Louisiana Softball Championships--I hope Texas never merges public/private teams!

[Old Cardinal]

I attended the Big State Championship all Classification Tournament for Louisiana. It was shocking in that Baptist,Catholic, and Lutheran schools, plus other private school had at least 80% of the final four teams in divisions-C,B,A,AA,AAA,AAAA,AAAAA. It's a matter that these non-public schools recruit over a 4 state area and the public school just play with what is locally available in their District!

I HOPE TEXAS DOES NOT END UP IN THIS TYPE MERGED SITUATION

It's is so crazy over there-- a private school is placed into a given classification based on the number of "boys" in the school; therefore the private schools can recruit as many girls as they want for all sports and yet try to move into small-school classifications. The whole thing over there is like ole time Huey P. Long politics.
Oh well: we did see some great softball and many girls that will be playing college ball. At a tournament in Sulphur, LA some time back during this season--Huntington, Port Neches-Groves, Bridge City and Nederland we invited to play what Louisiana High School Athletics Association preceived at that time as their most promising 5A teams(2400+ enrollment).

I followed the teams this weekend that Bridge City had faced early on and here were their standings in their state bracket climb.
#1 Sulphur was eliminated 2-1 by Denham Springs in the 5A semifinal--(BC played them twice this season)

#2 Barbe HS Lake Charles was eliminated in the 5A simifinals. BC's 9th grade pitcher Shandi Conner had pitched a one hitter against Barbe when they were rated #5 on a national poll.

#3 Ridgewood-a lower classification State Champion was beat 3-1 by BC with Meagan Godwin hurling. They were surprising eliminated in the semi's and they had the same pitcher who had pitched them to the Championship the year before.

#4 Denham Springs beat Sulphur 2-1-- then lost to St. Amant a giant multi-state recruiting school out of New Orleans for the Championship of 5A. Bridge City had lost to Denham Springs 4-1 in preseason tournament play this season. It was kind of amusing, the previous year BC had beat Denham Springs by one point when they were rate #2 on one national poll. Denham Springs was one of the few public schools in the final four of all classifications.

All in all, it was a great experience for Huntington, Nederland, Bridge City and PN-G to have the opportunity to go against their best big teams early this postseason.

Folks, it you have read this far--please be informed there is a political force in TX athletics that wants to merge private schools to play merged in with public schools--it would not be good to do that. What happens is every time a public school child excells in sports of any kind the private schools offer free tuition etc: in order to induce the parents to switch to the private school. That creates hard feelings. Even Coaches are offered jobs as Coaches in certain private schools at big salaries if they can deliver a group of premium players out of the public schools! It will create a big mess for Texas if certain political thoughts prevail on forced merger.

Please express any thoughts that you have on merging privates and public....

[District303aPastPlayer]

it still says something bout public schools if they can win the state title....

[Old Cardinal]

30-3A--Denham Springs lost to the Private School Machine call St. Ament 2-1 for the 5A State Championship. The only private school that won the State Championship was in Class A when Merryville beat St. John's (a Catholic Private School), 5-3. St John's is one of the private schools that recruits only athletes and keeps their enrollment very low so they can compete with smaller public classification schools.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
Folks, it you have read this far--please be informed there is a political force in TX athletics that wants to merge private schools to play merged in with public schools--it would not be good to do that. What happens is every time a public school child excells in sports of any kind the private schools offer free tuition etc: in order to induce the parents to switch to the private school. That creates hard feelings. Even Coaches are offered jobs as Coaches in certain private schools at big salaries if they can deliver a group of premium players out of the public schools! It will create a big mess for Texas if certain political thoughts prevail on forced merger.

Please express any thoughts that you have on merging privates and public....

I am against it. If public schools are "good enough" to play regular season schedules and compete against for titles, public schools should be "good enough" to attend for education. I am in no way against private schools, but if parents want their children in that setting, they need to compete against other private schools. It seems to me that offering "free" tuition would be against some UIL regulation for competetition and if not, then it needs to be.

In addition to this, there is currently a bill in front of the state legislature for home schooled children to be allowed access to one or more public school classes, and to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics and band. I have the same opinion...if public schools were "good enough", the children would be attending full time.

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
I am against it. If public schools are "good enough" to play regular season schedules and compete against for titles, public schools should be "good enough" to attend for education. I am in no way against private schools, but if parents want their children in that setting, they need to compete against other private schools. It seems to me that offering "free" tuition would be against some UIL regulation for competetition and if not, then it needs to be.

In addition to this, there is currently a bill in front of the state legislature for home schooled children to be allowed access to one or more public school classes, and to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics and band. I have the same opinion...if public schools were "good enough", the children would be attending full time.

