Public schools at disadvantage at state tourney time

Dear Editor,

My husband enjoyed the state [basketball] tourney, but I felt it was the same-old-same-old for the last 40 years or better. Has anyone noticed that very seldom do teams from public schools in the western part of the state show up in the finals?

Now the NSAA may try to say that they have tried to make census classifications fair over the years but people know that the current power-point system doesn’t help schools from lesser-populated areas! Mainly because class B schools don’t want to play down as they lose power points EVEN if they WIN, whereas class C and D schools would love to play classes up because they get power points EVEN if they LOSE! !

Schedules are made sometimes 3, 4 and 5 years in advance regardless of the current year census so area schools may play each other 2-3 times in a season. I heard a Big 10 coach say, “It’s hard to beat a team three times because a decent coaching staff, especially one that watches film, can find weaknesses and exploit them”! But I digress!

Private schools (mostly Catholic and Lutheran in Nebraska) don’t have to follow public school guidelines. This can mean anything from how a team conducts practices to what they serve in the lunchroom and I’m talking about Michelle O’Bummer’s lunch program here. Private schools can basically do anything they want!

#1. They can recruit- Meaning they can offer no to reduced tuition to any student they want to option in and since most private schools are in and around larger cities they also have access to 5 star-type recruits.

#2. They can also keep their census at whatever class they want by maintaining or refusing option-in kids. Hence, their rosters can be very large and they don’t have to take problem children or kids that don’t want to be there, unlike public schools that have to service their district and like option-in kids as they get more money per capita regardless of whether they add to the school moral! Private schools don’t have to put up with difficult parents either because there are that many more talented students just waiting to be accepted!

I propose the NSAA require private schools to play other private schools in their own tournament and public schools do the same, then maybe have a champion game in the classes as IF the public school WON that team would be a great team no doubt!

As much “BANK” as the city of Lincoln made this last week I’m sure they would be up to hosting more tourneys! In my mind, it’s like having a Big 10 team play an NAIA team otherwise. Not saying we don’t have some good area athletes but we simply don’t have the funds or the 8-10 coaches like the private schools have. The media makes it sound like the same old schools make it to state every year. Well DAH! I get tired of hearing it!

I could go on and on about the disparity between public and private schools but I think I’ve made my point. Unfortunately, with the horrendous lack of leadership for our National Security this past year the WOES of high school sports probably won’t be the highest priority for our children the next couple of years.

Scary and sad what we have let happen to our country but I was just trying to bring my thoughts about the terrible continuation of the east vs. the west when it pertains to high school competitions! The bracketing has always favored the private schools!

Sincerely,

Denise McConville

Rural Indianola

P.S. I think Dick Trail’s Opinion column is usually right on the money! Great patriot he is!