Iowa High School Football

[peerok]

So I saw They're going to try to give it a go. The schedules were revised with each team dropping two non district games and every team will make the playoffs like in baseball and basketball. This may make for some lopsided first round games but I think its a good move this year. If a good team has a forfeit several games to quarantine, they won't be penalized and a still get a shot to make the playoffs. Now this is for classes A through 3A, I think 4A might be a little different schedule wise, but I'm not sure.

I think its possible for the smaller schools in the rural areas to get a season in. The 4A schools in the larger cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids may have more trouble.

I've also heard that some schools are having out of state kids where football is cancelled inquire about transferring for the fall semester. Maybe they have a relative or something living in Iowa they can come live. Seems a bit drastic having your high schooler move out of state just to play football, but I suppose if your kid is has college potential ( or the parents think he has college potential) it might be worth it on the chance a kid gets a scholarship.

 

[Northside Hawk]

So I saw They're going to try to give it a go. The schedules were revised with each team dropping two non district games and every team will make the playoffs like in baseball and basketball. This may make for some lopsided first round games but I think its a good move this year. If a good team has a forfeit several games to quarantine, they won't be penalized and a still get a shot to make the playoffs. Now this is for classes A through 3A, I think 4A might be a little different schedule wise, but I'm not sure.

I think its possible for the smaller schools in the rural areas to get a season in. The 4A schools in the larger cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids may have more trouble.

I've also heard that some schools are having out of state kids where football is cancelled inquire about transferring for the fall semester. Maybe they have a relative or something living in Iowa they can come live. Seems a bit drastic having your high schooler move out of state just to play football, but I suppose if your kid is has college potential ( or the parents think he has college potential) it might be worth it on the chance a kid gets a scholarship.

Maybe not for a senior, but if they have next level potential they should be on the radar by now.

Underclassmen should absolutely stay put. All these situations are fluid and what is a go in Iowa now could be a completely different story a month from now.

As for neighboring states Illinois has already punted football until spring. Wisconsin has pushed the start of practice back to September 7, the start of games to September 18. There has been talk in Wisconsin of moving track and field to the fall or next summer if football is pushed back to the spring.

I have a sophomore to be who plays football and they had their camp last week. While there have been no reports of athletes testing positive my kid told me that the coaches aren’t optimistic at this time of playing this fall. I think everyone’s top priority is simply getting school started as normal as possible, as it should be.

 

[Fryowa]

@RobHowe , has IC come out and said they're cancelling football since announcing they are going the distance learning route?

 

[Fryowa]

Wisconsin has pushed the start of practice back to September 7, the start of games to September 18.

9 days of football practice (assuming they don't take an off day) before the first week of games is fucking dangerous, and statistically speaking it's probably more dangerous than a COVID infection.

 

[RobHowe]

@RobHowe , has IC come out and said they're cancelling football since announcing they are going the distance learning route?

I'm not aware of fall sports being canceled or moved in Iowa City. I know the Des Moines schools say they're going on-line to start. Have they said anything about fall sports?

I don't see how you can have high school sports without it being safe to be in school, but they did it with baseball and softball, so they might try. Good luck with cross country.

 

[Northside Hawk]

9 days of football practice (assuming they don't take an off day) before the first week of games is fucking dangerous, and statistically speaking it's probably more dangerous than a COVID infection.

In a normal year it would be ten days of practice, then scrimmage (usually in Spring Green Wisconsin) then one week of game prep for the first opponent.

Also our coach, in lieu of two a days, likes to practice from 4:30 to 8:00 during preseason, but that option is now out because school will be in session, so the practices they are allowed to have will be shorter. Daylight hours are also rapidly shrinking by the second week of September.

Tomorrow is our annual athletic code meeting where physicals and fees are turned in and where the code of conduct manual is discussed along with concussion protocol and any rules changes. It is 100% mandatory for athletes of any sport and at least one parent. NOBODY schedules vacation for that week and normally there would be no reason to because practice for fall sports would begin the next day. This year it’s still mandatory, but a Zoom meeting.

The plan, which is as fluid as anything else, is for a six week season then three weeks of postseason for those who qualify. It may be tough to even do that. I hope I’m wrong, especially for my kid’s sake. Like countless others he has worked hard this summer and is looking forward to football after missing spring track and field.

 

[kicker22]

Just a few tidbits...

