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Post by dme1214 on Aug 29, 2019 20:15:26 GMT -6
Was there a rule change that parishes with magnet programs or open enrollment, that unless you live in the actual district you can’t play varsity that year?
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Post by beauchenecoach on Aug 30, 2019 4:55:18 GMT -6
Was there a rule change that parishes with magnet programs or open enrollment, that unless you live in the actual district you can’t play varsity that year? Not new... been a rule and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t changed... The exception is if the student went to a feeder school in that same magnet school zone for an entire 8th grade year before enrollment. |
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Post by copakid14 on Aug 30, 2019 11:06:08 GMT -6
Pretty sure there is an exception for the Magnet programs...for years players have been playing Varsity their freshman year when they do not live in the district but qualify to attend the school through the Magnet program.
It is actually an advantage up here for public schools as those same kids have to sit if they come to me at a private school.
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Post by CoachO on Aug 31, 2019 7:08:49 GMT -6
We Magnet folks have been told the new ruling makes all freshmen who live out of our zone ineligible for varsity sports their freshmen year. But we were advised to fill out hardships for those coming from feeder schools.
Mind you, it’s a ball park of 100 hardships for us. We were assigned the Tara attendance zone, despite being required to admit students from all over the school district.
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Post by dualdellortos on Sept 4, 2019 10:20:45 GMT -6
Yes, rules appear to have changed this year.
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Post by dme1214 on Sept 4, 2019 12:23:12 GMT -6
Yes, in Caddo Parish, we have been told that all freshmen must reside in our attendance zone or have attended our feeder middle school in 8th grade to be able to play varsity as a freshman. This includes magnet schools and schools with magnet programs like ourselves. If they do not meet the residency or 8th grade attendance requirement, they can only play sub-varsity as freshman. It’s the feeder middle school that seems to be where the question comes in, so in Caddo Parish for example: Caddo Middle Magnet is in Capt Shreve (and Caddo Magnets as they share one) athletic district. Does this mean that any student from Caddo Parish that went to Caddo Middle Magnet is eligible to both schools, or just one (magnet as it’s the feeder school to it) or neither, and eligibility only based on where the student lives? |
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Post by dualdellortos on Sept 5, 2019 8:27:42 GMT -6
Yes, there is a new rule regarding feeder schools. Every freshman is not necessarily ineligible.
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Post by Hattrick on Sept 11, 2019 16:32:55 GMT -6
Ok was asked this question.
Girl played a year at private school and was expelled and was home school the following year, now re enrolled at private school which is outside her home school district.
Can play or not?
Lhssa very confusing.
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Post by beauchenecoach on Sept 11, 2019 19:25:25 GMT -6
Ok was asked this question. Girl played a year at private school and was expelled and was home school the following year, now re enrolled at private school which is outside her home school district. Can play or not? Lhssa very confusing. Ineligible and file for hardship ruling... |
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Post by popark on Oct 1, 2019 21:05:55 GMT -6
We Magnet folks have been told the new ruling makes all freshmen who live out of our zone ineligible for varsity sports their freshmen year. But we were advised to fill out hardships for those coming from feeder schools. Mind you, it’s a ball park of 100 hardships for us. We were assigned the Tara attendance zone, despite being required to admit students from all over the school district. |
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Post by popark on Oct 1, 2019 21:08:35 GMT -6
Has any school filed hardships? If so, were they approved? What is the latest?
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Post by Soccer4All on Nov 2, 2019 21:45:57 GMT -6
Magnet schools were told hardships due to new zones assigned would not be considered. Some schools had as many as 6 Freshman who would have been starters who are not eligible to play Varsity games. Some teams only have Varsity, so Freshman can’t play at all. Even kids who went from Magnet Middle School 7th & 8th grade to a school with a full or partial Magnet HS are not eligible unless their new HS is in the same zone as their middle school. So seniors who played Varsity as Freshman cannot play with their Freshman sibling. I have heard next year, anyone living out of their zone will not be able to play Varsity. Any truth to this? When are they going to start putting the kids first?
