Private School Transfer Portal

[615dawg]

As long as we as adults value winning HS games, your kid is not going to play if he/she sucks. Life ain't fair, learn it now.

Participation trophies are not allowed when the coaches job is on the line. You don't like it? So what, 90% of the other kids don't' get to play either.

High School Sports are not for the kids anyway, if they were, all the kids would get to play if they wanted to play and none of them would miss a minute of classroom time to do it. But we make coaches win and their job is to play the best players, not be your baby sitter. Sorry, HS coaching is a business.

Sports were an extra-curricular activity when I was a kid or at least was after school. We have let sports become way too important. It's a damn game folks. Quit taking kids out of the classroom to play a game for any reason. Some of you are coaches, just stop it. Quit make announcements about sports during instruction time, make instruction time about learning and sports the extra-curricular activity it should be after school.

Another pet peeve of mine is Thursday night games:

Thursday night games eliminate Friday class time. That's 20% of the weeks instruction time. I ain't talking about a 1 hour game between 6th graders or even 9th graders that get home by 8:30 but a 3-4 hour game starting at 7:30 that takes travel time and the leave early on Thursday. You just lost 40% of the weeks instruction time for the late afternoon classes for a damn game.

Yet, we got teams playing them more and more. Why? They do not have the kids education in mind and coaches are the ones in charge of our schools.

I mean I am sitting here on a sports message board, so I am as big of a sports fan as there is, but you are right about this.

Let's look at a sport like basketball, baseball, softball or volleyball. At most schools, that is a block every day. So 25% of their academic schedule is already devoted to sports. Then you have after school practices or games 4 nights a week. That translates to half of their time is committed to their high school sport. They are taught that academics do not matter and in extreme cases, the school basically waters down the academic classes for athletes.

If everything goes perfect and they get the dream - a college scholarship - they are put in crap classes to keep their GPA high enough to stay qualified and many never graduate. So if they do not make the professional league, they have nothing to fall back on, or they get a general education degree and go back and do the same thing as coaches to the next generation.

 

[mstateglfr]

As long as we as adults value winning HS games, your kid is not going to play if he/she sucks. Life ain't fair, learn it now.

Participation trophies are not allowed when the coaches job is on the line. You don't like it? So what, 90% of the other kids don't' get to play either.

High School Sports are not for the kids anyway, if they were, all the kids would get to play if they wanted to play and none of them would miss a minute of classroom time to do it. But we make coaches win and their job is to play the best players, not be your baby sitter. Sorry, HS coaching is a business.

Sports were an extra-curricular activity when I was a kid or at least was after school. We have let sports become way too important. It's a damn game folks. Quit taking kids out of the classroom to play a game for any reason. Some of you are coaches, just stop it. Quit make announcements about sports during instruction time, make instruction time about learning and sports the extra-curricular activity it should be after school.

Another pet peeve of mine is Thursday night games:

Thursday night games eliminate Friday class time. That's 20% of the weeks instruction time. I ain't talking about a 1 hour game between 6th graders or even 9th graders that get home by 8:30 but a 3-4 hour game starting at 7:30 that takes travel time and the leave early on Thursday. You just lost 40% of the weeks instruction time for the late afternoon classes for a damn game.

Yet, we got teams playing them more and more. Why? They do not have the kids education in mind and coaches are the ones in charge of our schools.

You used 'sports' multiple times, but I think your post is more accurate if you use 'football'...and possibly baseball. Also, its applicable to some schools, but not most.

Coaching jobs arent on the line in boys or girls golf.
Coaching jobs arent on the line in girls JV basketball.
Coaching jobs arent on the line in probably 70% of schools since regardless of who coaches, those programs wont win so the stakes arent high.

If coaches are in charge of your schools, well that alone is something which needs to change immediately. That is an insane way to operate K12 education.

 

[mstateglfr]

I mean I am sitting here on a sports message board, so I am as big of a sports fan as there is, but you are right about this.

