I'd lean more toward impasse.

 

I've posted this before and I will do so again. If we want parity in 6A, take Trinity and St. Xavier and divide each of them in half. Then we'll have all the parity we could ever want.

 

 

Flawed logic. You'll have parity in enrollment numbers, but not in percentage of participation. Hence, you'll have a short term success in creating that mythical "level playing field", but in reality, you're creating two more future dynasties.

Lastly, I believe the numbers show that more Catholic elementary students attend Manual than public school students at X. A friend of mine's son did exactly that. the Dad told me about 20 of 40 on Manual's freshman team were Catholic elementary students.

This was the case when Manual wasn't good at football either, it has everything to do with academics.

This was the case when Manual wasn't good at football either, it has everything to do with academics.

 

I believe it has more to do with $$$$$$$$$.

As the topic reads "What's the Point"? There really isn't a point. T and X should join a private league in TN, IN and OH and play their private powers. This would get rid of all the public school people from crying. Once T & X plays out of state schools, the tuition should be free like the public schools. Let the tax payers pay the tuition just like the public schools. Would everyone be happy? T & X families would be because they would be saving $ 10k a year. Public schools should be because they would win more state championships. Win win situtation!!!!

Count me in the group that lays the responsibility on the other schools to step up to compete. Take the challenge. It can be done. Look at Beechwood since the 90's. One of the smaller Class A schools with decent success in football. Mike Yeagle takes over and the program goes to elite status and I mean immediately! They didn't have an advantage in numbers. They didn't have sole access to a feeder program. They didn't have a long history of outstanding community support. Don't moan because Trinity and St X are excellent. Use them as your goal.

Here is the enrollment report for Kentucky.

 

http://www.khsaa.org/reports/20062007schoolenrollmenttotalsbyenroll.pdf

 

Look at the column labeled ENROBOYS and you will see that T (1,361) and X (1,436) do have the most boys but not by nearly as wide a margin as many believe. There are 6 other schools with over 1,000 boys enrolled.

 

It isn't just about enrollment. It isn't just coaching. It isn't just geography of where the kids come from. I could go on. It is the whole package. If you are a public school, you first need a coach everyone believes in to be the magnet. Then you need the entire school community to rally behind that coach and support/promote the program every day of the week. You need to build your feeder so kids build loyalty and belief in the program along with skills. Lastly, and perhaps the most often overlooked part of the equation - you need to make your school a good academic school. There are many players that never start at T and X who make that team better every day in practice who know they will likely never start. But they are committed to the program and they know they will walk out of T and X winners off the field academically as well as being part of a winning team.

I'll throw out following

Busing and the magnet programs, while offering a better educational environment in many circumstances, eliminate the sense of community within a school, and the school with in the community. Most 6A contenders are city schools. The private schools have the religious community from which to draw from. You make it sound real easy, to "the entire school community to rally behind that coach and support/promote the program every day of the week" but when the only people who give a darn are the players parents and coaches, it means you have a lot less to work.

 

Something should be said for the impact of having a Trinity and St X in your area. They are magnets to people interested in football. I would say half of the football interested people in Jefferson Co are drawn to two schools T and X and the the public get the other half to (unevenly) divide over more than 15 schools.

 

In my opinon one of the saddest things about the size of X and T and the impact of what they do in the community, is how many good football players never get to see thier potential on the feild. More freshman talent will quit either the X or T freshman teams then many public schools will have on there freshman teams. To make the point a little more simple they suck in and spit out more talent than most schools see.

 

With the numbers let me put the following into perspective. The difference in boys between the Trinty and Dunbar (the highest public school) is still bigger than the population difference between most classes in the state.

For example there is less difference between Central and Manual in boys than there is between Manual and St X but Central is 3A and Manual is 6A.

I have always maintained that it had more to do with the postseason travel situation. The state 4A schools were traveling all across Kentucky for playoff games while the Louisville schools never left town.

 

That was more "unfair" than anything else ... especially from a financial standpoint.

 

That is an accurate point, though I don't recall it at being highlighted at time. But maybe the anti-Louisville comments just stuck more.

 

As member of a 'boycotted' school who must go well outside the boundries of Fayette County and sometimes the Bluegrass region to play HS and MS football games I can say that heavy travel is a negative impacter to participation. $500 a month in gas makes it a challenge.

It's a very simple problem. The public schools and the private schools are playing by two sets of rules. The class in which a school is placed is determined by the number of students enrolled. But the private schools count only the boys while the public schools must count both boys and girls. To make it fair, either double the private school enrollments or count only the boys in the public schools.

If numbers have no effect then why do we have classes at all? Let's have one like basketball. Maybe numbers do mean something.

 

If numbers are such a huge factor then how come Dunbar is so bad?

It's a very simple problem. The public schools and the private schools are playing by two sets of rules. The class in which a school is placed is determined by the number of students enrolled. But the private schools count only the boys while the public schools must count both boys and girls. To make it fair, either double the private school enrollments or count only the boys in the public schools.

 

Only male enrollment is counted in football classification! :thumb:

It's a very simple problem. The public schools and the private schools are playing by two sets of rules. The class in which a school is placed is determined by the number of students enrolled. But the private schools count only the boys while the public schools must count both boys and girls. To make it fair, either double the private school enrollments or count only the boys in the public schools

.

 

For classification pruposes they already do this.

 

Please refer to this chart again http://www.khsaa.org/reports/20062007schoolenrollmenttotalsbyenroll.pdf.

 

The columns c-total and c-boys is the number that used for classification and that the actual enrollment doubled for singel sex schools.

Edited December 16, 200817 yr by rockmom
fixed quote

If numbers are such a huge factor then how come Dunbar is so bad?

 

7 coaches in 8 years....just a guess...

.

 

For classification pruposes they already do this.

 

Please refer to this chart again http://www.khsaa.org/reports/20062007schoolenrollmenttotalsbyenroll.pdf.

 

The columns c-total and c-boys is the number that used for classification and that the actual enrollment doubled for singel sex schools.

 

What a minute, All Tell. Are you suggesting that someone does not have their facts straight in this discussion? Are you insinuating that people misunderstand the issues? Are you hinting that the debate becomes illogical and more based on irrational emotion?

Canescat is right on target with his comments. Highlands is the perfect example.They do things right--just like T & X--and it's allowed them to compete and win against schools with far higher populations. It really isn't just a numbers game.

 

How does Highlands, year in and year out, have a quality, competitive football program? Are there other sports that they are just as consistently as strong? What about the girls sports--are they strong as well?

Boundries may have a little to do with it. When I coached middle school we played Shelby East out of Shelby County and their best running back was headed to either T or X can't remember which.