Here’s my colleague Nancy Haggerty on Kennedy finalizing its expected move from Section 1 to the CHSAA:
Kennedy Catholic High School has made official its long-considered, long-debated move, telling Section 1 in a letter dated last week that, beginning next fall its teams will play in the Catholic High School Athletic Association.
The move was first championed last fall by Kennedy’s director, FatherMark Vaillancourt, as a means to bolster enrollment at the 556-student school.
Criticism followed, centered both on increased travel to games and the impact on the Somers school’s girls sports program.
The CHSAA’s local region this year includes nine schools in Manhattan, eight in the Bronx, five on Staten Island and five in mid-to-lower Westchester.
While Kennedy had earlier said girls lacrosse and field hockey would play independently because the CHSAA does not offer those sports, the March 13 letter to Section 1, which Vaillancourt and athletic director Father Matthew Newcomb signed, states only that the Gaels are leaving to play in the CHSAA.
Reached Monday, Kennedy spokesperson Alexander Malecki declined to comment on the switch.
The letter follows a recent ultimatum from Section 1 for Kennedy to notify it of its plans.
Section 1 director Jen Simmons indicated Monday that Kennedy’s withdrawal from the largely public-school athletic organization it had played had come as no surprise.
“Their coaches were telling everyone they were gone,” Simmons said. “We wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt in notifying us.”
Simmons said fall schedules would have to be adjusted with schools finding non-league opponents to fill in Kennedy’s scheduled slots.
But the move has no impact on winter scheduling because, with things up in the air regarding Kennedy, no scheduling had been done in its conference.
Although the CHSAA officially bans athletic recruiting, Vaillancourt had argued leaving Section 1 would allow the school to specifically recruit athletes. He pointed to better competition, while at the same time criticizing Section 1 for scheduling the school’s successful baseball and boys basketball teams play AA, large-school opponents.
Some parents, though, have argued the move would not benefit girls sports, with concern being raised in part over the condition of CHSAA facilities.
Section 1 mandates that schools have all or none of its teams in the section, making the exception, in some cases, for teams to play independently.
Kennedy has been in Section 1 for more than 35 years. Simmons said the school could apply for reinstatement but would have to be approved by both its conference and the section.
“I think we provided a great opportunity for them to compete and with some pretty strong competition,” she said. “They apparently felt it was in the best interest of their school community to leave and so we wish them well.”
96 Comments
Arlington Dad
No different than a hs coach going to a junior high school in his district and seeing a big 8th grade kid walking around the halls and asking him if he is interested in playing football.
I am sure there are Catholic grammer school kids at these camps that are interested in playing hs football. Should they be left out in the cold.
Very few families are willing to pay $7K(in addition to their school taxes) to send their kids to hs. So in reality schools like Lourdes are at a huge disadvantage, even playing in the own classification.
Now, if they did offer aid for kids that played sports. Then, yes they should move up, even to AA. But be thankful that Lourdes doesn’t offer financial aid, because if they did kids would leave local schools in droves because of the education they offer.
Great, now CHSAA has another school in their program. Maybe they could form their own blog? No one is going to Kennedy!!! The juice is not worth the squeeze, or not for another 5 years
It does smell like Howie Green…
FBI Bulletin: missing-section one football committee… If anyone sees or hears anything about their whereabouts they need to immediately contact the nearest AD.
Thiago plays at Impact in Las Vegas, with numerous D2 and some D1 offers. He has taken full advantage of a system that rewards his hard work and perseverence.
Kennedy (I do not know about Lourdes) can and does reduce tuition for athletes/scholars. Stepinac and Iona can also offer half off tuition for athletes and call it an academic grant.
So the sticker price is not the true bottom line, but if you are paying public school tax even half off the Catholic tuition is a lot for most families.
Kennedy got in trouble when the baseball coach started his summer youth travel team and lured some of the better baseball players to enroll at Kennedy. Kennedy was in Class B and this practice was viewed as outrageous by other Class B baseball teams. There was a justified outcry to move the baseball team up and it was heard. Kennedy belongs in AA even with a coed enrollment of 500. You only need about 12 excellent baseball players so with 250 males and a summer recruitment aau feeder program in place, that is never a problem.
