I think the real issue that most people feel undercut on, is that a private school can go into any community and attract a kid to come to their school, without any boundaries. This coupled with the fact they can assist them financially makes many feel like they have a clear advantage over other schools. Finally, it is no secret that schools like Lex Catholic have new players every year which were not in the system the year before.

Perhaps this answers the question of why Brossart doesn't get more out-of-district transfers. Each private (Catholic) school has it's own method for devising financial assistance. In some schools its a person in-house that evaluates the situation, others employ a come-now-we'll-work-it-out-later method. Some have work/study programs, and others have bogus work/study programs.

 

At Brossart a family's financial situation is forwarded to an outside review service in New Jersey who recommends to us the amount that family requires. Brossart only provides 65% of that figure. We do also have scholarships ($1,000 each) that students compete for based on need. In most cases over 20 applicants will apply for up to five scholarships. We do have after-school and summer work programs. These are real work programs, not "wink-wink" (turn on the automatic sprinklers) work programs.

I totally disagree with this stance.

 

It sends the wrong message to the players. It takes away the opportunity to win the All A for the players.

 

If the KHSAA says UHA is following the rules then these schools are wrong. Period.

 

This.

 

At the VERY least, play and find out how you stack up.

What he is implying that because we (Brossart) are a successful private school that we must recruit or possess an unfair advantage that the other "A" schools in the 10th Region do not enjoy.

 

I've been hearing this from the uninformed ever since we have joined the 10th in 1996.

The truth of the matter is that we are a school (co-ed 9-12) of 288 students.

We run a clean program, develop our homegrown kids, have a superior coaching staff, and an incredible junior high basketball program that does a great job developing players for the "next level." Many graduates of our program coach in this league and teach our "system."

 

We are forced to take what we get. Many of which are pre-pubescents or young teens when they are freshmen and we develop them into future varsity contenders. Three or four years later, we are fortunate enough to compete with the bigger schools who think that we obviously must cheat because of our ability to compete with them.

 

Our coaching staff has been pretty much intact since Mike Code joined the program in 2002 as an assistant to Willie Schlarman. Since becoming head coach in 2004, Mike has taught the same basic system of being fundamentally sound, working hard, playing outstanding defense and surrounding ourselves with quality players who are good people working for a common goal. This now for 12 years without interruption or change of "philosophies."

 

You can count on one hand the number of players who did not come up through our six parish feeder system, and if you take the number of players who joined us without starting here as a freshman that number becomes two (both sophomores). Not just two this year - But two over the past twelve years (off of the top of my head).

 

Our present senior class - Rolf, Schultz, Ridder, Kelley, Zai, Crawford, and Hickman. All homegrown kids.

 

Can those who live in glass houses hurling stones our way make the same statement????? How many players that have played in your programs for the past 18 years not started their high school careers in your program????????

 

Well said.

I was on tuition assistance while at NC. I cleaned the bathrooms and took out garbage after school and received $2.00 per hour credit towards my tuition. Worked out good as buses only went to my part of town later in the afternoon.

One other thing: What is the Tri-River Tournament at Lyon County on January 19? The KHSAA website shows Crittenden County and Livingston Central playing each other at Lyon that night, incidentally, the same week as the All A. Rains on that "don't want to play each other too much" argument.

 

Blows that arguement right out of the water. They are having a tournament with all 3 of them in it.

 

KSBA News Article

Didn't UHA get taken down pretty hard by the KHSAA a few years ago for this very thing. (Recruiting for athletic purposes). I think they had the tallest average male student body in the nation.

Blows that arguement right out of the water. They are having a tournament with all 3 of them in it.

 

KSBA News Article

 

They should rename the tournament the Cry Baby Classic.

Hurts no one but the kids. What a selfish act by supposed adults. Disgraceful. Pathetic.

What is the maximum number of students a school can have enrolled to make them eligible for the All A tournament?

What is the maximum number of students a school can have enrolled to make them eligible for the All A tournament?

 

There isn't an enrollment number. The All-A invites the 120 smallest schools in the state to participate. The "largest" school's enrollment fluctuates from year to year.

There isn't an enrollment number. The All-A invites the 120 smallest schools in the state to participate. The "largest" school's enrollment fluctuates from year to year.

Well, then that explains the system and how it benefits "certain" schools. It makes a joke of " The All A Tournament" which at it's inception implied that it was a tournament for small schools and players to get the large school type of exposure and fan experience. The rules that regulate it are about as fair as inversion taxes and how they benefit the W-2 employee, not one bit. No wonder you have schools boycotting it, there are no hard and fast rules. And my school has actually won their region and participated at the state, so I'm not questioning because we haven't been successful, but there needs to be some real numbers to meet to qualify. It does give the truly small schools who meet a set number of students, even any private ones who may or may not be recruiting, a false impression that they are playing on a level playing field.

Well, then that explains the system and how it benefits "certain" schools. It makes a joke of " The All A Tournament" which at it's inception implied that it was a tournament for small schools and players to get the large school type of exposure and fan experience. The rules that regulate it are about as fair as inversion taxes and how they benefit the W-2 employee, not one bit. No wonder you have schools boycotting it, there are no hard and fast rules. And my school has actually won their region and participated at the state, so I'm not questioning because we haven't been successful, but there needs to be some real numbers to meet to qualify. It does give the truly small schools who meet a set number of students, even any private ones who may or may not be recruiting, a false impression that they are playing on a level playing field.

 

I think the tournament has always been set up the same way.

I think the tournament has always been set up the same way.

 

It has. Everyone now just needs a trophy.

Consolidation has been a problem for the All-A. When it first went state wide in 1990, there were still a large number of small independent and/or county schools. Schools like Fordsville, Greenville, Monticello, Fleming-Neon, Letcher, Johns Creek, and many others just to name a few, were still playing. Taking the 125 smallest eliminated all but the very smallest of county schools. When those schools began to close or consolidate, that meant the cutoff to be one of the bottom 125 got larger, opening the door for schools such as Caldwell County, Breathitt County, and others that wouldn't have sniffed the tournament two decades before.

Prior post is exactly right. For example, Greenville High School participated in the first all A state tournament. Shortly thereafter, the 7 high schools in Muhlenberg County were merged into 2. As more of that kind of consolidation occurred, fewer small schools existed and larger schools then became part of the 125 schools who could participate in the all A (it now is 120).

 

I admire and respect the work that people have done and continue to do to allow the all A to exist. I am comfortable in allowing those people who devote so much time and effort to make it happen to decide who it should be run. I am just thankful they do it.