Geographic population. The number of kids who live within 20 miles of Highlands compared to other schools

 

I don't see how population density has anything to do with pool of students to pull from to play football. If school A has 1,000 boys walking the hall, that's their pool. If school B has 500 boys walking the halls, that's their pool. The fact that they are in a densely populated area doesn't change the numbers. I'm not trying to be contrary or a jerk - I just don't understand your logic.

 

Unless you're talking about tuition students. Then yes, HHS has a larger pool to pull from (since it would be impractical for a student to pay tuition and attend a county school that's 25 miles away). But there's only 167 tuition students in the entire Ft. Thomas district, and I have no idea how many of them are in high school, play football or if they are impact players. I've always felt the impact of tuition students on sports success is overblown to win an argument, but I would be curious to know the facts, i.e. how many "impact" players on the team are tuition students.

But if the pool of 500 kids walking the hall comes from a larger pool of 600,000 people compared to 500 kids coming from a pool of 20,000 people, the odds of getting better athletes are markedly better.

I am amazed that the jealousy of Highlands and Trinity is still so prevalent in a thread that started out with nothing to do with Trinity or Highlands. Am I the only person not affiliated with Trinity or Highlands who thinks they run clean and successful programs with kids in this state and that their success is a result of a combination of many things that every school is capable of duplicating? I've said it before and I'll say it again. If I lived in Louisville my boys would go to Trinity or St. X. If I lived in NKY my kids would go to Highlands. All three schools are great learning institutions and they all happen to have tremendous football programs. They recruit themselves. At some point people have to let the jealousy and hate go and recognize greatness when we see it. Period. And fwiw, neither of my boys play football but those would be the schools they go to. Fact......

 

That's just great PP but I would love to see some factual answers to these questions without the little cute puns.

Yeah, do you have anything with, say, less...truth?

I don't see how population density has anything to do with pool of students to pull from to play football. If school A has 1,000 boys walking the hall, that's their pool. If school B has 500 boys walking the halls, that's their pool. The fact that they are in a densely populated area doesn't change the numbers. I'm not trying to be contrary or a jerk - I just don't understand your logic.

 

Unless you're talking about tuition students. Then yes, HHS has a larger pool to pull from (since it would be impractical for a student to pay tuition and attend a county school that's 25 miles away). But there's only 167 tuition students in the entire Ft. Thomas district, and I have no idea how many of them are in high school, play football or if they are impact players. I've always felt the impact of tuition students on sports success is overblown to win an argument, but I would be curious to know the facts, i.e. how many "impact" players on the team are tuition students.

 

Better yet, let's coach all-star football teams. I'm going to Louisville and picking the 50 best football players. You go to Horse Cave and pick the 50 best football players. I'm thinking my team wins every time.

 

The geographic pool is more of an advantage than people give it credit for

Don't tell me he would never leave Trinity, not the answer I am looking for. I am looking for an honest answer.

So you want an answer that is honest, but still differs from this one, which you don't like too much? Hmm...that could require applying the rules of quantum physics.

Better yet, let's coach all-star football teams. I'm going to Louisville and picking the 50 best football players. You go to Horse Cave and pick the 50 best football players. I'm thinking my team wins every time.

 

The geographic pool is more of an advantage than people give it credit for

 

This is true for a private school like Trinity, but doesn't apply to Highlands. Ft. Thomas has a population of about 17,000. This population (plus the tuition students) produce 419 boys in the high school. The only way your argument makes sense for Highlands is if the tuition students have an inordinate impact on the football team. My guess is they don't, but like I said before, I'd be curious to see the facts.

But if the pool of 500 kids walking the hall comes from a larger pool of 600,000 people compared to 500 kids coming from a pool of 20,000 people, the odds of getting better athletes are markedly better.

Except when they are divided among 20 or so tiny school districts. ANd believe me, those tiny city borders mean a lot up here.

Are you saying that no child that lives outside the city limits of Fort Thomas attends Highlands?

You've got to be kidding?????:ohbrother:

I don't think he is kidding , just ignorant

What advantages are there at Highlands that can't be developed, over time, that aren't at other public schools?