Let's look at a sport like basketball, baseball, softball or volleyball. At most schools, that is a block every day. So 25% of their academic schedule is already devoted to sports. Then you have after school practices or games 4 nights a week. That translates to half of their time is committed to their high school sport. They are taught that academics do not matter and in extreme cases, the school basically waters down the academic classes for athletes.

If everything goes perfect and they get the dream - a college scholarship - they are put in crap classes to keep their GPA high enough to stay qualified and many never graduate. So if they do not make the professional league, they have nothing to fall back on, or they get a general education degree and go back and do the same thing as coaches to the next generation.

What is 'a block every day'? Like, what does that mean? 25% of their classes are a sport and then they have practice or games after school? I dont understand what the 25% part is. What is taking place during that part of the school day?

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Yep. Tupelo has a administrative transfer rule that allows non Tupelo citizens to attend Tupelo schools for a fee. Lots of their good athletes do not live in their district.

In the early 80's - a lot of the Tupelo basketball players transferred from Shannon.

 

[615dawg]

What is 'a block every day'? Like, what does that mean? 25% of their classes are a sport and then they have practice or games after school? I

Gone are the days of playing a high school sport just to stay in shape and be with your buddies making memories. Its a business that has full control over communities.

 

[dawgstudent]

'Better education' is a pretty wide net. Better academics, more personalized instructions, EC opportunities, etc are all definitely part of that wide net.
...and yet paying for 12 years of private school with the hope that your kid will play HS football is still bonkers.

I went to a small Catholic school in Vicksburg and the opportunity to play sports was so much of what made high school awesome to me. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

The rumor on the Jackson Jambalaya blog is that our ole buddy (Shay Hodge) is the point man recruiting for Jackson Academy, ***so it has to be all legit***

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

As long as we as adults value winning HS games, your kid is not going to play if he/she sucks. Life ain't fair, learn it now.

This ain't travel ball though, parents pay $100k or more in tuition over the span of 12 years with the "understanding," at least for some, that their kid is going to play whatever sport.

At any of the "big 4" kids come and go and most parents likely realize there's much less of a chance their kid will have "guaranteed" playing time. At smaller schools, though like TCA, CA and ER, where there is less student turnover, some parents may believe their kids should play after spending 6 figures on tuition.

It doesn't effect me as my kids are out of school and went public, but i can see a parent being upset if they sent their kids to TCA or CA for 12 years, instead of Germantown or MC (where the academics are probably higher in AP classes) with the unwritten understanding that their kid would play sports.

 

[Faustdog]

Craziness!

Parents paying 12 years of tuition then having their child's playing taken by someone coming in for a year or two (and not paying tuition), must sting. My sister taught at Canton Academy many years ago and said this was big issue.

J.A. Hits the Transfer Jackpot

kingfish1935.blogspot.com

Christ Covenant seems to be making an effort to stay away from this sort of thing. I'm interested to see how that goes over the next couple of years as they fill out their high school.

I'd hate it as a parent if a transfer took my kid's spot in 11th or 12th grade, but I don't know what the solution is. It's always happened and is going to happen to some extent.

Some of this, like what we're seeing at JA, seems on its face to be blatant recruiting. Same with a few but not all of the Hartfield kids. The main guy though who is committed to Ohio State has been there since elementary school I believe due to his older sister transferring there.

You also have to take into account that it's often these parents initiate the contact. We're all looking for the best for our kids. Who wouldn't want a JA/Prep education, or a Christ focused environment like Hartfield when you're other option is a lower performing public or private school?

 

[mstateglfr]

My kid has 8 blocks. 4 blocks on A day, 4 blocks on B days.

One block each day for sports. They practice or lift every single day during the block, then practice more after school.

Its 25% of the in-school schedule for most athletes. When you add in game time and after school practice, about 50% of their weekdays during their sports season is committed to their sport. And if you are burned out, coaches don't care, they just say you don't have it and there is someone behind you waiting for your spot.

Gone are the days of playing a high school sport just to stay in shape and be with your buddies making memories. Its a business that has full control over communities.

That is so insane. Also, it requires coaches to be available earlier than after school in order to oversee lifiting and/or practice during the school day.
Genuinely, that is really unfortunate to see.

