Future of prep sports in jeopardy?

[ElectricGuy]

Interesting WI article. 

From this writers perspective, this isn't just a "wrestling" challenge.

http://www.htrnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/08/28/high-school-sports-jeopardy-millennials-teen-jobs-interest/89311180/

[imwi]

I just heard this morning that the local high school "cut" 20 kids from the soccer teams.  A few years back, they couldn't field all the teams.  I was thinking maybe more kids were switching from football to soccer with the concussion issues but the football team is strong too.

[DocWrestling]

Sports are what separate many high schools from others in terms of school choice.  If a school was to just stop offering sports I could see many kids transferring/enrolling in other schools and those schools that dropped sports would take a big cut in state aid and likely more than sports is costing them.

The other thing you might also see is charter school but are actually sports academies.  we have charter schools now for just about everything except maybe sports.

Imagine when someone starts the Green Bay sports academy that has a good high school program and better coaches and facilities than any other high school.  Sports can be a draw also for high schools just like all other extracurricular activities are.

Appleton schools and Kimberly and Kaukauna are in a facilities race to keep the students they have and to attract others from other districts.  Kaukauna just spent a ton on new facilities and Kimberly countered with a brand new indoor practice facility.  The rest of us sit around jealous that our community does not have that kind of support from the school board or community and does not feel a true threat to lose students to another high school.  Same things are happening in other large communities where school choice allows for many convenient options.

http://www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us/district/athleticplan.cfm

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/education/2016/06/22/kimberly-practice-facility-could-ease-deficit/86137426/

[bigoil]

Sports are what separate many high schools from others in terms of school choice.  If a school was to just stop offering sports I could see many kids transferring/enrolling in other schools and those schools that dropped sports would take a big cut in state aid and likely more than sports is costing them.

The other thing you might also see is charter school but are actually sports academies.  we have charter schools now for just about everything except maybe sports.

Imagine when someone starts the Green Bay sports academy that has a good high school program and better coaches and facilities than any other high school.  Sports can be a draw also for high schools just like all other extracurricular activities are.

Appleton schools and Kimberly and Kaukauna are in a facilities race to keep the students they have and to attract others from other districts.  Kaukauna just spent a ton on new facilities and Kimberly countered with a brand new indoor practice facility.  The rest of us sit around jealous that our community does not have that kind of support from the school board or community and does not feel a true threat to lose students to another high school.  Same things are happening in other large communities where school choice allows for many convenient options.

http://www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us/district/athleticplan.cfm

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/education/2016/06/22/kimberly-practice-facility-could-ease-deficit/86137426/

Also, they added on to their Wrestling room, 4 full mats now and weights in the room (part of the complex they added on was a ginormous weight room, 30-40yd indoor turf and an annex gym.  Also added turf FB stadium, added a turf soccer field and are adding turf to their outfields in softball.

One reason why Kaukauna had to do so:

Ninety-three students transferred into Kaukauna schools during 2013-14, while 641 transferred out. The result was a net loss of 548 students

[npope]

While this may be the reality of the situation, I certainly lament the fact that student enrollment is being significantly affected by a given school's sports facilities. I'm sorry, but that simply isn't the intent of the system the way it was set up. Ultimately, it simply reinforces the inequities of rich school districts vs. poor school districts. This kind of educational inequity resides exactly at the center of the current racial tension we are experiencing as a society.

This focus on the quality of a given school district's football team (or whatever sport) is the same thinking that feeds the beast that divides communities into "haves" and "have nots."

Quality sports programs attract kids (and the associated federal funding) while less well-endowed schools experience shrinking enrollment (and less funding).

People need to wake up and see the bigger picture here.

[DocWrestling]

For good or bad every school has alegbra and chemistry and world history.  What separates schools from others are the extracurricular programs they provide.  That is why I think it will evolve into sports academies, band schools, art institutes, etc and it will actually be cheaper for districts because they will not have to pay for all these things at every school.

The inequity is going to happen at the small rural schools.

[bigG]

The term emerging is "acadamies." They're popping up with career cluster/pathway foci. My school is looking to add an Ag acadamy; since our facilities are second to none. We'll hopefully attract some ag-minded kids from area schools. So, those kids would go to their usual schools for the basic Algebra, etc., then come to our HS for their advanced Ag stuff. Bigger towns tend not to have Ag. So, maybe La Crosse kids would like to take Ag. in little ole Cashton.

I think climate has gotten to be a much bigger deal.

[Handles II]

You said it Nat. Great post.

[DocWrestling]

I think you are right that we likely have a high number of high schools for our population and spreads students out.  I do agree that WI could save a ton of money on administration if they consolidated more districts.

[bigG]

If it were best for the kids. I don't necessarily agree that consolidation is what is best. Bigger is not always better. Maybe for sports. Woopee.

[Handles II]

Bigger for sports isn't always better either. Think of Apple Valley's wrestling program, where because of the "bigness" of the program (though their wrestling room isn't big nor fancy) transfers came in each year and kids who went through their program, who were waiting and ready for their shot, were shut out due to promises made for the transfers.
While it was good for Apple Valley's legend, and good for the spectators it wasn't good for wrestling as a whole, and it was bad for lots of kids.
Jim Jackson admits that power got the best of him and he did and said things that were simply wrong all in the name of winning another State title. He said if he could go back, he would rather win fewer titles and treat the people around him better.

Always getting bigger is simply a product of wanting more vs. what your neighbor/opponent has. Be careful of that greed.

[Handles II]

I was replying generally to the topic and more specifically to Big G's post.

I'd take a long look at the history of consolidation of schools/sports in small towns in WI and other state's before supporting or not supporting an idea such as you are suggesting. See what is gained or lost long term, not just for the program, but for all involved.

[DocWrestling]

Can't the schools stay but consolidate into larger school districts to work together and save money on administration and then use that to pay teachers and impact students.

Pick a rural county or even urban area.  Can we operate 4-5 different community schools under one "district" with one superintendent, etc.

If they consolidate into one district, would that help in managing sports programs and facilities?   Could be sport dependent?   Could they even offer more sports/activities/classroom opportunities?  Instead of schools competing against each other for students would they work together to offer the students more?

I think history has developed all these schools in various communities based on the premise of a less mobile society where kids walked to school, etc.  Now we have decreasing numbers of people choosing to live in truly rural areas that are not within 30 minutes of a major city.  The private sector has moved out of these cities as more and more of these people drive further to big box stores instead of spending money in local mom and pop places.  It is true that some of these communities will lose some of their identity which is unfortunate but I think that is already happening with local small business disappearing.  I am not saying this trending is a good thing at all but it is happening