School sporting scholarships/recruitment

[Inside Shoulder]

Yes, On the surface it looks like parallels between Grammar and State High School in Sydney and Brisbane, but BGS's last premiership was 2012 and BSHS was 2009 and 2010 (shared). So it might be a bit early to pronounce the death of Queensland GPS. What goes around, come around.

I think Gregor's point goes something like this: "see. In Queensland they have blowout scores and there's nothing wrong with their comp".
Which is a pretty interesting point, when you think about it: Because there are blowout scores in QLD blowout scores in NSW are OK.
There was a possible realignment yesterday its causes will be and are being debated: see the Sun herald. I remain to be convinced about the reality of any realignment - we shall see.
I don't think you can underestimate the effect the controversy may have had on the TSC 1st XV players during the week. These are, for the most part, still kids. They don't necessarily think subtly enough to appreciate the difference between being critical of a process in a school and direct criticism of them personally or their team mates. When it gets mainstream media exposure - deserved or not - that is not something they are accustomed to dealing with and they are not necessarily equipped to evaluate what was passes for neutral comment from posturing, self aggrandisement or ignorance on the part of the commentators.
This is one of the reasons why most schools try to keep the spotlight off the individual: there used to be a rule but that seems to have gone by the wayside.
Right or wrong the last week in GPS rugby looked more like the NRL from a media perspective.
There is a lesson in that of wide implication: if you over emphasise the importance of sport to children, whether you do so for acceptable or unacceptable reasons, you want to be very careful about the unintended, peripheral consequences of doing so. Those include media attention, particularly if there is a negative story in it.
Are you/we/they ready for our kids to be exposed to that? 21-0 at half time suggests maybe not.

 

[Brainstrust]

I think Gregor's point goes something like this: "see. In Queensland they have blowout scores and there's nothing wrong with their comp".
Which is a pretty interesting point, when you think about it: Because there are blowout scores in QLD blowout scores in NSW are OK.
There was a possible realignment yesterday its causes will be and are being debated: see the Sun herald. I remain to be convinced about the reality of any realignment - we shall see.
I don't think you can underestimate the effect the controversy may have had on the TSC 1st XV players during the week. These are, for the most part, still kids. They don't necessarily think subtly enough to appreciate the difference between being critical of a process in a school and direct criticism of them personally or their team mates. When it gets mainstream media exposure - deserved or not - that is not something they are accustomed to dealing with and they are not necessarily equipped to evaluate what was passes for neutral comment from posturing, self aggrandisement or ignorance on the part of the commentators.
This is one of the reasons why most schools try to keep the spotlight off the individual: there used to be a rule but that seems to have gone by the wayside.
Right or wrong the last week in GPS rugby looked more like the NRL from a media perspective.
There is a lesson in that of wide implication: if you over emphasise the importance of sport to children, whether you do so for acceptable or unacceptable reasons, you want to be very careful about the unintended, peripheral consequences of doing so. Those include media attention, particularly if there is a negative story in it.
Are you/we/they ready for our kids to be exposed to that? 21-0 at half time suggests maybe not.

IS, poor Scots. What about the sides that they are playing. Boys in other schools constantly reminded they are playing a team that has considerable resources for preparation well in excess of their own school, and that they are playing a team that is unfairly stacked with scholarship boys which is against the GPS rules. I think that the last week would have only reinforced for the scots boys that they are operating in an environment that other schools dont have. I'm sure they have have psychologists on staff ( that probably teach wood work, or some other made up teaching role) to nurse the poor lads through their difficult times of putting cricket scores on sides. What a tough time they are having.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

IS, poor Scots. What about the sides that they are playing. Boys in other schools constantly reminded they are playing a team that has considerable resources for preparation well in excess of their own school, and that they are playing a team that is unfairly stacked with scholarship boys which is against the GPS rules. I think that the last week would have only reinforced for the scots boys that they are operating in an environment that other schools dont have. I'm sure they have have psychologists on staff ( that probably teach wood work, or some other made up teaching role) to nurse the poor lads through their difficult times of putting cricket scores on sides. What a tough time they are having.

This post kind of proves my point.
Take the most gifted bursary player in the team.
He is still a child.
His opponents are still children.
Its the adults who are f*cking this up for the kids. All of the kids.

 

[Brainstrust]

This post kind of proves my point.
Take the most gifted bursary player in the team.
He is still a child.
His opponents are still children.
Its the adults who are f*cking this up for the kids. All of the kids.

agree

 

[Quick Hands]

This post kind of proves my point.
Take the most gifted bursary player in the team.
He is still a child.
His opponents are still children.
Its the adults who are f*cking this up for the kids. All of the kids.

Oh so true. (and it extends to club based sport as well)

 

[lincoln]

This post kind of proves my point.
Take the most gifted bursary player in the team.
He is still a child.
His opponents are still children.
Its the adults who are f*cking this up for the kids. All of the kids.

GPS sport has historically been free of unhealthy adult influence (aka parents) as teachers were able to keep everything in perspective for the boys. This has now changed with the emergence of "bad" so called educators, together with increasing numbers of helicopter/drone parents.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Oh so true. (and it extends to club based sport as well)

how's this for some club based proof of your comment: a certain a grade team in the east has 4 boys come down from the hunter every weekend to help them stay atop their comp.

