So this is how Burke County is going to address the student transfer issue?

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I believe you are right. All most of these coaches care about is winning. The players need to realize that and average player sitting on the bench at freedom may go to patton and be a starter and become an above average player with more playing time. Nobody likes change but it has always been a way of life and when parents and coaches teach their kids to avoid change by asking for special favors that will not benefit that child in their future.

 

All transfer request were not for athletic reasons, some had legitimate reasons for not wanting to attend Patton High school that had nothing to do with athletics.

I agree with the points about change and teaching kids to deal with change and had my child not had other major issues with going to Patton, she would have been there however under the circumstances, going to Patton was not what was best for her. We didn't ask for favors, we asked for what was right in her situation.

 

I understand where you are coming from. I was not addressing all students that might live in the Patton district that did not choose to attend Patton. I know there are exceptions. I was mainly addressing those that wanted to stay for sports reasons only and the coaches that encouraged them to do so.
And I'm not just bashing Freedom. Like I said I expect McDowell will have this same problem a few years down the road when they open their new high school. I believe this is a problem in every county that has more than 1 high school. Looking at the bright side at least when all 4 high schools are open in Burke county there will be a chance for 4 times as many students to play sports.

 

Who was approved ?

Do you what sports the other 2 that were approved played?

 

Patton baseball

Then I hear almost the entire freedom baseball team will play for Patton and even take the freedom head coach with them.

On this point it isn't surprising as all of the players except one that went to the World Series were from the patton area so i guess the coach is looking to the future.. guess thats the way to show loyalty huh?

 

It just paves the way for Tommy Russ to come back and ruin a few more kids' lives. I've heard that is happening.

 

I understand that not all transfers were for "athletic" reasons, then what for? Academically, Patton is suppose to have an outstanding staff and they are to have a first rate facility . I have heard Freedom coaches have promised students that they would get more playing time, varsity positions, and scholarships. I have also heard some coaches told students that scouts would never come to a 2A school to recruit. Since when have HS coaches been able to guarantee college scholarships? Better yet, I guess all the D1 players have only come from 4A schools. How many athletes from Freedom went to D1 schools on scholarships this year? Colleges scout individual athletic ability, not team averages. I fear the real losers in this situation are the students who have been promised the world and will receive the bench or boot.

 

Just courious, what exactly has happened in the last week that really changed the circumstances of those three cases?


This is why I said what I said three months ago when somebody asked me about what they should do in Burke County...they need to set a guideline and go by it. Up until the last month is was pretty much common knowledge that kids had to sit out a year if they wanted to stay at Freedom, then as school ended the Board started to flex and allowed seniors the right to stay at Freedom without having to sit out. And now it looks like anybody can appeal and let the Board decide whether to allow a waiver, and by the case of these last three you can re-appeal in a matter of a weeks time. What are they going to do next summer when Draughn starts up? Will the East Burke kids have the same right to get a waiver? What if a Patton kid wanted to transfer to Draughn?

Like tony said earlier I hope the McDowell folks are watching closely even though its going to be a while before we have to cross this bridge.

 

Easy for people to criticize depending on how it affects them!

The issue at hand is this is a unique situation...you have an entire school coming from 1 existing school ( not being fed by lines that cross 2 or 3 schools like you might see in Charlotte or even Hickory) So you have athletes that have been a part of a program, developed close relationships with teamates and coaches...and are happy where they are. When you were 16 how would it change your world if you had been separated from your best friends by an imaginary districting line that may even move in 6 months!
It was inevitable the best athletes would want to stay unless they leave as a group (ie;baseball!)
This all could have been avoided had the advice that was given by current coaches had been taken "don't have varsity sports the first year" take a year-play JV's only - build your program.
Patton will provide more students with the ability to play but you also have to realize that some kids that couldn't make it at 4A may go that way and now be a 2A starter.
The school board is doing the best thing by alllowing these families to decide what is best for them, you know if they were denied they would find another way around the policy.
The problem with the policy was that a precedent had been set over the past 10 years- many players left FHS and went to other schools and played immediately with no penalty- so any law suit would have been a huge problem. Sitting out a year is idiotic- Colleges sometimes implement that- But the player keeps the year of eligibility so nothing is really lost- but a high school kid doesn't get a 5th year!-so you can't compare the 2.
I would think that at this point they could draw the line and say that any student that is currently in Middle school will follow the districting lines.
But iwouldn't discount the possibility of an open transfer policy before it's all over. JMHO