The high school football playoffs in California will take place this coming weekend. After decades of having no definitive state champion, the governing body in California, the #CIF, finally adopted a championship structure to put to rest any argument as to which school had the best team. And that championships have gotten increasingly popular since they began seven years ago. There are five different divisions that have state championship games and in the past three years, Northern California teams have won eight of those games and Southern California teams have won seven. That parity, after some early dominance by the south, is part of what has piqued the interest of high school football fans.
If you are at all interested in high school football, however, there is something worth noting. High school football–though exciting, fun, full of spirit and community pride–is pretty much college football these days, at least in California. What that means is, with the enrollment policies of most school districts in California, high school teams are not always comprised simply of the kids that live a mile or two from the campus.
Some states have, by comparison, different sports divisions for private and public schools. Those states, recognizing that private schools have a bit of an advantage by being able to accept any student from virtually anywhere whereas public schools get whoever lives in the area, level the playing field by making private schools compete for championships against one another so public schools have a fair chance to win their own title. California doesn't need to do this. Surely there have been plenty of private schools to succeed in state championships in California, but with enrollment policies being what they are, public schools are not at a disadvantage.
Many school districts in the state have an open enrollment policy–or what they sometimes pleasantly call a 'school choice' program. In other words, if you don't like the school down the street, you can go to another school in the district. It opens up improved educational opportunities for those students who want them, is the idea behind the policy. The problem with the policy, however, is it's nearly never used for students in elementary or middle school. Most of the students who "choose" a different school, do so at the high school level. Further, while I've known hundreds of kids over the years to opt for a choice other than their neighborhood high school, I've never known of one who didn't play sports. Certainly it's possible there are some normal students making a choice to go elsewhere, but those students are grossly outnumbered by athletes seeking better opportunities. And if you're talking about a charter school, it's even easier. A kid from San Diego or Crescent City could, for instance, go to #Sacramento High, a local charter school. Any kid anywhere can go to the charter of his or her choice. Period. That simple.
In fact, the high school in the neighboring community, #Folsom High, is a popular choice for kids in our community. And kids from adjoining communities often migrate to Folsom, as well. The #Folsom Bulldogs are one of the best football teams in the state right now and the lure of that success is hard to resist for some kids. And the process is easy. A kid in our community can just sign up to go to Folsom High while in middle school. That's it. He doesn't have to move, doesn't have to pretend to live with his "aunt" in Folsom; he just has to register. And it's a matter of some simple paperwork for kids that live outside the district. I knew a girl once who lived 50 miles from here. Her parents worked at a nearby company and it was just easier for them to drop her at our local high school rather than have her go to the high school in her neighborhood. No problem. The only thing missing these days from high school is a letter of intent.
And that's probably not far away. A middle school basketball coach told me once that coaches from surrounding area schools often come to their games and recruit players to come to those schools. Hmm, that feels slightly creepy, doesn't it? Here's the scene: middle school sports are right after school. As such, not every parent has a chance to come see the games, with work and all. So there he is, a grown adult coach, cozied up with your kid, saying, hey, you should come play for me. It's only a small step from there to, hey, you should come watch gladiator movies at my house. But those are the circumstances these enrollment policies have created. Our school has new construction and brand new turf, a great new weight room and a high API score–these are the types of arguments college recruiters make with high school athletes and yet high school coaches are out there right now making these same arguments with 12-year-olds. Oh, except there's no such thing as recruiting in high school, wink, wink, nudge, nudge!
So the next time you have occasion to go to a high school sporting event, enjoy all of the fun and excitement. Have a hot dog, buy a T-shirt, do the wave. Yep, it's fun, for sure. Just be careful about your cheers. Instead of cheering "let's go Sac High," for instance, you might need to cheer, "let's go group of kids dressed in the uniform of my preferred local school!" Isn't it wonderful how high school sports bring a community together? Or in this case, not?
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