<p>Someone may have said this before, but the proof that the original intent was GPA-based only (and that a mistake was made and then covered up) was the statement at the presentation that two students had exactly the same GPA, so they had to make them co-winners.</p>
<p>If there were other criteria, the “judge” could have easily chosen only one of those guys.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s best to forget about it. The same thing happened to me in HS (and I further embarassed myself by standing up and heading for the stage before I realized it wasn’t my name that was called, even though my GPA was higher than the winner; the same excuses were given to me), and others have reported similar things.</p>
<p>I agree with whoever posted before that it sometimes seems like the school has a list of people they think should get the awards and don’t look closely enough to see if a “dark horse” lurks in the wings. I saw that many times at award ceremonies at my kid’s HS.</p>
<p>EMM, you are correct about size for Ivy, they get many kids the same size as major D1 programs because of the quality of the education.</p>
<p>My s’s friend is a preferred walk-on at Rice. He is 5’10, 195, played linebacker in hs. For a year he was a tackling dummy on scout team. But, he has earned a spot on the travelling squad (special teams) and will be going to Rice’s first Bowl appearance in many, many years! Walking on is an option for undersized kids, but you are taking a risk that you will never step on the field in any capacity other than a breathing tackling dummy. My s has opted against that as well.</p>
<p>Ouch, digmedia, that must have been kind of embarrassing. I hope you had some way to cover, like saying, “I just had to get up to congratulate the winner!” :)</p>
<p>No, I was just embarrassed beyond belief. The potential winners (including me) had all gotten together to decide who had the highest GPA. Surprisingly (I was not as well known as these guys), it was me. So the winner was just as shocked as I was. The award was named with the words “the highest grade point average,” but when I questioned the principal about it afterwards, you could tell he was surprised I was even under consideration and (in my opinion) covered up by saying that there were other (unnamed) criteria. </p>
<p>I just told my father about this a few years ago and his reaction was: “You should’ve told me. I’d have gone in an given that principal a piece of mind mind.”</p>
<p>And I said, “that’s the reason I didn’t tell you.”</p>
<p>Good story! Can’t you see if your dad had given the principal a piece of his mind! You might have had your name called out at the pep rally like that person earlier in the thread. Knowing kids, that would be a horrible fate! How quickly can one climb under the bleachers!</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know that I’d call the academic standards for the football team “high,” but they’re high relative to those of traditional football powerhouses.</p>
<p>Now the basketball team? Definitely not subject to high academic standards by any stretch of the imagination.</p>
<p>In any case, I think it’d be great to have a kid like Brandon on the team. :)</p>
<p>For what purpose? If he is not a good enough player, I think that it would be patronizing to keep him on the team just because he is an excellent student.</p>
<p>We all know that college helmet sport athletes at certain schools have low SAT’s, low GPA’s and consume large quantities of alcohol. It is a well known cc fact.</p>
<p>EMM1, for D-3 schools there is not such a distinction all of the time between recruited and unrecruited athletes. My son made the decision to quit his sports after highschool so he could participate in other activities that he like more that you simply cannot do if you are an athlete in those sports. He was D-3 material if anything in the sports, or so we thought. Well, though he never contacted a single coach or athletic director, a large number of his schools’ admissions offices sent his info straight to the athletic departments and coaches, and they jumped right on it. The sports were just listed as activities without alot of fanfare accompanying them, as he was trying to get into the music and performing arts departments. No films, no coaches info , and a “no” checked in the box where they ask if you want to pursue in college. But some adcoms sent his name and info to the coaches, and the calls came in, before and after acceptance. I doubt a school like Duke (but I don’t know much about their football team) would need to recruit that way, but there are schools that have a pipeline going both ways from admissions.</p>
<p>D3 schools are perfect for good hs athlets who want to play sports beyond hs but are undersized for D1. It is very easy to check how your kid would stack up on a roster - All the schools have web sites with rosters listing height and weight.</p>
<p>JHS: Stone Phillips was the Yale quarterback. He seem to have done O.K. </p>
<p>Re: Recruiting — ND QB Brady Quinn actually wasn’t recruited by then coach Ty Willingham. (Ohio State was recruiting him, though) Even though Quinn had spent many summers attending the ND summer camp. Quinn’s best friend, Chinedum Ndukwe, was being recruited & Ndukwe’s dad convinced Willingham to consider Quinn. Four years later Willingham is history & Quinn is a Heisman finalist & a sure bet for top NFL draft spot. Ndukwe is graduating with dual majors of marketing and psychology. Quinn is graduating early with dual degrees in finance and political science.</p>
<p>Our HS gave out subject awards to the “top” student in each area. Top did not just mean marks and was awarded before the final (which was 50% of the year’s grade) was even graded in some cases.</p>
<p>One year D’s teacher was out sick the last two weeks of school, she came to the final day- award day and congratulated D on getting the award in her subject, but D had not gotten that award. She D was awarded in another subject! Very odd.</p>
<p>A bit later the teacher for the award D received told us how close the competition was for the grade she received, with a tie in final marks, they had to look at the 1st term final exam score to break the tie. Hmmmm?? Why would D have gotten this award instead of the one for which she was the clear winner? Who did get the award in the first subject? Aha! Oh, the also brilliant D of a teacher. So, was the D of the teacher deserving overall more than the runner up to my Ds award…the boy who tied with D got runner up, the girl who was clearly second, but D of a teacher, got the award.</p>
<p>If you asked me, over time, I could see where the D of the teacher was a more gifted and dedicated student so perhaps it all was done the right way, but if you go by the facts alone, the boy got shafted out of his moment in the sun!</p>
<p>This school does try to limit the number of awards and my D often got runner up in the category she wished to win, much to her chagrin, but perhaps that was the best fit in the way to spread the wealth amongst the top kids who are all quite talented. I would normally not like the share the wealth system, but I could see it work in this situation, though I am still annoyed when something is that patently off kilter that the teacher is not even informed that administration has chosen to change her awardee!!</p>
<p>SS – I was talking about Stone Phillips’ successor (who has also done OK). I don’t think Phillips ever thought he had to pretend to go to Notre Dame to pick up girls, but he hung out in different sorts of bars.</p>
<p>I’m with you and the massive size. When my s first got moved up to varsity sophomore year he was 175, now he is 215! Now, he is running and doing more reps-less weight to try to lose those football pounds. He wants to get down to around 185. He will look so much better IMO. Right now, “Baby Got Back!” if you know what I mean. (His squat was 550 lbs., no need for that now)</p>
<p>That is a different mindset now, trying to lose weight instead of trying to pack on the pounds! Maybe my food bill will go down a bit. :)</p>
<p>My friend’s son who is your friend’s size is being eyed with possibilities to bulk him up. They don’t expect 17-18 year olds to be optimum size, but the frame is important. I have two boys who are about the same height, but one can easily carry 200 lbs, the other would not look very good at that weight. All bone structure. One of my boys is trying to keep his weight at the lower range now, and finds that it is not that easy when he is not exercising regularly as he did in highschool. He used to be able to drop 20 or gain 20lbs very quickly.</p>