That time should be spent on academics- another AP class, or an interest class like graphic design, or a different CTE class, or a foreign language class. Hell, have it be for yearbook as an 'English' class, even.

What is really sad is that each year I see a ton of examples of kids signing to D1 and D2 universities to play sports...and they arent spending 25% of their school day plus practice after school working on a sport.
It just doesnt need to be that way.

 

[615dawg]

That is so insane. Also, it requires coaches to be available earlier than after school in order to oversee lifiting and/or practice during the school day.
Genuinely, that is really unfortunate to see.

That time should be spent on academics- another AP class, or an interest class like graphic design, or a different CTE class, or a foreign language class. Hell, have it be for yearbook as an 'English' class, even.

What is really sad is that each year I see a ton of examples of kids signing to D1 and D2 universities to play sports...and they arent spending 25% of their school day plus practice after school working on a sport.
It just doesnt need to be that way.

Its absurd. My kids are not enjoying high school sports the way I did. Burnout is a real thing

 

[dawgstudent]

or a Christ focused environment like Hartfield when you're other option is a lower performing public or private school?

Is Hartfield Christ focused? I know that was their original mission when it was partnered with Pinelake but I don't see them really advertising the religious centered education anymore. Also, I'm not really paying attention either.

 

[615dawg]

Christ Covenant seems to be making an effort to stay away from this sort of thing. I'm interested to see how that goes over the next couple of years as they fill out their high school.

I'd hate it as a parent if a transfer took my kid's spot in 11th or 12th grade, but I don't know what the solution is. It's always happened and is going to happen to some extent.

Some of this, like what we're seeing at JA, seems on its face to be blatant recruiting. Same with a few but not all of the Hartfield kids. The main guy though who is committed to Ohio State has been there since elementary school I believe due to his older sister transferring there.

You also have to take into account that it's often these parents initiate the contact. We're all looking for the best for our kids. Who wouldn't want a JA/Prep education, or a Christ focused environment like Hartfield when you're other option is a lower performing public or private school?

I love what Christ Covenant is trying to do and hope they are successful, but its the same exact model that Hartfield went to when they changed from University Christian. It took three years before they ran off the founding headmaster, who focused on creating an academically rigorous, unashamed of being a Christian school and hired a sports-focused administration.

It has worked out for them enrollment wise, and they have a nice campus, but its full of kids that its a stretch meet the covenantal requirements that the bylaws of Hartfield require (regular church attendance verified by a pastor, adherence to the Nicene creed, etc.).

Christ Covenant needs to stick with it. It has a chance to be the Metro private school we need.

 

[615dawg]

Is Hartfield Christ focused? I know that was their original mission when it was partnered with Pinelake but I don't see them really advertising the religious centered education anymore. Also, I'm not really paying attention either.

To attend there, you have to adhere to certain Biblical truths and standards - a Christian covenant model. The goal was to create a community of like minded families who focused on academics from a Christian Worldview. Technically it is still in play because I know a family that is switching there that had to make an appearance at church during their application process.

But the stories coming out of that place of the athletes being recruited aren't very Christian.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Is Hartfield Christ focused? I know that was their original mission when it was partnered with Pinelake but I don't see them really advertising the religious centered education anymore. Also, I'm not really paying attention either.

Still a "covenant" school to my knowledge.

 

[paindonthurt]

My kids went to a private school for a few years. One day some parents were venting that their kid had played basketball for the school every year since kindergarten, but now that he was in 10th grade he never played anymore because the kids on scholarship got all the playing time. I thought I was being helpful when I asked how many games could they win without the scholarship players. Apparently, I was not helping

But you aren’t wrong!

 

[JY1947]

To attend there, you have to adhere to certain Biblical truths and standards - a Christian covenant model. The goal was to create a community of like minded families who focused on academics from a Christian Worldview. Technically it is still in play because I know a family that is switching there that had to make an appearance at church during their application process.

But the stories coming out of that place of the athletes being recruited aren't very Christian.

