Would Luers Consider Leaving The SAC?

[Frozen Tundra]

5 hours ago, LuersLady said:

1. Luers is not a private school with money.  Luers is VERY POOR.  Luers is Title I eligible!  Well over 80% of Luers students are on scholarship. 

2. The Luers coach gets paid less than the public school coaches in Fort Wayne.  He is the Luers coach because he is a Luers grad.  In fact, all or darn-close-to-all of the Luers football coaches are Luers grads. And several are volunteers...

( For that matter, it is not just coaches who make less at Luers;  Luers teachers make just over 60% of what they would make at a public school.)

3.  Refer back to my response to #1. But, long story short: I think you have the wrong idea about the Luers demographics.  

 

Also -- I understand that you are not talking about "recruiting" but I still want to point out that Fort Wayne has fully open enrollment in all public schools...  so SNIDER can (and does!) pull athletes from anywhere in Fort Wayne, just as much as Luers/Dwenger/Concordia can, without charging any tuition!  

You responded six weeks later?! Lol. I'd completely forgotten about this interaction.

I mentioned tradition and a winning reputation as being an advantage. This is where Snider falls and that's why (along with coaching) they're able to consistently win year after year. They pull in some of the best athletes because of open enrollment. (Yes, I was aware of open enrollment. We have that in Columbus too.)

I must admit, it sounds like I may be a little out of the loop on the economic situation at Luers based on what you're telling me. Has Luers always been poor? They won eight state titles in a 14 year period from 1999 to 2012 so I'm curious to know what advantages led to that success. Makes me think things have changed there since then.

[BTF]

3 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

I mentioned tradition and a winning reputation as being an advantage. This is where Snider falls and that's why (along with coaching) they're able to consistently win year after year. They pull in some of the best athletes because of open enrollment. (Yes, I was aware of open enrollment. We have that in Columbus too.)

The Luers contingent (for whatever reason it's just Luers) have making this claim that Snider's a magnet school for football and draws all the best athletes. If that were truly the case, wouldn't Snider win the SAC every year? They have 3 or 4 SAC championships over the last 10 years. There are lots of athletes in Fort Wayne and they are actually spread out through the schools quite evenly. Snider is good every year because of good coaching, plain and simple. Open enrollment is a real thing, but it's not abused the way some on here make it out to be. It's easier to make excuses and throw accusations at other programs rather than looking within your own program and trying to figure out what can be done to make it better..............human nature unfortunately. 

[psaboy]

Let's be clear: Luers has always been, still is, and will always be a "team to beat" in the SAC. 

Fake news !!

[Robert]

2 hours ago, BTF said:

The Luers contingent (for whatever reason it's just Luers) have making this claim that Snider's a magnet school for football and draws all the best athletes. If that were truly the case, wouldn't Snider win the SAC every year? They have 3 or 4 SAC championships over the last 10 years. There are lots of athletes in Fort Wayne and they are actually spread out through the schools quite evenly. Snider is good every year because of good coaching, plain and simple. Open enrollment is a real thing, but it's not abused the way some on here make it out to be. It's easier to make excuses and throw accusations at other programs rather than looking within your own program and trying to figure out what can be done to make it better..............human nature unfortunately. 

Some truth, some laughable.  Do either of you work in schools? 

[BLKnights7]

9 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

You responded six weeks later?! Lol. I'd completely forgotten about this interaction.

I mentioned tradition and a winning reputation as being an advantage. This is where Snider falls and that's why (along with coaching) they're able to consistently win year after year. They pull in some of the best athletes because of open enrollment. (Yes, I was aware of open enrollment. We have that in Columbus too.)

I must admit, it sounds like I may be a little out of the loop on the economic situation at Luers based on what you're telling me. Has Luers always been poor? They won eight state titles in a 14 year period from 1999 to 2012 so I'm curious to know what advantages led to that success. Makes me think things have changed there since then.

Luers has not always been a "poor school" no. Yes there are quite a few low income families there. There's also some very well off families. 

[foxbat]

On 9/9/2019 at 11:31 AM, DT said:

Luers has no control over how big the other 6A conference members eventually get.  

When you get to a point where you have 2500 kids representing a school on one side and 500 on the other, something seems strangely out of balance.

Thats where this is heading.

Just sayin'

When you are 2A, frankly it doesn't matter how much bigger a 6A school is.  For 2,200 vs. 6,000 in the same class, the marginal increase in the thousands are important. For 542, once you get to 2,000 a couple thousand more won't make any difference.

[LuersLady]

 I used to work at Snider, as a matter of fact. 😉

Edited November 1, 2019 by LuersLady

[LuersLady]

Yep.  Used to work at Snider, as a matter of fact! 😉

Edited November 1, 2019 by LuersLady

[LuersLady]

On 10/26/2019 at 3:18 AM, Frozen Tundra said:

You responded six weeks later?! Lol. I'd completely forgotten about this interaction.

I mentioned tradition and a winning reputation as being an advantage. This is where Snider falls and that's why (along with coaching) they're able to consistently win year after year. They pull in some of the best athletes because of open enrollment. (Yes, I was aware of open enrollment. We have that in Columbus too.)

I must admit, it sounds like I may be a little out of the loop on the economic situation at Luers based on what you're telling me. Has Luers always been poor? They won eight state titles in a 14 year period from 1999 to 2012 so I'm curious to know what advantages led to that success. Makes me think things have changed there since then.

Sorry.  I got busy.  

To answer your question:  Luers has not always been poor. But, the south side of Fort Wayne got hit hard in the 70s and 80s, and has become the compartaively "poor-er" side of town.  And, Luers is located on the far south side.   There are definitely still some comfortable, and even a couple of wealthy families (as at all schools).  Never the less... 80% of all students are receive aid. 

Luers does a remarkable job with the resources they have, and it is because of the people. The students, families, teachers and coaches are really committed to this tradition of excellence (which also extends past football -- Luers is consistently ranked nationally for Show Choir, and Luers Academic Superbowl teams are state finalists nearly every year.) 

Also -- to be clear. I didn't mean to imply that Snider "recruits" for football.  They don't. 

But, Snider, like Luers and Dwenger, does attract the kids who want to belong to football traditions.  I don't say this to take anything away from the Snider coach.  I know Kurt. He is a helluva guy and a great coach (as was Ike before him)

But... I also won't allow for the hard work and commitment of Kyle Lindsay (or Matt before him)  be discounted by saying they win because they have more money.  Or because they "recruit." 

They attract good players because they have good football programs at schools with long traditions, and they are good coaches. 
All three schools have that advantage... equally.