(1) With regards to athletes transferring into the state, I've also heard that Illinois athletes (all sports) are already transferring across the river into smaller schools for athletic purposes. So it isn't the larger schools benefiting.

(2) How do school districts initiate policies like going entirely online or requiring students who are actually attending school in person, to wear masks as part of the dress code, but then still plan on having a football season. Not at all condescending. Perfectly logical.

 

[Robowe]

 

[Fryowa]

LOLOLOLOL

The IAHSAA thought 4A was lopsided before......

I wonder how much tuition these out of staters are gonna end up paying *wink, wink*

 

[Fryowa]

Tomorrow is our annual athletic code meeting where physicals and fees are turned in...

Private school?

 

[okeefe4prez]

LOLOLOLOL

The IAHSAA thought 4A was lopsided before......

I wonder how much tuition these out of staters are gonna end up paying *wink, wink*

Walked out and picked up some lunch, sat down to check the board whilst eating. Looked this kid up. He's some kind of long snapper. There's like a long snapper camp and ratings on them and stuff. Someone pays money to send their kid to long snapper camp. I can't process this. It damned near made me not want to finish my lunch.

 

[kicker22]

LOLOLOLOL

The IAHSAA thought 4A was lopsided before......

I wonder how much tuition these out of staters are gonna end up paying *wink, wink*

Any ideas how it would work out if he tried to transfer to another state in the event Iowa High Schools shut down fall sports?

 

[Fryowa]

Any ideas how it would work out if he tried to transfer to another state in the event Iowa High Schools shut down fall sports?

There’s nothing to my knowledge that would prevent it. In high school as long as you’re enrolled at XYZ school and pass a physical you can play sports.

It’s obviously no coincidence that these are happening at private schools where any rules would be either lax or nonexistent. That’s why I made the snide remark about tuition earlier. Tuition at Dowling is $12K for non-parish families, and that’s a damn good recruiting tool. They’re free to waive tuition for any student they want to come there so it’s basically a Wild West bidding war for these kids.

Even the high schools do it. The year I graduated from high school, Hull Western Christian (previously a small school basketball powerhouse) had a kid who lived on the other side of Hartley all of a sudden open enroll his senior year to play basketball; really good basketball player who ended up at Ball State actually. Hour drive one way. They waived his tuition under the radar too. And people actually say with a straight face that the Jesus joints don’t recruit.

That’s why I’ve always said private high schools should have their own Jeebus conference/league. They aren’t beholden to school districting rules like public schools, and they flash tuition (and other money) at parents.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Private school?

Nah, it’s a public school. The athletic fee is only $50.

 

[Fryowa]

Nah, it’s a public school. The athletic fee is only $50.

Holy hell, man. That’s fuckin terrible. I’ve been around Iowa HS sports quite a while, I’ve never heard of a public school charging a fee for sports. The jesus joints all do, but...just...wow...

When in Rome, I guess...

 

[peerok]

There’s nothing to my knowledge that would prevent it. In high school as long as you’re enrolled at XYZ school and pass a physical you can play sports.

It’s obviously no coincidence that these are happening at private schools where any rules would be either lax or nonexistent. That’s why I made the snide remark about tuition earlier. Tuition at Dowling is $12K for non-parish families, and that’s a damn good recruiting tool. They’re free to waive tuition for any student they want to come there so it’s basically a Wild West bidding war for these kids.

Even the high schools do it. The year I graduated from high school, Hull Western Christian (previously a small school basketball powerhouse) had a kid who lived on the other side of Hartley all of a sudden open enroll his senior year to play basketball; really good basketball player who ended up at Ball State actually. Hour drive one way. They waived his tuition under the radar too. And people actually say with a straight face that the Jesus joints don’t recruit.

That’s why I’ve always said private high schools should have their own Jeebus conference/league. They aren’t beholden to school districting rules like public schools, and they flash tuition money (and other money) at parents.

Private schools don't waive tuition. Why would they need to? Most of these parents who think their kid is the next superstar won't bat an eye for private school tuition. Look at what they spend on travel ball, personal coaches and trainers, sending their kid to camps all over the country, etc. My guess is most of these parents have their mind made up before they even contact a private school about transferring their kid in.

Even if money is an issue for some private school families, they would likely qualify for tuition assistance through the diocese. Why would the private school waive tuition and take money out of their budget when they can let the diocese pay for it?

