Are 8th grade signing days coming?

[jwarigaku]

So as we move forward with our typical off season discussions I ran across this gem a few days ago. It got me thinking that this is a pretty interesting idea to drive dedication to the program where the young man is going to enroll and since it's been going on for a few years has increased the freshman team by two fold. I wonder when we see this type of signing day adopted by schools in the Chicagoland area. Imagine the coverage this can get with signing days at all the public and private schools!

Illinois public school has 8th grade LI signing

 

[mc140]

No. It is bad enough on twitter with all of this stuff.

The real "signing day" is coming up at the end of the month when kids find out how much money they are actually getting for next year.

 

[jwarigaku]

MC140,

This is a public school signing, are you saying they are paying the kids to go to school there?

 

[mc140]

Originally posted by jwarigaku:
MC140,

This is a public school signing, are you saying they are paying the kids to go to school there?

No. I am saying for a lot of the Suburban kids, they make the decision on whether to go to the CCL or local public based on the amount of financial aid they will be getting which is found out in a few weeks.


I don't want a "signing day" for any 8th grader.

 

[Wild_Mustang]

No. I am saying for a lot of the Suburban kids, they make the decision on whether to go to the CCL or local public based on the amount of financial aid they will be getting which is found out in a few weeks.



I don't want a "signing day" for any 8th grader.

I agree with MC140....this would ruin high school football and make it a business just like College & NFL have become. They're kids, just let them play and have fun. Don't make it too serious. There is seriously no need for a grade school signing day. Any school that does that should be embarrassed.

 

[jwarigaku]

MC and Mustang,

If its fun for the kids why should it be an embarrassment? If it gives them a sense of belonging again why would this be an issue? Its about the kids, not about the small little men that make it about something else!

 

[Wild_Mustang]

Originally posted by jwarigaku:
MC and Mustang,

If its fun for the kids why should it be an embarrassment? If it gives them a sense of belonging again why would this be an issue? Its about the kids, not about the small little men that make it about something else!

I wish you were right and I wish it could be that easy. BUT you know and I know that people will find a way to take advantage of this and it'll end up being more about themselves and their school than about the kids. That's my opinion. I just have zero faith in the human race anymore, so any idea that involves human adults being selfless is a forgone conclusion to me.

 

[MC63]

Whenever I see one of these "news conferences" where a high school kid announces his college decision, I want to throw a brick at the screen.

These serve no other purpose that to further inflate the already too-large egos of young men whose level of self-importance can do them nothing but harm.

These are nothing new. In the early 80s, Walter Downing, a basketball player (I'm not sure which school) had a radio news conference to announce his decision to attend DePaul (over Marquette). Mr. Downing stayed with the Blue Demons for one mediocre year before transferring to the Milwaukee school. I don't recall him being any star there, either.

This post was edited on 2/9 4:49 PM by MC63

 

[OldLeaf]

Good Grief! We already have a rampant out-of-control unhealthy pandemic of narcissism and narcissists in this country. Can we at least keep it from afflicting the young ones?!

 

[jwarigaku]

OldLeaf,

Just let me remind all y'all that this does not stem from the Chicagoland area or from the private school group that is oft maligned for recruiting and having an unfair advantage. Rather this practice has been instituted in a down state district, in a small classification, that really doesn't compete for its students with any other school. So the question is, is it ok for them to do, does it pass IHSA rule restrictions, and if so why would it be wrong for the Chicagoland schools, both public and private, to adopt such a tradition to drive commitment to a particular program?

 

[Anon1754760634]

MC I totally agree and no one wants to be there. Biggest issue now is that if you don't go 23 others will go so.....

 

[USD24]

Walter Downing went to Providence

 

[ignazio]

Hate to break the news to you guys, but the non-athlete kids are making these things a joke now, holding "signing ceremonies" in the cafeteria at lunch time, etc.

And why not, some of the non-athletes are getting better scholarship deals than some of the athletes.

Related link: what % of students are receiving financial aid.





LINK

 

[mchsalumni]

More than some, ignazio. If people focused as much on academics as they do on sports, college would be much more affordable.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[mchsalumni]

And if this is a vote, I think we should find the person who came up with the concept and kick them off the planet.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Corey90]

I agree with MC and others.
The subject: Are 8th grade signing days coming?
How stupid does this sound. Really we need
8th graders announcing what high school they will
attend. Really! Why? Who cares. This is for the parents
and schools. This serves no value for the kid other than
to puff out his chest and say yeah that's right I was recruited
because I am so good. Again what's the purpose?

 

[GMAN81]

Corey:

I agree with you and others here. This is a horrible idea. You think parents are bad now? This will only make things worse.

Why do I or anyone else need to see Johnny sign his little "business deal?" Like you say, who cares? It's high school friggin football for Christ's sake. Any coach who would support a ridiculous idea like this is a coach I wouldn't want my son playing for.

