- However, this continued success is even more impressive when you consider that our student-athletes also maintained a collective QPA in excess of 3.25!
I hope it was an oversight, but those two statements would be worth repeating if they were true this year. In light of the Joint Maintenance Agreement, sports groups' 990's and the YSA, perhaps over 91% of the total funds were not spent on the "student-athletes." The 2011 letter also mentioned that:
- Over 91% of the total funds raised by and through the Blue Devil Club are spent specifically on the student-athletes.
ln the past, the funds were spent to upgrade athletic facilities and/or equipment, assist the Club‘s member sport teams meet temporary shortfalls in their ability to raise the funds necessary to meet annual expenditures, and to provide the “extra things” that help give our student-athletes a first class experience that they will never forget!What annual expenditures? The YSA's inability to contribute $30,000 a year to maintain School District fields? Zero dollars are spent on Municipal fields. Yet, in the YSA's own words, the best baseball fields are Middle and Wildcat which happen to be Municipal fields. When will the Mt. Lebanon Scholastic Athletic Association, a.k.a. The Blue Devil Club, which includes the following varsity sports: baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, cheerleading, football, boys' and girls' soccer, fast pitch softball, boys' and girls' tennis, softball, volleyball and wrestling start contributing to the municipality for the use of their facilities? Why must the 78% of the households who do not have children in school be expected to fund this organization? Levels of support range from an individual or family membership ($25) to Blue Devil Champion ($1000 or more).
Update July 31, 2012 11:15 PM
Blue Devil Club 2009 990
Blue Devil Club 2010 990
Blue Devil Club 2011 990
It looks like the Blue Devil's have pulled back a bit on funding of some varsity only sports group expenses, but in the aggregate still seems significant...wonder what their total membership dollar fundraising amounts to and what % come from folks without kids in MTLSD and varsity sports ?
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is no indication on the mailing material as to whether the Blue Devils are a 501(c)(3) chairitable organization and membership dues are federal tax deductible ?
The Parents Athletic Council (PAC) have also cut back on funding and now offer just a couple of annual $500 scholarships, I hear.
Bill Lewis
In addition to our tithing, our church is hosting several fundraiser's. Mount Lebanon has its fundraising for the renovation. The library has several fundraising events. We're paying more so that our kids can participate in sports. Our oldest will be paying to park at the high school this year. Our assessment went up. My husband didn't get a raise this year, just accolades. We can't make it as it is. Sending out letters like this just add salt to the wounds.
ReplyDeleteSo throw the letter in the trash. I don't get the big controversy. If these groups want to upgrade they should figure out how to fund it. End of story.
ReplyDelete1:23 Thanks for your honesty, because I know many are feeling the same pinch, but no one will admit to it. Mt Lebanon does ask for a lot, especially the school district. A few dollars here, a few dollars there. A huge tax hike and oh by the way a fundraising plan to fill the gap. I asked one Commissioner, hey if you could float a bond for what the SD is asking for what would Mt Lebanon look like? I got a chuckle and a sigh. "A whole lot." I think in the next few months or years we will see how everything is taking a hit with such an overwhelming project in just one school...sound familiar? Just think about it what if the Municipality were to float a bond for $100m. No more Recreation concerns, Mt Lebanon could probably have that basketball/work out facility in the Rec Center and the full aquatic center. We could probably have a Senior Center somewhere around town. No more crappy flower beds. All the parks would be in pristine shape. All of the programs would not be in as great of need and begging for money. All the sidewalks/roads would be good-great condition. Traffic concerns would be addressed, maybe the stormwater fee would never have been implemented, public safety center wouldn't be leaking or having issues, Public Works wouldn't be the dump it is and massive economic development projects would be underway. McNeilly might be a great field/rec area. Mt Lebanon might have bought back the area across from Pamela's and actually did something. Imagine all the missed opportunities that are falling within a massive project to only benefit one place. Then to hear 1:23 express what many are feeling. It is sad.
ReplyDeleteEnough is enough is enough!
ReplyDeleteMt. Lebanon is bleeding its residents dry. What used to be a nice community is being destroyed, both physically and emotionally. I don't even tell people where I live any more.
I'm thinking we to set up bell ringers with red kettles at every Lebo entry point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe sit a couple of street urchins in tattered soccer uniforms with a deflated ball looking dejected.
