Letter: Action by LHSAA fair to all

I would like to thank the Louisiana High School Athletic Association for finally taking a small step in the right direction by voting to create separate football playoffs for public and select (private) schools.

In high school sports, if nowhere else, we should strive to create a level playing field. Traditionally that has been defined by student population density. For example, a 5A school drawing from a larger student population will generally have more athletes to choose from than a 2A school drawing from a much smaller student population.

Thus, dividing the schools according to the size of the student body has traditionally been accepted by everyone as fair.

Select schools continue to argue student population should be the determining factor. They argue if select schools are winning more often it is because they have developed better programs.

But that argument completely ignores the reality that select schools are not confined to a defined geographic boundary, thus the student population of a select school cannot be defined in the same way as a public school limited by boundaries.

Even absent financial aid, scholarships or other incentives, select schools have an unfair advantage in relation to student athletes for the simple reason that student athletes may choose to go to a select school no matter where they reside, while the same is not true for a public school which is determined solely by residency.

In my opinion, the LHSAA did not go far enough. All major sports should be divided into select and public divisions for both regular-season and post-season play.

This includes football, basketball (boys and girls), baseball, softball, track (boys and girls), volleyball, and possibly soccer. Smaller sports in which all schools do not participate could still compete in joint play.

No other solution is fair to all student athletes.

Nor should home-schooled children be allowed to compete on a high school team. There are advantages to home-schooling and there are disadvantages. Not being part of a student body is one of the disadvantages.

I have followed high school baseball in my community for some time. West Feliciana plays in a district with Parkview Baptist. Since I have lived here West Feliciana has never beaten Parkview in baseball.

In fact no one I have spoken to can remember West Feliciana ever winning a baseball game against Parkview Baptist.

Separating these schools into different divisions is long overdue.

Paul Spillman

wholesale flooring sales

St. Francisville

Comments

1) Comment by bourbon-soda - 05/02/2013

@ Atilla - I agree. As posted elsewhere, I think the "nonselect" majority of LHSAA has shot itself in the foot with this. They are the ones who will be perceived as second-class citizens in football and it will come true.

2) Comment by Mildred Citizen - 05/02/2013

Who knew that homeschooled children were without empathy, pitiful, egocentric, selfish, abnormal, and incapable of fitting in? Thanks to someone who refers themselves as twinkie cat, we are now all duly informed! Thanks! ......do the people at vacation bible school know these are your views? Things people say that make you go.......hmmmmm.

3) Comment by Attila - 05/02/2013

This has to sports and athletics what race norming is to test scores.

4) Comment by bourbon-soda - 05/02/2013

Reference may be to Bill Ayers.

5) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 05/02/2013

Way an enlightened post over in freeper-land. I stopped reading after the reference to "Marxist professors". What a joke...

6) Comment by bourbon-soda - 05/02/2013

Interesting diagnoses, but I am not able to find anything in the way of credible research that links home-schooling to psychopathology. Here is a countervailing opinion: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2960987/posts

7) Comment by twinkie1cat - 05/02/2013

Absolutely home schooled students should NOT be allowed to play on public school teams. Home schoolers are the most elite of the elite. Plus, because they are often being taught at home for political/segregationist/religious reasons and are being taught a selfish value system, they do not fit in with normal chlidren. Even a week working with them in Vacation Bible School taught me that they are odd little birds, kind of pitiful actually. They did not know how to cooperate and were constantly demanding all the attention. Basically they had no team spirit or empathy. If they want to compete in the private school league with the other elitists, that is ok, however. The Catholic school kids in this same Vacation Bible School were pretty normal and well behaved. There are advantages and disadvantages to homeschooling just as there are to private schooling. One of the disadvantages is not being taught to value diversity. Another disadvantage should be not being allowed to play on public school sports teams. If parents make the choice to shield their child from reality academically, they should be making the choice to deny them reality athletically by default.

8) Comment by bourbon-soda - 05/02/2013

"Fair" is in the eyes of the beholder. This is the Lake Woebegone principle applied to sports. "But who has won?" This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead....At last the Dodo said, 'Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.'" - _Alice in Wonderland_

9) Comment by [e-mail] - 05/02/2013

I'd just like to point out that no matter what the situation, athletes develop in surprising places that don't aspire to sports greatness, i.e. for example Archie Manning played at a high school with an eight man football team, and Larry Bird lead his obscure High School basketball team to the top. Both of these athletes excelled at all levels including top ratings in the Pro ranks, so let's not forget that it's the individual athlete that excels, not a program, though having a good program certainly helps in development of skills.