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Prep Zone: High School Sports

Athletic transfers top 6,000 for 2011-2012

8:45 am August 7, 2012, by GHSF Daily

More than 6,000 Georgia students who transferred high schools in 2011-12 sought to play varsity sports at their new schools, according to documents released by the Georgia High School Association under Open Records laws.

Only 4,603 of those transfers were approved by the GHSA, the rest being declared ineligible for at least one season.

Below, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and GHSF Daily report the number of eligible transfers at every football-playing school in the state. The totals include all athletes, not just football players.

The volume of transfers seeking to play varsity sports – an average of about 14 transfer students per GHSA member – demonstrates the challenge the GHSA faces when criticized over not doing more to curb the trend.

“I realize the rich get richer [with transfers],” said Gary Phillips, the GHSA’s assistant executive director, who oversees eligibility requests. “But it’s a free country. If you can buy and sell a house for the betterment of your children, why should we interfere with that?”

Some interesting findings in the data:

*About 25 percent of transfers fail to gain varsity eligibility in their first seasons. Phillips said most of those are because the student has not moved into the new school zone, as required by GHSA rules. The GHSA does not grant automatic transfers for No Child Left Behind or magnet schools. Students going from public to private schools, or vice versa, also must change school zones to be eligible the first year. The estimated 6,000 transfers are just those who request immediate eligibility. Many transfers don’t apply until their second years because they know they aren’t eligible.

*There are 15 football-playing schools that had no transfer students playing sports in 2011-12. All except Pacelli in Columbus are rural Georgia public schools. They include Wilcox County, which was at the forefront of the movement to have public and private schools in Class A play for separate state championships.

*The four private schools that won all-sports trophies – Marist (AAAA), Woodward Academy (AAA), Westminster (AA) and Wesleyan (A) – had only 18 eligible transfers in 2011-12, an average of 4.5 per school.

*Aside from Riverside Military Academy, a boarding school with 66 eligible transfers, the schools with the most transfers were South Gwinnett (59), Duluth (46) and Brookwood (45) from Gwinnett County. Buford, a city school in Gwinnett often in the middle of the transfer debate, had 13.

*The numbers don’t predict sports success. For example, of the schools with the most transfers in each of the 16 regions in AAAAAA and AAAAA, three were region champions and three were runners-up in 2011, but eight finished in the bottom half of the standings.

Story produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.

Editor’s note: David Purdum will be reporting on the transfer issue for the AJC throughout the fall. Contact him at dpurdum@ajc.com.

