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About the FHSAA

Mr HiSchool

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2001
9,265
14
38
First let me be blunt.

The FHSAA and its staff are by far and away - not my favorite people. We have had our differences for the last six years and it's not likely that Roger Dearing and I will ever be able to 'mend our fences'.

However, the proposed legislation in the current form - is not in the best interest of high school athletics - PERIOD.

It doesn't matter who is sitting in the big chair. The bottom line is - rules are rules and there are those that don't want to abide by the rules.

Can you imagine if the state legislature treated the local sheriff's department like it is apparently trying to treat the FHSAA?

"OK Sheriff, we want you to uphold the law, but not the ones that people don't like.. You know --- like speeding, drinking and driving...running stop signs... no tag... all that yucky stuff that people are gonna do anyway -- just don't write any tickets... sit there in your car with your blue lights and people will just naturally slow down."

Look, rules are there to level the playing field for all of us. I have to abide by them or I cannot coach. And while I'm not a big proponent of the FHSAA, the bottom line is - the organization does serve a purpose.

If you think free agency is the way of the future - then you have completely eroded any hope of saving high school athletics as we currently know it in Florida.

Little League, and Pop Warner, (for the most part) use residency requirements to establish teams. Just ask the Chicago Little League team. Now the legislature wants to say 'hey - if you go to Terry Parker and the football team sucks - you can go play for Sandalwood... (just using an analogy here folks)... so how is Terry Parker ever supposed to build a program worth keeping those 'stars' from defecting to other schools.

At least now - under the current rule, they have to take classes at the same school they play for ( or in Tim Tebow's case - go lift weights while everyone else is in class).

I just don't see it folks. How will free agency do anything other than create a greed and corrupt program around the state - where affluent boosters can make it look like all is well - and the local kids who've been in the school system for years - get beat out by the transferring all-stars.

In the spring league I coached in this year, there were no residency requirements. We played two teams from Clay County that had very few kids who actually live in Clay County... One team calls itself Middleburg - and I guess the coach lives there - but most of the team lives in Arlington, East Arlington and Mandarin (suburbs of Jacksonville). But hey, they're in the playoffs and that's what matters - correct?

Didn't think so.
 
Dan, don't hold your breath. Washington is so screwed up, it can't be fixed!

Steve, you are absolutely right. I can just see the parents trying to sell their kid to highest bidder. You play sports to build character. This proposal will only build corruption.

So everyone call your local representative and tell them to shut this down as soon as possible. If it doesn't happen, boycott sports. If there are no players, there will be no teams and no corruption!
 
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
 
I've noticed a trend in the USA - I suppose it's always been like this, but it's really becoming blatant now-a-days.

Rules/laws are enforced selectively. Whether the rules/laws are enforced in your favor is determined by who you are, who you know, how powerful you (or your "friends") are perceived to be, and according to the agenda that those in power wish to pursue.

It NEVER has anything to do with what is right or fair.

Your representative will vote according to his or her agenda and that of his/her party. It has absolutely nothing to do with how many constituents call or email them on an issue.
 
Originally posted by riverrat1961:
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
To your point... if the school can get under 600 and is in a rural designated area they are not 4A anymore... Now I Know your issue is more of the "HOW" they got under 600 but if they are under they are under (not including schools like Union County who are clearly over. Coach Coe already spoke on this on the 1A board though so I don't want to speak anymore for them.
 
Originally posted by peezy28:

Originally posted by riverrat1961:
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
To your point... if the school can get under 600 and is in a rural designated area they are not 4A anymore... Now I Know your issue is more of the "HOW" they got under 600 but if they are under they are under (not including schools like Union County who are clearly over. Coach Coe already spoke on this on the 1A board though so I don't want to speak anymore for them.
Peezy In all fairness i did not mention Madison nor was i referring to Madison i was leaning toward the 3 schools that where over, Ft White, Baldwin, and Union.
 
Originally posted by riverrat1961:
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
Absolutely!
 
Kid cant attend one school and go play at another if the school the kid attends offers the sport, it clearly says that. People aren't reading the Bill and assuming this means Johnny can attend school A all day and then go to school B in the afternoon to play football.

kids at Paxton HS in Walton County who dont offer football because they have about 100 students, would be allowed to go to Walton HS to play.

