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ribtips wrote:

Highlighted in red from the TAPPS Bylaws, Section 104:

H. When a coach is hired at a new school, a student who transfers to that school shall not be eligible for Varsity competition in a sport for a period of one year if:
1. a coach in that sport coached or trained the student at the previous school.
2. a coach in that sport coached or trained the student on an AAU, Select, club or similar team during the previous 12 months.
3. a coach in that sport at the new school was directly associated with the AAU, select, club or similar team as owner, manager, supervisor or similar position during the previous twelve months

Comments? Speeches? Short stories?

Pretty obvious that this is a direct shot at the schools who are hiring AAU coaches to come in and instantly provide a state championship caliber team. The wording is such that it appears to only apply to newly hired coaches, so would existing coaches already employed at a school be immune from this rule?

One word:  GOOD.

Well, really more than that.  Club sports are the work of the devil.

I see the need for the rule and in fact support the change but I don't understand the comment made by lifegatesports "Club sports are the work of the devil" - I am assuming from your response you are a school coach so please explain as my experience with club/select basketball has been very positive.

I believe my daughter would not be even on the radar of college programs/coaches if not for the year round training and exposure that the club/select has provided. At the start of her senior season she has over 20 schools actively talking to her and not one has even been as a result of her school team play rather all the contacts are a result of playing in the summer in front of coaches and attending camps. I recoginize not all players desire to play at the next level and there certainly is nothing wrong with that but for the ones who do the club/select is a good avenue to connect players with potential college recruiting as well as improve skills by working on their game year-round.

No offense intended but I really would like to know why a high school coach would be against players playing club/select and I am genuinely
interested in hearing your feedback - Thanks

lifegatesports wrote:

snip...  And when the club coach is on campus (as a TAPPS coach), I consider that bad form and bad for our total sports program.

...so a coach mowing lawns or parking cars to help pay the bills is preferable to making some money coaching club sports and improving your skills? Most private school salaries are just a nudge above the poverty line.

I certainly object to a school hiring a coach who will bring his players along with him , but I'm not sure I share your same viewpoint that coaches are all self-serving creeps who need to be kept in a small fenced yard.

At first blush, I would prefer that TAPPS should concentrate on how these kids can suddenly afford private school tuition, but since that would be virtually impossible to do, this may be the best alternative.

That reminds me - didn't a girl leave a private school (FW Christian?) a couple of years ago after the basketball playoffs and play on the state team for a UIL school?

I think TAPPS needs to clarify the rule a little bit, because I'm afraid some folks may be interpreting it to say that the rule applies to all coaches, not just the new-hires.

coachalvarez wrote:

I agree that this rule is VERY unclear and could use more definition. I planned on coaching a 7th grade summer team next summer. If it happens so that the parents a player like me as a coach and look into sending them to St. Dominic Savio, I have to squash it and tell them that he's going to have to sit out his freshman year!?

You can't coach them.  You need to mow yards next summer instead if you're looking to supplement your income a little.  If you're looking to do it for love of the game/kids, you still shouldn't.  Remember, "club sports are the work of the devil".  This is absolutely stupid.  A new low for TAAPS.  This looks like something someone drew up on a bar napkin over lunch at Chilis. 

tx_husker wrote:

coachalvarez wrote:

I agree that this rule is VERY unclear and could use more definition. I planned on coaching a 7th grade summer team next summer. If it happens so that the parents a player like me as a coach and look into sending them to St. Dominic Savio, I have to squash it and tell them that he's going to have to sit out his freshman year!?

You can't coach them.  You need to mow yards next summer instead if you're looking to supplement your income a little.  If you're looking to do it for love of the game/kids, you still shouldn't.  Remember, "club sports are the work of the devil".  This is absolutely stupid.  A new low for TAAPS.  This looks like something someone drew up on a bar napkin over lunch at Chilis. 

It was at IHOP.

If the guy is already coaching at St. Dominic Salvo, the rule doesn't apply.  If he's hired, then it only applies to kids he coached that previous year AND would be coaching at St. Dominic Salvo.  The first line of the rule says:  "When a coach is HIRED ..."   It's a one year deal, the same as the rule TAPPS has had for several years about coaches who move from School A to School B and want to bring their team with them.

Unfortunatly, there have been folks who have been using the club/AAU coaches to feed their schools athletes who are induced to enroll at TAPPS schools for the purpose of competing in athletics.  Every time somebody finds a "loophole," another tree dies because rules have to be written to close the loophole.

