• Welcome to Fearless Friday Bulletin Boards. Please login or sign up.

 FF is powered by:        Do Not Sell My Personal Information

2014 All State, All Tourney and All Star Teams plus Gatorade Player of the Year

Started by sevenof400, May 14, 2014, 05:43:23 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

sevenof400

We'll be watching the AAA website for the announcement(s) for each of these teams.  As each team is announced, an active link will be placed appropriately.

Update 6/24: All links are now active.  Thanks to OneWildRice for the heads up on today's updates on the AHSAA website!

Click here for the 2014 All State team.  This is the team selected by the conference coaches based on conference season play.  Click here for more information about how this team is selected.

Click here for the 2014 All Tournament team.  This is the team selected by coaches whose teams made the 2014 playoffs in their respective classifications.  Remember a team had to make the playoffs for a player to be selected to this team.  Coaches of playoff teams are asked by AAA to nominate the players they feel to be worthy of this distinction.

Click here for the 2014 All Star team.  This is the team comprised of seniors and selected by the all star coaches for the purpose of playing in the all star game.  Click here for more information about how this team is selected (this is actually a thread that discussed last year's selection process.)

Click here for some other observations about the All Star game.

2014 Girls Gatorade Player of the Year is McKenzie Dixon.
2014 Boys Gatorade Player of the Year is Chris Holmes.

FutbolPhan

May 14, 2014, 07:24:34 pm #1 Last Edit: May 14, 2014, 07:32:58 pm by FutbolPhan
2014 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Chris Holmes

http://www.gatorade.com/poy/profile.aspx?id=15218

Sir Alex


FutbolPhan

Not a more deserving player in Arkansas in 2014 and only a junior at Catholic High School.

Go Postal

Sounds like a very talented and great young man.  Wish him the best.

sevenof400

FutbolPhan,

Nice addition to this list/thread of post season awards.....I'll adjust the OP to reflect that.  I too have known Chris Holmes for some time and I hope he finds nothing but success throughout his soccer career. 


PressBox-81

Quote from: FutbolPhan on May 14, 2014, 07:24:34 pm
2014 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Chris Holmes

http://www.gatorade.com/poy/profile.aspx?id=15218

Another well trained player from Conway making history for Catholic.

Though we cheer for him even if he is playing for those Rockets.

sevenof400

Quote from: Sir Alex on May 14, 2014, 09:15:34 pm
Girls?

I checked this out earlier but could not find anything for the girls.  Perhaps no one was nominated?  I'll keep an eye out for this.

Sir Alex


dewercs2110

Congrats to Chris.  Great to see the number of assists almost equal to the number of goals.  Says a lot about what kind of player and person he is on the field. Best of luck to him.

snakebite



sevenof400

Thanks for that info, Onewildrice - it has been added to the OP!

sevenof400

Well, in an interesting turn of events, the invites to the All Star game have been announced to the media by the AHSAA but not posted on their website.  I can only assume the list is the first pass at seeing who will actually attend the game and that no list will be published on the AHSAA website until the players have confirmed their attendance. 

Still keeping an eye on this...

Also, at this point, no All State, or All Tournament teams announced.....




sevenof400

Quote from: Lionheart88 on May 29, 2014, 02:26:46 pm
Link to the announcement?

That's just the problem, Lionheart - I know the list was sent to the media but has not been published on the AAA website so I can't publish a link to the announcement.....

Go Postal

I saw in the local paper that Coach Chris Pratt will be an assistant coach on the girls West All Star team.  It had a list of all the coaches, but I forgot to get that paper to put those listed here.

Sir Alex

Allarkansaspreps.com has the allarkansas teams for soccer listed.  Quite a list but with any honor there are some good players that have been left out.  Congrats to all that made the cut.

VHSCoach2

Quote from: Go Postal on May 29, 2014, 07:22:36 pm
I saw in the local paper that Coach Chris Pratt will be an assistant coach on the girls West All Star team.  It had a list of all the coaches, but I forgot to get that paper to put those listed here.

