With the .....

[bjf1984]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?


So...we have "parents" sending their high school age kids half-way across the country.....away from family and friends....for the sole purpose of congregating with a critical mass of "elite athletes" at a sports mill....with the hope of attracting attention from high-profile college programs and receiving a "scholarship" offer.

In which case, the "coach" will expect the kid to spend 30 hours per week on his sport.

And - somehow - we expect the 17 year old to have the maturity to realize that professional sports is a "lottery ticket"...and they should have the discipline to realize they should put their education - and earning a meaningful degree - ahead of their athletic activities.

No problem. LOL.


It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Already has, though perhaps not to the extent as round ball. 7 on 7 and other various quarterback camps draw more and more recruits every year. HS sports are not the primary recruiting grounds anymore in ANY sport. Heck, I have a middle school aged niece in CT who plays on a traveling soccer team that I can watch play a couple times a year down here in eastern PA. Next year she'll play for her HS team, but any "exposure" she gets from collegiate scouts will come from her traveling team.

 

[fairgambit]

I was probably naive then, but I always felt that College Football in the 70's and 80's was basically clean, with us being the model of a nearly spotless program. Now, I think it is basically dirty, with no one being totally clean, including us. I've gotten to the point where I don't really care. I watch no games but ours because I see a system that is corrupt and rewards those that flout the rules. I think the genie is out of the bottle and I don't know if college football will ever be pure again. Maybe it never was.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?

It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

It might be interesting to study the financials of the families sending kids to these football camps, and comparing and contrasting with the financials of the families sending kids to the basketball camps. That would just be a starting point...because compare/contrast with all other sports (soccer, tennis, hockey, etc) could be included later.

 

[dawgduice]

The "problem" is the $$$$$$. Div 1 is really it's own "semi-pro" league.
Clearly some schools do less for "student-athletes" than others.
What would happen if there were NO "athletic" scholarships? Would PSU still have a football team/program?

 

[Jerademan74]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?


So...we have "parents" sending their high school age kids half-way across the country.....away from family and friends....for the sole purpose of congregating with a critical mass of "elite athletes" at a sports mill....with the hope of attracting attention from high-profile college programs and receiving a "scholarship" offer.

In which case, the "coach" will expect the kid to spend 30 hours per week on his sport.

And - somehow - we expect the 17 year old to have the maturity to realize that professional sports is a "lottery ticket"...and they should have the discipline to realize they should put their education - and earning a meaningful degree - ahead of their athletic activities.

No problem. LOL.


It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

I don't think this is a new issue for College football. There have been College football factories such as Milford Academy and others for years. It is now more prominent because the money is more important than the education. Although as I said in an earlier post that Penn State has been marred by the JS issues, I still hold Penn State at a higher standard than any other College for trying to do the right things. We have produced many NFL players, and almost every one of them can clearly articulate their stories by describing how Penn State has improved their lives. Of course the financial rewards are important to them, but they could have gone to many lesser academic universities that are more concerned about football success and less about a proper education!

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?


So...we have "parents" sending their high school age kids half-way across the country.....away from family and friends....for the sole purpose of congregating with a critical mass of "elite athletes" at a sports mill....with the hope of attracting attention from high-profile college programs and receiving a "scholarship" offer.

In which case, the "coach" will expect the kid to spend 30 hours per week on his sport.

And - somehow - we expect the 17 year old to have the maturity to realize that professional sports is a "lottery ticket"...and they should have the discipline to realize they should put their education - and earning a meaningful degree - ahead of their athletic activities.

No problem. LOL.


It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

If a person had a child that possessed advanced athletic skills I would think that giving them every chance to succeed would be the way to go. I understand your dislike of this practice but the world evolves and Parents want to give their children the best training to help them succeed.

 

[sluggo72]

I don't think this is a new issue for College football. There have been College football factories such as Milford Academy and others for years. It is now more prominent because the money is more important than the education. Although as I said in an earlier post that Penn State has been marred by the JS issues, I still hold Penn State at a higher standard than any other College for trying to do the right things. We have produced many NFL players, and almost every one of them can clearly articulate their stories by describing how Penn State has improved their lives. Of course the financial rewards are important to them, but they could have gone to many lesser academic universities that are more concerned about football success and less about a proper education!

