Can someone explain these private schools like IMG

[ManigoEra]

I guess I don't get it. It's like they're a private high school for athletes. My questions are

1.What league are they in?

2. Do they just play a bunch of random teams and that's it?

3. Do they complete for state/national titles?

4. Img costs 72 grand per year. What parent has that type of money?

5. If I'm a kid and good at football, why would I want to go to a school like IMG over a free public school? If I'm good I'll still get recruited?. Example jadeveon clowney. Why didn't he go to IMG or a like school?

[Deputy]

It is sort of like one of those travel baseball teams in a way. It's a showcase of good players in one place. Am sure they construct the academics to make sure that everyone gets past the clearing house. As far as the cost? It is pretty high, and true that few could afford that. Surely they have a way of getting around that. I can easily see shoe companies being neck deep in these things. But it must work. I notice they are cranking up one just like it in Alabama and just hired Propst as coach. Big dollars being spent. So the money is there in some way.

[AHS14]

I guess I don't get it. It's like they're a private high school for athletes. My questions are

1.What league are they in?

2. Do they just play a bunch of random teams and that's it?

3. Do they complete for state/national titles?

4. Img costs 72 grand per year. What parent has that type of money?

5. If I'm a kid and good at football, why would I want to go to a school like IMG over a free public school? If I'm good I'll still get recruited?. Example jadeveon clowney. Why didn't he go to IMG or a like school?

1. IMG is independent - they are not a part of Florida's high school league and do not compete for a state championship.
2. Yes. They generally play about 8 games, mostly big time out-of-state teams.
3. No to state titles, but most websites that rank high schools and award "national championships" include them in the rankings, like any other high school.
4. They give scholarships.
5. The general sales pitch that these schools use is having "connections" to big time coaches and teams. These schools also spend significantly more time training and practicing and far less time going to actual class compared to a regular school. That is also part of the pitch. When Jadeveon came along, these type of schools were still in their infancy. I'm sure if he were to have come through the school system today someone from IMG would be in his and his parents' ear.

These kind of schools have been doing this in basketball for years now, but it it trickling into football now, AND it's happening here in our backyard. Gray, Legion, and Oceanside operate very similarly. However, they are public charter schools, members of the SCHSL and CAN compete for state championships. It's almost inevitable that one will open up in the GSP area at some point. The SCHSL sits by idly, while these schools come into your backyard, poach your kids, and then hoist a trophy up at the end of the season.

[SF Band dad]

….. The SCHSL sits by idly, while these schools come into your backyard, poach your kids, and then hoist a trophy up at the end of the season.

97% of the member schools in SCHSL are normal public schools, they could put a stop to it at any time.

[ManigoEra]

Ok, so it's basically like a shrine bowl roster but they make it into a high school. Then they find schools to play. I guess you'll get recruited more?

[AHS14]

….. The SCHSL sits by idly, while these schools come into your backyard, poach your kids, and then hoist a trophy up at the end of the season.

97% of the member schools in SCHSL are normal public schools, they could put a stop to it at any time.

There's plenty of ADs who have complained. This is the same issue with private schools too, who win a majority of state titles when including every sport that the league sanctions. Almost every other state with private/charter schools has a multiplier or something similar to try make things more balanced, SC does not. I guess the solution if it gets bad in football (which is when people will really start to notice) is to start a campaign for mass secession from the SCHSL. Larry Campbell, who coached at Lincoln County in Georgia, kept losing to Savannah Christian every year and got the wheels moving on a split from their league and got several other schools on board, before the Georgia High School League relented and decided to split 1A into public and private. It is small 2A and 1A schools that are really getting hurt by this, as we are the ones that have to play these type schools.

Sorry if this a lot of word soup, this private/charter thing is just something that really irks me. Feel free to agree or disagree!

[Onion Rings]

South Carolina High School league is basically a do nothing organization. These schools open, then petition to get into the league, and they approve it. If they would adopt a multiplier for these schools it would at least even the playing field a little. (by multiplier I mean they should have to play up another classification or two from what their enrollment is).

Legion will compete in 2A next year and be eligible for playoffs as well. With the coaches they have (Wallace, Carroll, Herron) I assure you they will be contenders. Think they have 60 something players as well, which not many 2A's have I don't think.

It's another case (like realignment, regions, playoffs, classifications) where the High School League should deal with football in a different way than other sports, but they simply will not do it. They will not ruffle that many feathers

To be clear, I am not against the existence of these schools, just would like to see a little more even playing field

[Damefan]

Here is a link explaining what the program outlines from a former student. Currently IMG is banned from California and cost over $72,000 to attend unless you are on scholarship.

https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/st ... eview/3156

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge ... 07f04.html

[Icoachfootball2]

It's going to take a big move by the PUBLIC high schools in SC to threaten to leave the SCHSL, and maybe actually do so, to get them to understand. The worst part is, Jerome Singleton was once a man of high character who really cared about high school sports being played on a level playing field. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, and that's sad. He was my JV football coach in high school and was one of the best coaches I ever played for.

[bigdog2003]

I hate when I watch high school sports on TV and they talk about these schools like they are actual high schools. I was watching the HoopHall Classic the other day and they were going on and on about how Montverde Academy was possibly the best high school team in history. Then they showed where all the kids are from. If all of your players are from around the country, you aren't a high school and shouldn't be allowed to compete as one.