East Girls Soccer Coaching Staff:
Sheffield Duke (head)
Jessica Beaver
Andrew Post
Michael Riba

West Girls Soccer Coaching Staff:
Neville Matthews (head)
Kevin Bledsoe
Karrie Irwin
Chris Pratt

East Boys Soccer Coaching Staff:
Steve Porter (head)
Roger Hollis
Walter King
Barry McCaskill

West Boys Soccer Coaching Staff:
Brett Haugh (head)
Jean Evans
Steve Jones
Bobby Winn

sevenof400

With a week elapsed since the end of the high school finals, we should be seeing the All Tournament team by now.  However, as past history has shown, the announcement of this team isn't always timely. 

In the past, AAA has indicated the delay on publishing this team was due to the fact that so few teams actually submitted their All Tournament form.  AAA did not want to publish a team with more holes than players named. Last year's all tournament team announcement was very late in coming (click here for more info on that).

As an aside, teams earn more All Tournament spots as they win games in the playoffs. Typically, if a team wins one game at the state tournament, you get an All Tournament slot.  Two games, two slots and so on.

Stay tuned. 

Sir Alex

Actually it is one slot for all teams in the tournament.  Runner up then gets three and the champ gets three plus the MVP.  I only know that because I saw the tournament directors packet and that is how it read.  I think if you go back and look at lasts year's list you will see that to be true. 

kickabout

Congrats to Chris.  Well deserving, terrific player.  One question.  Am I missing something on the All State team?  Chris isn't listed.  He ABSOLUTELY should be on this squad.  How can he be honored as the Gatorade Player of the Year, but not make the All State team?  I hope I've just made a mistake and overlooked his name.  If I have made a mistake, I apologize now for my upcoming mini-rant.

I'm concerned because if I'm right, this highlights that there may be...just MAY be, a flaw in the AAA methodology.  Boy, that'd be a big shocker.  I don't know whether the AAA cares about soccer at all, much less any methodology to identify the top players in the state, but they SHOULD care.  These kids work their tails off every bit as much as the basketball players, baseball players, tracksters, swimmers, American footballers and every other athlete playing under the AAA.  The best of the best should be recognized using solid methodology in every sport.  The AAA probably wouldn't ever let an Arkansas football or basketball "Gatorade Player of the Year" NOT be represented on an All State team.  It would call into question the credibility of any AAA recognized honor.

Thank you for indulging me.

Sir Alex

If that is true the problem you have here is pretty typical with Gatorade POY vs high school awards.  Although they say the Gatorade award is for high school soccer they take a lot more into consideration (club, ODP, regional, national team etc).  If you noticed, both Gatorade POY winners are regional team members.  Also, anyone can nominate for Gatorade player of the year whereas coaches are the only ones who nominate for all-state.  I guess his high school coach must have felt that there were other more deserving players for all state.  Not a AAA problem, more like a coach or conference difference of opinion. 

It does seem silly that the Gatorade POY is not all state (disclaimer: I had not checked the all state list myself). 

kickabout

Yes, it sounds like a methodology issue that could fail to pass the smell test at the gatekeeper, the high school coach with a potential conflict of interest.

Play along with me here (by the way, I have NO dog in this fight - just a real concern about soccer legitimacy in Arkansas). What if a high school coach also happens to be affiliated with a certain club in central Arkansas and the top 3 players nominated for All State from his high school team also happen to be affiliated with the same club? 

That may be perfectly fine and legitimate.

However...in this instance, isn't it interesting that the player who travels to Argentina to play with the Region 3 team and is recognized as the best player in the state by winning the Gatorade Player of the Year isn't one of the top 3 nominated by his high school coach?  Oh, I forgot to mention, the Gatorade Player of the Year happens to play for a different club in central Arkansas.