Even if you're right and private schools waive tuition how is that a recruiting tool? Public schools can say the same thing.

 

[Fryowa]

Private schools don't waive tuition.

Sorry, that’s flat wrong. They do it all the time. It’s treated exactly like a scholarship to a college. If you have two or three major private schools in a metro area that have good sports programs and a kid who’s going to be a 4-star recruit eventually, there’s competition. If you don’t believe it your head’s in the sand.

I personally know 2 private school ADs, one is a Christian Reformed-affiliate school and one is a major 4A Catholic school in Iowa (their principal is also a HS classmate of mine), and both have told me they do it several times a year to attract incoming freshman and their families to the school system. The Dutch Christian school I mentioned has a bunch of very rich farmers making up a majority the booster club (and foundation) who offer it out of their own pockets, and the 4A school I mentioned just waives it altogether.

Where are you getting this idea that they don’t do it? Honestly curious.

 

[Fryowa]

Even if money is an issue for some private school families, they would likely qualify for tuition assistance through the diocese. Why would the private school waive tuition and take money out of their budget when they can let the diocese pay for it?

Uhhhh, what you just described is literally waiving tuition.

Big private schools do offer tuition assistance, but I can guarantee you they don’t accept everyone who applies. Not even close. If they did, they’d essentially be a public school. But.....if there’s a kid in town who’s a stud basketball or football player, he/she is getting in the door for sure.

And you mentioned local diocese...

Not every private school is catholic. There are tons of other denominational schools that don’t have a national funding source like the Catholics. Hull Western Christian in Sioux County for instance is backed by several large CR farmers in the area, and Sioux Falls Christian is similarly backed by private businesspeople and farmers (in addition to tuition). There’s no national system of churches and diocese there.

 

[Fryowa]

Even if you're right and private schools waive tuition how is that a recruiting tool? Public schools can say the same thing.

Private schools offer a higher level of education, almost zero crime when compared to public systems, better college acceptance rates, and simply put, prestige.

And way better sports programs because a majority of the students come from rich homes that can afford the best of the best training and AAU/amateur circuits. But not all of those students’ families can, which is where recruiting and offering money come in.

Chrissakes, look at the IA state baseball tourney this year. Over half the schools were private and in the 1A bracket alone 7 out of the 8 teams were catholic private schools. That ratio doesn’t translate to the state as a whole, not even close.

Do you think it’s coincidence that the vast majority best Hawkeye FB and BB players come from private prep schools? Do you also think that all of them can afford to pay tuition to those schools? That would be pretty naive.

 

[99topdawg]

Private schools offer a higher level of education, almost zero crime when compared to public systems, better college acceptance rates, and simply put, prestige.

And way better sports programs because a majority of the students come from rich homes that can afford the best of the best training and AAU/amateur circuits. But not all of those students’ families can, which is where recruiting and offering money come in.

Chrissakes, look at the IA state baseball tourney this year. Over half the schools were private and in the 1A bracket alone 7 out of the 8 teams were catholic private schools. That ratio doesn’t translate to the state as a whole, not even close.

Do you think it’s coincidence that the vast majority best Hawkeye FB and BB players come from private prep schools? Do you also think that all of them can afford to pay tuition to those schools? That would be pretty naive.

I even go as far as adding Des Moines into the parochial school advantage. They have so many resources (leagues, facilities, etc.) plus the suburbians have the resources (money) to give their kids the advantages, and these schools have an abundance of these kids that fit this category. My brother and 2 very close friends coach at a suburb, one being a head coach, and they all say the same things. When I compare what I have at my school to theirs, they even agree that it is not fair and that there should be some sort of competitive advantage for the different schools. For example, they get HUGE team discounts for leagues, who make their money off of out of town teams, and discounts for hitting/pitching facilities, which make their money off of lessons. They even kept their facilities open (secretly of course) through the entire "closure" for the kids to use. Notice that the finals had 7 parochial/DSM schools. The 8th was Gilbert which really fits the DSM category, just happens to be Ames.

Not to be a prick, but because of my hatred for what the parochial schools have done to HS sports, I want to point out to everyone that my former school, Martensdale-St. Mary's, is not parochial. Just happens to be a town named St. Mary's. They are "Des Moines", so really the same thing in my eyes. Always bothered me when people threw us into the scum pool that are Catholic schools.