Glad they were moved up to AA and then decided to get out. Travel is another red herring. Half your schedule is home and Stepinac, Iona, Mount, ,Salesian , Sacred Heart , Spellman, Fordham are 40 minutes or less away for road games.
West Belfast,
How can you compare a HS coach taking to a player in his own District’s middle school? That makes no sense!
I know for a fact that a Lourdes coach spoke to my nephew and other players who play in Millbrook at the UConn camp. That’s not recruiting??
Lourdes has a disadvantage?? Are you still celebrating St. Patricks Day??
How many different Districts were represented on their football roster?? Why does the girls hoops team play AA? Because parents can’t pay tuition?? They already recruit, so they should be in Class A minimum, probably AA.
A little bird told me that the incoming frosh. Class is up over 170… I think that is a little higher than normal.
Arlington Dad,
No, I don’t think that is recruiting at all. If kids are at a UCONN camp and they talk to a local HS coach…how is that “recruiting”? If the coach says “come to Lourdes and I’ll give you a free or greatly reduced tuition just because you can play ball, regardless of if you are in need of financial aid” that would be some form of recruiting. But simply talking to kids is not “recruiting”.
Why is it ok for a local public school coach to talk to middle school players, but not ok for a local private school coach? If the private school is “recruiting” the kids by offering free rides left and right regardless of families financial situation I would agree that is recruiting – but NO ONE has alleged that happened with Lourdes. I don’t know about Kennedy. Middle school kids aren’t the property of their local public HS – families have a choice of where they send their kids. I can’t see the problem with middle schoolers exploring their options and choosing the best option for them.
I’ll list for you a number of local HS standouts who “moved” and “transferred” – Sean Kilpatrick, Ralph Watts, Randy Stephens, DeMello – in the last few years. How many of those kids do you think switched schools without at least speaking to the coach at their new school? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with it at all, but your perspective is so incredibly naive and hypocritical when it comes to what public schools can and do.
Swindlers and Cheats
The only problem is you won’t be playing mount or Stepinac or Iona or Fordham…try Mc Clancy, Xavier, bishop ford ,Regis, and few Staten Island schools..
Update…glad Thiago is doing well. I guess he took “full advantage” of the system. A system that is broken when students are allowed to transfer under false pretenses, just because they are good at an activity. I agree it happens in both the public and privates, but it does not mean it’s right.
Hoops fan that list is generous. You could name a lot more players who moved districts. People in the public schools don’t realize how often it happens and if they admitted that it happens they have no finger to point at instead of just accepting that they are just as much at fault. If not even more than private schools Lets not even talk about the numerous kids that leave the pok district and go elsewhere bc parents don’t want them in the district. Just stop complaining.
Tigers,
I agree with you. Some public schools recruit more than catholic schools. Not saying names, don’t know how they get around the rules, but it’s happening. I’m sure someone can list the top-5 culprits. There’s at least one team in every classification.
football bum,
I completely agree. Public schools actually have a big advantage when it comes to “recruiting” because kids transferring into a public school can play right away. Kids transferring into a catholic school have to sit out a full year.
Former Kennedy Parent
What happened ?Oh I know, Thiago took your sons playing time .Welcome to the real sports world my Friend. It’s called best players play.
Arlington Dad,
I will stick to my earlier statement, Lourdes does not and has never given financial aid to any kid for sports. If money is not involved how can it be recuiting?????
If you know different, name some names.
This is what happen when kids/coaches work hard and success, people accuse them of cheating.
By the way, Lourdes has 7 or 8 kids going on to play college football next year, 2 at the D1 level. In addition, 2 kids from the football team are going to West Point.
Those are the reasons kids are choosing to go to Lourdes, not a coach talking to them at some camp in a different state.
Hoops fan March 20th, 2013 at 8:55 am
football bum,
I completely agree. Public schools actually have a big advantage when it comes to “recruiting” because kids transferring into a public school can play right away. Kids transferring into a catholic school have to sit out a full year.
HOOPS.. THATS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE!!... ALL IM GOING TO SAY!!.. THERE ARE WAYS AROUND THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL RULES!!.......
Public schools have and advantage? The process if correctly done requires a proof of residency, guardianship, and release from the previously attended school to go from one public to another. The transfer goes before the section committee for final approval. The privates do not have this process.
