3AA Sections

[sportsnut]

I'll be the first to say that Marshall has no business being in Class AA - they are AA because of a silly rule that says "Free and Reduced Lunch" children are not equal to children who don't qualify for that program. Marshall has a very high ethnic minority group of students - but it's very shallow to suggest that students in this group aren't athletes. At many rural schools you've got countless really outstanding athletes who are from poor(er) farm families, but they know what hard work is all about and excel on the volleyball/football/basketball, etc. playing arena.

This is a terrible rule.

How many Somali kids are on the Marshall volleyball team? How many Hmong? Hispanic? I think you already know the answer. None.

How many of those kids are out for any sport that isn't cross country, soccer or track? Again, you already know the answer. None.

Marshall is a fairly large industrial town with a very large ethnic population, and the vast majority of those students are not out for "marquee" sports like volleyball, football and basketball. Most run cross country or play soccer. Why? Because that's what they grew up with.

The bigger issue I have with the fact Marshall is Class AA is the same issue a lot of people have with Windom being Class A. That is, the MSHSL went AGAINST the huge majority of the coaches association and said only X number of schools will be in Class AAA, X number in AA and the rest in Class A. Up until three years ago, the three classes were evenly split. Under that system, Marshall would still be in Class AAA and Windom would probably still be in AA.

[wiz kid]

So it's okay for Marshall to play in AAA against Wayzata and Eden Prairie that have enrollments of 3,500 (5X larger)?

[jaguarssports]

It's pure liberal garbage to create different "classes" of kids - and then create different classes of "sports" - pure liberal garbage. I can't emphasize enough how wrong it is to give different expectations to kids based on their ethnic heritage/background.

[jaguarssports]

The Metro schools got sick of state hardware going to outstate schools (like Marshall, etc.) so they concocted this asinine idea to create different classes of kids. Think long-term for once - let these kids assimilate. Don't create artificial expectations that these kids won't take part of an athletic program. You're selling them short - completely immoral in my opinion.

[UNDSWC]

Getting away from this stupid argument.... (currently hitting head against the wall over this....)

I can't believe we are talking about this when we have a great story developing in Monte... a #6 team with a .500 record running the table, knocking off the 3 top seeds in their section to get to SMSU... that is amazing, and no matter what happens Saturday, they should be very proud. I hope they can give Marshall a game....I still think Marshall will win, but I hope for a good game from Monte, because what they have done is very special...

[gummer]

So it's okay for Marshall to play in AAA against Wayzata and Eden Prairie that have enrollments of 3,500 (5X larger)?

I am all for JCC playing Marshall despite their size. The point I am trying to make is that match should be played in St. Paul not is the sub section.

[d-m-scrant]

I'll be the first to say that Marshall has no business being in Class AA - they are AA because of a silly rule that says "Free and Reduced Lunch" children are not equal to children who don't qualify for that program. Marshall has a very high ethnic minority group of students - but it's very shallow to suggest that students in this group aren't athletes. At many rural schools you've got countless really outstanding athletes who are from poor(er) farm families, but they know what hard work is all about and excel on the volleyball/football/basketball, etc. playing arena.

This is a terrible rule.

So penalize Marshall? They were forced to compete against teams that had 4-5 times the student population. They received the short end of the stick for a long time.

The biggest mistake the MSHSL makes in setting up the tournaments and sections is how they group teams. I hate the "take the biggest X amount of schools and they are Class AAA" logic. Group teams in similar categories.

For Volleyball, Softball, and Baseball (all three class sports), take all of the schools bigger than 1600 kids and those are in Class AAA. All the schools from 600-1599 belong in Class AA. Everyone else is Class A. (Or something to that affect.) Who cares if the classes work out numerically? The NCAA doesn't do this to break up their classes for sports. Why should the MSHSL?

[oldtimer]

You cannot compare the NCAA to high school as far as the level that they compete in. For the most part High Schools do not recruit from across the Nation. When driving through Marshall and looking at that new high school, I myself cannot beleive that they should be in class AA. Wow! And hats off to JCC for beating Marshall once this season. Now that is a team that really acheived something with a much smaller enrollment. Hats off to them.

[facefacts]

You cannot compare the NCAA to high school as far as the level that they compete in. For the most part High Schools do not recruit from across the Nation. When driving through Marshall and looking at that new high school, I myself cannot beleive that they should be in class AA. Wow! And hats off to JCC for beating Marshall once this season. Now that is a team that really acheived something with a much smaller enrollment. Hats off to them.

Every college recruits across the nation - thus making it a level playing field. Schools are grouped based on enrollment numbers, but more importantly, revenue and endowments.

So, because Marshall has a new high school they shouldn't be in Class AA. That makes plenty of sense.

[oldtimer]

What I'm saying is unless Marshall built a school twice the size that they needed they are way bigger than other schools is AA. They should not be in this class, period.