This is unbelieveable!!!! The actual fine was only $3,000 with the investigation fees being over $10,000. Until the KHSAA steps up, this sort of behavior will continue at some schools.

Wow. Some rich guy booster will just write a check.

 

:laugh: I agree with that! This is un-real.

Where is the big private supporters now crying education is why kids go there and all that rah rah...................

 

 

Thats why I went to a private school. And my daughter too. Sounds like you want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Proof??? Wait and see if LCA bumps up in 2009... that's the most substantial proof available. If you can throw a 90 mph fast ball, squat 500 lbs, or dunk a basketball you go to the top of the waiting list to enroll as long as it doesn't flirt with the cut off line for 1A. Need proof for that? Go for a visit and walk the halls, take a look at a weight session, watch a basketball game or check out their baseball squad this spring. It's a Gold mine.

 

Hmmmmm I have done that, have you? Gold mine? Not so sure, as evident by the fact that when my son tore up his knee at basketball practice, we even had to find our own crutches for him to use. Certaintly not the paved hallways of gold one might think.

 

I can ony speak to the basketball program, and trust me I struggle to make the tuition, and even though my son has been a starter at all levels since the 7th grade, we have had the same EXTRA athletic fees with no assistance, or wait maybe he just isn't that good :sssh:. I can't speak to the other sports, and to be honest if they did recruit then I am ashamed, but as to the basketball team, well most schools still enjoy seeing us on their schedule as a win. I don't see LCA putting that much fear with our guys dunking every time down the court, or our towering GIANTS on the court. We are just a small school that comes out of a fairly weak 11th region, that typically only has one strong team annually, and we have been knocked out of the State All A the last two years in the first round, so not really invoking fear. Again I can only speak to the basketball team and I really do not feel there is under the table recruiting for the next all state basketball player, we just get by.

 

Again I will say if the other sports did recruit, then I think it is a sad thing indeed. However, my heart goes out to the kids and parents who do sacrifice, out of their choice I might add, to pay the tuition, to pay the athletic fees, and try to do things the right way, because now our sons and daughters are like the baby thrown out with the wash. Trust me there are some great young men and women, just like at the public schools, it's a shame when adults screw things up, even IF there were the best of intentions (helping minority students). As always the kids ultimately suffer, both public and privately educated students. I went to public school, and played public athletics, there were things that went on there that were unfair, but when imperfect people run things, imperfect things will happen.

Proof??? Wait and see if LCA bumps up in 2009... that's the most substantial proof available. If you can throw a 90 mph fast ball, squat 500 lbs, or dunk a basketball you go to the top of the waiting list to enroll as long as it doesn't flirt with the cut off line for 1A. Need proof for that? Go for a visit and walk the halls, take a look at a weight session, watch a basketball game or check out their baseball squad this spring. It's a Gold mine.

 

Pretty big accusations there Paris Pride. Did anyone ever think that kids might come to LCA because its a better school than what they are in? As far as limiting enrollment, that is true they have a cap on how many students they can have. If you are a good athlete does that move you up on the list? I'm not sure about that one. Does LCA have good kids, yeah. Do they have better players, yeah sometimes. Parents have to pay a ton of money for there kids to play any sport. Therefore the coaches don't have to deal with players quiting, talking back, or any of the other junk public coaches deal with. I really don't think LCA recruits. I think the public school system does the recruiting for them. LCA has already paid the fine and it wasn't a big one. The people this hurts the most is the families of the minority players that don't have the money to begin with but want there kids to get a good education. So they aren't allowed to recieve a minority scholarship. Did you know the state gives loan forgiveness to any minority that teaches. Why are they doing that? Because they are trying to get more minorities into the classroom. Why did LCA allow students to recieve minority scholarships? To get more minorities into the classroom. LCA understandes where they messed up and hopefully it won't happen again. LCA has a few really good players but so does Raceland, Hazard, Pikeville, and others. LCA is not a hot bed of talent but they do have more talent than many other teams. You take out some of their key players and they won't be as good. Much like any other program.

You would have thought that they would have learned from "Big Brother's" mistake.

This is unbelieveable!!!! The actual fine was only $3,000 with the investigation fees being over $10,000. Until the KHSAA steps up, this sort of behavior will continue at some schools.

 

I agree with you. I do not think the penalty imposed by the KHSAA Commissioner was strong enough. From what I understand, the school choose not to appeal the Commissioner's decision, but rather wanted to accept it and move on. Probably a smart thing, as I was told by a pretty wired in coach that there were a lot of members of the Board of Control that felt that the punishment was not severe enough and those members included the private school supporters on the Board. Unfortunately, since the school did not appeal the Commissioner's penalties, the Board of Control basically could not do anything under the KHSAA's rules. Again, based on what I was told by the coach, he has talked to some private school admininstrators through out the state and they are mad as heck at LCA for doing this.