Lionheart88

Or what if its the other way around, and GPOY didn't shown out in high school the way he did in club play for whatever reason (system, position, personal conflict with the coach, grades, any of a hundred other factors that could put a teenage kid off their game), and the coach picked the kids he saw as legitimately most deserving, based on the HS season and not accomplishments with a club that have nothing to do with his school.  After all, basketball all state isn't picked based on AAU accomplishments, nor football all state based on achievements at some camp or all american game.

snakebite

Or, maybe the coach is just trying to "spread the love".   The coach may have several players he/she feels worthy of recognition, but only so many opportunities to nominate them.

kickabout

Interesting comments.  Is the All State team intended to recognize the best players in the state or not?

So, the GPOY has gone from being considered as being the best player in the state by a large pool of people, to a player who isn't even considered to be one of the top three on his high school team?  That raises a lot of questions.  Doesn't make any sense to me. Especially if you have seen the player play.

It should be noted that yes, the coach is also in charge of the system, position and many of those other factors. Whether the particular player was off of his game the whole high season is a legitimate question.  Also, he may have been injured the whole season and not able to contribute.  Yes, there are other factors.  I don't think grades are used, but whatever.

It sure does look like the high school coach is "spreading the love"...to his club players.

Again, it may all be a coincidence with perfectly good explanations, but the methodology does not pass the smell test when it comes to a potential conflict of interest.  Maybe high school coaches shouldn't be the gatekeeper if they also coach club.

Rules should be put in place that help avoid even the appearance of impropriety.  It would protect the coaches...and the players.

FutbolPhan

I highly doubt that there is a conflict with club play for Chris vs. the Catholic High School coach.  It appears to be a simple matter that the coach preferred to nominate three seniors for the spots allotted rather than a junior who had already been nominated and won the Gatorade Player of the Year award. In that case, the coach was probably allowing another player to be highlighted for a good year.

kickabout

Yes, I totally agree with that and I'm perfectly fine with what the coach did...which was to nominate three players who were also affiliated with his club team, as long as the All State designation is not supposed to represent the "best" players in the state. 

If it IS supposed to represent the best, however, I have a big issue with your thoughts and totally disagree.  There absolutely is a POTENTIAL conflict of interest for any high school/club coach. The high school coach who also coaches for a club receives income from that club.  The income comes from the players' families paying their monthly dues.

Most clubs, including the one in question, has an "Alumni" tab to promote what a great job they do in preparing their players to advance to the next level.  It's part of their recruiting pitch.  What can a high school coach/gatekeeper who also gets paid by a club do to help his club and the club's players play at the next level and be featured on their "Alumni" page to become part of THEIR recruiting pitch?  Help them get college coach attention by giving their high school/club players recognition as being one of the "best" in the state.  If that happens, and a more deserving player is left out of the All State selection, that is what you call a conflict of interest.

Maybe there should be a different designation, or opportunity for a high school coach to recognize three deserving seniors.  Like say, the All Star game?  Only seniors.

Regarding the "other factors" comment posted earlier, according to the link to GPOY, this year's winner holds an A average grade and contributed pretty heavily to the team this season with 14 goals and 13 assists (first eighteen games).  So, he was involved in 27 goals after 18 games, all while missing the first four games playing on the Region 3 team, which consists of some of the best players in 11 states (of course, Region 3 may not mean as much as it once did due to the Academy team proliferation in the last five years or so.  It's my understanding that their players don't do ODP, and there is the issue of "pay to play." ODP is expensive.). 

I have no relation with the GPOY winner this year, and don't wish there to be any tension with his high school coach over my concerns. He truly is an incredible player (and who has, in all fairness to the high school coach at issue, apparently has been recognized as All State in previous years) and my only concern is the apparent methodological flaws in identifying the "best" players in Arkansas.  All State to me means "the best" we have in the state.  I love our great state, and I love this game, the most amazing sport on the face of this planet. 

