Anonymous
Years ago

Private school poaching leads to boycott

Now schools are getting into the action... with more emphasis being based on basketball programs in schools could this happen here? Certainly no evidence of similar issues here but saints, cabra, concordia and trinity all schools very interested in investing in their basketball...
http://m.smh.com.au/national/education/elite-school-in-turmoil-the-team-no-one-wants-to-play-20130923-2uadp.html

Topic #32707 | Report this topic

Happy Days
Years ago

Poaching has been going on since the year dot.Top schools get all the best athletes through offering them scholarships.Its a bit sad when it reaches that level but its the same everywhere.

Reply #437567 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

The US School system works exactly the same. Best athletes are chased by the best Schools.

Why is bad here, but we promote our kids being part of it by pushing them to the US College systems?????

There are many people here is Australia making quite a nice living pushing Aussie kids to college and getting kick backs as spotters fee's.
Many Victorian Youth League Teams are heavily mixed up in this practice.

Reply #437573 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

I coached in that system. It's an 8 team basketball competition.

When 3 teams (Newington, Scots and High) recruit the best they can get their hands on and win each game by 50+, how is that fun/competitive/getting better?

The other schools don't recruit and they get smashed on a consistent basis.

Of the three teams that recruit, Scots have been by far the worst in the last 3 years - they've had unbelievable talent and won accordingly.

Having said that, most of the schools (Kings, Shore, Newington, Joeys, Riverview, etc...) have recruited for rugby so them bleating about Scots recruiting to win in basketball is sheer hypocrisy.

Reply #437575 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

There's nothing wrong with it...if everyone does it. If it starts to produce results where teams are getting belted 146-40 on an ongoing basis, then what's the point?

Reply #437576 | Report this post

The Situation
Years ago

Luring players to top programmes because they offer the best support, facilities and coaching is one thing. Providing illegal incentives is another, and can't be excused with "well everyone else does it."

Reply #437578 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

If you're luring them to beat teams of similar talent levels fine. When it's done to beat a bunch of kids that play violin and do drama and have to play basketball in the summer because they have to choose a sport, it is disgraceful.

Reply #437580 | Report this post

The Situation
Years ago

I really don't think that was the point of the article.

Reply #437581 | Report this post

Anon1
Years ago

I was on scholarship with scots for basketball over 10yrs ago - all but one on the 1sts was on part/full scholarship at the time and we didnt lose a game for three years, runnning up plenty of cricket scores in the process. Plenty of complaints from other schools as it was very obvious but no boycots.

Never had the supplements and sports scientists though... thats crazy stuff at schoolboy level.

Different headmaster and head of basketball but the same mentality clearly. It is a shame for the kids in the As all the way up to U16s which then can only get to 2nds or 3rds. I benefited from it significantly so I cant really criticise but in an ideal world this wouldn't happen.

The problem is, how do you quantify the benefit across the school from having a gun rugby/basketball team in terms of school spirit, etc? There are some intangible beneifts there.

Reply #437586 | Report this post

Bear
Years ago

Tough one, on both sides of the fence. If I had a kid who was a gun basketballer and went to a local government high school which played against expensive colleges and he was offered a scholarship to a free education at the better school, why wouldn't he consider it?

On the other hand if we are talking about college v college and one has more cash for their program to offer scholarships in basketball than the others, well then the playing field changes...

Reply #437589 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

morons, its why basketball will always be a minnow

Reply #437596 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

I know we (Cabra) have got Mercedes kids while i was attending there.

Reply #437615 | Report this post

Ricey
Years ago

The issue I see is it's becoming private school orientated, which is just more evidence that these schools should get zero funding from governments. Public schools can't really compete if this continues as their best players are going to be offered a scholarship plus all the incentetives that comes with being the popular athlete at a private school, plus a "better" education.

Reply #437635 | Report this post

Rick
Years ago

Thank goodness we still have schools that consider basketball is important enough to recruit players and support their program! The alternative is that no one cares and basketball loses.

Reply #437638 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

two points

1 Parents of private schools pay taxes so the schools there kids go to deserve funding, public system can't house them all anyway and not all private schools have these kinds of programs. Plenty of small shit private schools that need funding. You need to use the term elite private schools to appropraitely define Scots etc, there is approx 12 of these schools in Sydney, combo of the big GPS and CAS Schools (maybe 1 ISA)

2 Parents and old boys in these elite private schools have big big $ and so even if you take away the funding, which you could never do, they will just put more funds into the school and still do all this stuff anyway

Good news is that they don't always win, sport is great like that, plus I think it obvious that the majority of other GPS schools are trying to say hold on a minute you've gone to far, bit of self regulation maybe.

The really interesting stuff for me is the subtext to some of the comments alluding to performance enhancing drugs which is a new thing at this level as anon1 says, that is messed up

I don't think the school really cares about basketball ... just winning and beating old enemies for bragging rights

Reply #437650 | Report this post

Old Boy
Years ago

108 to 0. that's not a basketball score - that's rugby at Scots

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/nick-farrjones-disappointed-by-rugby-thrashing-as-player-safety-and-scholarship-rules-under-focus/story-e6frf4pu-1227004662875?nk=514498d9ef97ec2fc9be42e87df683f5

Reply #485341 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

Read the article before you comment. The first sentence clearly states it was 101-0 not 108-0.

Christ, some people...

Reply #485342 | Report this post

Old Boy
Years ago

Peace be with you

Reply #485348 | Report this post

Hoops

Private school poaching leads to boycott

Recent Posts