AMEN LHPM, well said!!

[mwynn05]

It's already happened here Old Card, just not on that scale, it's like that in almost all states.

[Old Cardinal]

LH Mom....I have not been able to decide for myself on the "home schooled children" issue. In our area, their are many engineers, supervisory and professional people that are trying to home school and get their kids in a superior position for college. They legally have a right to do so. On the other hand they pay school taxes: in many cases a whole lot of school property taxes. They contend that in off hours their youth ought to have the right to use, say, laboratory facilities that they cannot access at home--after all they are paying a whole lot of school taxes. They further argue that many in the public schools have parents that live off the government in taxpayer-funded public housing and they have the right to all types of school equipment while contributing absolutely nothing. Those with home schooled children feel they are being pentalized for being industrious while other parents are just a burden on society.
I can see a number of views from both sides of this issue at this time.

[LH Panther Mom]

Old Card, I can certainly understand the home schooling parents position, for those that are truly trying to give their children a leg up. I also know that are countless instances where "home schooling" is a crock. My neighbors across the street, both parents working full-time, have a daughter that just didn't like school. She was in my stepson's grade, now 21. At the beginning of her junior year, she didn't go to school. The sheriff & h.s. principal showed up at the house a few days after school started with truancy papers. Her response was that she was being home-schooled. Her "school" time was spent on the front porch smoking or bringing her boyfriend over to the house.

There are a few kids in my mother's school district that in their upper years are "home-schooled". These kids are on the ranch working for their father.

I don't have a problem with home schooling and I know that in most cases, those children are actually getting an education which may sometimes be more effective than public school. I know that a parent can't set up a biology or chemistry lab and for the child to use public school facilities for that is fine with me...the school will get money for that. My main problem is allowing the children to participate in the extracurricular activities. There is no feasible way to differentiate the legitimate cases from the ones where it is a "way out" of school for the child. It seems to me there should be leagues set up for the home-schoolers to participate in for athletics and/or band.

[HighSchool Fan]

it really shouldn't matter to you old card. if the private school isn't from SE Texas, they won't be any good any way.

[Old Cardinal]

LH Mom: That was a well thought out answer--really something to ponder. Yes I have seen home schooling go either way also. To the Collinsville wonder, glad I could get something to stick in your craw, oh that's right you probably don't know what a craw is, LOL. Maybe some of those old folks that that make up most all of the 19,000 residents in Gainesville can tell you what a craw is?

[HighSchool Fan]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
LH Mom: That was a well thought out answer--really something to ponder. Yes I have seen home schooling go either way also. To the Collinsville wonder, glad I could get something to stick in your craw, of that's right you probably don't know what a craw is, LOL. Maybe some of those old folks that that make up most all of the 19,000 residents in Gainesville can tell you what a craw is?

the only thing that sticks in my crawl are liars and ignorace. especially people with both.

[Old Cardinal]

Whoo Whoo--settle down big fellow are you might have a heart attack!

[Phantom Stang]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
LH Mom....I have not been able to decide for myself on the "home schooled children" issue. In our area, their are many engineers, supervisory and professional people that are trying to home school and get their kids in a superior position for college. They legally have a right to do so. On the other hand they pay school taxes: in many cases a whole lot of school property taxes. They contend that in off hours their youth ought to have the right to use, say, laboratory facilities that they cannot access at home--after all they are paying a whole lot of school taxes. They further argue that many in the public schools have parents that live off the government in taxpayer-funded public housing and they have the right to all types of school equipment while contributing absolutely nothing. Those with home schooled children feel they are being pentalized for being industrious while other parents are just a burden on society.
I can see a number of views from both sides of this issue at this time.

By all means, those taxpayers children should have every right to ATTEND and PASS academic classes in public schools. By doing so, they would EARN the PRIVILEGE to participate in extra-curricular activities. After all, their kids ought to be entitled to the same opportunities to learn values as those of the non-taxpayers.

[Old Cardinal]

To Phantom Stang: I think you will find a lot less folks that think they(the youth) should play on the HS sports teams. The question that looms biggest is the use of public school labs etc: in off hours.
Their are a lot of kids especially girls that are home schooled and play select team ball and are poised for college scholarships in softball and other sports.
They are outstanding athletes and they have recieved top quality Coaching. They are just not interested in the majority of HS teams since their select team level play is so far superior to most HS team and Coaching techniques.

[Phantom Stang]

Old Card.... To use lab facilities and what-not during off hours would be an added expense to the ISD in question. Would it not?