Lakes Conference
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its really a mute point since nothing will ever change in the private versus public debate. The only argument I have is when you look at previous champions in both boys and girls basketball over the last 10 years and then look at the ratio of those champions being private versus public and then look at the ratio of all schools that are public and also private. and see how well both of those ratios compare. You will see that they don't, so the question I have is what is that increased success rate for private schools related to? better coaches?, better facilities?, better parents?, or possibly better athletes? And if the answer is better athletes, why do these schools have a higher ratio of better athletes than other schools. some may assume the same as many assume, but I will let you assume whatever you want, in the end we could all send our kids to private schools if we would choose to. Not trying to start something with this post just asking a few questions.
It is not like all private schools dominate at sports. There have been many private champions over the last 10 years, but really just a few programs account for them all. Going back to 2006 we have had 44 champions in all four classes. Of those 44 champions 14 have been private schools. Of those 14 teams 11 have been Western, Wahlert, and Heelan. So really it is a small group of highly successful programs we are talking about here.
So why are they so good, well all of the above. Good coaching. facilities, parents, and athletes. Not to mention tradition; success breeds success. There have been lots of public schools with the same advantages as well over those years. Why are programs like, MOC, Sioux Center, Boyden-Hull, Pella, Iowa City West(the list could go on and on) never questioned as to their success? Lin-Mar went to 9 straight state tournaments. Harlan had an amazing run of great seasons not long ago. Why is their no veiled accusations about them? All these programs have the same things in common, coaching, facilities, parents, and athletes.
So why are they so good, well all of the above. Good coaching. facilities, parents, and athletes. Not to mention tradition; success breeds success. There have been lots of public schools with the same advantages as well over those years. Why are programs like, MOC, Sioux Center, Boyden-Hull, Pella, Iowa City West(the list could go on and on) never questioned as to their success? Lin-Mar went to 9 straight state tournaments. Harlan had an amazing run of great seasons not long ago. Why is their no veiled accusations about them? All these programs have the same things in common, coaching, facilities, parents, and athletes.
It's an interesting dynamic, that's for sure. And it can be difficult to explain to a "foreigner". I had the unique opportunity to see it first-hand from both sides.
IMO, in that area of the state it's not as much about "recruiting" as it is the general air of elitism and/or superiority -- as in, we are the Christian school and therefore by definition better than the lowly public school.
When you look at the towns from where Unity and Western draw, each of those towns has a Christian grade school. Those kids are, generally, expected to go to UC or WC after 8th grade. By contrast, the Catholic grade school kids usually ended up at the local public high school instead of shipping off to Spalding (when it existed) or Gehlen. Kids in the public grade school system aren't suddenly going to UC or WC for high school.
I know plenty of Sheldon people whose kids went to Unity or Western -- but all of those kids started in the Christian grade school. Some of those families could see Sheldon HS from their respective houses. On the flip side, my family and I decided it would be more advantageous for me to make the one-mile trip to school each day instead of wasting time riding 40 miles round-trip on a bus.
IMO, in that area of the state it's not as much about "recruiting" as it is the general air of elitism and/or superiority -- as in, we are the Christian school and therefore by definition better than the lowly public school.
When you look at the towns from where Unity and Western draw, each of those towns has a Christian grade school. Those kids are, generally, expected to go to UC or WC after 8th grade. By contrast, the Catholic grade school kids usually ended up at the local public high school instead of shipping off to Spalding (when it existed) or Gehlen. Kids in the public grade school system aren't suddenly going to UC or WC for high school.
I know plenty of Sheldon people whose kids went to Unity or Western -- but all of those kids started in the Christian grade school. Some of those families could see Sheldon HS from their respective houses. On the flip side, my family and I decided it would be more advantageous for me to make the one-mile trip to school each day instead of wasting time riding 40 miles round-trip on a bus.
I was one of those kids who did the long bus ride every day to get to Western. Good breakdown of how the system works. Interestingly enough I actually had two classmates that went to school with me from K-8 who decided to go the public school route for High School. They both ended up being key players for Boyden-Hull when they went to back to back championship games.