Okay, club sports aren't the work of the devil.  They're the work of his second cousin, twice removed.

Last edited by lifegatesports (07-30-2010 4:35:20)

On the subject of AAU/club ball, does it necessarily decrease a player's chances of being recruited if he doesn't play AAU?  For example, I know of a young man who is very capable of playing at the college level, probably D-2.  He doesn't really play AAU in the summer because his high school team plays together in a summer league.  He could play AAU, but he prefers to play with his teammates as much as posible in the offseason, with the goal of them getting better as a team for the season.  He says that his teammates are the ones he's going to play the most with in the long run, and playing together makes them more ready to make a run in the winter.  Personally, I like his dedication to his team.  I do know that his coach spends alot of time sending film to college coaches.  Any opinions?

I'm not too knowledgable on the AAU or recruiting topics.  I'm just a fan who loves to watch!

Last edited by gohoyas (07-31-2010 9:43:52)

So, all the new hire coach will do is take 1 year off coaching after or just before he/she is hired on...then come back to coaching AAU/select/club whatever the year afterward at which time the rule won't apply anymore because of the "when he's hired" statement.  Silly, but at least they got a good IHOP breakfast out of it.

Last edited by tx_husker (08-02-2010 7:42:00)

coachjwj wrote:

AAU is turning "amateur" athletics into "big business". It puts kids into the what's in it for me mentality as early as junior high.

We talk a lot about the coaches, but at some point the administrators that are hiring these coaches are going to have to be held accountable for their hires.

Jason, the scariest thing I ever read in the paper was that for the Army All American Football Game in San Antonio every January (which in itself if a "big business" deal) was that they had a "Junior High All American Football" game.  For God's sake, if the word gets around that there is a Junior High All American football game, you will have tens of thousands of mommas and daddys upset that their little darling was not unanimously selected for the game.

But I agree, it's the athletic director and school administrators that need to be held accountable for their actions.  One concern I have with TAPPS is that much of the leadership (Board) are coaches and athletic directors; more need to be school principals and administrators.  (That's not to rag on the current leadership, they are good, solid folks with the best interests of ALL schools at heart; but I think the representation of the school bosses would be helpful).

I think there are a lot of schools who are happy to "farm out" their athletic department and let it run more or less on its own with little or no oversight from the administration of the school.

You can add all the rules you want and if you don't address this you don't address the problem.

Well it's like I said when the monetary fines for ejections rules was implemented - you are addressing "spiritual" problems with "secular" solutions. They will never work. As someone has already suggested there is a "work around" in this rule as there usually is with all rules. When we don't address the "spiritual" aspect we are merely putting band-aids on a severed artery.

stealthninja wrote:

lifegatesports wrote:

.....Okay, club sports aren't the work of the devil.  They're the work of his second cousin, twice removed.

Lifegate....I was right there with ya until you wimped out. There are pure predators and pimps hiding among the summer hoop coaches. All the worst riding kids into an "asst coaching" position in college. T-R-U-L-Y pimping minors. Disgusting. I've seen it in T&F too. Singing the siren song to the parents. Academics? You don't need no stupid academics. Brandon Jennings proved that when he skipped the SAT and 1-and-out for Europe a couple of yrs back. Your boy can go back to college AFTER he buys him AND YOU McMansions on Easy St. He can pay for college 200X over with his NBA contract." That, my friend is a PIMP-PREDATOR.

Stealth ... I hear you, brother.  The dirty underbelly of basketball is the folks that are swimming around like sharks, ready to pounce on the next hot buckets player, steer him to friendly schools (several times, if necessary) and coaches, and such.  Then, when he craters -- academically, athletically (including injuries) or for other issues (and unfortunately, many do), they dump them quicker than a New York minute and go to the next one.

Yep, there are a few times that it works out good for everyone.  And hey, people do win the lottery.  But not too many.   I'll bet there are dozens if not hundreds of the pimped that don't make it in college or professional ball for every one who actually makes it.   

I may be sitting around here in the little towns, but I've seen how it works and it ain't pretty.  For anyone.  Stealth, I know you're in the big city and you know the drill one heck of a lot better than I do.  I can sing a few bars of this song, but I know you can pretty well handle the entire score with the entire band.

Memo to schools ... when someone comes by with a handful of hot athletes and tells you he'd like to put them in your school and here's the tuition money ... check it out.  Miracles happen, but this may not be one of them.

Last edited by lifegatesports (08-09-2010 8:59:26)