You know what I'm talking about. Knda like those tv commercials where you can feed an entire 3rd world village full of dirty, BUT cute, orphans for only $10 a month.
These days, getting great reviews with no more than an "Atta Boy/Girl" seems to be commonplace. Not everyone gets a 6.9% raise - or even a 2% raise.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this link, contributions are deductible, Bill. Nonprofit organizations
Anyone who subscribes to GuideStar can look up The Blue Devil Club 990's here. GuideStar
Elaine
I don't see the point of this post. It's a good think what the Blue Devil Club does. They ask for private funding to supplement sports in the Mt. Lebanon School District. That's the way it ought to be. And its the way the YSA is, except the YSA seems to haven fallen short a few years. That's not good, but the idea is a good one.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with private taxpayers paying private money to private (non-profit) groups to help fund things which they desire. This is the epitome of public/private partnerships. The District funds what it can for the sports and the parents fill in gaps when they need to.
The municipality funds what it can for fields and the parents fill in the gaps when they need to (except when they haven't raised the money).
Of course the YSA hasn't kept up their end of the bargain each and every year and both they and school district have swept that under the rug. They should rightly be admonished for their behavior and secrecy. But, and this is the big BUT, we should all appreciate the idea of what they are trying to do, just not the politics of it.
I'd rather the taxpayers not have to pay the $30,000/yr raised by the YSA. I'd also rather the YSA not push a million dollar project on municipal taxpayers without they themselves contributing much of any value.
Interesting, Elaine. Almost all organizations that qualify for tax deductibility specify it on or in their solicitation material in order to attract wider interest and public subscription. Wonder why this one does not ?
ReplyDeleteBill Lewis
7:13 AM, you are absolutely correct. The point to my post was twofold. Is the Blue Devil Club having to step up to the plate because YSA dropped the ball? Is the YSA just the nasty middle man? I would love to see the 990's.
ReplyDeleteThe second reason is that I would like to see the sports groups pay towards municipal facilities that they use instead of the taxpayers having to foot the entire bill. The Joint Maintenance Agreement was for district fields only.
I understand that the municipality has stopped all maintenance on district fields since the JMA has expired. I support that move 100%.
Elaine
Here is a summary of one of the District's partners in a $15,000,000 fund raiser.
ReplyDeleteMOUNT LEBANON FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION
Revenue Amount $13,998
Asset Amount $36,583
Asset Range $25,000 to $99,999
Income Amount $13,998
Income Range $10,000 to $24,999
This is not a joke.
I deleted the last four comments. Dave, he's all yours, buddy.
ReplyDeleteElaine
If you simply looked at the names of the organizations listed on the Blue Devil Club, you would have seen that none of them are part of the YSA. These are High School Varsity teams.
ReplyDeleteActually, I did look at the names of the organizations. I see that they use both municipal and district facilities.
ReplyDeleteElaine
The YSA and Blue Devil Club are separate entities but if there is quite a bit of collusion and lobbying strategy between the two, that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteAs we've recently been shown by the Penn State scandal (no not the child molestation charges) the focus and the money and influence of athletics can have a negative impact.
I mean just look- here in Lebo we cut counselors but just hired a football coach at over $100,000.
Sold to gullible over-taxed parents and the delight of youth sports groups on the prospects, however distant, for college athletic scholarships and even the potential, even more unlikely, for pro $ million incomes.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we didn't do this, people would not move here, real estate values would collapse and the parents would become paupers.
It's all for the children you know
They learned this kind of scare tactic con from the NEA, PSEA and MLEA whare it has worked for years in teachers contracts, budgets and excessive hiring, and with the help of our bought legislature, extended to Act 93 administrastors.
ReplyDeleteSomeone sent me the grim news about athletic scholarships.
ReplyDeleteThe odds of getting a sports scholarship
Make sure you read the 7 responses.
Elaine
Elaine, that was a link to an opinion of a woman. That won't sell to the bully-boy "turfers" in football, particularly the Dave's !
ReplyDeleteOK, what about Terry Bradshaw's opinion?
ReplyDelete"If I had a son today, and I would say this to all our audience and our viewers out there, I would not let him play football."
-- Terry Bradshaw, on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, June 13, 2012.
Just say no to football?
Elaine
Before anyone rudely points out (as some are known to do) that one is about scholarships and the other is about concussions, I am aware. I thought yesterday's article was worth mentioning.
