Bullis school

[Anonymous]

I think Bullis parents are denying whats going on at their own school. The Bullis administration has given the football, basketball, lacrosse and baseball coaches to actively go out and recruit kids to transfer in for their senior year of HS. I understand kids transfer from public to private but the only kids who have transferred to Bullis for senior year have been star athletes - a landon lacrosse player, a baseball player from Gaithesburg High , a basketball player from Prep, two football players from Blake. One of whom is already back in his public school (so in theory he only came for a 1 semester) Its only a matter of time, before the IAC pulls the plug and Bullis will soon be playing in an independent conference.

[Anonymous]

They can do whatever they want. It simply depends on what they are trying to be and who are they are trying to serve. They arent trying to be Sidwell, STA or GDS academically. So this is one of the results.

Just cant see how someone who is very serious about their childrens schooling would think these shennagans does anything but water down the experience for serious students. For the middle or lower parts of the class...whatever...

[Anonymous]

I know non-athletes that have transferred in JR year - and they were excellent students unhappy at a "W" school.

Maybe your experience is only what you read in the HS sports page of the Washington Post.

Not everybody is obsessed with the activities/grades of other children. That is definitely the culture in STA, NCS, Sidwell. Not something schools should aspire to imitate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would not agree with your conclusion.

Well then we will agree to disagree. I know many, many boys that are asked to repeat 8th grade and come in at 9th, so it looks better, in all the schools. It's being done all over.

You should ask some of the coaches of highly regarded middle school leagues. They will tell you who does not do it. I would say that Sidwell does not do it but coaches don't feed to Sidwell which leaves parent doing the recruiting - and you see how well that went.

It's easy - go to a showcase and see all the men with clipboards and IAC/MAC sweatshirts.

Redshirting before starting HS is not what is being discussed. It is Bullis taking kids who have already started HS and transferring as a Junior or Senior. Bullis is the only school proactively doing this which what posters are discussing.

So, to you it is normal for a parent to think my 11 yo is really great at sports - i am going to hold him back in case he is going to be recruited.

But you don't think it is normal for a kid that is getting looks from colleges for a parent to say when he is 15-16, holy crap, this is confusing, I better go to a school that knows how to handle this.

Still, I am going to have agree to disagree that this is a less healthy way to deal with an athletic kid.

First of all, we are not talking about 11 year old. If you are talking about 8th graders who are probably 14 years old. It will be pretty clear if they have the talent to be recruited. They would be playing on club and outside teams and know the direction they are going in. It is very common for Hockey players recruited for college to play a couple of years of junior league hockey before attending college.

Second, where has anybody said that Bullis knows how to handle recruiting. Most recruiting is done through club teams except for Football. Depending on the sport, yes a coach can help faciltiate but in basketball and lacrosse, the club coaches have just as much influence. The lacrosse player that went to Bullis for the senior year had already committed to a team. So how did Bullis have anything to do with that?

The recruiting of juniors and seniors to Bullis for athletics seem more to do with Bullis trying to look like they have great teams to get kids to come to Bullis or get publicity for their athletic program.

You can continue to believe it is altruistic on the part of the school but if you understood anything about HS sports you would understand why so many of us are calling the school out on it.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it is "so many" of you.

An 11 year old is in 6th grade, the #1 grade that Mater Dei admits kids and has them repeat a grade - why for sports. I am not saying it is is wrong, I am just stating a fact. I don't know many Mater Dei kids that go to Bullis.

Most 8th graderes are 14 but their coaches start talking to schools when they are in 7th grade, that is 13 years old. They are told when they are 14th if they were not on the hold back in 6th grade schedule they will need to repeat 8th grade. Even some public school sports stars do this, but they have to go to private school for a year to do this because Montgomery County doesn't need that on their permenant record.

