system will overpower the bureaucrats; those with less power and money will simply have to sit and wait.

Had a girl move from the East coast with her family due to a divorce. The mom stayed behind. Because the entire family and their possessions didn't make the move, the player had to sit out all of preseason. And yes, it's in the CCS bylaws. How is this in the best interest of the student?

 

[bunnyhopninja]

Any lawyers on this forum willing to do some public service? Seems like there’s got to be an antitrust or discrimination violations in the bylaws.