MHSTigerFan

“We just work harder”, I agree with you. That’s nonsense. But culture is a real thing in any organization - and it is a huge, huge deal. Peter Drucker popularized the saying “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” (with regards to businesses) and he did so for a reason. It may sound like TED Talk BS. But it really isn’t. The problem with it is that it’s a helluva lot easier said than done. You can’t just have a coaches retreat and collectively decide “We’re going to establish a winning culture this year.”

This might fall victim to an equal protection lawsuit. Orgs like the IHSAA, although formally private, are considered under law to be state actors. As I recall, putting p/p’s in a separate class was put forward when the success factor was implemented. And the IHSAA received legal advice that it could be susceptible to litigation.

I must say...when I woke up this morning, I surely didn't expect to find Lewis Carrol quotes on GID. Well done!

Words have specific definitions. They’re not up for debate, opinion, interpretation. A transfer is when a kid moves from one IHSAA member HS to another one - not when they go from a particular grade school or Jr High to a HS. This isn’t my opinion.

What you’re describing is not a transfer. Both Bryant cousins, yes, did transfer to Memorial.

One thing I’ve appreciated about Bosse throughout the struggles they’ve had in recent years — with very few kids coming out, etc. — is that those kids show up every game and compete hard until the whistle blows. I’ve even remarked to people I was with more than once that, as an opposing fan, I was proud of them. It would be so easy to just hang your heads and phone it in. Coaching has to be a part of that.

If I were the benevolent dictator of the IHSAA, I'd just categorize schools by enrollment. But I'd also get rid of classes entirely in some sports (but not football). But, if you're going to have a success factor, then the scenario you're describing is what it's made for. I'm not saying I have the perfect answer for how to accomplish this. I think IFCA recommended it be on a 4-year cycle rather than a 2-year. That seems to make more sense to me -- because it requires the school to punch above its weight for an ongoing period before moving up.

I should add that there is a financial component to this between the parishes attached to each of those feeder schools and MD/Memorial. I think they all work slightly differently on how much HS tuition subsidy they pay on behalf of each parish student. But most of them kick in some.

The Evansville Diocese has something like 7 or 8 grade schools in the Evansville area (plus a couple others outside EVV). The metro area schools feed either into MD or Memorial. It’s not very complicated. Not all of the students who graduate from one of these grade schools go to MD or MHS. But most of them do. Our roster lists each player’s grade school - and 90+% went to one of these. We also get some kids from Holy Name in Henderson, which is actually part of the Owensboro Diocese.

I don’t think they should do it at all, really. Just let teams compete and let the chips fall where they may. But, if they’re going to do it, they need to figure out a way around the problem of a team having an uncharacteristic run of success based on an abnormally good class or two. That kind of shafts the normal classes that come up behind them.

I’m in favor of the IHSAA relaxing (but not removing) its rules on transfers. As for recruiting, I guess that depends what you mean by that. But, whatever they do, they have to become more consistent. I think the IHSAA has become corrupted. Not in the sense of taking bribes, etc. - but in the sense of being selective about their enforcement….and their selectivity usually seems to find its way back to their stated objective of leveling out success.

The player in question is one of my son’s best friends. I encouraged him to report it. He didn’t want to - which I understood. And I certainly don’t think it’s my place to do so. I was just surprised at how blatant it was - and the fact the coach felt comfortable doing it in writing, no less.

I won’t names names here, even if I probably should.

I personally saw a text message sent from the Head Coach of school X to a player at school Y blatantly encouraging him to transfer. I could hardly believe my eyes.

Yeah, as impressive and disciplined as EC was last year, it would appear they’ve only gotten better. I said all along that I have a hard time imagining anybody else in 4A beating them. But, let’s lace ‘em up.