Maize and recruiting
April 15, 2008 @ 10:37 p.m. by Joannaby joanna
I wrote a story for last Friday on how Maize is splitting into two high schools for the 2009-10 school year. It will be Maize High and Maize South High.
What so interested me is that there will be no boundaries. None. Instead the district will rely on its parents to state their preferences for which school they want their children to attend.
When I first spoke about this to Maize athletic director Marc Haught — and now the district AD — the first thought that popped into my head was what about recruiting. Maize really feels that it has a handle on how to deal with this, though. The district will rely on its coaches to build successful programs and also focus on keeping its students that are within its feeder pattern.
It’s kind of like a Northwest High making sure that kids at Wilbur are going to Northwest, not choosing to go elsewhere. Wilbur is Northwest’s feeder school, so those kids live in the Northwest district, so it’s not recruiting. It’s keeping your kids in the system.
I don’t know how this will work, though, at Maize. I think there could be problems with recruiting. At the same time, I know Haught is focused on this issue and has no qualms about squashing anything that resembles recruiting. Frankly, recruiting hurts an entire district.
What are your thoughts? Can this work? Could it possibly work in a bigger district? Fill me in. I know you have opinions.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:02 am
interesting you should use Northwest as an example in this blog, as Weston Schartz, (football) and Travis Stockham (baseball) are notorious recruiters.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:19 am
This happened to Andover a couple years ago right? When they split into Andover and Andover Central.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Kelly, I think you should worry about your son seeing over home plate first.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I think that is how it works at Salina South and Central. They each have their feeder schools and there are some rare exceptions, but typically the High Schools / Coaches know which kids are headed to them. Even Sacred Heart has a pretty good idea which kids they are going to get because the Catholic middle school is their feeder.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
First of all, I don’t know if I should even waste my time on the comment from Kelly Welch, whoever you are. The last name sounds familiar but I would not think it would be coming from a well respected program like Heights. If I am recruiting then I must really stink at it. I have no D-1 players on my team, maybe potentially 1 or 2 in the next few years but not currently and we have not won state. All I know is in 3 years, I have changed the face of my program from being kids with no discipline to kids that are hard working, dedicated team players. I have weeded out kids that hurt ball teams and my staff and I have helped gel a great group of kids together to make a heck of a team. With winning comes negative stuff I know, but like I said, we are good ONLY because we all play well together and not from one or two superstars. I actually have a special bond with the senior class around this area. I was fortunate to coach a team at Wichita Sluggers that was made up of seniors in this area when they were 14years old. That includes Jake Marasco, Curtis Schuler, Brock Vizner, Luke McKown, & Galen Towle from Maize, Matt Applegate, Zach Thrush, & Tyler Grimes from North, Dustin Moses and Austin Barrientos from Bishop Carroll, Jordan Johnson and Isiah Mellington from Campus, Paul Kilgor from El Dorado, & Bret Lentz from Andover. Remember Myrtle Beach guys. Plus, this past summer I coached a whole new group of boys that are all seniors from this area. So I am pretty passionate about the boys I know in the area and the things that go on in their lives. I get hugs from everyone of them when I see them. That does not mean I recruit them or want them on my high school team. In the 3 years at NW I have had 3 kids transfer out and I have had 2 kids transfer in. The 3 that left went to North, Bishop Carroll and Valley Center. The two that came in came from Maize and Clearwater. There are no promises of playing time or scholarships or anything under the table going on in my program. That is why I am responding at all to this because of the stress, the lack of sleep, the loss of time with my family the last few years to put so much in to something to make it right and to now read a comment that is so far from the truth is very disappointing. I just wish some people would think a bit before accusing people of things. There is a lot of hear say or comments that are made everywhere but they does not mean it is truth. It is like beliving everything a kid hears at school. It is no different here, just adults gossiping about other adults just like their kids about kids at school. But thanks for your time and now I really look forward to a baseball game we have tomorrow. Coach Stockam
April 17th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
To Varsity Kansas Blog Host, Joanna: As the wife of Coach Travis Stockam at Northwest (and as a teacher at Maize High School), I am disappointed that you would allow the type of accusations made by Kelly Welch to be posted on your blog…do you not screen the content of the responses? I would hope that you would consider it unacceptable for a blogger to make random, blasphemous, unconfirmed comments directed toward an individual. If your goal is to make this a forum that supports productive, thought-provoking conversation about topics of interest to sports enthusiasts…you are off track if you sustain this type of conversation. Respectfully, Angie Stockam
April 17th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
To “There is no “ham” in Stockam”
welcome to the internet, where people are allowed to post THEIR OWN opinions. does joanna need to put a disclaimer that says that the comments of posters below are not neccesarily reflective of her own thoughts? no. first amendment rights allow her and also YOU to speak your mind and not be censored. and just because you dispute the opinion of ms welch does not prove or disprove it and therefore requrie the post to be removed. please dismount your high horse.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
why does this spam filter hate me? please tone it down so that my posts make it through.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:58 am