ReplyDeleteElaine
The YSA tough guys are actually a bunch of middle-age "never-were"s. So theyre trying to live out their lost sports highlights through kids. Unfortunately for them, real athletes keep blowing holes in the YSA plans. Take this for example (a guy who actually was a football stud and could have had a pro career):
ReplyDeletehttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/17/andrew-sweat-concussion-fears-led-me-to-turn-down-the-nfl/
I don't have any children who played football, but saying that Mt Lebanon is paying the football coach over $100K is a misleading statement.
ReplyDeleteThe coach will make $10,952 annually.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/new-coach-for-mt-lebanon-high-school-football-team-628263/
Very good! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteElaine
7:11AM - you mean he won't also be given a full time teaching salary of say $85,000/year for teaching a half-day or just 2 classes/day in the mornings, plus a signing bonus of $10,000 like his predecessor received ? You and the P-G (Posti-Gazette) honestly believe he would leave to come here for $10,952/year ?
ReplyDeleteYou've got to be awfully naive or just plain kidding. And for the P-G, they only report what is given them by the PIO clowns.
It's a bit harsh, don't you think, to say that all the YSA wants to do is live vicariously through their children. That kind of statement has no foundation and, quite honestly, is one that should have been filtered out. It doesn't promote any kind of discussion and basically slanders (perhaps not in a legally actionable way) a group who is made up for the most part of parents who don't pay attention to the politics of it all.
ReplyDeleteTo the other poster who suggests the coach will only get paid $10k a year. That's not exactly how it works. High School football coaches here tend to get the equivalent of teaching PE to the kids and usually its only 2-3 classes a semester. It's also usually in PE classes directly related to his players like weightlifting and conditioning. The coach is allowed to spend his considerable amount of "free" time to do football activities.
Not saying it is right or wrong, but that is how the system is currently constructed.
If there is an issue with the coaches' teaching salary, that is a different subject and should be discussed as such.
ReplyDelete7:59 you mean you actually think Melnyk was the top social studies teacher applying for a job at Mt. Lebanon and that being able to coach to football was a minor consideration in his hiring.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you also bought into the PK con job that some wealthy benefactors were going to pay $30 million to complete the Taj Mahal, so you wouldn't have to.
You really do live in a fantasy world don't you.
Michael J. Melnyk was hired as a football coach. His position as a "social studies" teacher does not fool anyone. It certainly didn't fool P-G writer Molly Born. Her first sentence says it all: "The Mt. Lebanon school board has named Michael J. Melnyk as head football coach at the district's high school." Note the adverb "also" in her next sentence, which reads in part: "Mr. Melnyk will also teach social studies full time at the high school for a salary of $99,700,....".
ReplyDeleteIf Ms. Born's figures are correct then Coach Melnyk will pull down a comfortable $110,652 a year ($99,700 "social studies" salary plus $10,952 "extra duty" pay). Not a bad gig.
Saying Mr. Melnyk was hired as a "social studies" teacher first and a coach second (as the salary figures would lead one to believe) is a little like saying the Captain of an airliner was hired to make cabin announcements first, and to fly the plane second!
Quit playing the law suit threat card Dave and own up. The YSA so-called leadership in the past have been a bunch of deadbeat, whining whimps who have unyieldingly attempted to coerce tax dollars from the entire community for their own selfish ends.
ReplyDeleteTell you what, to gain back a little credibility, how about your posting a list of the back payments you have just reportedly made to the District to allegedly bring your "legally obligated" payments up to date ? OK ?
There are to be sure a large percentage of parents in the YSA that are involved because they believe athletics are part of building a well round and healthy kid.
ReplyDeleteThere is also an unspoken understanding the route to a successful high school athletic career passes thru the YSA training camps.
Parents donating a lot of money and getting on a board certainly helps determine who starts and when on varsity.
Not always, as it's hard to ignore talent and even a foolish coach understands he won't last long if he doesn't carry a winning record.
Something that has always bothered me about organizations like the YSA and Blue Devil Club is the fact that at some point in these. types of organizations a few individuals begin to take on the sense that THEY are the organization.
ReplyDeleteIt's always surprised me that parents don't move on as their kid graduates from the program. Why don't they pass the baton onto to the next group of parents.