The problems are there now, recruiting, parents moving kids to schools based on athletics, blah blah blah....

The FHSAA is not a government run organization and literally has zero oversight, can do what they want and how they want to do it because the schools in the state of FL are at their mercy, do what they want us to do or go independent and compete for wins and not championships. The only oversight they have is from its member schools.

The problems will arise, if this bill passes as to which association schools in the state of Florida will join, even if the DOE takes it over doesn't mean the FHSAA cant lobby to get schools to stay with them, much like the sunshine athletic conference.
 
Originally posted by Mr HiSchool:

Just because Weinke played at FSU has nothing to do with my opinion that you whine too much about 'recruiting'.

THEN, he posted this yesterday:
...
Look, rules are there to level the playing field for all of us. I have to abide by them or I cannot coach. And while I'm not a big proponent of the FHSAA, the bottom line is - the organization does serve a purpose.

If you think free agency is the way of the future - then you have completely eroded any hope of saving high school athletics as we currently know it in Florida.

Little League, and Pop Warner, (for the most part) use residency requirements to establish teams. Just ask the Chicago Little League team. Now the legislature wants to say 'hey - if you go to Terry Parker and the football team sucks - you can go play for Sandalwood... (just using an analogy here folks)... so how is Terry Parker ever supposed to build a program worth keeping those 'stars' from defecting to other schools.

At least now - under the current rule, they have to take classes at the same school they play for ( or in Tim Tebow's case - go lift weights while everyone else is in class).

I just don't see it folks. How will free agency do anything other than create a greed and corrupt program around the state - where affluent boosters can make it look like all is well - and the local kids who've been in the school system for years - get beat out by the transferring all-stars.

In the spring league I coached in this year, there were no residency requirements. We played two teams from Clay County that had very few kids who actually live in Clay County... One team calls itself Middleburg - and I guess the coach lives there - but most of the team lives in Arlington, East Arlington and Mandarin (suburbs of Jacksonville). But hey, they're in the playoffs and that's what matters - correct?
Unless it's IMG, then everything's cool? Dude you are SOME PIECE OF WORK.

Ironically, I agree with you.

This post was edited on 3/27 11:14 AM by blackpopsicle
 
You guys remember when we just played because we loved football. No special academies, no 150 dollar cleats, no recruiting to private organizations. In the big picture what is happening is the desire to win at any cost (including robbing the public schools of the kids that contribute to the team and community) is defeating the love of the game. I played on a team with a bunch of guys who threw rocks at each other on the kindergarten playground, went hunting and fishing together, and were proud of the community they grew up in because they were from there. I'm waiting for the Pop Warner All Star academy to pop up (probably somewhere in South Florida) and start pulling kids away from their communities.
 
Originally posted by xcat1969:
I've noticed a trend in the USA - I suppose it's always been like this, but it's really becoming blatant now-a-days.

Rules/laws are enforced selectively. Whether the rules/laws are enforced in your favor is determined by who you are, who you know, how powerful you (or your "friends") are perceived to be, and according to the agenda that those in power wish to pursue.

It NEVER has anything to do with what is right or fair.

Your representative will vote according to his or her agenda and that of his/her party. It has absolutely nothing to do with how many constituents call or email them on an issue.
That's because the "average Joe" has watched how our Capitalistic society and Political system have done it for so long, they figured they can do it too.
 
Originally posted by 22wham:

You guys remember when we just played because we loved football. No special academies, no 150 dollar cleats, no recruiting to private organizations. In the big picture what is happening is the desire to win at any cost (including robbing the public schools of the kids that contribute to the team and community) is defeating the love of the game. I played on a team with a bunch of guys who threw rocks at each other on the kindergarten playground, went hunting and fishing together, and were proud of the community they grew up in because they were from there. I'm waiting for the Pop Warner All Star academy to pop up (probably somewhere in South Florida) and start pulling kids away from their communities.
Thats the whole thing Wham i do remember those days well but i also see the growth Florida has had over the last 40 years or more and in my opinion if changes are not made now to handle the future growth of our great state it will only get worse. Change is not always a bad thing sometimes it even opens doors to other opportunity that were not seen before.
 
