LCA and VHSL

Wow - This might have been something before the realignment with Greenbrier Christian and Atlantic Shores maybe joining the Southeast District.  Even so the concept of the Christian Schools competing directly against the publics for the same titles is interesting.

You better believe that this is just the beginning.  While transfer was mentioned, I need some clarity on how the privates can or will be subject to transfer and recruiting rules under the VHSL.  I also think that this will precede the "Next Great Realignment"!   I keep hearing rumors about where things will be after the next realignment cycle.  It seems as though the future will look a lot more like the past.  Seemingly there are those in the VHSL who quietly agree that the current structure is a massive fail.

 

Regarding GCA and Atlantic Shores in the SED...I'm not so sure they would be so quick to want to be a part.  GCA, in particular, is private school royalty in their state division.  I don't mean this as a dis to GCA, as they obviously have a fine program.  But to play NR, WB, HH, GF, and GB along with OS and IR.  Potentially twice?!?!?  Different level altogether.  They would certainly be competitive, but no longer would they challenge for a state title on a regular basis.

 

LCA seeking better competition is a bit different in their respective district than would be for GCA and Atlantic Shores.  And I'm just speaking in baseball terms.  We won't get into the basketball and football conversation.

I don't know if I see the benefits for the private schools outweighing the drawbacks. 

 

Just a few of the things I would assume they stand to lose is the ability to schedule 25-30 games instead of being limited to the 18 or so the public schools get to play.

 

Another significant drawback is the ability for kids to re-classify and compete.  The "4 years only" handcuff that the publics have might be a serious detriment to students looking to bone up their academics or whatever reason they would have reclassified and gone to a private school in the past.

 

As far as the desire to play better competition - that might be questionable as well - typically the private schools have lower enrollment and their subsequent assignment to a 2A or 3A classification may not be any step up in competition at all.  Just one example would be Benedictine - with fewer than 350 students then I seriously doubt the public school level they would be assigned to would be anything short of a step down from VISAA Division 1

 

On balance - I think it is a questionable move for the privates to want to do this.

 

A quote from the AP article states that "because private schools often draw from a larger geographic area, the classification for co-ed schools will be determined by multiplying their current enrollment by 1.5, and the classification for all-boys schools will be determined by doubling their enrollment".

 

 

 

 

I know this is probably a lot more about football and basketball and less travel and filling up stadiums and gyms and $$$ which I know absolutely nothing about.  But I do know about their conference baseball and would think Coach Tomlin would be jumping up and down about this (never met him or talked to him, just assuming).  In 14 conference games they outscored their opponents 175-9 and if you take out the 3 games vs Billy Wagner's Miller School, it was 158-3.  And I saw  every team play that is in their conference and most of those games could have been a whole lot worse.  There are a couple of military schools, very small schools who can barely find 9 kids to trot out on the field, and some not so great fields to have to play on.  They know before the first pitch it will be a 4 1/2 inning game and that the kid on the bump is most likely taking one for the team because that school has 2 more games that week that are actually winnable.  That has got to be tough to do every week.   

Local sports writer brought up similar points to Rich Graham above.  

 

Great headline: "Private schools, be careful what you wish for"

 

http://www.richmond.com/sports...18-103d23395b71.html

 

Out of curiosity, anyone have any idea how many on this years team had reclassified?  I believe this would be a thing of the past in the VHSL.

 

Rich

www.PlayInSchool.com

 

 

Dern.  Really did not intend on any kids getting named specifically.  I was just curious if it was 1, 5, 10, 15 guys that have reclassified.

 

If its 1 or 2 and they are whipping everybody, sure they need to play better competition.

 

If 15 of their guys have reclassified, perhaps they could've just considered playing kids their own age?

I wonder how many private schools -- most of whom have school years that end before Memorial Day -- want to maintain sports teams for 2 weeks after school is out for the year?

 

Starts to look like NCAA baseball.

That is an interesting point.  My kid took his last exam Tuesday and goes back to school about Aug 12 so they might be done even earlier next year.  That could screw up a lot of beach plans.  But there are a bunch of the public schools out here graduating tonight too.

I don't think you'll see many privates going to the public school leagues. Someone made the point earlier - many of the private D1s will be 3A and that is lower competition than the D1 privates are playing now. I haven't seen all of the privates - and obviously, their numbers are smaller - but the good private schools seem to play better baseball. And personally, I think you have higher quality coaches in that they don't necessarily have to be teaching at the school. I hope the privates stay as they are. I think Liberty Christian, due to their location, is a bit of an aberration. 

There will only be a few that will want to join. Giving up 25 games or so is not want they will want to do.

And this will all be driven by football.

Greenbrier Christian may want to join for baseball someday, but they would never make it on the gridiron.

Maybe it cuts the other way and baseball is unshackled to play 25-28 games.  Let's hope so.  Sure would be nice to get an extra game every couple of weeks.

I don't think there is anyway possible that they will play more games.

Agree. It'd be nice, but the weather is too erratic and will cause multiple back to back to back games.