Is it because of undying love of sports? Possibly.
Is it prestige... again maybe.
Is it financial reward... not out of the realm of possibilities. It's been known to happen.
It might also be that no one steps up to the plate and the leaders get locked in because they figure if the programs are too continue it's up to them.
Unfortunately it becomes there baby, to be coodle, protected and provided for.
"There is also an unspoken understanding the route to a successful high school athletic career passes thru the YSA training camps."
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA...that's the height of arrogance. What makes you think kids wouldn't do well without YSA? Let me restate that--kids WILL do just fine without YSA. Whoever wrote that comment is delusional. The YSA has now revealed itself for the sad little joke it is.
Elaine why do you keep posting things from these people? It's sad.
10:45 AM, did I miss something? The lawsuit threat card?
ReplyDeleteIt would be refreshing if YSA produced their list of back payments. I know I said that I would file a RTK, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Considering that a cost reduction of $10,000 for legal fees made the list, I am not sure if that is the equivalent to four RTK's @$2600 per RTK. By eliminating a RTK filing, does YSA get a credit towards their future legal obligations?
1:45 PM, I do it so that people can see them for what they really are. YSA is doing a fine job of that.
Elaine
1:45 I never said that an athlete MUST pass thru the YSA for a successful athletic career!
ReplyDeleteI suggested there was an unspoken understanding that doing so correlates to starting on HS teams. One only needs to follow names in both programsto see that.
Is it good or bad, that's up to you the reader to figure out.
1:45 after observing your reading comprehension skills you might want to seek help with that.
Hey Richard Gideon...methinks the former coach was also named the Asst. AD for Middle Schools for yet another undisclosed salary or maybe it was arranged as an EDR kicker. Wonder if the new guy will quietly receive the same if he plays ball with the administration.
ReplyDelete2:30 FYI.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Triblive 1/42012.
"Before North Allegheny lured Walker away from Central Catholic, it offered its football job to Haering. He used that to leverage a deal that added middle and high school intramural director and associate athletic director duties for another $17,004 in salary to his top-scale teacher pay and football-related supplements. All told, it was worth as much as $107,000 in 2005. By 2008, Haering's $13,632 football-related salary ranked fourth among WPIAL coaches."
I think that 2008 salary should be $113,632. Do we know if the new guy didn't get the Asst. Middle AD position also. It's never been mentioned that the position was eliminated. If it was a "necessary" position, who holds it now and what are their duties exactly?
For those of you that don't think there is a simpatico relationship between the YSA, Blue Devil Club and MTLSD athletic Dept.
ReplyDelete"Philadelphia Eagles Youth Camp Director Named Head Coach at Mt. Lebanon High School, Pittsburgh
Posted by admin on Apr 19, 2012 in philadelphia eagles, Youth Football Library
Mike Melnyk will direct the Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camp in Lancaster from July 9-13.
Current Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camp Director Michael Melnyk has been named Head Football Coach for Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Melnyk was previously Head Coach at Manheim Township High School in the Reading, Pennsylvania area.
Fortunately for Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Campers, Melnyk will continue to lead the program, specifically at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania camp location July 9-13.
Melnyk was unanimously approved by the Mt. Lebanon school board last week.
Melnyk leaves Manheim Township in great shape. In 1999, Melnyk inherited a team that had only one winning season in the previous 23 years. The ensuing 13-years under Melnyk improved significantly as he earned a 75-63 career record. His last nine years featured a record of 65-33, two league titles and six trips to the District III Quad-A playoffs. Last fall, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks posted an 8-3 mark.
At his core, Melnyk really lives to be an educator and he will be a social studies teacher at Mt. Lebanon as well.
“That is my profession. I’m an educator,” he said. “I treat my classroom lessons as important as football though people don’t talk about it in the newspapers on Saturday morning. What I’m doing in that classroom and those lives that I’m going to be affecting are just as important to me.”
Kids in the area can get one last chance to play for Coach Melnyk at the Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camp, July9-13 at Lancaster. Visit www.EaglesCamps.com for more information.
CATCH OUR FOOTBALL CAMPS
Chicago Bears
Youth Football Camps
Green Bay Packers
Youth Football Camps
New York Giants
Youth Football Camps
Philadelphia Eagles
Youth Football Camps
NON-CONTACT FOOTBALL SKILLS LIFE SKILLS AND FUN
Pro Sports Experience, LLC is the official management company for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camps. Learn More."