I'm truly concerned that we hurt our "soccer cred" and our future development in this state (and ability for clubs to work together) when the methodology of identifying the best is shoddy.  It undoubtedly has the potential to hurt deserving players, and their coaches (high school and/or club).

Regarding a previous comment about high school football coaches and basketball coaches.  Do they also coach club football and club basketball, or is there a rule against that?  If they do, there is a potential conflict of interest as well.  If they don't, then the analogy doesn't work.


While goal scoring shouldn't be more heavily weighted than strong defending, in my opinion, that's a solid year.   

kickabout

Oops. I have no idea how my last sentence in the previous post ended up there.  It was meant to be inserted following the goals (14) and assists (13) comment.

Sorry.

kickabout

http://www.arkansasunited.com/Portals/995/docs/Alumni/awards%20v5.pdf

Interesting.

Lionheart88

Quote from: kickabout on June 06, 2014, 09:34:45 am
Yes, I totally agree with that and I'm perfectly fine with what the coach did...which was to nominate three players who were also affiliated with his club team, as long as the All State designation is not supposed to represent the "best" players in the state. 

If it IS supposed to represent the best, however, I have a big issue with your thoughts and totally disagree.  There absolutely is a POTENTIAL conflict of interest for any high school/club coach. The high school coach who also coaches for a club receives income from that club.  The income comes from the players' families paying their monthly dues.

Most clubs, including the one in question, has an "Alumni" tab to promote what a great job they do in preparing their players to advance to the next level.  It's part of their recruiting pitch.  What can a high school coach/gatekeeper who also gets paid by a club do to help his club and the club's players play at the next level and be featured on their "Alumni" page to become part of THEIR recruiting pitch?  Help them get college coach attention by giving their high school/club players recognition as being one of the "best" in the state.  If that happens, and a more deserving player is left out of the All State selection, that is what you call a conflict of interest.

Maybe there should be a different designation, or opportunity for a high school coach to recognize three deserving seniors.  Like say, the All Star game?  Only seniors.

Regarding the "other factors" comment posted earlier, according to the link to GPOY, this year's winner holds an A average grade and contributed pretty heavily to the team this season with 14 goals and 13 assists (first eighteen games).  So, he was involved in 27 goals after 18 games, all while missing the first four games playing on the Region 3 team, which consists of some of the best players in 11 states (of course, Region 3 may not mean as much as it once did due to the Academy team proliferation in the last five years or so.  It's my understanding that their players don't do ODP, and there is the issue of "pay to play." ODP is expensive.). 

I have no relation with the GPOY winner this year, and don't wish there to be any tension with his high school coach over my concerns. He truly is an incredible player (and who has, in all fairness to the high school coach at issue, apparently has been recognized as All State in previous years) and my only concern is the apparent methodological flaws in identifying the "best" players in Arkansas.  All State to me means "the best" we have in the state.  I love our great state, and I love this game, the most amazing sport on the face of this planet. 

I'm truly concerned that we hurt our "soccer cred" and our future development in this state (and ability for clubs to work together) when the methodology of identifying the best is shoddy.  It undoubtedly has the potential to hurt deserving players, and their coaches (high school and/or club).

Regarding a previous comment about high school football coaches and basketball coaches.  Do they also coach club football and club basketball, or is there a rule against that?  If they do, there is a potential conflict of interest as well.  If they don't, then the analogy doesn't work.


While goal scoring shouldn't be more heavily weighted than strong defending, in my opinion, that's a solid year.
Are you saying he skipped 4 high school games to play club ball?  I don't think that's even legal according to the AAA Handbook.

mijally

If you complain that someone didn't make it you are basically disrespecting the ones who did whether you mean to or not. Have you seen the 3 who made it play before?  I've seen one of them and I can assure you he is deserving and just as talented as anyone in the state.   All state is not about the best. Never has been. If it was then they wouldn't give automatic slots to every team.

kickabout

No, that's not what I'm saying.  I said that he (and I took this from the GPOY link) apparently missed the first four games while playing on the Region 3 team in Argentina.  The Region 3 team is NOT a club team.  It's an ODP (Olympic Development Program) team.  Rule 14 of the AAA Handbook specifically provides for an exception to the what I consider to be a ridiculous Rule 13 (which handicaps Arkansas club soccer and player development, I might add, but that's another long discussion.).