I know dozens of kids that go there and after they made their appearance at church havent been back

 

[paindonthurt]

Some parents care more about their kids than they do winning a high school game. Crazy ain't it ?

Wanting your kid to play more than wanting the team to win isn’t my idea of caring about your kid.

 

[paindonthurt]

its morally wrong.

how?

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

It took three years before they ran off the founding headmaster, who focused on creating an academically rigorous, unashamed of being a Christian school and hired a sports-focused administration.

Several years ago, i sold a triathlon bike on craigslist. When talking to the buyer, he informed he had just moved here from KY to be athletic director at Hartfield. When i asked him what sport(s) he coached, he replied none, his only job was AD. I was surprised they would pay someone relocation money from KY and a salary just to be AD.

 

[RocketDawg]

This is absurd.

Jackson Academy parents should be livid.

At least on the surface, I agree. Sounds like there's a danger of a private school that has top academics diluting their reputation and standards to have a winning football team. I know nothing about Jackson Academy, but I assume it's an honest to goodness academic school that offers coursework not available at public schools, rather than a "segregation academy", and has entrance standards commensurate with high performing kids.

 

[615dawg]

Several years ago, i sold a triathlon bike on craigslist. When talking to the buyer, he informed he had just moved here from KY to be athletic director at Hartfield. When i asked him what sport(s) he coached, he replied none, his only job was AD. I was surprised they would pay someone relocation money from KY and a salary just to be AD.

They have gone through several athletic directors. I think they were founded around 2013 and I can think of at least six.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

Is Hartfield Christ focused? I know that was their original mission when it was partnered with Pinelake but I don't see them really advertising the religious centered education anymore. Also, I'm not really paying attention either.

Go look at Hartfield's website. Horner just dropped a video about the upcoming year and talks about their mission.

 

[RocketDawg]

Yep, and I find that to be crazy...but people spend their money how they want.
The goofy part really is being upset if it doesnt come to fruition. As if 'I have been paying since Gunnar was 4!' is justification for making a sports team in high school.

Well, there are some benefits to private college prep schools. Our kid went to such a school for 13 years, then went to State free and double-majored, got paid to go to Tulane in grad school, got paid to go to Florida State, and went to UGa free.

The private tuition more than paid for itself.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

They have gone through several athletic directors. I think they were founded around 2013 and I can think of at least six.

One of their AD's passed away a couple of years ago then they brought in the guy that ess at JA. He retired last year and they have a new one this year.

 

[RocketDawg]

Yep. Tupelo has a administrative transfer rule that allows non Tupelo citizens to attend Tupelo schools for a fee. Lots of their good athletes do not live in their district.

So the residents of Tupelo who pay school taxes for that district get screwed by allowing someone to come in who doesn't pay city school taxes?

 

[dawgstudent]

Go look at Hartfield's website. Horner just dropped a video about the upcoming year and talks about their mission.

I wonder why they changed names from University Christian to Hartfield.

 

[8dog]

My kid has 8 blocks. 4 blocks on A day, 4 blocks on B days.

One block each day for sports. They practice or lift every single day during the block, then practice more after school.

Its 25% of the in-school schedule for most athletes. When you add in game time and after school practice, about 50% of their weekdays during their sports season is committed to their sport. And if you are burned out, coaches don't care, they just say you don't have it and there is someone behind you waiting for your spot.

Gone are the days of playing a high school sport just to stay in shape and be with your buddies making memories. Its a business that has full control over communities.

Holy cow. I’ve never heard of that anywhere else

 

[Rezdog]

I wonder why they changed names from University Christian to Hartfield.

Because university Christian was were the kids that got kicked out of NW went.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

I wonder why they changed names from University Christian to Hartfield.

I don't think University Christian had the best reputation (academically) when they merged with Pinelake School. To shed that image as well as the relationship with the church, they changed the name. I may have that wrong but I believe that's why it changed.

 

[dawgstudent]

I don't think University Christian had the best reputation (academically) when they merged with Pinelake School. To shed that image as well as the relationship with the church, they changed the name. I may have that wrong but I believe that's why it changed.

