87JAG

My understanding is that UIL has no say over the private schools and TAPPS. The private school can and should just refuse to play UIL and their rules.

Always was a beast. That hard work is paying off.

It's possible. I really don't like mentioning the kids by name. I do know for a fact that the starting safety got benched. The backup (a sophomore) was better.

I am willing to bet you that his teammates feel the same way.

I don't know his stats, but during the game you would hear a lot of names. His was not one of them. He was not physical. He got run over by a quarterback. This is the same guy in the opening kickoff of a game against WB just let the ball sit in the endzone. TOUCHDOWN WB! He may be a very good player, but he did not standout on that team. There were a lot of players on that team who contributed more to their success. Go back and look at some of his teammates. Pay attention to the safeties and LBs. Play an Ozen tape and listen to the announcer. Top 10? I don't think he makes the list if you were just talking about Ozen kids only.

Chip Ambres - West Brook '95-'97

Dustin Long - PN-G '99

Jamaal Charles - Port Arthur Memorial '03-'05

Christine Michael - West Brook '06-'08

LeFrederick Ford - Kirbyville '10

Earl Thomas III - WO-S '06

Desmond Doss - Silsbee '05-'06

Ben Wells - Ozen '07

Tony Brown - Ozen '13

Terrance Singleton - Port Arthur Memorial '10-'11

How the heck does Tony Brown make the list? Did you see him play in high school?

Are you sure about the names. The safety got benched early in the year. He consistently gets burned in the game. Are you sure it's a football scholarship?

St. Anne's sometimes allows 6th graders to play football.

Would you say that being able to choose schools out of your attendance zone provides a competitive advantage for those "magnet" schools? 

NO. Remember the door swings both ways. There are kids zoned for every school that wants to attend somewhere else.  What the coach failed to state is that he hasn't established himself or his program as a winner. You always gonna have die-hards for certain schools, such as myself. The coaches are really courting the Janet Jackson crowd who want to know what have they done lately. Every one wants to play for a perceived winner. 

BISD new uni's. Whatever will the kids do.

Although the schools call themselves magnet schools, they are not magnet schools. They only have a magnet program (that most student don't participate in).

Westbrook's enrollment has not changed, but the athletes go to other programs. A couple of years ago BISD stopped providing free transportation to transfer student. They tried to force a lot of kids to go to Ozen, because the enrollment was low. This was prior to the money situation. Like Bigcam said, just watch who's winning and that will tell you where the kids are going.

I've said it before and I will say it again. "Freedom of choice" destroyed athletics in Beaumont. When the district allowed parents to choose any school they wanted their child to attend, they destroyed the integrity of athletics. Once upon a time, you had to move to change schools. The article was correct saying that the parents mindset that they can pick any school.

Raider BISD had two schools in the past Central and Westbrook. In comes a new superintendent with an old idea of multiple schools. I personally was against the two school because they went from four to two my senior year. It was a superintendent that said the district could save money by closing two school and busing kids. They named a building after him. I was against PA mega school because it hurts the kids scholarship potential. Every school that is opens provides 22 f-ball, 9 b-ball, 5 b-ball, etc. being looked at. That's another valedictorian receiving free tuition in TX. 

Bigcam I had to learn about it myself Thank God I had friends who been through it. When my oldest son went through school I didn't know anything and he didn't receive anything. I knew that would never happen again. I agree we should hold the coaches accountable. We have had problems just trying to get film from coaches. HUDL fixes some of that. Now, I talk to EVERY parent I have ties to with high school athletes to pass information about the recruiting process and how to maximize their child's chances.  Single moms are usually the most dependent on the coaches.

The coaches should hustle for the kids, but we know that all coaches don't do that. Don't leave it up to them. If you are your child's biggest fan and supporter, then do the same thing you do on Friday night when you been drinking those adult sodas. Run your mouth! Instead of running it to a guy two rows back, run it to the recruiters. They will give honest feedback at clinics. As a parent, I feel it's my job to give my child the best opportunity to get a scholarship. That means ensuring his grades are top notch, making sure he's working hard during the off season, taking him to clinics, etc. When they told me at the clinic my son is good enough to get a scholarship but it won't be a big school like Texas I accepted that and kept pushing him. I always told him to not let anyone outwork him and the coaches routinely confirmed that with me. He got his scholarship despite playing second string to a much hyped player his entire varsity career. That other player who got looked at by all the "big schools" received 0 offers.

Everyone wants to go on stage and feel like a peacock on signing day. I love to see kids from this area signing because I appreciate all the work that they put in to get there. Everyone wants to be rewarded for their hard work.  I always believed that you need to take control of your own future and not leave it to someone else. Leaving your child's future to the coaches (and teachers for that matter) is like giving the government all your money and trusting them to provide you with the things you need to live. Who does that?

Let's be real. ALL the coaches recruit. If you have an 8th grade son you will see that all the schools will try to recruit him.

Good luck. I think it's a good idea, but there might be some parents not willing to participate because basketball season is starting.

 

Many kids in MS bloom/mature before their peers. Let's revisit this thread in 2-3 yrs & see that list disappear. Many of these kids will go from the Best to a participant or not playing at all. 

I 100% agree. You see it all the time. I saw a kid crossing up other kids his age. His daddy thought he was the best. His coach said the other guard would be better than him because he listen instead of thinking he knew everything. 3 years later when everyone could do the same things as he could he would get frustrated and cry during the game. He went from the "best" to a participant to not playing at all. I've seen it in several sports. Usually they daddy blame it on the coach.  

It's okay for a spectator parent to be biased towards their kid. But, remember that their body of work will speak for itself.

It's his decision to make. It just makes it that much easier for his family to come see him play.

If i'm up that much, there is no need to press (if they were pressing).  With girls teams their is always a big disparity. It's that way here. 

Congrats to Mr. Randle on his offer. He earned it. With 4.3 speed he should get more.

Bigcam I applaud you and the way you raised your son. I'm not one for excuses and I don't believe in teaching kids excuses. Make the best of your situation and take advantage of your opportunities. If you are really good, it doesn't matter where you play ( AKA MICHAEL STRAHAN, JERRY RICE)

Some of the Vincent kids been playing together since elementary. Coaching does play a part in it. Vincent's coach haven't done anything special. Several of the kids don't even like him. They knew how to play before they made the team. All that summer league paid off. You can see the coaching or lack of it when there is a press. Guards dribbling into the press and thinking they can out dribble it.

Probably better to discuss Freshman seasons, JV doesn't translate well to varsity at least for 205A. Heck Nederland has probably been sub .500 at the JV level over their 4 year district reign.

Nederland is well coached.

There is a big difference between JV and Varsity. You can look back for years and see how good JV programs are and see how subpar their varsity plays.

PAM's no playoff season.

Every school should do the same!

Skip, the best success in Beaumont was when there was longevity by the Head Coaches. Some where along the line BISD adopted an instant approach to coaching:  just add water (coach). You would think by now they would have figured out it doesn't work. Yes you might make the playoffs but nobody is afraid of Beaumont schools like they were in 80's and prior.