I don't know what actual percentage would convince me of that? How many state championships does the Hutchinson football team have to win in a row after being basically winless several years before Randy Dreiling's arrival before I can get supporters are your side to admit that great coaching is a very significant factor in high school state championship records? Or how many cross country state titles does Van Rose have to win at SM Northwest before I can get you to admit that? No matter what you say Great Coaching is a factor in some of the long term state championship records of Kansas private school teams. I know it is with Terry English for the Bishop Miege girls program, for Gwen Pike with the Miege girls volleyball, for Craig Ewing with the Aquinas boys and girls soccer and for Dennis Hurla with the Bishop Ward baseball program.

Is great coaching the sole factor? I never said that is was the sole factor but I do think it is the major factor in teams with such long term success records.

I don't think private schools necessarily have more athletic kids than public schools. I do think there can be some of the advantages that many of you have brought up like kids that come from wealthier families and possibly more parental involvement. But wealthier school districts like the Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission can also have those same advantages that come wealthier families. Is it fair probably not but you are always going to have these kind of disadvantages. If you put the multiplier in to effect it will not change that drastically the success of programs with great coaches and tradition like Miege girls basketball and volleyball, Aquinas boys and girls soccer. It will make it harder for the sports programs at many of the private schools that do no have near that type of success record to compete at their state championships. It will not stop all the sports inequities out there. You still are going to have dominant teams and schools both private and public due to certain advantages that they have.

It seems to me on the scale of things that public school should be concerned about that this issue should be very low on the priority list even for athletics. I would be a whole lot more worried about what is happening with the state budget and how that is going to effect the public financing of sports in the public school system.