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Every year we read angst ridden threads about kids transferring. Usually it ends with public school proponents calling private schools cheaters and saying the solution is to give them their own conference/section and private school proponents pointing out the public schools that have benefited from transfers. Everyone gets into a pissing match.

To me it seems to comes down to frustration about people trying to game the system, regardless of whether it is coaches, players or parents, public or private.

Already this year we've heard about the Hastings goalie, Warroad, and on the boys side some issues with Hill Murray and a couple of public schools.

What if the high school league made a simple, no loophole rule. 9th grade you declare. If you switch schools, for any reason, no exceptions, you sit varsity for a year or play sports at the previous school for that year. To me, this isn't taking away choices, this isn't limiting education opportunities in any way. Every choice has consequences.

For example, in the case of Achiever Academy, if the real goal is the 3 hours each day of training or the different education style, you are still getting that. You are just not playing varsity for 1 calendar year.

Now, I haven't experienced every situation that families run into, so I would love to hear from people why this would be an unjust solution.

Thanks

HF21, at a high level this makes some sense and I am oftern irked (polite term) by those who game the system in whatever sport it might be. The one immediate flaw to your idea I see is someone who moves a great geographical distance (e.g., let's say Roseau, so as not to pick on Warroad this time, moving to the Cities for employment, family, or better educational reasons.) Kind of a long commute to play hockey at Roseau and attend school in Lakeville for one year. Or, you sit out a year because your mother/father got transferred or you moved closer to your ailing grandparents to care for them - not very palatable for those with legitimate reasons to move. All I would say is that whatever rules are in place, they should be enforced.

It won't work, because it makes sense. MSHSL is not know for making decisions based on what makes sense. In addition sin bin makes some good points. The bottom line is the people who are motivated will find a loophole, and the people who suffer at the hands of these rules are the ones who are changing schools for the right reasons and aren't concerned about looking for the loophole, and there are some of those, we just never hear about them.

allhoc11 wrote:It won't work, because it makes sense. MSHSL is not know for making decisions based on what makes sense. In addition sin bin makes some good points. The bottom line is the people who are motivated will find a loophole, and the people who suffer at the hands of these rules are the ones who are changing schools for the right reasons and aren't concerned about looking for the loophole, and there are some of those, we just never hear about them.

Teach...your children well.

allhoc11 wrote:It won't work, because it makes sense. MSHSL is not know for making decisions based on what makes sense. In addition sin bin makes some good points. The bottom line is the people who are motivated will find a loophole, and the people who suffer at the hands of these rules are the ones who are changing schools for the right reasons and aren't concerned about looking for the loophole, and there are some of those, we just never hear about them.

Exactly.

Throw in the politics of money, friendships, looking the other way, etc, etc, too.

Rules are only as good as they're enforced.