 

[Quick Hands]

how's this for some club based proof of your comment: a certain a grade team in the east has 4 boys come down from the hunter every weekend to help them stay atop their comp.

Oh dear, I'm sure that nepotism and team stacking has always been around in junior sport, but I can never remember it being as rife and as blatant as it is today.

I wonder when the adults (some not all - but they seem so determined and outlast the rest of us) stopped being involved in junior sport for the greater good and started recruiting players from far and wide so they can bask in the reflected glory of their children. No wonder half the kids give it up and go surfing or play computer games.

 

[Boof]

how's this for some club based proof of your comment: a certain a grade team in the east has 4 boys come down from the hunter every weekend to help them stay atop their comp.

a junior team?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

a junior team?

You bet.

 

[Brumby Jack the 1st]

agree

What does everyone think of Riverview putting their players history in the program? I was certainly surprised to see a few that obviously started in yrs 9,10 and even 11. Doesn't seem to send the message they want

 

[It is what it is]

What does everyone think of Riverview putting their players history in the program? I was certainly surprised to see a few that obviously started in yrs 9,10 and even 11. Doesn't seem to send the message they want

Assuming it's the truth and they have nothing to hide, then good to see I reckon.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Doesn't seem to send the message they want

That implies it was introduced for spin.
If they had a "message" they could drop it in years when it didn't suit the message or the spin, which makes it seem authentic.

 

[Gobstar]

Are you/we/they ready for our kids to be exposed to that? 21-0 at half time suggests maybe not.

Sorry IS. 21-0 at half time was more an indication of the value of the prevailing southerly at Riverview.

 

[Runner]

Runner should be the Thread Mascot I think.

Forrest Gump running back and forth across the country while nothing changes ..

Shoes wore out!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Sorry IS. 21-0 at half time was more an indication of the value of the prevailing southerly at Riverview.

I wasn't there. But I've just had a quick squiz at the first half and I can't see that the wind had much influence at all.
The riverview observations on BOM do not record the 3pm data for 2.8.2014.
Olympic Park 3pm = 20 km/h from the SSE. (10 knots) Sydney 28 km/h (S) - call it 15 knots.
If that's a 21 point breeze most teams at a number of levels have under performed for a long time when running with similar breezes.
The truth is: we'll never know what lay behind it.

 

[Boof]

You bet.

They must have plenty of time on their hands, if they are that good I am sure Hunter would have them on board.

 

[sarcophilus]

I wasn't there. But I've just had a quick squiz at the first half and I can't see that the wind had much influence at all.
The riverview observations on BOM do not record the 3pm data for 2.8.2014.
Olympic Park 3pm = 20 km/h from the SSE. (10 knots) Sydney 28 km/h (S) - call it 15 knots.
If that's a 21 point breeze most teams at a number of levels have under performed for a long time when running with similar breezes.
The truth is: we'll never know what lay behind it.

looking at the geography of the site any S or SSE wind will be channelled and accelerated significantly up that valley. Though as we saw against Scotland in Newcastle having a gale at your back can be a curse

 

[Inside Shoulder]

looking at the geography of the site any S or SSE wind will be channelled and accelerated significantly up that valley. Though as we saw against Scotland in Newcastle having a gale at your back can be a curse

Precisely - conventional wisdom is that its a lot easier to pass running into a strong wind than with one.
I think the video shows (a) Scots (who are not a good kicking side) cleared their 22 with relative ease on the occasions they kicked and (b) McGregor was grubbing behind the defensive which has negligible input from following wind.
With the more recent rule of getting a scrum where you kicked it you cannot just rake down field and invite the leeward team to try and get out of their 22 from the dropout - it won't work.
Scots' handling just didn't look as good as it has been and they lost more ball in that first half than for the whole of the season.

 

[Gobstar]

I wasn't there. But I've just had a quick squiz at the first half and I can't see that the wind had much influence at all.
The riverview observations on BOM do not record the 3pm data for 2.8.2014.
Olympic Park 3pm = 20 km/h from the SSE. (10 knots) Sydney 28 km/h (S) - call it 15 knots.
If that's a 21 point breeze most teams at a number of levels have under performed for a long time when running with similar breezes.
The truth is: we'll never know what lay behind it.

I was there. And I had more than just a 'quick squiz' at the entire game while actually standing on the sideline looking into the breeze. And while it wasn't a gale, there was enough evidence to suggest that it was certainly influential. Apart from the obvious 8 tries all scored down one end of the field (by the team with the wind at their backs), 3 or 4 penalty kicks for touch by both teams failed to find touch into the wind. And one clearing kick by Riverview midway through the second half just died mid-air.
I've combed the BOM website and have been unable to find ANY data from child/sports psychologists who had examined the Scots 1st XV at Riverview at 3pm on 2.8.2014.
So, while I suggested that the half time score was an indication of the breeze rather than a definitive factor, having experienced the conditions and watched the game live rather than looking at imprecise data on the internet, I feel my comment has slightly more grounding than postulating over what was going on inside the heads of a bunch of teenage boys.
But I still love your stuff, IS.