@Prince – since Hoops is blogging with Public school fans, does that mean Hoops needs to sit out a year? LMBO
Bballers. Kids transferring into a private school have much stricter guidelines. Not sure where you got that info from. If they play in the public school league they follow same guidelines as public. Let me ask you this if you have a kid that lives in wappingers full time with his mother but also has a grandmother that lives in spackenkill district and he wants to play for spackenkill should he be allowed to use his grandmothers address for residency even though he does not live with his grandmother?
bballers,
Can you remember the last time a public school transfer had to sit out a year after transferring? I can’t. All the transfers I can remember were immediately eligible.
PPR,
You are right about one thing. There is apparently a rule in the CHSFL that a kid can transfer into a catholic school after freshman year without sitting out a year if they didn’t play ball the year before or didn’t play on the varsity. I’m not exactly sure of the details. But it is clear that a soph or junior can’t transfer into a catholic school and play right away and a kid can’t be on the varsity at one school, then the next year be on the varsity at a catholic school the next
Kids can transfer to Kennedy this year and not have to sit out. They are getting a one year exemption front the transfer rule. Strange but true.
Natheson for Harrison, transfered his Senior year from Harvey and played for Harrison the same year. I think he sat out 1 game
I just dont see IMO people rushing over to play at Kennedy just yet. I think the school needs to marinate (mangia mangia) first and gain character/identity till kids start coming in to the school
Do Section 1 officials ever investigate public-to-public transfers? I know teams in other parts of NY have lost their season because of illegal recruiting/transfers. I’m under the impression that some public schools in Section 1 recruit areas where the educational system is weak. I don’t know this for a fact, but I hear things. Do the powers-that-be… hear things?
@KC Ken – - Section 1 is the best when it comes to recruiting. When a player goes from school to school, everyone and I mean everyone’s red flags go up and everyone including the Board is all over it. What we need to inquire are the other Sections. IMO they do not police this at all. Why is Burnt Hills killing everyone in Section 2? Because all the Top players want and are playing for Burnt Hills IMO
Rotten,
You might be right about Burnt Hills, but seriously, it’s not policed in Section 1. It’s been going on for years and no one has ever been caught??? Mt. Vernon and Yonkers Pop Warner teams are being pillaged by privates and publics!!!
@KC Ken – your right about that, and I would point the finger at Catholic schools more then public IMO. You mention MV and Yonkers pop warner kids. IMO you would have Catholic schools cherry picking more then public. Its rare to hear a kid from Yonkers is playing for Rye for football. IMO this happens more with basketball. A Port Chester team in the late 90’s had a transfer from Pelham and CT. That team was loaded with talent and went pretty far threw the season.
Josh my last post is under moderation, I do not know why
RT… I passed it through. I think you’re wrong about Catholic schools though. Student-athletes can legally attend Catholic schools. It doesn’t matter where they live. That is not the case with public schools, which was KC Ken’s point.
@Josh – - I totally understand that. I was saying that you would have more Catholic school coaches at the MV or Yonkers pop warner games then Dino Garr.
@KC ken mentioned that no one polices public to public school transfers. I stated that if anyone goes from public to public everyone would be investigating this student / red flags would be flying everywhere. A couple of years ago bloggers especially Chief Wild Eagle claimed Artie Troilo had a secret apartment in downtown Harrison for his transfers/ Denti from Blind Brook. I thought it was a funny comment by Chief , but everyone knows about the transfers in Public to Public. Catholic schools get away with it alot more IMO
I believe the Douglas kid went from RCK to New Ro with no issues. He was a high profile section 1 lineman, no?
Awareness,Douglas ‘’suddenly moved in with a relative” while the family still maintains a Wappingers address. Goes on all the time, having an Aunt or a Grandma in a different town and moving…
RT,
Name me all the transfers you can think of in the last 5-6 years of kids from public HS’s into catholic schools? I can think of a handful. We all can name a lot more public school kids transferring into other public schools. Regardless of it is “investigated” or not, I can’t remember the last time a kid tried to transfer from a public school to another public school and was not allowed to play.
@Hoops – - so you agree? More recruiting is done by Catholic schools then Public?