Yes. The $2000/year paying parents have their kids on club teams but there are some parents who don't realize the extent of their kids talents or can't afford to do club teams (just read why DC United is so successful - low fees). If you start club teams when you are in middle school and pay $2000/year until they are recruited when they are 16, that is $10,000, and that does not include travel cost. I hope they do some recruiting. But in reality they just go to showcases and don't personally know the athletic directors at colleges.

Though MadLax does a lot of college recruiting for this area if you look at their alumni most still go to private schools. (Seems as though they have a hook at Deleware, Dickinson, Gettysburg and Middlebury. All great schools.)

I don't know any hockey players from this area that have not gone to JR League.

Baseball players often play for clubs for years and are never recruited but the area private schools feed kids to colleges more then clubs.

Who do you think know that football staff at Stanford - Gonzaga. There is no quesiton about it they know them better than anybody else in the area. Again, I am not saying it is wrong, it is just a fact. Stanford coaches visit Gonzaga. Each school has their own connections.

You don't really seem to know the sports culture at area school you are just pissed at Bullis. Too bad. I think all the area schools are amazing and they do a great job with the kids.

BTW Bullis raised $60K last weekend for KEEN, TLC, Diener School, SAFE and Habitat. They had students attend a UN Conference and their middle school had an amazing musical.

[Anonymous]

To the PP - thats great. They have an apathetic alumni base and if you go on WIKI - their most famous alums are mostly college athletes. They get who they get....

Its for very wealthy Potomac kids who want to pay for a less than public school experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is "so many" of you.

An 11 year old is in 6th grade, the #1 grade that Mater Dei admits kids and has them repeat a grade - why for sports. I am not saying it is is wrong, I am just stating a fact. I don't know many Mater Dei kids that go to Bullis.

Most 8th graderes are 14 but their coaches start talking to schools when they are in 7th grade, that is 13 years old. They are told when they are 14th if they were not on the hold back in 6th grade schedule they will need to repeat 8th grade. Even some public school sports stars do this, but they have to go to private school for a year to do this because Montgomery County doesn't need that on their permenant record.

Yes. The $2000/year paying parents have their kids on club teams but there are some parents who don't realize the extent of their kids talents or can't afford to do club teams (just read why DC United is so successful - low fees). If you start club teams when you are in middle school and pay $2000/year until they are recruited when they are 16, that is $10,000, and that does not include travel cost. I hope they do some recruiting. But in reality they just go to showcases and don't personally know the athletic directors at colleges.

Though MadLax does a lot of college recruiting for this area if you look at their alumni most still go to private schools. (Seems as though they have a hook at Deleware, Dickinson, Gettysburg and Middlebury. All great schools.)

I don't know any hockey players from this area that have not gone to JR League.

Baseball players often play for clubs for years and are never recruited but the area private schools feed kids to colleges more then clubs.

Who do you think know that football staff at Stanford - Gonzaga. There is no quesiton about it they know them better than anybody else in the area. Again, I am not saying it is wrong, it is just a fact. Stanford coaches visit Gonzaga. Each school has their own connections.

You don't really seem to know the sports culture at area school you are just pissed at Bullis. Too bad. I think all the area schools are amazing and they do a great job with the kids.

BTW Bullis raised $60K last weekend for KEEN, TLC, Diener School, SAFE and Habitat. They had students attend a UN Conference and their middle school had an amazing musical.

Hoover Middle School is putting on the Pirates of Penzance and the parents did not have to spend $33,000 for their kids to participate.

[Anonymous]

How much are those houses in the Hoover district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP - thats great. They have an apathetic alumni base and if you go on WIKI - their most famous alums are mostly college athletes. They get who they get....

Its for very wealthy Potomac kids who want to pay for a less than public school experience.

Very cool, Henry Rollins, John Phillips and an Olympic kayaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
They care about $$$$ and finding it anywhere they can.


Yeah, they sure are building a lot of patio's over there too. What's next?

This exchange was from a few days ago (and a bit off topic), but Bullis is building the patio in memory of a Bullis student who passed away this winter.