DawgTalkers.net Forums Thread Like Summary - Favortism in High School Sports - Personal Story

So, my daughter is entering her freshman year at a Catholic School in Northeast Ohio. She tried out for the volleyball team this week and didn't make it. Problem is, My daughter has been a prominent player on her k-8 school's team over the last few years. They won 4 in-season tournaments during this span, and took home the whole enchilada this past fall, winning the league championship. -- To which she played a prominent role on the team.
My daughter also plays club volleyball -- while there are about 10 teams for her age group at the club level, she made a prestigious national team, and has been on it for 3 years. Again, to which she has played a prominent role.

So, we get the results of who made the freshman team a couple days ago. Two of the players that made it play at the same club as my daughter, but are clearly not as good as her, and this is evidenced by them playing on regional teams. -- Not national.

One of the kids who made the team has wealthy parents and a relative that has given over 25,000 in donations per the school website. The other kid has a helicopter mom who is in constant contact with the coaches.


To make matters worse, there are two other kids that play on my daughters national club team. -- They both made the JV squad.

I emailed the ad and the coaches and they gave me a fluff excuse about how she should join a club and work on a few skills. -- When I replied that not only has she played club for years, she also plays on one of the national teams. I didn't bring up the fact that two of the kids who made the team are on remedial regional teams.

The ad replied that the results were final, better luck next year. Part of me wants to start contacting people on the board and at diocesan headquarters and demand an investigation. However, this is my kids first year at the school and obviously, I don't want to ruffle too many feathers.

Today, my daughter received several text messages from her friends, asking which team she made- as they assumed she made freshman and though highly enough about her that they figured she may have made the JV team. When she told them that she didn't make a team at all, they were stunned. Noting that it didn't make any sense.

I've talked to a couple of my friends who went to Diocesan schools and they said "welcome to the club" this is how it works in Catholic schools, all politics".

My reason for this rant: Can somebody relate here? Can somebody talk me off this imaginary ledge before I send a few emails and make a few phone calls that I might regret?

Thank You friends.

Again guys, Thank you again for the replies and advice. I was going to write a draft email yesterday then re-read and possibly send today. - This one wasn’t going to be nice and was going to include the contact info from her previous club coaches (all of whom coach varsity teams). I was going to raise discrimination as the only reason why she wasn’t placed on the team. - Discrimination because she doesn’t have family alumni and discrimination because we haven’t made any donations yet. - A couple lower caliber players that made the team have these attributes on their sides.
However, I came home and my wife and kid essentially begged me not
To do it. They noted that it wasn’t my decision, my high school experience, etc. I told my wife that we can’t let the kid get treated differently at this stage because it could carry over to the academic side of things. - Should that happen, should my kid start receiving what we feel are unfair grades, and experience more exclusion from school teams/clubs. Then yes, we’ll let the administrators know our feelings and at that point, will switch schools.
For right now, I want to demand an investigation, but my wife and daughter really, really, really, don’t want me to. - And they’re right, it isn’t my choice at this point.

On the flip side, the soccer coach has been incredible. We met the guy three days ago and he’s already given my kid his cell number and has been encouraging her to follow her passion and to join the soccer team only if she really wants to. - Everything you’d want in a coach. It’s the kid’s decision but I’m hoping that she’s up tomorrow and wanting to go to soccer practice.

My advice is this:


1. It's not how things start. It's how they end. If your daughter has the talent, it will work out. Didn't Michael Jordon get cut from his basketball team at one point? If she is new to the school, those things happen. Coaches go with what they know. Next year they will know her.

2. The further along the athletic path, or any path for that matter, you have less and less control over what happens and as a parent you can't fight her fight. I think most parents face something like this in one way or the other. In the end, as hard as it seems now, not making the 9th grade volleyball team is small beans. Refer back to point 1.

That just sucks. I don't know the full situation, but I'd have a hard time letting that go. I'd demand an explanation as to why students that didn't achieve what your daughter has can make the team ahead of her. The AD answers to somebody, go to them. It sounds like you have connections in the vb scene, I'd be name dropping big time. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Having a reputation as a loudmouth who can't be pushed around isn't always a bad thing....especially if you're right and the truth is on your side. I feel bad for your daughter, those 4 hs years are short and fly by. I remember watching my son's first varsity football start, and in the blink of an eye we were standing on the field with him on parents night for his last game as a senior.