Reply to Pay-to-Play Sport at Private HS employing club coach

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]I don't agree with the idea of pay-to-play, but it also seems short-sighted to pillory one coach. The problem is broader than one coach or one school (or even one sport).[/b] After watching my son and his teammates for years, I firmly believe that the concerns highlighted by this thread are systemic. I also believe many families ignore that they contribute greatly to the culture they lament. Parents complain that youth players are treated as commodities, but those same parents treat teams and schools as commodities.

From a very young age, families see teams (and schools) merely as way to "showcase" their individual player. (Notice they are seldom referred to as "students" or "kids", they are "players" first and foremost.) As a result, youth and high school baseball has become less and less of a youth, team sport and more as a business proposition from all sides. Schools, travel teams, and families are all caught is a vicious cycle. Parents of top players complain loudly, but the most egregious victims of the current system are education, team dynamics, and talented players who care about more than D-1 college scholarships.[/quote]

There is your every day pay to play in club sports - you get on the team, you write your check, and you play in whatever leagues/showcases your team is in.  It works out great for a lot of kids.  If the parents have the dollars and want to spend their time and money that way, fine.

The problem with SJC Baseball and Soccer is that the coaches have placed themselves at the intersection of two different systems, and demanded payment from students to be allowed to play on their high school team.  They are extorting access and playing time on their high school teams, and the price is very high:

- The actual dollar cost of paying for their travel programs, which are for profit enterprises
- The opportunity cost of not being allowed to play in other programs in the offseason
- The loss of what should be a relationship with a character-building role model of a HS coach who is modeling Catholic values
- The loss of team spirit and camaraderie and the entire HS team experience in favor a players who are favored and unfavored by coach - these teams have no team spirit

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