I would have somehow put something with a religious meaning in the name of the school.

 

[8dog]

I would have somehow put something with a religious meaning in the name of the school.

The mustache that makes the “H” is part of Jesus’s beard.

 

[mstateglfr]

Well, there are some benefits to private college prep schools. Our kid went to such a school for 13 years, then went to State free and double-majored, got paid to go to Tulane in grad school, got paid to go to Florida State, and went to UGa free.

The private tuition more than paid for itself.

My initial post recognized your example as one which, to me, makes sense.
My comments in this thread have not been about whether or not spending money on a private school education is 'good' or 'justifiable'. I posted that I think its nuts to prioritize possibly playing a HS sport as the reason for paying private school tuition for 12 years. That is not what you did.

 

[RocketDawg]

My initial post recognized your example as one which, to me, makes sense.
My comments in this thread have not been about whether or not spending money on a private school education is 'good' or 'justifiable'. I posted that I think its nuts to prioritize possibly playing a HS sport as the reason for paying private school tuition for 12 years. That is not what you did.

Yes, that definitely is nuts. Low chance of payback, plus possibly not all that interested in advanced academics.

 

[dawgstudent]

My initial post recognized your example as one which, to me, makes sense.
My comments in this thread have not been about whether or not spending money on a private school education is 'good' or 'justifiable'. I posted that I think its nuts to prioritize possibly playing a HS sport as the reason for paying private school tuition for 12 years. That is not what you did.

I think sports is part of the discussion. We are also Catholic and my parents wanted us to have a Catholic education.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

Wanting your kid to play more than wanting the team to win isn’t my idea of caring about your kid.

Some people I guess just are more loyal to their kids than the high school mascot. To each his own. Everybody has different priorities. Put him on the bench and give the kid from Calloway free tuition to win 3 more games. Sure.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I was decent at baseball and football but not a standout. I wasn’t very good at basketball but liked it and would’ve played. I went to a Jackson private school a little before the scholarships got crazy. My parents never had an expectation that I was owed playing time, but I ended up phasing out of sports by 10th grade. I quit football after 9th to focus on baseball, but our baseball team had guys who didn’t start who still got college scholarships, and I wasn’t good enough to cut it. While there wasn’t a scholarship issue at that time, there was 100% a booster influence. It wasn’t the tuition that played a factor, it was the amount of money given above that that earned people extra attention/playing time.

We did sort of consider going to a smaller school to give more sports opportunity. Part of me wishes we did but part is OK not doing that because high school set my career trajectory in a meaningful way. I don’t know. Still have dreams at times about regretting not sticking with high school football.

I’d be annoyed as hell if scholarships started happening and took playing time from me, but if it was already part of it from whenever I started school, I’d probably just accept it for what it is. I was definitely annoyed at the booster kid playing time because some of them sucked.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Well, there are some benefits to private college prep schools. Our kid went to such a school for 13 years, then went to State free and double-majored, got paid to go to Tulane in grad school, got paid to go to Florida State, and went to UGa free.

The private tuition more than paid for itself.

Concur, but a high performing student in a big public school would likely get the same deal.

 

[dawgstudent]

Some people I guess just are more loyal to their kids than the high school mascot. To each his own. Everybody has different priorities. Put him on the bench and give the kid from Calloway free tuition to win 3 more games. Sure.

I can't disagree with you. If a kid was brought in just for athletic reasons, as the parent of the child being replaced - I would be pissed. But there's nothing you can do about it really. It's also a life lesson for the kid.

 

[mstateglfr]

I think sports is part of the discussion. We are also Catholic and my parents wanted us to have a Catholic education.

Yeah, a smaller school where your kid has a higher chance of participating in plays/musicals/sports is absolutely something worth considering when choosing where your kids will attend school.

Being pissed that you paid 12 years of private education and your kid doesnt get to play on the HS football team or sits the bench?...nah, that is dumb.


One is simply considering odds and potential benefits. The other is feeling like paying for years of private schooling equals playing time in a sport at the end.
Those are, to me, very different.