Mr Noel way in on transfers

[Karl]

Some thoughts on this issue from Carol Beckford. Carol runs an organization named "This Business of Sport" and is an important part of Usain Bolts team.

Karl I believe she is a Mico lady as well, she has been involved in sports administration from way back when. Do you know her? Really cool and down to earth sistren.

http://www.carolebeckford.blogspot.com/

1. Know and respect the lady.

2. She is a Miconian.

4. Bolt's publicist.

Nice! Professional! Firm! Extremely good at what she does! ...does not suffer fools lightly! A go getter!

[Islandman]

This is what I mean by checks and balances. In the end the rules should be about protecting the students and what is best for them to succeed in life. Not about what gives the Old Boys (and its mostly boys) bragging rights while they sip wine at their annual banquet.

[Assasin]

Also do you know that when I played NCAA a coach had to give approval for your transfer?

I can remember one player who played with my school who went on to play for St.Johns who won the national championship. The coach had to approve it and sign off on it.

[Assasin]

Now you see how we make simple things hard? Very good post.

[Islandman]

Some thoughts on this issue from Carol Beckford. Carol runs an organization named "This Business of Sport" and is an important part of Usain Bolts team.

Karl I believe she is a Mico lady as well, she has been involved in sports administration from way back when. Do you know her? Really cool and down to earth sistren.

http://www.carolebeckford.blogspot.com/

While the split in where the choices should go, continue, the system is moving ahead and as a result policy leaders should be aware of what these changes are and create an environment for as much of us to exist as possible.

I will cite examples from the states of Georgia, Florida and California where a lot of these problems exist. They have the equivalent of what is in Jamaica - the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) and they are in charge of monitoring what happens in the schools. They monitor students requests for transfer, schools from where the transfer is being sought, schools to which the transfer is required, grades of the students, general school records which may reveal behaviour , ability of parents to afford where applicable, or accommodate.
Sometimes in the case of relocation I am of the firm belief that parents have a responsibility to the children and should not be forced to move their children from school to school while accepting gifts.

In deciding to move a child, careful consideration should be given whether the move is an advantage to the child in the pursuit of higher education. By the way, higher education in this instance can also relate to going after dreams of being an athlete, famous dancer, soulful singer etc. If the school the child wishes to go to offers the best environment for the student to learn, then move. The move is to be done within the rules of the system.

The state of Georgia got 6,000 such requests in the 2010 - 2011 season and 76 per cent of that list was granted. The regulatory team keeps watch. In Florida, the Florida High School Athletics Association is the body which monitors the requests.

[Assasin]

I am sure if you had your kid in Denham Town high you would be looking a transfer too.

[Islandman]

The top schools have top programs. Cannibalization will not occur there.

So how you explain Wolmers raiding KCs Manning Cup team this year?

[Karl]

...too many schools in Jamaica is without proper facilities, proper coaches, and a decent program to help ahtlete to grow.

Who is responsible at each school?
Whose job it is to make the teaching and learning first rate?

[Karl]

He does make a good point in principle....


However this system starts to fail when the top schools start to cannibalize each others players/athletes, or become so dominant (due to transfers) that their reserve players could be starting for another decent team. At the school level I don't think that is productive. So the system does need checks and balances.

The top schools have top programs. Cannibalization will not occur there...it is the talented at the schools with poor programs will have their kids parent/guardian seeking transfers.

btw - Since talent abounds as it has happened in the past...and as it still happens many are the talents that do not have a 'look in'.

The other consequence is schools with less stellar learning enviroment seek to improve! The teachers in Jamaica are going through a shift in thinking such that the poor administrator and teacher had better 'step up' on performance or 'step out' of the school with boot up rear!

The teachers are now (still too slowly) having their competitive juices flowing! All now wish their school is racing to 'best'...or is 'best'! A culture of excellence is being born! ...mi nah talk sports only...ebryting!

[Don1]

that's the most glaring of several misconceptions

[Islandman]

This statement is rubbish for sure:

All students are placed, and all high schools offer, more or less, the same academic opportunities for its students.

And i am sure he knows that.

[Bricktop]

Rubbish...

[Islandman]

That is for ISSA and Mr Thwaites to figure out. Across the board banning of transfers is not the answer, but allowing the unrestricted recruiting of top players from other teams is not good.

[Assasin]

How do you make the checks and balance when some schools not sure if they will have a dcup team next year? When all coach not equal. Yes a few of the big schools get away with it but all things equal, too many schools in Jamaica is without proper facilities, proper coaches, and a decent program to help ahtlete to grow.

[Islandman]

He does make a good point in principle....

....it was the system of transfers that moved students from schools whose sports programmes were weak, to those where the programmes were strong....

When Vere Tech just started building their Girls Champs dynasty they used to recruit from across the island but the head coach at the time would skip around the areas that some of the other top schools were located (during that era just about all the top girls schools were rural except Queens for a while). Merlene Ottey was leaving Ruseas not sure what her next move was and Vere took her for that final year of Class One. A year later she was the first female Olympic medalist from the Caribbean.

However this system starts to fail when the top schools start to cannibalize each others players/athletes, or become so dominant (due to transfers) that their reserve players could be starting for another decent team. At the school level I don't think that is productive. So the system does need checks and balances.