I have an example of that right here!! Very timely I'd say!

Penn State came in ranked 13th in The Princeton Review's rankings of the top party schools in the country this year. That status as a great party school is nothing new at Penn State.

Jared Odrick, a former defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions, who left in 2010, made a cameo appearance recently on the HBO series Ballers. Now with the Jaguars after starting his career with the Dolphins, Odrick discussed his brief role in the series at training camp, explaining how his time in State College helped him be ready for the big party scene.

"Well, first and foremost," Odrick said, "I'm obviously a baller. ... I'm shooting craps with a drink in my hand, and [carrying on with] women. I had four years to prepare for my role at Penn State, so it was awesome."

If you were ever wondering how Penn State athletes spend their free time, there's your answer. There are certainly worse ways to go through college

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...-state-prepared-me-for-party-scene-in-ballers


sorry I couldn't resist, I get your point!

 

[eloracv]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?


So...we have "parents" sending their high school age kids half-way across the country.....away from family and friends....for the sole purpose of congregating with a critical mass of "elite athletes" at a sports mill....with the hope of attracting attention from high-profile college programs and receiving a "scholarship" offer.

In which case, the "coach" will expect the kid to spend 30 hours per week on his sport.

And - somehow - we expect the 17 year old to have the maturity to realize that professional sports is a "lottery ticket"...and they should have the discipline to realize they should put their education - and earning a meaningful degree - ahead of their athletic activities.

No problem. LOL.


It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

Well said Barry!

 

[bjf1984]

If a person had a child that possessed advanced athletic skills I would think that giving them every chance to succeed would be the way to go. I understand your dislike of this practice but the world evolves and Parents want to give their children the best training to help them succeed.

LOL "Best chance to succeed"?

Apparently SEPA failed basic math.

http://www.thefootballeducator.com/heavy-odds-high-school-players-making-nfl/

High School to the NFL? 0.08%
Of those that "make it" to NCAA football? 1.6%
.....and then divide those odds by 4 (at least - seeing as how the AVERAGE NFL career is under 3.5 years, and the median is even lower than that), to filter down to those who actually make enough NFL $$$ to even begin to set themselves up for "career long" income.

Thank you SEPA....for being such a BRILLIANT, PERFECT example of the mentality that has created the mess we have today.
Young, impressionable kids - by the THOUSANDS - being sold down the river by their very own Parents and Coaches.....to serve the "entertainment" desires of the masses, the egos of the Parents, and the financial needs of the Coaches, Administrators, and Professional Sports leagues.

Amazingly enough, "elite athletes" became "elite athletes" well before - and without the assistance of - street agents, personal trainers for 12 year olds, year-round travel teams for kids barely old enough to ride a bicycle, and high school "athlete mills".

And, yes, I am well-aware that these issues didn't suddenly rise out of thin air....and elements of this type of crap have gone on for decades....but the rate of descent, the relative frequency of occurrence, is increasing exponentially.

That is all.

 

[Bushwood CC]

If a person had a child that possessed advanced athletic skills I would think that giving them every chance to succeed would be the way to go. I understand your dislike of this practice but the world evolves and Parents want to give their children the best training to help them succeed.

Too funny, the vast, vast majority will never make a living playing sports (e.g., a "professional athlete"), so by definition parents telling their kids to prioritize a huge long-shot over improving their academic resume which has much better probabilities, and therefore risk-adjusted payoffs, is in FACT the diametric opposite of what you claim - the parents are giving these kids a lower probability of living a gratifying life with more control of their own life by prioritizing a long-shot outcome over building a solid foundation and diversified skill set.

 

[Coultr77]

ever increasing influence of outfits like the IMG Academy.....more and more Charter Schools (Some - like Eastern Christian - which appear to be nothing more than "athletic clearing houses"....others - like IMHOTEP - which appear to combine some level of traditional education with a "recruited" athletic roster):

How long until Football recruiting completely "jumps the shark", and flops into the same cesspool that has permeated Basketball recruiting for the last few decades.......street agents, AAU programs, auctioning off "talent", backroom deals with "coaches", etc?


