Well actually Will, they were not sanctioned for the one we went in on, so I don't think "we all know about" quite all of it. You can think all you want about it being hot air but I know quite a few kids who were scholarship kids at private schools. I am not going to put their names up here and it isn't against any rules. Your son goes to St. James and you like St. James, I understand that. Power to you. I just don't happen to agree with you. I don't care enough about it to lie though, if that is your insinuation.

By the way Will, there are days at the Bobcat that get so long I think about using the trashcan so you might have to stand in line.

I don't believe you that SJA and STA are giving scholarships. So yes, I am saying that you are lying about it. Are kids getting a reduction in tution based on income, absolutely but NO ONE at SJA is getting a reduction in tuition because they are an exceptional athlete. NO ONE is being given a reward by the school to attend there to play a sport. The advantage you site is just perception, not reality. It is blowhards like you that cause the "witch hunt" reaction that is happening with KSHSAA right now. If you are not going to provide the proof then don't make the accusation. Hold yourself to higher level of accountability and credibility. If you are not going to provide the facts then DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!!!

Wow, thanks for all that. On the other hand we are glad that you guys come and I am sorry you feel that way, everybody has the right to their opinion though. I for one am very glad St. James is there because I enjoy watching them wrestle and it is always good to see Mike Medina. Where all the rest of that comes from is beyond me. I am sorry you feel that way but it doesn't much matter to me. Maybe instead of airing that kind of stuff on here, we can just talk about it in private out there.

I am not talking about St. James. I know it is hard to figure but everything is not about you. Sorry you were offended.

Westfahl,

Maybe you should read what you write instead of just blurt it out onto the page...



If you are going to generalize and not specify how are we to know or am I to know you are not talking about Saint James or Saint Thomas. The allegations you make are very serious! Pretty much libel unless you can prove them. You choose not to specify which school(s) you are talking about or which one(s) you are not talking about.

You say it isn't about me and you are right, I am standing up for the privately funded schools. Your posts are pretty much "I" know this, "I" know that. "I" have done this and "I" have done that. You are pretty much a toot your own horn kind of guy.

I think its more about kids wanting to be on winning teams with good coaches and good partners instead of settling for mediochrity.

Business is business. If your employees or customers can be recruited then you need to raise your standard. . . get up to the bar. . . get tough or go home. . .bla bla bla

. . but don't hate others because they strive for excellence.

As you can see, its not often I write on this forum. Thus this subject must peak my interest. There are so many things I would like to respond to but no one wants to read my thoughts for the 2-3 hours it would take. So I'll just ask two questions and make a couple comments.

Questions***

My kid is a senior at Salina Sacred Heart and is 2 weeks from finishing his high school athletic career. He has never won a KSHAA sanctioned athletic state championship (weightlifting is non-kshaa). Also SHHS's only KSHAA state champ. for this year is in Nerd Bowl ("Scholars Bowl", very much non-athletic).

So here are my questions to you Mr. Westfahl!


How much does it cost for one of those STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS? &
Who do I talk to to purchase one?


My kid is down to his last chance and I would very much like to see him win a championship for himself and for good ol Sacred Heart. You know money shouldnt be a problem for us Private/parochial schools. Were all fortunate to be able to afford it.

Comment***

Ditto to Redstorm about TMP on Sacred Heart except the tithing part. Everybody pays tuition with financial help based on financial need. I can't speak for STA, Miege, or Bishop Carroll but NOBODY here gets financial help for their athleticism.

I almost feel bad your tired of watching your soccer team get their a_____ handed to them. But it doesn't solve anything to make Sacred Heart's 3-6 football team (with a roster of 27 players and 150lb linemen) play schools 2-3 times their size. Even in that scenario YOUR SOCCER TEAM WILL PROBLY STILL SUCK.


D Wuthnow

proud parent of 2 student athletes at SHHS - home for the 2010 NERD BOWL banner!

I see that Salina sacred Heart has won 9 State Championships--that is 9 more than over 150 other Kansas HS. So what is your problem.

I believe 31 athletic championships would be the correct number. Thats not counting Nerd Bowl banners.

Correction. I see 11 championships in field sports since 1980--3 baseball and 6 softball and 2 volley ball. Thats 1 to 10 more tha about 330 other schools since 1980. If you say 31, OK. Pretty impressive for a small school--but not sure that's something you want to highlight in the current discussion about public versus private school state championships.

Wow, has this thing has gotten sort of out of hand. Let me clarify just a couple of points and then I will bow out of this deal and let you all do whatever you want with it. First of all, nothing we have talked about on here is illegal or against the rules. What private schools do with their fees is there business and not against any rules that I know of.

Second, the schools we are all talking about here are excellent schools, I sent one of my kids to one of them, and I know that to be true. I just know there are two sides to every arguement. Will, it got real personal there between you and I and I didn't mean for that to happen. All I know is what I have seen and heard from parents over the last 30 years or so. Thats all a guy can go by is what he or she personally knows. I have no reason to doubt the people who have told me things, you are free to believe them or not.

The last thing, and it bothered me when I thought of it last night is this, I don't run the Bobcat Classsic. I just work at it like a lot of others there. I am not perfect, I know that, but I have enormous respect for the kids that wrestle in it and the coaches that coach in it, public or private. I know I can be a horses butt sometimes, that is not lost on me for sure. I just think there are always two sides of an issue and I understand some of what Mr. Morphord is saying in his issues with the state and having coached in public schools all my life, I presented that side of it. One thing is for sure though, and Eric is right about this. There is nothing wrong with excellence and striving for it. There are a lot of guys on both sides of this that are trying to do that. I don't want to say or do anything that denigrates those great people. That is my last thoughts on it. Hopefully it won't make it worse.

Actually it is something I love bring up. It shows a history of excellence. If you are impressed by our athletic achievements you would be blown away by our academics. That's why I bring up Scholars Bowl.

A huge chunk of the championships were back in the 70s when SHHS was 4A. Our friends from the NCKL might remember those days. I know I do, I went to one of those NCKL schools. --> Clay Center, do you really want us playing in your back yard again?

A point I would like to make is excellence does not start or stop at the doorstep of a private or public school. It's the involvement of the parents, community, teachers, coaches, ect. ect. ect. That's why you have the Smith Centers, the Hutch's, the STA's, Ark Citys, and on and on and on. And yes even the CLAY CENTERS. Anybody that watched CC's kids program over the last 10-15 years knows why they are at the top.

Agian, it won't make your soccer team any better by making TMP's football team play Andale next year in the playoffs. So quit whinning about someone else's school,get involved with your local school and try to make IT better.

(sorry Andale for draging your school into this but it was the only close good 4A team I could think of)

But by your and other private school proponents way of thinking, wouldn't it make TMP's soccer team better by playing Andale? After all, all you have to do when playing up a class is, "get better"!

Just so that there is NO confusion, Andale does NOT have a soccer program!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I know, there is a real advantage to those school's football programs. They are the ones who should be bumped up a class for football!