 

If the LCA administrators were smart, they would inform the KHSAA that they voluntarily will make themselves ineligible for post season play during the 08-09 season as an indication that they understand the severity of their actions.

If LCA were providing "spending money" to student athletes to attend the school I could understand the enticement. "Tuition assistance" is nothing more than what is available at every public school in the state... every one.

 

What is LCA supposedly offering a student athlete that is not offered freely to every student at every public school in the state?

If LCA were providing "spending money" to student athletes to attend the school I could understand the enticement. "Tuition assistance" is nothing more than what is available at every public school in the state... every one.

 

What is LCA supposedly offering a student athlete that is not offered freely to every student at every public school in the state?

 

What they are offering is a chance to go to a private school with better athletic programs, better facilities, better education and more recognition than most public schools. In this case there is a difference between tuition assistance and a "free education".

My only question would be how many of these minority students are athletes ? If they are assisting as many non athlete minorities as they are athletes that makes the recruiting a little less obvious, but if it's only athletes recieving the assistance I think it makes it a no brainer.

If LCA were providing "spending money" to student athletes to attend the school I could understand the enticement. "Tuition assistance" is nothing more than what is available at every public school in the state... every one.

 

What is LCA supposedly offering a student athlete that is not offered freely to every student at every public school in the state?

 

Fastbreak, I can't speak for everyone, but I think what upsets people about this situation is: not that young student/athletes are getting a quality education or a free/reduced cost education, but that those student/athletes that that can do things that other student/athletes can't do get special treatment.

 

Every student that lives in a given district can get a, basically free, education at that district whether they are a great athlete, decent athlete, or a bad athlete. But, this situation, gives people the impression that good or very good athletes from other school districts, were given money to come to another school. Not only does that give LCA an advantage, but it gives the district in which the student/athlete left a dis-advantage. I believe this is why recruiting is not allowed in the state.

 

Again, I can't speak for everyone else, but it's not about the tuition for me, it's more about the deception and coercion. If a great athlete knocks on the door of LCA and says he wants to attend LCA but can not afford the tuition, and they wave it, I have no problem with it. But, if (and I say if) LCA approaches this same athlete and offers to "take care" of the tuition, then I think that is wrong. In one situation the athlete seeks out LCA - that is OK, but in the other situation LCA seeks out the athlete - improper.

 

This gives LCA a black eye, and I personally am disappointed.

My only question would be how many of these minority students are athletes ? If they are assisting as many non athlete minorities as they are athletes that makes the recruiting a little less obvious, but if it's only athletes recieving the assistance I think it makes it a no brainer.

 

I believe the article stated that 16 out of 18 students that received money were athletes.

What they are offering is a chance to go to a private school with better athletic programs, better facilities, better education and more recognition than most public schools. In this case there is a difference between tuition assistance and a "free education".

How is it possible that private schools are "better"? They have no state funding, fewer tax breaks and other government incentives.

 

Either private schools are superior to public schools, and we need to open them up to more families with vouchers, or people need to get over the fact that some schools just do things better than others.

 

Why should a parent of a talented child be forced into sending that child to school with a bunch of sweathogs that don't care what kind of grades they get or what kind of work they'll do when they grow up?

^ Why should they recieve illegal financial assistance to send their kids to a private school? If things were done legally we wouldn't be having this conversation.

How is it possible that private schools are "better"? They have no state funding, fewer tax breaks and other government incentives.

 

Either private schools are superior to public schools, and we need to open them up to more families with vouchers, or people need to get over the fact that some schools just do things better than others.

 

Why should a parent of a talented child be forced into sending that child to school with a bunch of sweathogs that don't care what kind of grades they get or what kind of work they'll do when they grow up?

 

Fastbreak, I have purposely stayed out of recruiting discussion on BGP, but this does hit close to home and I have chimed in on this discussion. But, what we are talking about is having the same rules for everyone.

 

To draw some comparison. College athletics allows players to receive financial assistance. But, not to receive pocket money. The rule are the same for every level of college sports. D1 schools are allowed a certain number of scholarships, every school. That is why college sports are so competitive, they all have the same number of scholarships and they all actively recruit players.

 

In the NFL, it is a little different, as far as the amount of money available, but salary caps were put in place to reduce the ability of one franchise to dominate over the franchises in the smaller markets.

 

It is basicly the same here, people just wants the same rules for everyone. Some schools will always have an advantage, but if that is because of reputation, or word of mouth, so be it. But, to seek out an athlete and provide monetary gain is improper.