The following is information on the proposed IPS Sports Magnet program. I know this is not really Theather, but it is student related. My child is in both theather and sports, which one will she have to be force to choice?
MINUTES OF BRHS PTA MEETING
Monday, Feb 6, 2006, 6 pm, Cafeteria "B"
(skipping right to sports stuff)
Coach Hannan was asked to address the Sports Magnet Proposal BR currently offers basketball, cross country, football, soccer, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, baseball, golf, softball and swimming. It is proposed that VOLLEYBALL, WRESTLING, BASEBALL, GOLF, SOFTBALL and SWIMMING (8 teams) be eliminated at BRHS.
Dr White feels strongly that we must be more competitive to attract and keep athletes in IPS and the only way to do that is to reduce the number of schools offering the program. If you would send your child to BRHS for the Humanities program, but your daughter wants to play basketball, volleyball and softball, you would have to choose... BRHS for basketball or, say, Tech, for all 3.
Choosing Tech does NOT guarantee you a spot on the team however. If you choose to go to Tech and don't make the team, you're stuck. If you transfer back to Broad Ripple, you cannotplay ANY sport for a year. You cannot switch schools for athletics. Reducing the number of schools offering a particular sport will make the competition to be on a team greater. Now you may have moved your child and they still don't get to play their sport.
Coach Hannan feels strongly that the purpose of athletics is not to win - it's a perk, a bonus. It's kids learning to work together toward a goal, to make friendships and teamwork and have a focus for their afternoons. To have fun. The highest percentage of kids playing athletics are "at risk kids - kids who probably wouldn't make a team that cuts based on skill alone. We have larger teams than many schools so that a student who WANTS to play, GETS to play. Our kids need MORE after school activities, not LESS. Even Dr White was involved in a study several years ago that found kids who are NOT involved in after school activities are more likely to get in trouble in the 3-6pm time frame.
Coach Hannan estimates that 170 athletic participants would be lost to this proposal (i.e., many of our girl basketball players also play volleyball and softball - two sports we'd lose... would those basketball girls stay here or choose to go to Tech where they could play all three (if they made the team, that is)? EVERY high school is slated to lose some sport... Tech would lose the least (3 sports: soccer, cross country and wrestling).
BR is one that loses the most - 6 sports (8 teams). Yet BR has the 2nd highest percent of enrollment (27.3%) participating in sports. It is estimated that 36% of our athletes will be affected by this proposal and have to choose academics over sports or sports over academics (again, with no promise they'll make the team at the sports school). Six BR teams: golf, softball, swimming, wrestling are the largest teams in IPS. Volleyball and baseball are the 2nd largest teams in IPS. BRHS has the 2nd highest percentage of boys playing sports (32.3%) and the highest percentage of girls playing (23.1%)
Girls will be affected more than boys based on the combination of sports our girls currently play.
BR has the 2nd highest GQE pass rate in IPS... 63.5% of our athletes have passed the GQE. Broad Ripple has actually been slowly increasing the number of students who participate in athletics. This is a good thing! Along with that, abilities have been improving. Think what fortitude it takes to play an IPS sport when there is so little school spirit - your kids have to REALLY WANT TO PLAY to play to empty stands.
Parents have got to become more involved, more supportive of their kids. We strive to teach the kids that you (the team) are only as strong as its' weakest link...work together, help each other.
Points to consider:
**THIS IS A DISTRICT ISSUE, not just what is happening at our school. Consider the student who wants to play more than one sport - but they are offered at different schools
**This plan could drive more families out of IPS.
**Parents will be forced to choose between the academic program that best suits their child and whether to let them play the sport they are interested in.
**Should the lack of sporting facilities be a factor in deciding which sport your school has? We don't have a pool or golf course yet our students consistently win IPSAC... (IPSAC=ips athletic competition)
**Childhood obesity is at an all time high. Schools and parents are supposed to be encouraging their child to be MORE active... If a school loses half their sport offerings a students options have been reduced.
**Students who participate in extra curriculars do BETTER in school. We should be offering MORE sports / teams not LESS
Limiting the athletic opportunities is not equitable.
**This decision was not based on funding cuts - in fact - this proposal will cost IPS another million dollars. We're losing staff - bigger classrooms, fewer class offerings, but increasing the cost of the athletic program. What message is that sending to our students?
The proposal came about partly because Dr White wants to make the athletic feeder system into high school better... wants to offer sports at the 5th and 6th grade level (private schools start as early as 3rd grade) and wants to increase the sport offerings at middle school. That is a good idea... but not at the cost of then reducing an 8th graders options on where to go to play that sport! Parents could become more involved at the elementary level and be volunteer coach / sport coordinators!
This may not affect YOUR child... but think of those kids who are sophomores and freshmen now... think of those kids in middle school hoping to go where their big brother or sister or cousin went. This is a community issue not just a "my kid" issue.
LET'S HAVE SO MANY PARENTS AND STUDENTS AND ALUMNI HERE ON MARCH 1st that we have to move the meeting from the auditorium to the gym.
If you speak, call or write letters, do not harp on Broad Ripple's loss... remember that every school is facing the same loss, to one degree or the other, as we are. The kid at Tech doesn't want to come here, any more than your student may want to go to Northwest or Arlington. Remember, calling this a magnet allows you to move whereas changing schools to play on a different team is not allowed (IHSAA rules)
If you live in BR's district and go to Tech to play volleyball -and don't make the team... you are stuck at Tech not playing or you can transfer back to BR and not play ANY sport there.
What can we do?
Parent record a message on Connect Ed?
Coach Hannan record a message on Connect Ed?
Coach Hannan address students on PA system, or at class meetings?
English lit classes write essays about importance of sports at the high school level?
Phone calls to Board
Email / Mail / Calls to Superintendent's office
Talk to Amos Brown... will he get involved?
Talk to area churches... surely they understand the need for more activities for their students, not less
Reach out to middle schools? They will be most affected by this
Contact Alumni? What did sports mean to you?
Letter to the Editor (Star and Recorder and BR Gazette)
Have parents come in at lunch mods to encourage students to sign petition and/or write letters to school board or letters to editor.
The plan of eliminating certain sports so that it causes an unequal balance between boy's sports and girl's sport is illegal based on the "TITLE IX, Education Amendments of 1972".
The plan of eliminating certain sports so that it causes an unequal balance between boy's sports and girl's sport is illegal based on the "TITLE IX, Education Amendments of 1972".