Lionheart88

Quote from: kickabout on June 06, 2014, 11:56:08 am
No, that's not what I'm saying.  I said that he (and I took this from the GPOY link) apparently missed the first four games while playing on the Region 3 team in Argentina.  The Region 3 team is NOT a club team.  It's an ODP (Olympic Development Program) team.  Rule 14 of the AAA Handbook specifically provides for an exception to the what I consider to be a ridiculous Rule 13 (which handicaps Arkansas club soccer and player development, I might add, but that's another long discussion.).
Even granted that it's allowed because it's ODP, that's never going to please a high school coach.  Skipping HS games shows a lack of commitment to the HS team, and you can hardly be surprised when the coach shows a lack of commitment to the player when it comes time to hand out awards.  It very likely may have been the best thing for the player's development, but it still hurts his team and you shouldn't be surprised if there was backlash from the team because of it.

kickabout

No disrespect intended.  I'm sure they're excellent players.  I just have a really hard time understanding how a player who's widely considered to be the best player in the state as GPOY, doesn't even crack the top 3 on his high school team.  Help me understand.  If it's not about identifying the "best" (the All Star game in recognizing terrific senior players comes to mind), then I can be convinced that it could make sense that a high school coach who also happens to coach with a club should be allowed to serve as a gatekeeper.

It is troubling in this instance that deserved recognition (whatever for) goes through the high school/club coach who happens to give it to three players that happen to play for the club that he derives additional income from.

If, however, All State IS about identifying the "best"...then I don't buy whatever methodology currently is in place that allows this kind of result, either with or without a potential conflict of interest, and with or without the appearance of potential impropriety.

You say that it has never been about the best, and that if it were they wouldn't give automatic slots to every team. It's my understanding that the high school coach doesn't have to submit names for all slots allocated if he doesn't think he has a deserving player.  I certainly could be wrong on that. 

But your statement begs the question, "what does All State represent, then?"  I think it should, and does in many instances, recognize the best players in the state.  I disagree with your conclusion, however.  It IS an ATTEMPT to recognize the best players. 

My entire point has been that something is wrong with the methodology if we're trying to recognize the very best players.  All of them.  And you have brought up a really good point which furthers my methodology concern.  I don't think automatic slots should be given to every team.

Someone help me here.  Has there EVER been another GPOY in ANY sport in Arkansas who has NOT made the All State team in that same season?  Does All State designation represent the AAA's attempt to identify the best players in other sports?  If not, what IS the point of the honor?

If so, with questionable and shoddy methodology that results in this juxtaposition, the value of being identified as All State arguably decreases the honor for all.

I agree that the timing of being able to compete internationally was not the best, and my upset the high school/other club coach.  The player didn't choose the timing, he just chose to compete on a MUCH higher level to improve himself, and to have an incredible experience. 

Any time a player has a chance to play against what is certainly a higher level of competition, it improves the player and an improved player helps his team when he returns. Certainly this coach understands the value of ODP. 

As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet that at some point this coach was involved with state and/or regional ODP activities.  If he has, that'd be more than a little hypocritical to punish a player for succeeding in a program that you yourself have supported and participated in at other times.  Unless, of course, the player who is succeeding on this higher level happens to be a member of another club.

It gets more and more troubling the more we chat.

kickabout

You see a name you recognize here?

http://www.arkansassoccer.org/odp/odp_coaching_staff/

Again, very interesting. But I'm sure that this bizarre result has NOTHING to do with club affiliation. Nothing at all.