What do we know about most 8th graders who are excelling on the field or court? In general, they are bigger and more mature mentally than their counterparts. The gap is huge sometimes. A kid can do a lot of growing physically and mentally from 8th grade to his junor year in high school. A kid can also peak in 8th or 9th grade too. It happens a lot. How many times have we seen an 8th grade stud who, by the time he gets to high school varsity athletics is only a memory? It happens a lot more with kids going from grade school to high school than it does from high school to college.

Doing such a thing also puts undue pressure on the kid to excel. They simply aren't mature enough at that age to be dealing with such a thing. This, in no way, is beneficial for the kid in my opinion.

This is a horrible idea. The time came long ago in this country for people and parents to start worrying about things that actually matter instead of nonsense like this.
This post was edited on 2/10 12:10 PM by Dr. Mirakle

 

[PowerI66_]

It just sounds to me like the coach was using it as a promotional tool for kids to come out freshman year. I think you guys are taking this way too seriously. It's just meant to be fun and motivational.

 

[jwarigaku]

Corey,

Again not recruiting here since this is originating at a school that simply takes "what the bus drops off"!

 

[GMAN81]

Originally posted by PowerI66:
It just sounds to me like the coach was using it as a promotional tool for kids to come out freshman year. I think you guys are taking this way too seriously. It's just meant to be fun and motivational.

And that is exactly how things like this get started. Just a motivational thing all in fun. Yeah, right. This is a ridiculous idea.

 

[PowerI66_]

I just don't see the reason in getting worked up about this. There's no reason to treat this like it's going to turn into some exploitative practice or event. Are we going to treat graduation ceremonies as a "motivational thing all in fun" only to go wrong. Just relax. Not everything has to be so negative all the time.

 

[Jiggs]

If you think signing ceremonies for 8th graders are a bit nutty and far off, don't be surprised when it happens. Some entrepreneurs have created web sites where a supposed football analyst ranks 5th through 8th graders nationwide going into high school. Sort of a Rivals 250 for kids. Although the premise sounds nutty, these guys must be making a living because you cannot look at their web sites unless you pay. At the same time they solicit stories about youth teams. I am sure there are no shortage of parents willing to pay and send these guys stories on the hope that their kid will be one of the stars mentioned on these web sites in the hope that a college coach will offer their kid a scholarship when he is a freshman in high school.

 

[OldLeaf]

Yep....there certainly isn't any shortages of abnormal, warped, nutty, narcissistic, out-of-touch-with-the-real-world, look-at-me-I'm-the greatest-of-all-time whether it be the athletes, coaches, parents or media in the world of sports. I see it as the norm almost every time the camera lights come on and the microphone is turned on nowadays. Real and genuine humility, humanity, humbleness and being soft-spoken is almost entirely gone in the world of sports at all levels.

 

[mc140]

Originally posted by bronco man:
If you think signing ceremonies for 8th graders are a bit nutty and far off, don't be surprised when it happens. Some entrepreneurs have created web sites where a supposed football analyst ranks 5th through 8th graders nationwide going into high school. Sort of a Rivals 250 for kids. Although the premise sounds nutty, these guys must be making a living because you cannot look at their web sites unless you pay. At the same time they solicit stories about youth teams. I am sure there are no shortage of parents willing to pay and send these guys stories on the hope that their kid will be one of the stars mentioned on these web sites in the hope that a college coach will offer their kid a scholarship when he is a freshman in high school.

There is a lot of money to be made off of parents in the 10-14 age group with rankings and stuff.

 

[jwarigaku]

Kinda sounding like Basketball now isn't it?!

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

Maybe I am missing something but why should we be celebrating if a kid signs with a private school? Seems to me that there are more than one occasion when these kids jump ship and go to another school. If they have this glorious signing day, shouldn't they have to stay there then?

Wouldn't be bad thing then as it would stop a lot of the bigger better deal crap we see in basketball.

Their is still a certain amount of innocence when we talk about 8th graders. I for one think its disgusting that this would be considered. Private, public or otherwise.

I am not a big fan of the pomp and circumstance of national signing day anyway, but on the 8th grade level for private schools? Just silly.

 

[GMAN81]

But wait a minute guys. PowerI66 says "it's all in fun" and we should "relax." Talk about living in a fantasy land.

 

[mchsalumni]

PowerI66, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Exploitation of 8th graders with the thought that this is all in good fun. We've seen this story before.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Wild_Mustang]

Like I stated before, the human race as we know it is unsaveable. Good intentions are just a front

 

[Corey90]

Dr.
We're on the same page with this one.

Again I ask what purpose or positive would
come from this kind of exploitation? Who benefits?
This in my opinion is really for the coach, school and parents.

This can't be good for little Johnny. It's actually
disturbing to even think it is being considered .

 

[illini14]

Sure hope not.

Does this mean kids will have press releases to the Daily Herald / Naperville Sun / etc.... when they transfer high schools as well?

People are going nuts with middle school and high school sports, let the kids be kids, kids should be excited to attend whatever HS they choose, it shouldn't need to be news worthy or a big spectacle.

 

[Topiarydan1]

Let the kid don a jersey and post it on his parents Facebook page - I have no problem with a kid and his family doing themselves since it's a big step in a kids life. but expecting press to attend or getting the school to somehow recognize them individually would be laughable.