Gaming the system--the high school transfer system has been abused for decades

[TexasTowelie]

Part 1 of 4:

Part 1: Gaming the system Transfer system has been abused for decades, and that won’t end anytime soon
Part 2: No new trick UIL has tried to rein in Texas high school athlete recruiting before
Part 3: No simple solution Conflicts of interest, UIL funding weigh on high school transfer regulation
Part 4: Who can you believe? High school athlete transfer system pits parents’ word against coach’s

When a high school team wins a state championship, it’s not only the players who celebrate. Teams are honored in parades, are congratulated on storefront billboards and are the subjects of city council proclamations. Their achievements are often displayed in the highest-profile space many towns can offer: the water tower.

It’s a victory for the entire community.

But more and more, those state championship teams feature players who have not been part of the community for long. The rampant transferring in all sports, the result of a combination of factors that has led to what some coaches describe as a “free-agent mentality” among athletes, has changed the landscape of high school sports.

At last year’s UIL boys state basketball tournament, the state champions in the largest three classifications (6A, 5A and 4A) each included more than one notable transfer in the starting lineup. The most extreme example was 4A champion Bridgeport, whose four best players transferred to the school before the season. In Bridgeport’s state semifinal win over defending champion Madison, the four transfers scored all 68 of the team’s points.

Read more: http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2015/on-the-move/index.html