 

What people don't understand it is more than just athletics. Its community, academics, athletics and other extra curriculars. It would take more than just a few years to put that in place. You can lose it faster than you can develop it.

Are you saying that no child that lives outside the city limits of Fort Thomas attends Highlands?

 

Okay, are you reading my posts? I am accounting for tuition students - all 167 of them in the entire district - 3 elementary schools, a middle school and the high school. They live outside of Ft. Thomas.

 

Yes, I am saying that every student that is not a tuition student lives within the city limits of Ft. Thomas. If not, they are breaking the rules (maybe the law - not sure). Does it happen? Of course it does. Mom lives out in the county, has a sister that lives in Ft. Thomas so they use the sister's address so the kid can go to Ft. thomas schools, consistently the highest rated public schools academically in the state . Is it right? No. Is it used to bring "ringers" in to play football? Not that I'm aware of, and if I was aware of it I would report it to KHSAA, and believe me so would a bunch of other people from other schools.

 

Cut to the chase. It seems to me this is the same old tired accusation of "Highlands recruits outstanding players from across the Greater Cincinnati area and gives them a Ft. Thomas address" veiled in a "population density" argument.

What people don't understand it is more than just athletics. Its community, academics, athletics and other extra curriculars. It would take more than just a few years to put that in place. You can lose it faster than you can develop it.

 

Completely agree. When I said "over time" I was thinking decades, not a few years. Highlands has what they have -football-wise - due to the dedication of many people over many years, beginning mostly with Homer Rice in the 1950's.

I am not accusing Highlands of anything. I'm just saying that Highlands, like any other school in an urban area, have a distinct numbers advantage over rural schools when it comes to the geographic pool in which they can draw students. It's an advantage whether you recognize it or not.

 

Ever wonder why there is only one private school that plays football not located in the major geographic areas of the state such as Louisville/Lexington/NKY? Numbers.

 

It's an urban vs. rural argument. Recruiting was never mentioned

I am not accusing Highlands of anything. I'm just saying that Highlands, like any other school in an urban area, have a distinct numbers advantage over rural schools when it comes to the geographic pool in which they can draw students. It's an advantage whether you recognize it or not.

 

Ever wonder why there is only one private school that plays football not located in the major geographic areas of the state such as Louisville/Lexington/NKY? Numbers.

It's an urban vs. rural argument. Recruiting was never mentioned

 

That I can understand. Rural kids have farther to travel after practice and they've missed the bus so that means mom or dad have to pick them up. City kids can just walk home after practice. Also I think there are economic advantages, generally speaking, for city kids vs. rural. Meaning rural kids are more apt to have to get a job at 16 instead of playing football.

 

As far as private schools in major geographic areas - that still has nothing to do with Highlands. Their pool is the population of Ft. Thomas, whether those 17,000 people were located in NKY or some other place.

 

Overall from a pure numbers standpoint I still don't see how the fact that Ft. Thomas being located next to Newport (17k), Highland Hts. (6500), Bellevue (5800), Dayton (7k), or any other city within 20 miles has anything to do with the pool of 17,000 people (419 boys in the high school) from which to choose players.

 

The biggest advantage HHS has is the youth football league. Where other districts have one middle school team (maybe two) - which means they are developing one QB, 2 or 3 running backs, etc. - quadruple those numbers. In the FTJFL there are four QB's getting three quarter's-worth of snaps (and four others getting 1 quarter).

 

Can all the advantages that Ft. Thomas has be duplicated everywhere? Probably not. It's a small, tight-knit community that is a perfect storm of circumstances for producing excellence. But I do think that there are other communities across the state that could do better in a lot of areas, including football, if they dedicated themselves and their resources.

ALL highlands players have a Ft. Thomas area code? Would love to see this clarified. Understand they have a $5000 fee for out of district students but how many do they have? If they have many this would discredit the"we just work harder than you or it starts with our youth program" theories. SP) Does all the football players for Trinity pay the same for schooling as a normal student and if not where is the money coming from? I mentioned this before about Trinity in a different thread and thought you Rock people where going to have a heart attack! I'm with larry, If Trinity was a prep school, I would love to see them do well nationally.

 

Exhausting!!!