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Post by coachray40 on Nov 3, 2019 9:46:58 GMT -6
Magnet schools were told hardships due to new zones assigned would not be considered. Some schools had as many as 6 Freshman who would have been starters who are not eligible to play Varsity games. Some teams only have Varsity, so Freshman can’t play at all. Even kids who went from Magnet Middle School 7th & 8th grade to a school with a full or partial Magnet HS are not eligible unless their new HS is in the same zone as their middle school. So seniors who played Varsity as Freshman cannot play with their Freshman sibling. I have heard next year, anyone living out of their zone will not be able to play Varsity. Any truth to this? When are they going to start putting the kids first? There wont be retroactive eligibility rulings if that's what youre asking. Once a student is at a school and eligible, they will stay that way, even if they don't live in the home attendance zone. LHSAA does put the kids first, unfortunately its parents and coaches who are the ones always looking for an edge. Keep in mind that these eligibility rules are there for every sport, not just soccer. I think some "soccer people" get too used to the LSA way of participation, where you can pick up and just go play anywhere. Some of these eligibility rules come from other sports, where student athletes and their parents (and some coaches with questionable ethics) want to try and find the best team to win with. Some of these kids have become nomads in the past, playing at 3 schools in 4 years. Interesting that there is so much conjecture about "private/select school recruiting", yet so much outcry when kids are limited in where they can attend school and be immediately eligible. The rules aren't that hard to grasp--you have to live in the home attendance zone of the school you enroll at in order to be immediately eligible to play varsity. If not you have to wait a year. Private/select schools share the same home attendance zone as the Public school where they are located. At Ascension Christian, we are located in the East Ascension HS home attendance zone, so if a kid who would have been a freshman at EA wanted to come to AC, he would be immediately eligible. That being said, the St Amant home attendance zone is DIRECTLY ACROOS THE STREET from the entrance road to our school. Kids from 100 yards away from the school are ineligible as immediate enrollees, but kids that are 3-4 miles away are eligible. There has to be a standard, and a standard doesn't always fit everybody. Now, if you are part of a feeder program, or if your respective middle school falls under the same headmaster principal as your HS, you can become immediately eligible as a freshman (or even 7th/8th grader). I'll use the Ascension Christian model again. We have two campuses (K-6 at one, 7-12 at the HS), with all students falling under the same headmaster. Student athletes who enrolled at AC in grade 7 this year who had come from the k-6 portion of the Ascension Christian school would be immediately eligible for Varsity play, regardless of where they live. By contrast, a new 9th grader, who was NOT enrolled in AC prior to this year, and who lives in the Dutchtown home attendance zone, would be INELIGIBLE for Varsity play for a period of one year. We have both cases this season on our team. I have two opinions on this--first, I don't believe in "hardships" for kids to attend Private/select schools. Its not a hardship, its a choice. I've never heard of a family unable to attend a public school because it was too expensive and thus they had to go to a private. In making the choice, the family should know the rules prior to going in. If the choice of attending a private/select school is about academics first, then why are you complaining about 1 year of athletic ineligibility? Its about the school right? Second (and possibly in contrast to my first point)--I think a lot of the eligibility debate, as well as the public/private controversy could be eliminated by simply allowing for all incoming freshmen to immediately eligible, regardless of where they live. Entering HS is a choice, and as Ive said before on other posts, students who make a school choice based on faith shouldn't be "discriminated" against because of that faith based choice. THAT criteria, IMHO, COULD be considered as a hardship. I believe that sooner or later, some family is going to legally challenge LHSAA on eligibility based on the choice to attend a faith based school, and when they do they will win. solution--just let all freshman state wide be immediately eligible. Public school systems will have their own rules about enrollment, so its not like kids will get to go anywhere. Here is Ascension Parish, if you live in Dutchtown, you wont be allowed to enroll at St Amant just because that's where you want to go. If local public school systems are willing to allow that kind of enrollment, then who is LHSAA to tell them that they cant without fear of lost eligibility? |
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Post by popark on Jan 2, 2020 13:53:26 GMT -6
Anything new on this topic? Rumors are freshmen not allowed to play, even jv, if they do not live in attendance zone for 2020 - magnet doesn’t matter.
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Post by dme1214 on Jan 2, 2020 15:30:45 GMT -6
Anything new on this topic? Rumors are freshmen not allowed to play, even jv, if they do not live in attendance zone for 2020 - magnet doesn’t matter. That proposal is up for a vote at the meeting this month is what I am hearing. |
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Post by coachguam on Jan 3, 2020 12:52:15 GMT -6
Anything new on this topic? Rumors are freshmen not allowed to play, even jv, if they do not live in attendance zone for 2020 - magnet doesn’t matter. That proposal is up for a vote at the meeting this month is what I am hearing. Hopefully that doesn't take place, not allowing them to even play JV is not in the best interest of the kids regardless of how/why someone ended up at a certain school. We need to quit treating these kids like commodities, because they are not goods to be bought/sold/traded. I understand not allowing them to play varsity under certain circumstances to discourage immediate benefit from improper recruiting, but it serves no purpose to not allow them to play JV... There is just no legitimate reason to enforce such a penalty on a kid, and it makes the adults involved look very small. Hopefully the powers at be will get their priorities straight, hope your listening LHSAA and principals. |
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Post by broalie1919 on Jan 12, 2020 11:30:11 GMT -6
An open letter posted by a coach here in NWLA:
For many years, I’ve supported the LHSAA. How can you not like an organization who had a guy named “Muddy” Waters as the first commissioner? I’ve been a student-athlete, a coach, and an athletic director in the organization. I’ve had many friends who have worked closely with the LHSAA. Some are still affiliated with the governing body of high school athletics in Louisiana.