Lionheart88

I very much doubt the rest of the conference coaches would let someone be left off the list if they were really some sort of consensus wunderkind.  Somebody would say "Hey, what about so-and-so, isn't he the best player in the conference, to say nothing of your team?  Why leave him out?"

kickabout

From what I can tell from the link for more information on the selection process, the high school coach is the sole gatekeeper. A coach from a different team has no say in which players are slated to be approved or not.  Therefore, I can't speculate, and neither can you, as to what the other conference coaches did, or did not do.

All I can comment on are the facts.  A player won GPOY, but didn't get nominated by his high school coach as one of the top three players on his team.  The high school coach nominated three players from his high school team that happen to play club ball where he coaches. The GPOY plays for a different club.

I doesn't make sense.  The methodology for picking All State appears to be flawed.  Nobody has come up with any other examples where this has previously happened in any other sport in Arkansas when the GPOY didn't make All State during the same season.

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Lionheart88

Quote from: kickabout on June 06, 2014, 04:53:34 pm
From what I can tell from the link for more information on the selection process, the high school coach is the sole gatekeeper. A coach from a different team has no say in which players are slated to be approved or not.  Therefore, I can't speculate, and neither can you, as to what the other conference coaches did, or did not do.

All I can comment on are the facts.  A player won GPOY, but didn't get nominated by his high school coach as one of the top three players on his team.  The high school coach nominated three players from his high school team that happen to play club ball where he coaches. The GPOY plays for a different club.

I doesn't make sense.  The methodology for picking All State appears to be flawed.  Nobody has come up with any other examples where this has previously happened in any other sport in Arkansas when the GPOY didn't make All State during the same season.

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Maybe you can't.  I know how the process works.

kickabout

So, because you "know how the process works" you disagree with my statement regarding your ability to speculate, and are saying that you can speculate as to what the other conference coaches did, or did not do? Alright. Whatever.  Sounds like a solid methodology to me.

You "know how the process works" and "very much doubt the rest of the conference coaches would let someone be left off the list if they were really some sort of consensus wunderkind." 

Were you in the room?  If so, you may be part of the problem.  If not, then you have no more knowledge of this particular situation and process than I do.

Lionheart88

I wasn't in the room, no.  I suppose it's possible that the 7A Central works complete different to the conferences the coaches I know are part of.  No process is perfect, and I doubt the best X number of players are selected every year.  Someone marginal is going to get left off.  But, from what I know of the process, I can't see the best player in the state getting left out, certainly not for an absurd reason like "he doesn't play for his own coach's club team".  Why are you so certain that the GPOY process selected the right guy?  If they're really evaluating based on club, ODP, etc, then they aren't selecting the best player in 7A HS soccer.  It's entirely possible that he was a much better player on his ODP team than in high school.  There could be a thousand reasons for this, as I said before.  Maybe it's an issue of system or position, maybe a personality conflict with teammates or coaches, maybe he was struggling with classes or girls or college applications and was off his game during the high school season.  These things happen with HS kids.  heck, I've seen the best player on a team quit mid-season because he wasn't getting along with the coach.  Jumping to the conclusion that the coach is punishing the kid for playing with the wrong club is absurd.

kickabout

This process apparently is far from perfect.  Why are you so invested in defending it?  Please don't try to say that the GPOY is "someone marginal" who simply got left off.

My concern for the methodology isn't absurd, neither is my attention to foundation, undisputed facts of this situation.  I have personally seen club affiliation impact decisions, especially here in central Arkansas.  The player's GPOY link indicates, as previously stated, that he was part of 27 goals this season, through 18 games.  That's a solid season. 

I'm not jumping to an absurd conclusion, I'm observing absurd facts and stating them.  The methodology for determining All State appears to be flawed.

Again, has any other GPOY ever been denied All State recognition in any other sport in Arkansas?  Is this the first?  If so, your "better player on his ODP team than in high school" and "could be a thousand reasons for this" explanations are speculative as well.