Wonder why there's no Pittsburgh Steelers Youth Camp? Maybe the YSA could approach Pro Sports and develop a public private partnership facility with the muni on the McNeilly Site.
Giffen Good
2:17, talk about poor reading comprehension skills. you might want to check into some kind of remedial reading program. Nowhere did I accuse you of writing that kids "MUST" pass through YSA. I simply quoted you. Kinda stinks when your own words make you look dumb. Of course, I'm guessing you're used to it.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be of the Obama mindset--You didn't build that. Scored a touchdown? you didn't socre that, the YSA helped you do it. You went from midfield all the way to the net? you didn't shoot that goal, the YSA helped you kick....snore...
And I have to agree regarding showing the payments. Show the community you can do something as simple as stick to an agreement. Then, and only then, cna you even consider taking the high road in anything.
submitting again as spell check stomped all over my submission-
ReplyDelete4:23 talk about using your own words... you replied to my original comment:
"...that's the height of arrogance. What makes you think kids wouldn't do well without YSA?"
I never said the kids wouldn't do well with[out] the YSA. In fact, following my comment about an unspoken understanding I wrote:
"Parents donating a lot of money and getting on a [YSA thought that was [obvious] in relation to board] board certainly helps determine who starts and when on varsity.
Not always, as it's hard to ignore talent and even a foolish coach understands he won't last long if he doesn't carry a winning record."
That last sentence obviously states [that I wasn't claiming one has to pass thru the YSA to have a successful career.]
So there smarty pants!
I'm betting you have a retort, I'll let you have the last word as we're detracting from the original subject.
Giffen, was Melnyk on the Mt. Lebanon School District payroll July 9-13?
ReplyDeleteFrom the P-G: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/south-xtra-lebos-extensive-search-yields-a-new-coach-630065/
"Melnyk continues to fulfill his teaching responsibilities at Manheim Township and will make the four-hour commute from Lancaster to Mt. Lebanon on weekends until he settles in permanently this summer. His wife and son -- a senior-to-be -- will stay in the Lancaster area this upcoming school year."
The article, published April 5, says, "Melnyk is now ready to bring that success to "Steelers Country." The Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camp in this April 19 article http://www.prosportsexperience.com/philadelphia-eagles-youth-camp-director-named-head-coach-at-mt-lebanon-high-school-pittsburgh/ is 245 miles away from Steeler Country.
Didn't his contract start July 1?
Manheim commencement was May 31.
With his teaching responsibilities at Manheim over in June, Melnyk should have started working full-time for MTLSD in July, right?
What date this summer is Melnyk settling in Mt. Lebanon permanently?
I don't know the answer. I believe WPIAL regulations don't allow actual football practice.
ReplyDeleteUp to around the first week of August, players engage in what they call strength and conditioning training and would suspect the Head Coach need not be present.
One of our more knowledgeable AD's or Blue Devil Club officials would be better able to answer your question. The club is active in providingeals and t- shirts occasionally to the players and cheerleaders.
Which brings up another question.
During strength and condition where do they serve these kids the usual meals with construction.
Gif
Seems to me at a minimum Melnyk's football coach's pay shouldn't start until after July 13th.
ReplyDeleteIf he was running an Esgle Youth Camp how much time could he have devoted to Lebo football before 7/13?
To comment on the original subject of this thread: The Blue Devil Club's IRS Form 990 shows a $21,843.00 loss for calendar year 2011. YSA does not have a 2011 IRS Form 990 currently available on Guide Star, but their 2010 990 showed a $7847.00 loss on revenue of only $5915.00 and net assets of $31,918 - the lowest of the local "field sports" groups. I doubt if anybody disputes the good intentions of these organizations, but one does wonder about their efficacy, and how much money they could bring to the table in any arrangement with the Municipality.
ReplyDeleteThe best run Mt. Lebanon non-profit, by far, is Indoor Tennis For Mt. Lebanon (ITFML). ITFML's IRS-990 form for calendar year 2011 shows a gain of $45,865.00 (and net assets of $567,551.00). ITFML is an example of a successful public/private partnership, and it is my understanding that the services provided by ITFML cost the taxpayer nothing.
