Commentary; Posted: 3/14/07
High school league defies FL reality
Joe Nathan
Education Columnist
Are recognizing reality, telling the truth, and enforcing rules important? Most folks say yes. But as the debate continues over the new Minnesota State High School league’s transfer proposals, I’m not certain.
How about recognizing reality?
Does living in Forest Lake or Fridley mean you are guaranteed local companies will hire you over applicants from elsewhere?
Of course not. But in Minnesota Senate testimony last week, one parent asserted that “it’s wrong to allow a student from another district to bump out someone from my district.”
One parent insisted, “I’d be furious if some Ethiopian kid moved in and took my son’s soccer team spot.”
Another parent lambasted someone from a neighboring community who earned the wrestling team spot his son hoped for.
Having competed on high school and college teams, coached youth sports for 15 years, and parented three student/athletes, I understand these frustrations. While two of them earned all conference honors, they lost at regionals. Someone was better.
Sports teaches many lessons. Some are thrilling. I’ll never forget a group of 11 and 12 year olds I coached, who won a league baseball championship. They won the final game 12-11.
Our daughter, a catcher, made the final out by throwing out someone trying to steal second, as another youngster headed for home. A joyous moment!
But sports also teaches us to deal with reality.
An amazing amount of myth surrounds sports. Shouldn’t kids and families learn that they are not entitled to jobs or varsity spots just because of where they live?
And some think youngsters are community property. The high school league perpetuates this idea, rationalizing proposed limits on student transfers to “protect school programs from losing students who have established an identity as an athlete or fine arts participant....”
Aren’t people free to leave the community for jobs, college, or whatever?
That leads to telling the truth. One reporter wrote a front page story based on high school league information. He stating that the proposed new rule would mean a “super team” created of students within a district would not be possible. Wrong.
The league’s director told a Senate Committee last week that transfers within a district are not affected by the proposed new rule.
Then there’s the front page story in Minnesota’s largest daily newspaper, which asserted, in bold print, based on league information, that 2300 high students used open enrollment last year, and 1500 were athletes.
In fact, there were 295,000 public Minnesota high school students in 05-06, 14,000 (not 2300) used open enrollment and 765 of those students participated in some form of high school league activity.
Until I called the paper, they were not aware of their mistake. They have corrected the figures.
Incidentally, that 765 students out of 295,000 represents less than 3/1000 of 1 percent. We are making major changes because of 3/1000 of 1 percent?
Finally, what about enforcing rules? We’re hearing many stories about parents and coaches breaking rules by encouraging kids to transfer. That’s illegal. But the state high school league hasn’t disciplined a single adult for recruiting in the last five years.
Isn’t it time?
We can disagree about values. But aren’t recognizing reality, telling the truth, and following rules important in life, and in sports?
Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota jnathan@hhh.umn.edu.
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