Outside of Minnesota and a few Mass. HS programs, hockey players have never in any numbers gone directly from HS (only) to college hockey. Its not like it used to happen and has recently changed--it never happened. And certainly not around the Phila area. I know there are individual exceptions (Gunderson, etc.), but the process of advancing to NCAA hockey hasn't changed.
First of all, 40% or so of all NCAA hockey scholarship athletes are Canadian kids, produced by a completely different system. Some colleges don't even bother to recruit south of the border. What HAS changed in the last 5-8 years is that many fewer (Northeast) players go NE Prep-College, without being diverted into the EJHL (primarily) for a year. Like I said, a "free" and risk-free (to the college) red-shirt year. NCAA D1 coaches are limited to 18(?) scholarships; many players receive 1/2 scholarships, etc.; some only get roster spots. The Daily Number may have a better return on investment.
Back to the point--HS sports are (or are not) about advancing a few elite players to the "next level"? True or False. Answer that question first, then we can proceed to resolve this issue.
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here's the pretty PIAA language:
ARTICLE VI TRANSFERS, RESIDENCE, AND RECRUITING Preamble The intent of this ARTICLE is to (1) deter transfers that are, either in whole or in part, for any athletic purpose and (2) deter recruiting that is, either in whole or in part, for an athletic purpose. The Association believes that interscholastic athletics has a valuable role in the overall development of students and is a useful character building tool. PIAA believes further that, despite increasing societal pressures to elevate the role of competitive athletics in society and in the educational process, athletics should remain subservient to academics. Students who make decisions as to what school to attend based upon factors relating to athletics defeat this objective. Further, such decisions are detrimental to efforts to maintain competitive integrity and equity, to prevent athletic recruiting, and to instill school loyalty. PIAA recognizes the difficulty in preventing transfers that are motivated at least in part by an athletic purpose. Experience has shown that students can often disguise athletically motivated transfers and, in almost every situation, show at least some legitimate purposes for such transfers. PIAA further recognizes that District Committees, without subpoena powers or investigatory staffs, may not be able to consistently and effectively police athletically motivated transfers. Further, efforts to measure how much of a factor athletics must play in a decision before it is considered improper is, while possible, also extremely difficult. In light of the above stated important educational and organizational objectives, and the challenges presented in attempting to prevent athletically motivated transfers, PIAA has adopted an approach that is intended to strongly discourage and deter students from transferring for athletic purposes. The Board of Directors recognizes that this approach may, on occasion, result in a presumption of ineligibility for students who may not have actually considered athletics as a factor in transferring, and may conversely not catch all students who actually considered athletics as a factor. Consequently, the following ARTICLE includes a provision which provides the District Committees with the power, under appropriate circumstances, to change eligibility status to meet the objectives of this ARTICLE.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: CarlWood,
Carl --- In my view, to answer the central question, high school athletics are NOT about "advancing a few elite players...", as you framed the question. But, nor do billeted players "make the decision as to WHAT SCHOOL (emphasis added) to attend ..." based on athletic considerations, which makes me think they would not be in violation of either the letter or the spirit of the rule. They have no interest in choosing a school to alter the competitive balance.
The D'town East coach had two of his own Jr. players billet in the HS school that he coached at. Was that fair? Those kids were obviously manipulated to go there. Random chance? I don't think so.
"what school" includes both the school you leave and the school you next attend. The transfer process has two ends, as the PIAA rules recognize by asking both schools' Principals to sign off on the transfer to make it "not for athletic purposes".
You are working awful hard here to defend a situation that doesn't need defending this year. And since we have long since moved to the advanced class in "hockey lawyering", this is about educating our hockey community, not PV's circumstances this year. Frankly, I am much impressed and encouraged with Downingtown East's decision to let the billeted player stay and finish his high school education in the school. That is consistent with the priority of education over athletics; it is also reflected by common school policies that let students finish their Senior year in a school, even if the parents have moved away from the District before the year started. That's how important the "educational" side of this debate regards finishing in the same school.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: CarlWood,
Actually, I consider, as I said yesterday, that the conversation about this year is over. I really am addressing a way for a future rule to address both the original rule addressing the competitive issue and, at the same time, allow for the fact that billeted players don't transfer to a school because of anything that has to do with the attractions of that school's athletic program. They just want to play, like everyone else.
The "future rules" are going to be the PIAA rules or none at all. Otherwise, what's the point of having parallel club and HS hockey programs? The PIAA (and other state organizations) have years and years of dealing with these issues. It would be arrogant to think we can or need to do it differently and do it better.
Why make HS hockey different from every other HS sport? I don't need answers, I need responsible members of the HS hockey community to think about this stuff and make their own decisions. And by the way, the PIAA's definitions of "athletic intent" extend way beyond the receiving school's athletic program to include affiliations with AAU or other "amateur" athletic programs, common coaching, special programs... Sure sounds like Jr hockey programs to me.
Carl --- I'm happy to give you the last word on this. I don't have the answers. I am happy to be a member of the hockey community thinking about this stuff.
You would be punishing kids who want to play extra hockey for their high school for what corrupt adults (coaches/managers/etc)are doing. That's wrong.
I took a billet player in for a short time, but it was until they could find a family that could house him in a better school district. And by better I mean education wise, it had nothing to do with hockey.(They wanted a good school district that wasn't going to cost them $7-20K) It was about education and his Jr Hockey. I saw he eventually ended up on a high school roster but I'm not sure how many games he played or if he even continued with it. But it wasn't about high school hockey.
And yes he fell under bettering his hockey by moving to this area, although most of the Jr A & Jr B programs in this area are at the bottom of the ranks compared to northern areas. The local teams do come above some areas south of here who don't have any options available to them. So they move to our area as a stepping stone to eventually move further north.
So punish a kid who moves to better himself in hockey and still wants to have some sort of a normal high school involvement like any other kid. Most of these kids are moving to have a chance at playing college hockey and a college education, not for going to the pros. Sounds like a move for education chances to me.
But the only question is, how do you stop the corrupt adults if your going to allow the kid to play. I think your right in that these kids aren't coming to be a star in Eastern PA High School Hockey. But other then keeping the kid off the ice, what consesquences will there be to stop people from billeting a Junior player to make their high school team better?
The answer to this problem is simple. Follow PIAA rules. It is unfair to CPIHL (or any other league) teams that do follow PIAA rules for transfers when they play against teams that do not follow such rules.
