Charlotte Catholic and the NCHSAA

May 3 is a big day for the people at the NC catholic high schools -- Charlotte Catholic, Bishop McGuiness, and Cardinal Gibbons. The voting will be announced that will determine whether or not these schools can continue to compete in the NCHSAA. I'd like to see what the varying TBR opinions are for this crucial vote -- although I'm sure to disagree with some. I'll hold my comments until later.
For those that do not know, four Rowan County schools, complained to the NCHSAA that the 3 named Catholic schools be dismissed from the NCHSAA. A 75% majority vote among member schools -- which has already taken place -- will be enough to send these schools into athletic purgatory.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/04/20/3187884/nchsaa-reviews-charlotte-catholics.html

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/04/23/3193831/charlotte-catholic-anxious-about.html

http://www.thecharlotteweekly.com/news/2012/04/charlotte-catholic-defends-athletics-financial-aid/

 

My opinion. If public schools have a league and private schools have a league and they don't cross over for state championships then the public schools should play in their league and the privates in theirs.

OR---they all play in one.

Otherwise what is the point of the two separate ones in the first place?

 

A VERY EASY DECISION

If there are rules now in place, determine if the Catholic schools are complying. If not, KICK 'EM OUT!! But do it for each individual school, not as a group of three Catholic schools.

 

Keep the opinions coming -- but keep this in mind -- there is nothing, anywhere in the bylaws of the NCHSAA that says that the organization is a public school only entity. It is strictly a NC high school organization that organizes and manages athletics for high schools within the state. As long as the school plays by their rules -- whatever they may be -- that particular school can be a member of the NCHSAA -- whether it is a public school or private school.

 

I agree. Thought it was silly that CMS did not allow it's schools to schedule them for years.

 

That being said, can a team have players from outside a given geographic area?

 

That may be the issue that hurts Catholic the most because, obviously, anyone from anywhere can go there.

 

My 2 cents...

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I can tell you my experience with this. I spent most of my life (and the 1st 10 years of my coaching career) in Michigan, where the public and private schools play in the same state tournament. This wasn't the case in the early years of the MHSAA, but they agreed to do it over 50 years ago. I can say without hesitation that almost all of the coaches in the state that are at public schools regret this decision....and they would tell you that it is the worst move that the high school athletic association has made in the last half century. Due to the differences in where players can come from, eligibility differences, etc. (and I've never looked at how this works in NC, just talking about Michigan), the debate between public vs. private has raged on for a long time and is a very hot topic, many times causing serious problems for local areas and local leagues.

In most years, if you look at the final four in the major sports in Michigan, you'll see that at least 2 of the 4 teams are from private schools. Most years the championship games (with 8 teams competing in the 4 classifications) will feature 5 or 6 private schools and 2 or 3 public schools. Since the number of public schools dwarfs that of the private schools in Michigan, the proportion doesn't fit....but that has been the case in football, baseball and basketball for as long as I can remember.

Understand, I'm not looking to criticize Charlotte Catholic or the others....just giving my 2 cents on this issue from my years of experience. Anytime the rules aren't the same for everyone competing, regardless of HOW they are different, you will have criticisms that will be a part of the discussion. Is it fair or not? Not my job to decide....but it will be interesting to see how the state rules.

Good luck to everyone this week in the conference tournaments and the following week as the playoffs begin. Great time for H.S. baseball!!! Coach Knight

 

I hear ya coach. I also was in Michigan in the 70's, had have heard the grumblings of the public schools (I was at a Class D public school).

Not sure on the rules of the MHSAA and how they apply to the private schools. Recruitment was a large issue I know.

On the other side, when we won, there was no question about being the best because you had to compete against everyone.

 

I grew up in Wisconsin where we had two separate entities for a long time. We had WISAA (private) and the WIAA....a while back they merged. I could ask around but I still kind of keep tabs on it and I don't see a noticable difference in competition. I think in football public schools have an advantage because they have a bigger number of kids to pull from. In sports like baseball or basketball it kind of evens out. I don't know if there is enough statistical data out there to say it favors one way or the other. Pardon my ignorance but does Charlotte Catholic find themselves playing for state championships year in and year out? If not, what's the problem?