A sub committee of the Minnesota State High School League has recommended updating the student-athlete transfer rule. Currently an athlete who changes schools one time (an do not actually move their home) have no restrictions on athletics. After a second transfer students must sit out the first half of a varsity season.
The new rule would require any student that transfers after 9th grade starts (with no corresponding actual house move) to be ineligible to play sports for 1 year. For the full Star Tribune story, go here http://www.startribune.com/526/story/813650.html
So what if a student switches school to be in a better/more competative theater, mock trial, dance line, debate or band program? Would they also sit out of theater, mock trial, dance line, debate or band for 1 year? Each of these extra curricular activities also have a competitive component. Obviously the MSHSL does not govern these extra curricular activities, but the question is a fair one.
18 comments:
Is it possible that MYSA and MSHSL are one and the same? Both making silly rules to restrict athletes? ;)
Nope. MSHSL makes MYSA look like the Salvation Army!
MSHSL does sponsor all activities, not just sports. The rule will affect those activites as well.
From the Star Tribune article:
"If approved, the recommendations also would affect participants in MSHSL-sponsored fine arts activities, such as solo/ensemble music contests and state tournaments in debate, speech and drama."
I wonder who the Bangus and Wings of HS sport will be. I would like to know which CC HS passed this rule so that the elite HS are stifled and prevent kids from exceling at their highest. I have my kids quit school because this will impact their lives. This is not fair?
correct lou, it is for all activities but in a non-athletic arena who is really keeping track? If you can't be in the show can you still be a stage hand? What happens if the second violin suddenly goes down and you need someone to play? Is anyone going to notice or tell? Well, maybe the third violinist's mom might care
Maybe the MSHSL should make the debate teams conduct opposing arguments before they vote on this new policy.
The private school portion of it should never be considered and if it is part of the new policy you will see major league legal battles about that one.
I agree that the MSHSL does have some pretty silly and stupid rules, however I would like to see the abuse of school transfering for athletics stop.
The primary reason for schools is for the education of our children. HS Sports are fantastic but for parents of the athlete to kid themselves and lie to others about the true purpose is beyond me.
Know a hockey player in Chaska his parents were sold that it would be in his best hockey interest to go to a private school. This is a case of one parent recruiting and selling the other parents on the glory of being discovered at this school becasue of their hockey history. Kid didn't want to go, parents forced him because they knew better, Kid hates the school and wants to comeback but has screwed himself for half the season and then will have to earn his way back on if he does come back
If parents and students have to think real hard before exercising the transfer then is that really a bad thing? Especially if the reason for transfering is HS sports?
Maybe I need to look into buying some properties for rentals so the desperate parents still can circumvent the system.
If they do pass this there should also be some form of an appeals process for hardship or unusual situations. I don't think you can throw the blanket on everybody and say it works
Something did need to be put into effect as was demonstrated with Bloomington Jefferson girls basketvball as just one example. However I don't agree with limiting private school enrollment. I think that will definitely cause an uproar.
Why draw the line different for private schools? Don't they already have some benefits/privilage that public school kids don't have? Because of open enrollment, the boundaries aren't really necessary. Just apply the rules the same. If you transfer, you sit. Or don't apply them at all. If you are not transfering for sports, why/how does this affect you anyway?
My own guess is that it would be St. Paul Public Schools who does not want to lose their kids to Cretin-Derham Hall or Hill/Murray.
But it is quite a list: BSM, Blake, Breck, TG, Holy Angels, St. Thomas, Visitation, etc.
There are a ton of reasons to open enroll. We are from District 196...very large Apple Valley/Eagan/Eastview/Zoo school and we know lots of kids who open enroll to other schools not because of sports. Eastview is way too competitive academically, Rosemount not challenging, Eagan has social/diversity issues, Zoo school kids change their minds about ecological futures. Many are talented in sports. Should they be penalized because of academic /social issues??? There are also lots of kids who want to go to smaller schools who go to private schools and then find out it doesn't work. It is a slipery slope and needs/wants should be looked at and examined. Tough issue that needs further examination.
Not haveing had to deal with this problem before......have high school sports gotten to the point where the state really needs to implement NCAA like rules?
Zoo School???
Zoo School is a High School in Apple Valley that has a curriculum geared towards enviromentally connected sciences. It is part of the Minnesota Zoo.
Zoo School is the School of Environmental Studies located on the Minnesota Zoo property. It is open to Dist 196 kids in 11th & 12th grade. The focus is more on the environment as the name suggests. That theme is woven into the entire curriculum. A very interesting option to those that might consider that field of study. There is also a loophole by going there. You can declare which school is your home school (Rosemount, Eagan, Apple Valley or Eastview). And it doesn't necessarily have to be by your place of residence. I know of a hockey player that didn't make varsity at their home school in 10th grade. Went to the zoo school and declared another school as their home school and played sports for that high school. You can also take classes at the main high school.
I believe the spirit of the rule is solid. Try as one might, it's hard to justify a kid transferring schools just for athletic/activity purposes. If the reason for transferring is truly based on academic reasons, then the student athlete shouldn't be that put out by the rule. (Please take note: Student came first in that equation.) All that being said I do agree with the idea that there should be some sort of appeals process in place.
Lets face it, in this day and age of competitive sports, if a kid is going to get noticed/recruited by a college for athletics, it is far more likely they are going to get noticed playing on their club team in most sports with the exception of football.
Hopkins Boys Basketball has been accused of openly recruiting for years, Apple Valley Wrestling has experienced the same accusations, Woodbury Girls Soccer on this and other blogs has had accusations about questionable transfers, and there are far to many rumored in Hockey to cover them all.
I really have mixed emotions about the rule and can see both sides. Know of a kid who was a great student and talented soccer player. Played for Wayzata Premier for years and attended a school in District 196. Coach never liked her for some reason. Made 9th grade team, then soph., then JV. Told at yr. end evaluations that she wouldn't get playing time as a senior. Open enrolled to another 196 school, made varsity and was a starter. Was it a bad thing for her to transfer? If it is important enough for a kid to leave their senior yr. than why hold them back?
I bet I know which coach in Dist 196.
MSHL announces that transfer, eligibility issue to be tabled until next meeting on Feb. 1.
The Strib had an article this AM stating that to date 919 students/athletes had applied for transfer before the May 1 deadline.
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