~Sigh~ First off, I know full well the demographics of Youngstown, as well as the rules governing Division placement. The point is it does no good for a school which has the capability of fielding an elite team every year to play schools it can and should beat easily because those sorts of things don't make for enjoyable competition and only foster bad feelings all the way around. I wish it were different, but unfortunately it isn't as that is the system and we all must make the best of it. Second, I can't speak for every student who ever attended the school, but I wasn't really trying to, only those I knew during my tenure. The information came from the students' mouths, and unless they were lying (which I find hard to believe given the circumstances at the time) it is sound. I don't think anyone has any illusions about ways in which schools attract students, and if something happened once it could certainly happen again. Third, while there are still feeder schools open on the other side of town, it would be foolish to think that will always be the case given current trends. It was more a general comment about the future of the schools than anything else. Last, can you really blame Poland's coach for brushing you off? I wouldn't want to deal with such an obnoxious and abrasive person either.
Ursuline is perfectly within their rights to manipulate the system to their advantage, but unfortunately they have lost both respect and any moral direction in the process. As an alumnus of Ursuline, I remember when we actually played a real schedule as part of the SVC and winning meant something. A quick glance at the schedule shows very few contests with local schools anymore. It is a sad joke for Ursuline to be anywhere near Div V (especially with Mooney in Div III), and it would be a huge embarrassment if they didn't win the state title every year. As a comparison, think about how it would look if Notre Dame played in a lower division. I also remember my parents working hard to pay tuition (which my siblings and I contributed to with after-school jobs) while certain athletes received very generous financial aid while barely meeting academic requirements. I hold no ill-will toward the students, as we were friends and I continue to wish them all the best, but I just wish the school would be honest about its priorities, which from my experience have little to do with Catholic education or high academic standards. I was and still am a huge football fan, but I can' t in good conscience support the school, and would be interested in seeing the statistics of alumni giving over the past 20 years. I also wonder what will happen to both Ursuline and Mooney as the Diocese continues to lose parishioners and a base in their elementary schools. Dirty laundry needs to be cleaned eventually, and I hope the school faces its issues sooner rather than later.
No. 1: Ursuline football three-peats
~Sigh~
First off, I know full well the demographics of Youngstown, as well as the rules governing Division placement. The point is it does no good for a school which has the capability of fielding an elite team every year to play schools it can and should beat easily because those sorts of things don't make for enjoyable competition and only foster bad feelings all the way around. I wish it were different, but unfortunately it isn't as that is the system and we all must make the best of it. Second, I can't speak for every student who ever attended the school, but I wasn't really trying to, only those I knew during my tenure. The information came from the students' mouths, and unless they were lying (which I find hard to believe given the circumstances at the time) it is sound. I don't think anyone has any illusions about ways in which schools attract students, and if something happened once it could certainly happen again. Third, while there are still feeder schools open on the other side of town, it would be foolish to think that will always be the case given current trends. It was more a general comment about the future of the schools than anything else. Last, can you really blame Poland's coach for brushing you off? I wouldn't want to deal with such an obnoxious and abrasive person either.
January 7, 2011 at 2:54 p.m. permalink suggest removal
No. 1: Ursuline football three-peats
Ursuline is perfectly within their rights to manipulate the system to their advantage, but unfortunately they have lost both respect and any moral direction in the process. As an alumnus of Ursuline, I remember when we actually played a real schedule as part of the SVC and winning meant something. A quick glance at the schedule shows very few contests with local schools anymore. It is a sad joke for Ursuline to be anywhere near Div V (especially with Mooney in Div III), and it would be a huge embarrassment if they didn't win the state title every year. As a comparison, think about how it would look if Notre Dame played in a lower division. I also remember my parents working hard to pay tuition (which my siblings and I contributed to with after-school jobs) while certain athletes received very generous financial aid while barely meeting academic requirements. I hold no ill-will toward the students, as we were friends and I continue to wish them all the best, but I just wish the school would be honest about its priorities, which from my experience have little to do with Catholic education or high academic standards. I was and still am a huge football fan, but I can' t in good conscience support the school, and would be interested in seeing the statistics of alumni giving over the past 20 years. I also wonder what will happen to both Ursuline and Mooney as the Diocese continues to lose parishioners and a base in their elementary schools. Dirty laundry needs to be cleaned eventually, and I hope the school faces its issues sooner rather than later.
January 6, 2011 at 11:37 a.m. permalink suggest removal