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High school sports cater to the elite

"the purpose of high school sports is to provide a rallying point for high schools and their communities. It's an opportunity for people to cheer for local players, and along the way they (kids and parents) learn discipline, team play, sportsmanship, work ethic, commitment, fair play, etc. Bringing in kids from another part of town and tilting the competitive balance are antithetical to that purpose. That's why kids are banned from transferring to a school purely for athletic reasons. The rules are designed to benefit many, not a few."

Do those at Timpview share this philosophy?

Agreed, this whole USC charter school idea is a joke. How fair is it going to be when they are competing against some of the teams in the valley? Well, I guess Timpview and Cottonwood already do it, so what's the difference between a 3rd team? Kidding guys, no need to get all ruffled, not being a sore loser, I can't verify those allegations, all just rumors.

This article is all over the place. So you want funding for kids intramural sports, or for us to have euro-style club teams? And if we do away with highschool teams, why would the kids participate in intramurals. I played highschool sports. Lots of em. When football tryouts came around, there weren't 3000 kids out there wanting to play (and I went to the biggest highschool in the state back then). There was MAYBE 200. 100 made the varsity, less made the JV, and everyone else either went back to their x-box, or played little league football, or Jr. Jazz. Heck, the wrestling team didn't even HAVE cuts. If you made it thru the first month, you were on the team. Highschool sports is pretty good where it's at. Nothings perfect, and we should always be striving for it, but, with the occassional exception of a kid who wants to transfer to a better team...it works pretty smooth.

This is the best article I've read on the subject. I'd add these two points:

First, most men in prison started their criminal career in the hours right after school, during their early teens. More sports participation means saving more kids from a life of crime. I know it did that for me.

The more level the playing field, the more kids participate, and the more kids benefit. Every time one challenged kid goes to a "better," i.e., economically advantaged school, it discourages many more equally challenged but not equally talented kids, so they then don't go out for the team the "elite" kid abandoned.

Second, it doesn't have to be either inter-scholastic or intramural, it can, and should be, both.

the scores when region baseball starts and you will see the playing field is not level. Watch how many time CWOOD "ten runs" their opponent. I'm sure both sides are having a great time when that happens. I know their is always going to be a winner and a loser but it gets out of hand.

Best April Fools Story of the Day!

Most of us over sports minded dads have thought of this scholl concept before, but have never had the "whatever" to make it happen.
Does society cater to the elite? Darn right. That is why many of us work hard, because we want to be catered to.
If this is a bad idea, the market will correct it. As for blaming our societies fat problem on not having co-ed sports, I do not agree. I blame it on not having bike lanes, making it so we have to drive our kids to school. Write a story on that one.

Great article, Doug!
If USC is granted participation, down with the UHSA!

But what makes it an excellent April Fool's joke is that the premise -- a school dedicated to only sports -- is not that far-fetched.

Just look at the SEC.

It is amazing how much genetics differs in each part of the valley. There are schools which end up the year with no team participating in State Competition. However, they have athletes from their areas taking advantage of the transfer rule through whatever manipulation they can come up with. Allowing free transfers for whatever reason will continue to ensure that some schools with our children never know athletic success and the school spirit it engenders.

The issue of play where you want is mainly an issue of schools along the Wasatch Front. Generally the small school don't lose as many students due to athletics because the sacrifice is too great to get the student at the neighboring school over an hour away.

UHSAA has not found a solution yet, in spite of their trying different strategies and looking at programs in other states with the same issue. It appears all we can do is slow it down amongst those who are unwilling to manipulate and tell their lies.

I think it's funny how no matter what the sport, the school that wins always gets accused of doing something "cheap" in order to win. Schools don't recruit athletes. Good atheletes want to play for good programs, and that's why year in and year out alot of the same schools have the best sports programs.