So...we have "parents" sending their high school age kids half-way across the country.....away from family and friends....for the sole purpose of congregating with a critical mass of "elite athletes" at a sports mill....with the hope of attracting attention from high-profile college programs and receiving a "scholarship" offer.

In which case, the "coach" will expect the kid to spend 30 hours per week on his sport.

And - somehow - we expect the 17 year old to have the maturity to realize that professional sports is a "lottery ticket"...and they should have the discipline to realize they should put their education - and earning a meaningful degree - ahead of their athletic activities.

No problem. LOL.


It gets scarier every year....and the pace of descent seems to be accelerating.

Not sure what the cost of an IMG is but perhaps the cost of a college education is partly to blame. All in for a Penn State education is 31k per year IN STATE right now.

 

[bjf1984]

I think the notion of college football purity has always been a myth. Read a few books on college football history. "The Hundred Yard Lie", "The Real All-Americans", Vince Lombardie's Biography". (Lombardi and the other seven blocks of granite routinely moon-lighted on Sunday with the NFL and he was an assistant under Red Blake at Army (note famous cheating scandal)

I think the solution or a partial solution is to force the NFL and NBA to start their own developmental leagues.

"I think the solution or a partial solution is to force the NFL and NBA to start their own developmental leagues."

I think that is a huge step in the right direction (don't know if we will ever see it - not in my lifetime anyway)....but would be a huge step to at least reduce this ridiculous, inane alloy of sports/academics that is a major source of the downsides to youth sports.
It wouldn't solve the problem completely - and wouldn't happen overnight - but it could minimize many of the STUPID excuses and alibis that Parents (those who hold opinions similar to the nonsense outlined by SEPA) put forward, that somehow turning pre-pubescent kids into "athletes in training" is "good for them"......because they are going to get a "scholarship".

 

[fairgambit]

I think the notion of college football purity has always been a myth. Read a few books on college football history. "The Hundred Yard Lie", "The Real All-Americans", Vince Lombardie's Biography". (Lombardi and the other seven blocks of granite routinely moon-lighted on Sunday with the NFL and he was an assistant under Red Blake at Army (note famous cheating scandal)
I think the solution or a partial solution is to force the NFL and NBA to start their own developmental leagues.

You're probably right. I think I was insulated from that realty by the Camelot that Joe built here.

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

LOL "Best chance to succeed"?

Apparently SEPA failed basic math.

http://www.thefootballeducator.com/heavy-odds-high-school-players-making-nfl/

High School to the NFL? 0.08%
Of those that "make it" to NCAA football? 1.6%
.....and then divide those odds by 4 (at least - seeing as how the AVERAGE NFL career is under 3.5 years, and the median is even lower than that), to filter down to those who actually make enough NFL $$$ to even begin to set themselves up for "career long" income.

Thank you SEPA....for being such a BRILLIANT, PERFECT example of the mentality that has created the mess we have today.
Young, impressionable kids - by the THOUSANDS - being sold down the river by their very own Parents and Coaches.....to serve the "entertainment" desires of the masses, the egos of the Parents, and the financial needs of the Coaches, Administrators, and Professional Sports leagues.

Amazingly enough, "elite athletes" became "elite athletes" well before - and without the assistance of - street agents, personal trainers for 12 year olds, year-round travel teams for kids barely old enough to ride a bicycle, and high school "athlete mills".

And, yes, I am well-aware that these issues didn't suddenly rise out of thin air....and elements of this type of crap have gone on for decades....but the rate of descent, the relative frequency of occurrence, is increasing exponentially.

That is all.

That kid himself has a better chance to succeed. You are really a guy who can't just have a discussion. I know the chances of getting a scholarship and pro career are minimal. You again choose to defame me over a difference of opinion and you insist on propping yourself up by claiming people don't understand math. Your tactics stink.You wasted a bunch of paragraphs trying to paint me as a guy who does not know the odds.You were wrong. My post is about that one kid having a better chance to succeed and reach his goals in those programs. If you want to ratchet this up over personalities go ahead. You again don't like that I disagree with you so you make it personal. Don't put words into my mouth.