Appropriation of tax money to property zone and distribute state and federal funds to build more (and better) public schools would make it possible to make sure that kids in public schools got to represent the communities they grew up in. I guess I'm just bone weary of the commercialization and privatization of the sport that loved as a player and coach.
 
Steve, was the spring league that you are coaching in the FSYFL 8-on 8 football? If that is the case, remember that this is a privately-owned league, and has nothing to do with the school system or any other youth football league.
 
It doesn't matter if your playing in 8-8, Pop Warner, High School, the NAIA, the NCAA, the NFL or Canadian Football League, some coaches be cheaten' its human nature.
 
It saddens me. The game, and sportsmanship are dying for the sake of the trophy.

fellowship with one's competitors. A sore loser[/B] refers to one who does not take defeat well, whereas a good sport[/B] means being a "good winner" as well as being a "good loser".[/URL]
 
Blackpopsicle, you should be preaching and giving the definition of that to many in your profession at all levels who easily seem to forget or even know what sportsmanship and perspective means
 
BPC. I stand by statement about IMG. That is a privately owned corporation. They do not play for FHSAA championship, nor do they compete in an FHSAA district. Teams that play them get the paycheck and go on.

However if you're talking about opening up the recruiting floodgates for public schools to do whatever they want, with some people have mistakenly stated the bill doesn't specify but it does-and that's the concern I have Ivan then yes I am not in favor of this bill.

This post was edited on 3/29 6:55 PM by Mr HiSchool
 
IMG early release schedule...

8-29 vs Miramar 2PM
9-5 at DeSota 3PM
9-11 vs Cocoa 7PM
9-19 at Bergen 1PM
10-9 vs S. Lab 7PM
10-23 vs Paramus 7PM
10-31 at ECA 1PM
 
Originally posted by riverrat1961:

Originally posted by peezy28:

Originally posted by riverrat1961:
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
To your point... if the school can get under 600 and is in a rural designated area they are not 4A anymore... Now I Know your issue is more of the "HOW" they got under 600 but if they are under they are under (not including schools like Union County who are clearly over. Coach Coe already spoke on this on the 1A board though so I don't want to speak anymore for them.
Peezy In all fairness i did not mention Madison nor was i referring to Madison i was leaning toward the 3 schools that where over, Ft White, Baldwin, and Union.
My bad and understood... Those 3 are clearly over the limit and should have to play up.
 
Originally posted by riverrat1961:

Originally posted by 22wham:

You guys remember when we just played because we loved football. No special academies, no 150 dollar cleats, no recruiting to private organizations. In the big picture what is happening is the desire to win at any cost (including robbing the public schools of the kids that contribute to the team and community) is defeating the love of the game. I played on a team with a bunch of guys who threw rocks at each other on the kindergarten playground, went hunting and fishing together, and were proud of the community they grew up in because they were from there. I'm waiting for the Pop Warner All Star academy to pop up (probably somewhere in South Florida) and start pulling kids away from their communities.
Thats the whole thing Wham i do remember those days well but i also see the growth Florida has had over the last 40 years or more and in my opinion if changes are not made now to handle the future growth of our great state it will only get worse. Change is not always a bad thing sometimes it even opens doors to other opportunity that were not seen before.
Correct me if I am speaking falsely but it is still this way in the smaller communities in Florida. Its the major metro areas that are affected by things like this the most... Right or Wrong?
 
With all due respect, Baldwin is not rural.. it's in Duval County and a fast-growing part of Jacksonville's metropolitan area.
 
Originally posted by Hwy17:

Originally posted by riverrat1961:
I think it's kind of funny that the same FHSAA that would not give an inch to the smaller schools in the last re-classification cycle and completely ignored there on rule on student population by moving 3 4A teams down to 1A is now asking for a call of action from the same people it screwed over.

I am for burning it down and starting over.
Absolutely!
Why not just allow ALL public schools to go down to 1A, have huge districts, allow 3 teams in district play and place all Private Schools at 8AAA!!!! Yea I am one who disagrees with private vs. public like the majority of folks who go watch football on Fridays.
 
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