I can see two sides here. Sure, it is difficult that cuts have to be made, and that some kids don't get to play high school sports. I got cut from the basketball team in 8th grade, and I know how it hurts some kids. However, I went to work and made myself better and made the team and ended up a varsity starter. Disappointment is part of sports, but character is built and revealed at times by disappointment.
That does not mean, though, that schools should be able to recruit or "transfer" athletes and the disappointment of losing is fine in that case. The playing field should be level. As far as I am aware, if a student gets cut from the school team, there is usually some kind of a recreation program in the town for them to participate in. If they can't handle getting cut, they shouldn't try out.

On another aspect of this subject: A very close friend of mine is a HS baseball coach. He has been relatively successful, taking state 3 times in about 17 years. Not too bad. Last year a mother was furious when her child was cut from the team. She thought her child ought to be allowed to play, even though he is severly handicapped. I am not sure his exact diagnosis, but he is in now way fit to be on a baseball field simply because he would be in severe danger. He could not protect himself from a hit or thrown ball. The mother thought that the coach was way out of line by not letting him participate. High school sports are a privelage, and unfortunately not everyone gets to participate. That is life. It is unfair at times, but that is how one learns and grows. It is an impossible goal to try to accomodate every student athetically. We still haven't figured out how to accomodate every student academically, which should come first--after all, it is school, and these are student athletes.
Play where you live; don't recruit or transfer for sports; compete, and have fun--win or lose.

For All the Kids wrote:"First, most men in prison started their criminal career in the hours right after school, during their early teens. More sports participation means saving more kids from a life of crime. I know it did that for me." Although I agree that after-school sports does help keep kids out of trouble, that role is better served by kids having at least one parent to come home to after school, who helps them with homework, takes them to activities, and is involved (not domineering) in their child's life. If parents would be there for their children after school, many behavioral problems described by this commentor would decrease dramatically.
As for the issue of play where you live, clearly it is the parents of these child athletes who are driving the effort to move their kids to "elite" schools because parents dream of scholarships for their kids and to live vicariously through their child's achievements. 90% of kids play school sports for fun. Fun is found where their friends are. Their friends are in their neighborhood: ergo, play where you live is in harmony with what the kids want. Parents, grow up and live your own dreams.

Funny, you have missed the point. Whether or not the schools recruit is one thing, but a student going to a different school just because they want to be coached by someone or be part of that program is wrong also. Play where you live! It isn't fair to move to another school to be part of that program. That is for college, not high school.

Doug:

Either you never played high school sports, or you simply have no idea what you are talking about. One doesn't need to start or be 1st string to make a significant contribution to a team, or to get a substantial amount of exercise. What do you think the non-starters do during practice all week, watch Oprah and eat bon bons? They work on their skills, learn discipline, mental toughness, and sportsmanship. Many kids have the opportunity to improve and acquire starting positions if they stick to it and develop their skills. Even those kids who have very little athletic ability can see improvement in themselves, learn discipline, teamwork, mental toughness and gain self confidence without starting on their team. Don't you think these skills can help them in the future? To suggest that all non-starters are just getting fat (with no facts or evidence to support your flawed theory), you unfairly discredit hundreds of hard working kids in this state who are aquiring skill sets that they cannot get elsewhere, which skills will help them succeed in the future. I hope you support your claims with facts and evidence in the future, rather than resort to slopply journalism.

It's hard to respect this article when the writer is a coach at one of the most elite, wealthy and competitive high schools in the state. Is his head buried in the sand?

Could Mr.Jones at least be original, "USC Trojans" I believe that name is already taken. Why not just call them the BYU Cougars or the Utah Utes. Please the school name doesn't even match the initials USC.
STUPID!!!!!!!!!.

Robinson is one of the biggest elitist on your staff. He certainly needs to write an article like this.

I hate Bingham and Alta, simply becuase of rivalry, but they win with local players. There are so many kids there, that they are just loaded with local talent. Look at their little league football programs. You have to play where you live, and they win like nobody else. Riverton is right behind them. As as those (Riverton) kids get older, I expect the high school to do a lot of winning with local players as well.

Skyline always won with a lot of players outside of their boundaries. Now that those numbers have dropped, so have their wins. Now Skyline is hoping to drop in classification.