Friday, December 04, 2009

Welcome to the WPIAL to Erie McDowell

Great step.
Erie McDowell to join WPIAL in '10: "Erie McDowell to join WPIAL in '10"
We really need the Pittsburgh Public Schools to begin to blend into the WPIAL and make the city league a great tip-off tournament and holiday classic setting. We have to get the iron curtin that encricles the city to fall. We need more interactions among city and suburban kids, families and school events.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whats the immediate "need"?????

The City sports in general need to get their house in order before branching out.

Mark Rauterkus said...

We need this to be the goal -- merger into the WPIAL. That will insure that things get in order. It might take some schools 2, 3, 4 years to make the transition -- getting house in order as you say.

comment said...

To be in WPIAL doesn't a school have to meet some enrollment number? Could it be that only some city schools meet the minimum? Really how would some buildings fare in the WPIAL when they can't win a game in the city league? Say if a football powerhouse like Perry or Brashear or a basketball program like the old Schenley can go toe-to-toe in the WPIAL what about he other sports particularly less popular girls' sports?

Mark Rauterkus said...

No need to have any enrollment numbers -- but it would determine if school is in AA, AAA, Quad A, etc. Some sports are all one pool (like in water polo). Other sports have five divisions based on student population of the school by gender.

Some schools that can't win in the city league would do better in the WPIAL as the competition would be of other smaller sized schools. Back in the day, South Vo Tech had to play Perry in all the sports. That's a tiny school vs a large school -- day in and day out. Not good for anyone.

comment said...

Thanks for the info. There is no end to what I don't understand. You may have a new disciple!!

Anonymous said...

But what is the need?

Mark Rauterkus said...

The need is to get kids to better grades, better graduation rates, to better relationships, to better health, to better connections with their schools and teachers, to better lives!

We'll get more college scholarships, more academic scholarships, more opportunities beyond high school.

And, we'll have fewer famiies departing the city and moving away. We'll have more kids in our schools -- and choosing to stay here to raise their families.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Anonymous said...

Sorta agree with you what you've said but that's more the result.

I just don't see PPS caring as much as you do about this...and that's not a shot at you Mark, its a shot at PPS.

As we both know, I'd love to, as well as my family to be able to use Cupples Stadium on a recreational basis. The same goes for pools, and other facilities. Why are we locked out? So, I see your frustrations for the kids (and families) being "locked out" and being locked into the City League.

The whole program (culture) needs to change before a result in the nature you want to happen will happen.