An interesting contrast is that both YSA and The Blue Devil Club are 501(c)(3) organizations - meaning contributions to them are tax deductible, whilst ITFML is a 501(c)(4), and contributions to it are not tax deductible.
6:15 notice that article about the Eagles Youth Camp was submitted by a director on Aptil 19th and states Coach was the youth camp director even on that early date.
ReplyDeleteI would assume the duties and obligation of a director would be limited to camp days July 9 - 13!
One would assume such and activity would involve planning, scheduling and staff hiring before the event.
Could Melnyk be taking vacation time already ?
ReplyDeleteGideon - As Elaine reported earlier on the YSA artificial turf proposal: " To turf and light Wildcat and Middle Fields without stands, lining of fields, parking improvements and maintenance, is $1,125,000. This is the exciting part. YSA will buy the stands for $10,000 and contribute $190,000 towards the lighting."
ReplyDeleteWhere is the $200,000 YSA contribution coming from???
A point of clarification: Both the Blue Devil Club and Indoor Tennis For Mt. Lebanon report on a fiscal year basis, beginning on 1 June and ending 31 May of the following year. More accurately, the Blue Devil Club reported a $21,843.00 loss IN (as opposed to "for") calendar year 2011. The same thing may be said about Indoor Tennis's gain of $45,865.00. YSA reports on a calendar year basis.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for not pointing this out earlier. My conclusions about performance, however, remain unchanged.
I updated this thread by adding the Blue Devil Club's 990s from the last three years.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Interestingly, the Blue Devils revenues or income is derived primarily by fundraising and to a much less extent from membership dues, fees and donations. And their 2010-2011 expenditures of some $172,000 were allocations to the various member organizations for apparent operating expenses.
ReplyDeleteThis contrasts significantly from the YSA who do no fundraising, receive only some revenue from just some sports groups they infer representing, but whose expenditures go to sometimes only a portion of their "legally obligated" annual payments to the District, and whose principal activity is scheduling of athletic fields twice a year and demanding more taxpayer funds to support their fields wants & wishes.
Also interesting is that both organizations stated purposes in IRS Form 990's are pretty similar. Is there an interlocking relationship or a redundancy here ?
The individual youth sports groups do their own things for their own sports, which is great.
We should not overlook as well the District budget for Athletics (not including Phys-Ed - Health)which for 2011-2012 amounts to $1,868,861.
When you add up all the numbers from all of the above entities, the result has to be multi-millions of $ annually ! And this excludes the added out of pocket costs born by parents for other additional expenses.
The District indicates in their 2011-2012 Budget (PDF 113/198) that "..we average between 30-40 athletic scholarships a year from our athletic program. Granted they are not all full scholarships but the student is receiving some form of aid from the college of their choice." And " This past year we had approximately 1200 kids participate in our high school athletic program, another 560 in our middle school athletic programs, and approximately 1200-1300 students participated in our high school intramural programs." (H.S. enrollment about 1,900 and M.S. about 1,350 or so and total District enrollment of some 5,250 students).
Bill Lewis
Bill, are you saying that if you add up the number of students participating in high school athletic programs, the numbers add up to 2400-2500 students, while enrollment is around 1900? Clearly, they are double or triple counting kids.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Elaine, I am merely presenting District data....yeah, there is obviously double/triple counting but the District is known for numbers and accounting games, are they not...sometimes double counting if it makes them look better or more important, and sometimes no accounting if it serves their purposes, e.g. non-payments and under-payments by the YSA.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you not count them Elaine?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter plays lacrosse, soccer and softball. Most of the younger athletes play multiple sports up until around middle school/high school.
12:18 PM..it appears to be double counting as it is presented to the public by the District.
ReplyDeleteOne could also conclude from the manner and precise wording in which it is presented that all 1200 students in high school athletics ended up as the 1200 in intramural sports. And that would also be the wrong conclusion.
Parents like you who have children in multiple sports in the school district probably know what the statements meant; however, 78 % of households do not have children in the school district and cannot be presumed to know.
I seriously doubt that district scribes faired well in English Composition courses.
That is a fair point 12:35. However, I think it is also at the crux of this whole issue.
ReplyDeleteRegadless of whether you are for or against turf, the number of teams that request field space is far greater now, than ever before. Most of the youth sports programs, especially for girls, did not exist 20 or 30 years ago.
For the record, I am not pro-turf but I recognize that a sound soultion is needed.