Nice Article on Joslyn Tinkle

[mtgrizrule]

As for Tres, next time I see him, maybe this summer at camp, I will find out how tall he is.

As for the xfr ordeal, it is hard to fault any kid for wanting to play for a coach, and program they prefer to play for. The Hays are a great coaching family. If I had to chose one coach for my kid, or an AAU player to play for, I would want, and recommend the program coached by Hays.

I have worked with Jeff a few times, on the court, during GRIZ camps, and hands down, he is the best of the Missoula HS coaches. For me, it is not even close. Also, considering Tres, and all the Tinkle family knows Eric well, I think there would be a little more "comfort" level for them having him play under Jeff.

Besides, it is about time the tables have turned in favor of Hellgate. They have gotten the short end of the stick for way too many years now, when it comes to AA athletics, in Missoula. Eric has worked hard to have earned a good reputation, as a young and upcoming coaching talent. He is good for his players, on, and off the court.

On the other end of the stick, I understand respect where every coach is coming from. I do like the rules the Spokane league has for eligibility. The only exceptions should be if a coach leaves for another job, or a program is guilty of HS infractions.

Honestly, it would be wrong to penalize players in those situations at the HS level. I hope in the future there will be tighter/stricter regulations for transfers.

On a side note, I am elated I can pull for Tres Tinkle's hs team for the next 3 years now. He is a great kid, and one I love rooting for, except against Hellgate. Good luck, Tres. By the way, please follow in your parent's footsteps and be a GRIZ!

 

[grizpack]

Step up on soapbox -

It is one of the primary problems with high school sports in Missoula. There is very little loyalty to, or neighborhood pride in the high schools. The exception to this is probably Hellgate, where most of the kids from Bonner, Clinton, East Missoula, etc. go. Otherwise, it is a free-for-all. It is the "what have you done for me lately" syndrome.

I don't fault the kids for transferring. I do fault the system for making it so easy in Missoula. I also have an issue with the parents, to a certain extent. What are we teaching our kids?

Is the grass is always greener? "That's OK (insert player's name). If you aren't getting the playing time, or aren't the star player on the team, or don't like the coach's system, we will just move you to somewhere that you are more comfortable."

It seems it is easier to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. If things aren't great at the place you are, there is always the option to work harder to make it/yourself better.

I know the parents of each of the kids involved in this (and yes, there will be more transferring to Hellgate), and am surprised by some of their decisions.

I also wonder what some of the parents at Hellgate think. Did their kid, who has been loyal to Hellgate since day one, just get bumped from starting to number 7 or 8 on the bench? Will he be transferring to Big Sky, Sentinel, Loyola????

Step down from soap-box.

 

[SoCalGriz]

GP, I agree 100%. In some cases these kids are not learning to deal with adversity that can build character etc.

 

[OldtiredGRiz]

Step up on soapbox -

It is one of the primary problems with high school sports in Missoula. There is very little loyalty to, or neighborhood pride in the high schools. The exception to this is probably Hellgate, where most of the kids from Bonner, Clinton, East Missoula, etc. go. Otherwise, it is a free-for-all. It is the "what have you done for me lately" syndrome.

I don't fault the kids for transferring. I do fault the system for making it so easy in Missoula. I also have an issue with the parents, to a certain extent. What are we teaching our kids?

Is the grass is always greener? "That's OK (insert player's name). If you aren't getting the playing time, or aren't the star player on the team, or don't like the coach's system, we will just move you to somewhere that you are more comfortable."

It seems it is easier to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. If things aren't great at the place you are, there is always the option to work harder to make it/yourself better.

I know the parents of each of the kids involved in this (and yes, there will be more transferring to Hellgate), and am surprised by some of their decisions.

I also wonder what some of the parents at Hellgate think. Did their kid, who has been loyal to Hellgate since day one, just get bumped from starting to number 7 or 8 on the bench? Will he be transferring to Big Sky, Sentinel, Loyola????

Step down from soap-box.

i couldn't agree more and I'm really surprised at the ease with which transfers are able to switch schools. The "recruiting" rumblings exist out here too and the rules regarding transfers are a little more stringent. But it still happens. A kid's family who lives in a nice house will suddenly move to an apartment in another district (and yes, the district typically will send out an investigator to check and see if cable and phone are hooked up, whether there is food in the refrigerator and the like, but it's pretty cursory) and change schools. In short, it does come down to loyalty and I am worried that parents, rather than the kids, are driving most of the transfers.

 

[Grizbeer]

Here is another view on the high school transfers. Frankly I have gone back and forth on this issue, but I think in the end Cheri hits the nail on the head - if the schools don't want to have better athletes transfer, they should pay more attention to the quality of their coaches.

The recent article regarding kids transferring to different schools for basketball has prompted me to write. This is nothing new. Perhaps kids transferring midseason is new, but kids have been doing this for a number of years. It's also important to point out that kids are not only transferring because of sports. Students transfer because of academics, drama and excelling music classes, however, sports programs often get the most attention and now that recent freshman athletes are transferring from area schools to Hellgate this has become a high-profile issue.
In recent years club teams have surfaced. Kids are playing at younger ages and they are often traveling across the country to find competition. These club teams allow kids to compete at the highest level. Coaches are often paid a handsome amount and are very knowledgeable about the game. Kids can hone their skills and hope to become good enough to attract a college scholarship. This drive for improvement continues into high school sports. So why wouldn't an athlete want to continue to compete at the highest level possible and play for a successful program?
To be successful you don't have to win every game, in fact many more lessons are often learned in defeat. A successful program should be centered around encouragement, improvement and respect. Winning and fun will then be a byproduct of the successful implementation of the above.
As long as the administration allows open enrollment, talented students and athletes will flow to where they can be successful. Administrators should hire coaches and staff that yearn to be successful. These individuals should be evaluated yearly for their positive influence on the program and its students. If the community is troubled by these numerous transfers, then school administrators have the tough job of making necessary changes.
Cheri Roberts, Missoula

Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/mailbag/school-transfers-kids-strive-for-success/article_0cd131a8-58ad-11e1-ba8f-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1mZN5NeCz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[grizpack]

Mark Lebsock was the other Frenchtown kid, and he did transfer to Hellgate about a week or two ago. It sounds like Devin Bray from Sentinel will follow. Hope it will be worth it to them and the school, and not blow up on everyone.

I had an opportunity to talk to a couple Hellgate parents recently. They are NOT happy about the situation. One has a kid who has had his playing time reduced dramatically, and the other's kid still plays quite a bit. According to these parents, it is causing quite a divide at Hellgate.

I agree with the poster about Hays being an excellent coach. Watching the way he coaches, and the schemes he runs, I can absolutely see why a kid would want to play for him. I have heard nothing but good from parents who's kids play for him too.