However, my days of supporting-and taking up for-an organization that says one thing and does something else while using young people as pawns in a political struggle are over. I’m not down with that.
Let’s be honest, though. The LHSAA is a shell of its former self. And by former, I mean prior to 2012 and “The Split,” orchestrated by then commissioner Kenny Henderson. Even the LHSAA’s current Executive Director—Eddie Bonine-- has admitted as much, but we will get to that later.
Now, the LHSAA is claiming to want to “bring everyone together,” but their actions speak louder than their words.
Last January, the LHSAA’s Executive Committee rewrote the eligibility ruling in the handbook. Questions arose in the area meetings. Byrd’s Mike Suggs asked LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine if the new wording would affect Byrd’s incoming magnet student-athletes. Bonine told Suggs it would not.
Later that month, at the LHSAA’s annual convention at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge, Northwood principal Shannon Wall stood up in front of the voting body and the athletic directors behind the ropes and asked the same question before the vote. Bonine told LHSAA delegation that the change made in the handbook would not impact Wall’s students from outside Northwood’s attendance zone.
Bonine lied.
Imagine the surprise when Suggs sat down to enter cross country student-athletes into the LHSAA eligibility portal last August. It would not let him enter athlete freshmen magnet students, who were coming from outside of Byrd’s attendance zone.
There was disappointment and frustration, as well, from Byrd’s cross country coach, Juan Plaza, who was excited about the promise shown at practice by a talented group of freshmen runners.
But the LHSAA isn’t about athletic directors and coaches, is it? It’s about the student-athletes.
Meet Carson French.
French is a Byrd freshmen who came from Caddo Middle Magnet. He came to the school because of academics. While French is a gifted young athlete with goals and dreams—like every young athlete—the most important thing he was looking for in a high school was one which he and his parents felt would offer him the best education.
Imagine being French and being told that a group of men and women in Baton Rouge—the LHSAA Executive Committee-- made a political decision and lied to principals on multiple occasions across to state to get those principals to pass a ruling to prevent him from competing at the varsity level—only Junior varsity.
French would have finished 50th out of 175 runners at the District 1-5A Cross Country Meet in Plain Dealing in late October, but he was not able to run in that race. Instead he won the JV race.
Former Southwood head football coach and athletic director Anthony McClain had to deal with the Executive Committee’s deception on two fronts. McClain was in the room when the vote went down last January. He heard Bonine lie to Wall and the rest of the LHSAA voting body. He worried about how it would affect incoming freshmen student-athletes in Southwood’s Bio-Tech magnet program, but he also left the meeting hoping his daughter would now be able to compete on the varsity volleyball team as freshman at Captain Shreve.
If only what Bonine told the LHSAA were true, she would.
Instead, McClain’s daughter, who had the skills to make varsity and see playing time as freshmen at Captain Shreve, was relegated to junior varsity action.
Bonine and the Executive Committee had to know there would be back lash to the new eligibility ruling when Principals, AD’s, and coaches realized what’s up. Why else would they move the date for new proposals, which is usually in September, to the summer?
As if taking away opportunities for the Class of 2023 wasn’t enough, the Executive Committee met this summer to come up with a harsher penalty for the student-athletes Class of 2024—current eighth graders. The 33-member committee in November overwhelmingly voted to not allow incoming freshmen, who do not live in the school’s attendance zone to participate at ANY Level of varsity—even sub-varsity.
The Executive Committee’s changes will be discussed at Area Meetings across the state beginning next week. Then, it will be voted on by the LHSAA’s principals on January 31st at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge.
It begs the question. Why? Why is the Executive Committee sacrificing the development of young student-athletes at the altar of “The Split.” Grownups got the LHSAA into this mess. Grownups should be able to get the LHSAA out of it without hurting the very young people the organization espouses to hold up. That’s the very definition of hypocrisy.
Yet another “under handed” way the Executive Committee is trying to get their agenda pass is by lumping all of the changes made by the committee into one item. While Athletic Directors and Principals receive a packet of new resolutions, the changes made and voted on by the Executive Committee is not included in the packet. Instead, the LHSAA has already included the changes in the handbook for anyone to see on their website. The changes have been place in red. The Executive Committee knows that many of its voting principals will not go onto the website and actually read what committee has presumptuously already included into the organization’s handbook.
