re: Eddie Bonine speaks candidly

quote:

---

Quit classifying schools by enrollment.

---

Amen. I've been saying this to anyone who will listen for the last 5 years.

Put together a committee for each sport made up of people who know that sport inside & out, and have them classify every school based on participation rates and recent success. I know we have way too many "committees" in life but this is one time it actually makes sense.

Enrollment has 0 to do with school athletic potential anymore.

quote:

---

best venue like the (Mercedes-Benz) Superdome or to the Burton Coliseum.

---

Burton Coliseum is a shithole. It's in a terrible location, and should not host the state championships.

quote:

---

Burton Coliseum is a shithole. It's in a terrible location, and should not host the state championships.

---

The “can’t put a price tag” on a kids experience apparently only applies to Football because the LHSAA goes cheap on every other state championship event.

The biggest problem with Dome is costs. The LHSAA spends all of its money on three days for 18 teams.

quote:

---

At the end of the day, there are really only a handful of private schools that prioritizes sports in such a way that they are able to completely dominate a division

---

That’s the main problem. This whole issue revolves around a few dominant schools. Most private schools are on a shoestring budget, and can’t afford having a bunch of students enrolled that don’t pay tuition.

A secondary issue is the continuous decline of Louisiana’s population and education system. Small town schools are shrinking, and their leadership and quality have suffered. Those schools are not competitive against any school, Public or private, with any kind of standards and competence. These small Publics are no longer concerned with just the Evangel and JC type of schools, but all Privates.

quote:

---

Quit classifying schools by enrollment. Classify them using number of athletes as a guide.

---

quote:

---

You could further work this by setting limits on the number of kids or coaches per team, per classification. Perhaps 2A schools get 3 football coaches, but 5A gets 8.

---

Both of these suggestions should be explored. Most private schools can’t afford the extra uniforms, much less the salaries of several extra coaches, unless they stress athletics over academics and have a church and big boosters supplementing their budget.

There is no perfect solution. Texas has a tiny percentage of students enrolled in Private schools, and they are completely separated. There is constant controversy behind the scenes in Public schools over powerhouse football and basketball schools recruiting players. It happens in big cities and suburbs, and it happens in small town schools

quote:

---

In a world where every kid goes to school in their zone and schools don’t make specific efforts athletically above and beyond average, enrollment is a fair way to classify.

---

which got tilted wildy out of sync with integration.

quote:

---

quote:
Why can't a group of responsible adults sit down with a piece of paper and group schools together with other schools of similar profile?


Because the LHSAA is run by the school principals. They aren't used to subjective measures like that. Enrollment is something they are very familiar with, and doesn't require any thought.

None of this is really hard, it just requires thinking a different way. But look at Curtis... them being in the Catholic is working because they are competing against schools that have the same resources and depth as they do. Curtis runs a great program so they win a lot, but at least the games are competitive and fair.

---

actually each principal puts their schools parochial interests first - where that is supposed to not happen is in the executive committee.


since JC has been in catholic league - in football and baseball does anyone have more district titles than them?

quote:

---

But if they must have an objective formula, then do like Indiana does and move programs up if they dominate, or down if they're getting blasted. Get some competitive balance for crying out loud.

---

right, but some principals are the ones blasting teams, and they won’t if they’re moved up

quote:

---

In their daily jobs don't principals challenge their underlings not to get stuck in their ways with the same old thinking? Time to practice what they preach and think outside the box a little.

---

This is Louisiana

1. Punch the clock
2. Punch out
3. Rinse
4. Repeat
5. Get paid
6. Retire

quote:

---

BESE will never allow a public school to join an association other than the LHSAA.

---

BESE shouldn’t have control or jurisdiction over a high school principal deciding to have his or her school joining a private organization

quote:

---

Burton Coliseum is a shithole. It's in a terrible location, and should not host the state championships.

---

If we went with the split as originally proposed, there would only be 6 divisions instead of the 9 we have today.

the reason we have 9 is bc the select schools raised a HUGE stink when they were grouped into just 2 divisions. Imagine how awesome it would be to have the selects in 2 divs! The playoffs would be far more competitive.

6 divisions would also make it entirely possible for each title game to occur in the dome over a weekend

quote:

---

Dude, the original split proposal had select schools with 300 total students in the same division as schools with 1200 boys.

You can’t do that.

---

Yet it is OK for schools in lawfully locked attendance districts with only a few hundred eligible boys to compete against a school that can pull literally thousands of boys in a metro area?

OK, go to a 3/3 split, or even go to 7 divs (4/3)...whatever it takes to get all the games in the dome on one weekend.