Recruiting kids to high schools

[carookie]

Is it getting worse, or am I just getting older?

It seems as if the recruitment of kids to high schools has gotten worse in the last few years. To preface, I coach in a very populated area in California where a lot of schools are crammed into a small area, so there is the availability of players that are nearby who should be at a different school. Still, over the past 5-6 years I feel the work of coaches/boosters/trainers to try to sway kids to go to a specific HS has gotten out of control.

I'm not going to bore you with lots of anecdotes to try to prove my point but just one example: ran into the father of an 8th grader (very talented) at the basketball game last week. Have the kids older sister in class so we start chatting. He proceeds to pass along the requests he got from some other local schools (including a nationally known powerhouse) to get his son to transfer. Now this wasn't a dad hype job, just talk about how much these guys are pestering him.

Now as I wrote, I am in a populated area, so I was wondering if it is just where I am; and to re-iterate there are dozens if not more schools out here that actively try to get athletes to come play for them despite the kids living in other schools (often other districts) boudaries. Also, is this just the way it is going to be? Can we stop it? I truly can't stand this nonsense.

[hunhdisciple]

I've seen it increase over the last few years here on KY. It's not rampant or anything, but it's done.

[chi5hi]

Southern California must be the worst. I think it can really be bad for the kids...especially when dad changes the kid's school 3 times in three years, just to get his son a D1 look.

There's a very good running back out there who, according to his stats, walks on water...yet didn't get a signing day. He was, apparently, one of those kids who played at three different schools in the last three years. IDK...maybe he can't read yet. That happens a lot, too.

[coachbdud]

It's bad in NorCal too

The best teams every year are the best at recruiting

We have gotten poached like crazy by a couple schools around us

The state does a poor job of governing it

I've seen them deny kids with legitimate transfers and moves and crush the good kids
And I've seen some horrible human beings be allowed to manipulate things into moving themselves or their kids wherever they want

I wish CIF would start giving coaches year or two bans with no coaching for trying to recruit kids

Our rivals HC openly tried recruiting our RB as a freshman ... At a basketball game, kid told him no thanks

Stuff like that isn't ok

Then you get all these football pimps now

Our lives are quickly becoming AAU basketball

[CoachKB]

The County I live in in NC we have open enrollment which means a kid that are entering the 9th can go to any high school he/she wants as long as they can provide transportation. Its also a period where kids who are already in high school can transfer to another school as long as they have an opening. Everyone knows whats going on you can tell the schools that are benefiting from open enrollment.

[rosey65]

FL is out of control, and getting worse each year. If you didnt see the E:60 special on youth football, check it out on youtube. We've also had 23 of our own kids transfer to other schools over the past 3 years. Each school gets 5 kids max in the county all-star game each year. Looking at the lineups, we've had 27 kids in 3 years who at one point had played for us.

There is currently a bill in the state senate that would allow students to transfer to any school in the state, provided the school has a space and the student provides their own transportation. Any transfer would then be immediately eligible to participate in whatever extra-curricular activity they want. Recruiting has been rampant and PUBLIC recently (both teams in state champ. game had to vacate all wins) but this is now going to make it acceptable.

[olinedude]

Florida seems like its out of control and the state legislation is just giving up with that new bill.

It happens in Texas, although I think it is more on the parents than kids actually being "recruited." Parents want their kids to get D1 offers so they move them around. Places I've been in the past with multiple high schools in a district will go out and recruit the kids that are supposed to be coming to their school just to keep kids from transferring.

Now, IMG is coming after kids and making things even harder on everybody.

[coachbdud]

a local kid with some D1 offers just posted on IG he is going to IMG next year

[pvogel]

It seems to me like its way more of the parents doing. Ive been in both CA and FL.

CA is absolutely ran by the private schools. And part of the reason is that a lot of the public schools are in terrible shape (this is a generalization, i understand there are exceptions so calm down). I wouldn't want my kid going to a LA unified school.Or Fresno Unified. Or Oakland Unified. If I could send them to a private school where my kid will get a better academic and athletic experience then why wouldnt I?
FL's biggest problem IMO is the revolving door of coaches. They dont get paid anything, the facilities are terrible, and its dang near impossible to field a full staff of good coaches. So the kids move for consistent programs. Whether that consistency is from youth coach connections, family tradition, whatever. And then St. Thomas Aquinas gets the benefit that the CA private schools do except they can get what they want from the most talented metropolitan area in the US (calm down DFW. Dade/Broward/Palm Beach counties have more raw talent).

Again, for the love of goodness, those are merely my observations and musings. Either way, its nuts.

To me its one of those things where if its illegal, then enforce it. But if you can't enforce it, don't make it illegal.
Multiple moves are ridiculous and I admit that most parents are over the top. But I don't blame them for wanting the best experience for their kid. If a program has terrible facilities, no support, and a revolving door then why would you want to go there? In theory it should drive UP the competition and make schools better. But that only works if everyone is adhering to the same rules. The people that complain about recruiting are the ones following the rules. If it was legal then everyone would be on the same level in that sense and you wouldnt be punished for following the rules.