You would like to think that principals across the state would do their due diligence and would be very concerned with the state of athletics in the state of Louisiana. Sadly, there are many who are not. McClain mentioned being upset by the large number of principals who got up and walked out of the vote last year with several key items remaining on the agenda.
It’s understandable to a certain extent. Principals are under the gun to improve their school performance score like never before. The Louisiana Department of Education keeps raising the bar. Jobs are on the line. New mandates are passed every year. For many, athletics is one of the least of their worries.
If the Executive Committee wants to bring the association back together, they have a funny way of showing. In all actuality, there is nothing funny about the situation at all. It is tragic that a group of adults would use young people as to fight their political battle, but that is exactly what is happening in the LHSAA offices for the past year and a half.
In June of 2016, I said nothing would surprise me when it comes to the LHSAA. I was wrong. While I have seen bickering and posturing in the organization before, I have never seen the leadership in the LHSAA turn on their young. I have only seen this kind of behavior from wild animals on the Discovery Channel.
The summer of 2016 is when Bonine sent an email to the board of directors of the National Federation of High School Sports calling the situation in Louisiana a “proverbial dumpster fire.” For good measure, Bonine included an image in the email of an actual dumpster on fire. Bonine had to go before the Executive Committee and explain his way out of that one and convince the committee to extend his contract.
To be a fly on the wall and hear him explain his way out of that one.
To be fair, the LHSAA was not in good shape when Bonine left a similar post in Nevada to come to the Bayou State in December of 2014. Initially, the hiring appeared to be a breath of fresh air and a break from the LHSAA’s “good ole boy” practices of promoting from within.
It didn’t take long for before dealings with the LHSAA, and it’s new leader, to from bad to worse.
Have you ever met someone who tries to fix something which is broken, but ends up totally destroying? That’s Eddie and his Executive Committee.
What can be done?
Legislation has not worked in the past. The Supreme Court of Louisiana, in January of 2013, ruled in favor of the LHSAA stating the LHSAA is a private organization/non-profit organization, and, as such, cannot be subject to oversight by legislators.
If you do not like how the LHSAA’s executive committee is handling their business, make sure you contact principals in the organization, who have a voice and have a vote.
If you do not like the way the LHSAA is using young student-athletes to fight the public-private/magnet political debate, let their sponsors know. Do the sponsors even know the LHSAA is discriminating against young people? Do they want their company’s dollars going to an organization that does?
AllState, Baden, Coca-Cola, Dudley DeBosier, Pepwear, Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine, Willis-Knighton Sports Medicine, Lake Charles Memorial, Hudl, Choice Hotels, RomaPics, New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Louisiana Orthopaedic Specialists, Dairy MAX, ISC, Formosa Plastics, NFHS Network, Fan Food, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Jason Foundation, Acadian Ambulance Service, CC’s Coffee House, and the Marines are all listed under the LHSAA’s Corporate Sponsors.
Finally, call Mr. Bonine at the LHSAA Office at (225)296-5882. Ask him how is it in the student-athlete’s best interest to be able to compete at the highest level of athletics once they step on their high school campus. The LHSAA allows schools to “play up.” Why will the LHSAA not let student-athletes? Why are they punishing kids to get their agenda passed?
By asking these questions, maybe-just maybe- we can clear up the “Muddy” waters in the LHSAA and get the organization back to supporting—and, not punishing-- student-athletes, who have had nothing do with the LHSAA’s current three-ring political circus.
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Post by twinsrus on Jan 12, 2020 12:20:52 GMT -6
What is the LHSAAs reason (at least publicly) for wanting to do this?
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Post by copakid14 on Jan 12, 2020 12:52:59 GMT -6
It is to appease the principal's that are angry that kids within their district are driving past their school to get dropped off at the school they really want to attend...be it for better academics, having religion included in your education, or because their girls soccer team rules! (Note sarcasm)
It is ridiculous in my opinion to keep kids from playing JV sports.
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Post by dme1214 on Jan 12, 2020 13:55:10 GMT -6
It is to appease the principal's that are angry that kids within their district are driving past their school to get dropped off at the school they really want to attend...be it for better academics, having religion included in your education, or because their girls soccer team rules! (Note sarcasm) It is ridiculous in my opinion to keep kids from playing JV sports. I think that is a small piece of it. The biggest piece IMO is the parishes that don’t play the open/magnet enrollment game. They are at a disadvantage to the few parishes that do. That’s where this comes from. And I also agree ending jv play for that first year is just wrong on every level. I’m less against the year waiting period of varsity. |
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