To Kelly Welch, reading your post makes me wonder why I have dedicated my life to help other people raise their children in the classroom and on the field. My goal in life is to make a positive impact in our youths lives. To teach them a good work ethic and for them to take responsibiltiy for their actions. In the three years I have been a head coach at NW, I have had to implement rules that are very hard for some of my kids to follow because my rules are more strict than their home rules. I have had to cut kids or let some kids go because I know it is what is best for my program, do you think that is easy? But, in 3 years I have seen a program go from a very selfish all about me team to a team that will do anything to help one another out, on and off the field. So I feel in my heart that my staff and I are going in the right direction. Since I have been here, I have seen 3 kids transfer out and 2 kids transfer in. Transfers happen every year and the main reason is because the parents want the best for their kids plain and simple. When I taught at Maize we would have 200 new kids every year. Do you think it was because of athletics? Parents are going to transfer or move their kid where their kid is going to have the most and the best opportunities. Something like recruiting would not only go against my morals but also against what I am teaching in my classroom, on the field, and to my own daughter. I am sorry but you are barking up the wrong tree here. Respectfully Coach Stockam
April 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
If they recruit, good for them. Makes for much better teams. You have kids that want to play for that coach, and coaches that want to coach that kid. I think it should be opened up. Best coaches get the best kids. Best schools get the best coaches. Kids don’t have any choice under current rules concerning athletics. Unless you have the money to move into another district, or are bused (to the school of your choice), you are stuck with the coaches and programs in your district. It would definately help weed out the bad coaches, and raise the level of athletics and competition for all. Here are your current choices.
1. Have your son/daughter play for the coach in your district.
2. Have enough money to move.
3. Don’t have your son/daughter play.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Please remember a couple of things about this blog. You can pose as anyone you wish on this blog, so we don’t really know if Kelly Welch actually posted the response about Weston Schartz and Travis Stockholm.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Is it recruiting if you are already in the district? How does KSHSAA define it? I remember that fantastic state winning basketball team for Northwest a few years back. If memory serves me, all of the starters were “transfers”…a little suspicious in my mind. Somebody should have looked into that a little closer.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
To Zebra Stripes:
Yes people can post their opinions anywhere they would like. But when your rights infringe on the rights of others, then you have no right to say what you want.
I would say Kelly Welch’s comments border on slander.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Don’t blast Welch, he may actually know what he is talking about. Also, Norhwest baseball is good because of the kids who play, not the coach(s). I’m not so sure Stockham has turned that program around, he has been fortunate to have good ball players the last 2 years.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
“I’m not so sure Stockham has turned that program around, he has been fortunate to have good ball players the last 2 years.”
OK, that’s someone’s opinion, and the person has every right to express it. No problem. That’s the purpose of this type of forum.
“…Travis Stockham are notorious recruiters.”
This is directly accusing a coach of committing a violation of the rules, with no evidence. I read Joanna’s post elsewhere about why she isn’t taking this post down, but I don’t buy those arguments. I don’t see why the Eagle has to give people the right to libel one another by name in a public forum, hiding behind anonymity.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I agree with JoePa. If you coach somewhere, eventually you are going to run into a class with some talent, regardless of coaching abilities. And I firmly believe that is the case with NW this year. Good group of kids with some pretty good talent.
April 19th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Recruiting happens regardless of what school it is. There have been players in North district who have gone to Maize and Heights to play ball. It happens in every sport.
I also agree with JoePa. I believe Northwest is having a good season because of the group of kids they have, not because of the coach(ing) staff.
April 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Athletes at Salina Central and Salina South CONSTANTLY switch schools. It’s ridiculous.
Kid says he’s getting picked on, school board approves the transfer and away they go.
Not sure which ones were “recruited” but they’re switching for sports.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I think those of you that have remarked about recruiting, talent vs. coach, and the right to express any (even slanderous) opinions should all get a life. Do you people not have anything better to do then bring people down? It’s high school athletics!
You’re the kind of people that think “everyone” gets a trophy!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Surely you people have better things to do? Isn’t this high school baseball we’re talking about. For the love of the game, get a life!
April 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Coach and Mrs. Hamm: keep doing what you are doing, and don’t stoop to jackrods like these. Coach, you don’t have to defend yourself or your motives. it sucks that people will take arbitrary shots at someone like you who is willing to help young people, but let US fight your fight. Stay above it. As for your wife, bring her some roses, tell her thanks for the support, and to let us have your back. You are lucky to have her, now let the people that matter defend you all.
Those of you who cry “recruit recruit” typically have NO basis, or have a kid not playing. Tell me a coach that won’t play a good player…. Take a look in the mirror.