Im happy you joined in the conversation because you know everything. Lets see the names and format of recruiting between Public and Catholic schools. Dont cheat!
Hoops you could name a handful over the past 5 years of students going from public to public. I could name your whole football, basketball, baseball teams. They all were recruited last year
should stepinac be in trouble with this rule because they had a transfer from peekskill who played football there and played football here !!!???
I have no problem with kids going to Iona, step, etc. My issue is when a top kid from Yonkers suddenly appears at a public school with “active coaches.” Most Razorbacks don’t end up in Mt. Vernon HS. Affluent areas, such as Rye, Scarsdale, or Dobbs Ferry will never get preferred transfers. Again, i dont want to name programs, but It’s absolute B.S. that nothing is done about it.
peekskill fan,
Which kid transferred from Peekskill?
RT,
If your comment that Stepinac’s entire sports teams are recruited then you’re just being intelligent. That obviously isn’t even close to being true.
Its either incredibly unintelligent or incredibly naive for a Harrison football fan to be talking about any other school at this point. Would you care to explain how Pyne ended up at Harrison? Come on man, don’t be a joke.
@hoops fan
chris jordan he couldve been really special if he stayed at peekskill i dont know if stepinac recruited him or he just decided to leave but i do know he did play for them last yr !!!
@Hoops – Pyne lives in Harrison
I lived on Kenilworth Road along the Hutchinson River Parkway. My postal address was Rye, NY. I attended Harrison and so did all of my brothers. A more clear idea, i live close to Holy Child. But Rye was so far away and Harrison was right around the corner. I couldve gone to Rye
@Hoops – – is there anyone on Stepinac’s Football or basketball from White Plains?
RT,
Yes, there are plenty of kids on Stepinac’s football and basketball teams that live in White Plains. Stepinac’s best basketball player Josh Josh is from Greenburgh (which is part of WP). However, obviously, Stepinac has never been only about kids from White Plains. Any private school or catholic school is made up of kids from the surrounding area – not just the town they’re located in. Its been that way at Stepinac since the day the doors opened. Stepinac’s student body probably has more kids from Yonkers than from White Plains – and the sports teams usually closely reflect the student body as a whole.
As far as the Harrison freshman Pyne. Its been discussed on these blogs many times. I believe he went to Rye MS, moved to Florida for a season and reclassified, then when he came back to NY the family looked at the local options. Its been discussed many times the family looked at Iona and Rye – but both Iona and Rye happened to have starting QBs of the future in Pyne’s class. So his family chose Harrison where he could start for 3 years at QB. I have no problem whatsoever with Pyne’s family making a choice they felt was best for their son. The key word here being CHOICE. In your mind, why is it ok for a well-to-do family with financial means be able to make whatever choice they feel like for their kid? But it seems if a middle class or working class family decides to make the CHOICE to send their son to Stepinac or Iona you have a problem with it. Choices in life aren’t just for the kids of rich folks like you.
The district lines of public schools don’t sit EXACTLY on the town/city lines. I think most of you know that, but in case some of you don’t, that’s the truth.
You could have a postal address of Rye, but go to Harrison if your Rye home is in Harrison’s district coverage, or are located along the border of Rye and Harrison’s district map lines.
I’ve seen it first hand how students living along such lines were given a “choice” if you will. Like you could live in Valhalla, NY along stevens ave or on the backside of westlake drive near the kensico dam and kensico lake and yet be a student at Westlake High school. You live in valhalla, clearly right down the road from valhalla hs, yet go to the school that is perhaps a little bit farther of a drive from your front door. Same situation in schools throughout mid westchester. This doesn’t even cover the multiple high schools in the SAME district (clarkstown ring a bell?)
I’ve seen the district maps, and where they lie, so while yes most often than not you don’t have a choice of schools-living in a town/city and having THAT one school as a choice-some people do have a choice depending on that home location.
The private/catholics cover students from all over (stepinac has kids from putnam county all the way south into the bronx). There are no maps/districts for them since they are not public, so they can take in whoever as long as whoever is paying the tuition. JFK is the same thing. So it’s not “recruiting” much less just having to sell and showcase the school to get kids to enroll and show up to the school, just like a college would operate.