Lionheart88

If you ignore the fact that All-State is actually about high school performance and GPOY is about all performance including club, ODP, etc, sure.  Seeing that he made GPOY and not All-State, it seems to me that the logical conclusion is that he was more impressive in non-school competitions.  At any rate, "best" is a highly subjective qualification.  To the uninitiated, it may simply be a team's top scorer.  A more learned coach who was offensive-minded might consider assists just as vital as goals, and give it to the players with the highest combined goals+assists total.  A defensive minded coach might give it to an impressive keeper, or his best CB.  Yet another coach might highly rate a player who's extremely versatile and plays multiple positions well, or is a very hard worker, or the player that shows the most leadership on and off the field. Since you seem to know the Catholic program pretty well, tell me about the other three players, the ones actually named to All-State.  What positions do they play?  What were their stats like this year?  Why do they deserve it any less than this other kid?

I don't know a single kid on Catholic's roster or any members of their coaching staff, but I can easily see how an otherwise-impressive player might not be thought highly of by his coach for any number of reasons that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet.  I trust the system to work most of the time.  You clearly don't, but I haven't seen any evidence so far besides unproven accusations and the fact that your boy didn't get what you think he deserved.

kickabout

Just for clarification, I only know the GPOY through having seen him play a number of times.  And he was very impressive.  So, if you mean "my boy" as in the GPOY, that I have a hard time seeing as not one of the three best on his team, then fine.  I don't know the other players, and this isn't about them.

It's about a bizarre methodology that would have a widely and highly regarded player, who not only made the Region 3 pool, but made the Region 3 team, and travelled with that team for international competition.  He also has already been All State 2 prior years, and was a part of 27 goals this high school season.

Of course, there are other factors and the coach may prefer something other than this player offered this year.  But to not crack the top 3 on his high school team?  Give me a break.  That's a bit of a stretch.  Again, show me where this has happened before with a GPOY in any other sport.

Lionheart88

Isn't it about the other three?  If you put him on the team, you have to cut one of them. So which of them isn't deserving of the honor?


I don't know anything about GPOY or their methodology beyond what's been mentioned here, but it seems clear that they aren't judging based on the high school season.  They're judging based on every thing a kid does.  All state does judge based on the high school season.  Why is it so hard to trust the coaches who were at all the games and practices?  Maybe he was legitimately deserving of Gatorade's award based on ODP and the like, but didn't have a particularly exceptional high school season.  Maybe he has off the field issues we don't know about.  I've never met the guy.  But I don't see any reason to attack the integrity of the coaches based on an award that isn't all about high school.  Do you have one, or are you just assuming that Gatorade knows better than his coach and the other coaches in the conference?

kickabout

I'm pointing out something that makes very little sense to me.  Also pointing out some facts that may been inconvenient truths to some, but nevertheless, they are truths.

I think the methodology is flawed.  Pure and simple.  Has there ever been a GPOY who hasn't been honored as All State in the same season?  GPOY obviously takes the high school season and performance into consideration, check out the link.

Why the blind allegiance to legitimate questions about the status quo of a possibly flawed methodology?  Makes me think you may be part of the establishment.

Sir Alex

Yes the method of the 7A Central is flawed but i would bet their method is similar to many other conferences.  The reason for allowing picks based on where a team finishes has merit.  For some reason it seems he was left off the all state list.  Surely, as Lionhearted pointed out there was probably a reason. 

I have personally never seen the GPOY not an all-state player but I guess I have now. 

They should probably stop calling it The high school Gatorade player of the year and just call it the Gatorade player of the year, since it is based on more than just high school play.

Honestly, there are some quality players in NWA that could have easily been selected as the GPOY.  This year it happened to be a girl and boy that play club and ODP rather than in the ethnic adult leagues.  I am sure some of those players could say that GPOY methodology is flawed. 

Anyway, you are both right. 


Fox 16 Arkansas Fox 24 Arkansas