CLASS AAAAAA CLASS AAAA CLASS AA
Region 1 Region 1 Region 1
31 – Camden Co. 9 – Westover 8 – Thomasville
23 – Lowndes 9 – Worth Co. 7 – Brooks Co.
17 – Valdosta 6 – Americus-Sumter 7 – Cook
12 – Brunswick 6 – Crisp Co. 5 – Berrien
12 – Coffee 5 – Dougherty 3 – Pelham
11 – Tift Co. 4 – Albany 2 – Fitzgerald
5 – Colquitt Co. 4 – Cairo 1 – Early Co.
Region 2 3 – Monroe Region 2
29 – Lovejoy Region 2 20 – Long Co.
27 – Luella 19 – Veterans 17 – Vidalia
19 – Rockdale Co. 16 – Howard 8 – Bacon Co.
16 – Morrow 14 – Westside, Macon 7 – Bryan Co.
13 – Newton 12 – Perry 6 – Toombs Co.
12 – Druid Hills 10 – Rutland 5 – Jeff Davis
9 – Alcovy 8 – West Laurens 3 – McIntosh Co. Acad.
Region 3 7 – Mary Persons 2 – Benedictine Military
32 – East Coweta 1 – Baldwin 2 – Metter
25 – Newnan Region 3 1 – Atkinson Co.
24 – Douglas Co. 22 – South Effingham Region 3
23 – Tri-Cities 19 – Statesboro 14 – Westside, Augusta
10 – Langston Hughes 17 – Liberty Co. 9 – Laney
3 – Westlake 13 – Hephzibah 8 – Dublin
Region 4 12 – Butler 8 – East Laurens
39 – Marietta 12 – Richmond Acad. 5 – Harlem
24 – Hillgrove 6 – Cross Creek 5 – Josey
23 – Campbell 3 – Burke Co. 1 – Screven Co.
22 – Kennesaw Mtn. 3 – Wayne Co. Region 4
20 – McEachern 2 – Glenn Hills 11 – Crawford Co.
17 – South Cobb Region 4 7 – Bleckley Co.
16 – Harrison 19 – Dutchtown 7 – Lamar Co.
16 – North Cobb 19 – Riverdale 6 – Northeast, Macon
2 – Pebblebrook 16 – Stockbridge 6 – Putnam Co.
Region 5 14 – Eagle’s Landing 4 – Monticello
22 – Roswell 12 – Jonesboro 1 – Macon Co.
18 – Etowah 11 – Locust Grove 1 – Taylor Co.
18 – Woodstock 11 – North Clayton Region 5
14 – Walton 9 – Spalding 25 – Chattahoochee Co.
13 – Lassiter 7 – Woodland, Henry 11 – Spencer
12 – Milton 6 – Griffin 7 – Bremen
9 – Cherokee 0 – Upson-Lee 7 – Heard Co.
9 – Wheeler Region 5 7 – Temple
Region 6 20 – Shaw 6 – Kendrick
33 – West Forsyth 13 – Fayette Co. 3 – Bowdon
28 – South Forsyth 13 – Sandy Creek 3 – Jordan
27 – Lambert 13 – Troup Co. 0 – Manchester
25 – Alpharetta 12 – Carrollton Region 6
20 – Centennial 9 – Columbus 13 – Greater Atl. Christ.
16 – North Forsyth 8 – Alexander 6 – Wesleyan
10 – Chattahoochee 3 – LaGrange 4 – Lovett
10 – Johns Creek Region 6 4 – Westminster
Region 7 34 – Grady 3 – Hapeville Charter
46 – Duluth 32 – Therrell Region 7
42 – Mill Creek 28 – Lithonia 7 – Pepperell
40 – Peachtree Ridge 25 – Stone Mountain 6 – Calhoun
29 – North Gwinnett 23 – Redan 5 – Model
28 – Collins Hill 20 – Chamblee 4 – Armuchee
18 – Mountain View 19 – Columbia 4 – Coosa
16 – Norcross 12 – Washington 4 – Murray Co.
15 – Meadowcreek 11 – South Atlanta 3 – Dade Co.
4 – Habersham Central 6 – Banneker 1 – Chattooga
Region 8 4 – Carver, Atlanta Region 8
59 – South Gwinnett 3 – Marist 66 – Riverside Military
45 – Brookwood Region 7 6 – Oglethorpe Co.
38 – Grayson 13 – Dalton 4 – Jefferson
35 – Shiloh 12 – Gilmer 4 – Social Circle
31 – Archer 12 – River Ridge 4 – Washington-Wilkes
30 – Parkview 11 – Pickens 3 – Union Co.
27 – Dacula 10 – Cass 2 – Rabun Co.
6 – Berkmar 8 – Ridgeland 0 – Greene Co.
5 – Central Gwinnett 7 – Cedartown CLASS A
CLASS AAAAA 5 – LaFayette Region 1
Region 1 4 – Northwest Whitfield 8 – Seminole Co.
20 – Lee Co. 4 – Southeast Whitfield 4 – Calhoun Co.
20 – Northside, Col. 1 – Heritage, Catoosa 4 – Miller Co.
17 – Harris Co. Region 8 1 – Baconton Charter
14 – Hardaway 28 – Walnut Grove 1 – Terrell Co.
9 – Bainbridge 24 – Lanier 0 – Mitchell Co.
8 – Thomas Co. Central 18 – Lumpkin Co. 0 – Randolph Clay
Region 2 15 – Monroe Area 0 – Stewart Co.
43 – Grovetown 11 – Chestatee Region 2
28 – Greenbrier 7 – Stephens Co. 7 – Irwin Co.
28 – Warner Robins 4 – Eastside 4 – Telfair Co.
21 – Lakeside, Evans 4 – Johnson, Gaines. 2 – Charlton Co.
16 – Houston Co. 4 – Madison Co. 2 – Lanier Co.
15 – Evans CLASS AAA 1 – Clinch Co.
12 – Northside, WR Region 1 1 – Turner Co.
9 – Jones Co. 13 – Brantley Co. 0 – Wilcox Co.
Region 3 12 – Johnson, Sav. Region 3
43 – Richmond Hill 11 – Southeast Bulloch 13 – Sav. Christian
27 – Bradwell Institute 3 – Tattnall Co. 9 – Calvary Day
15 – Effingham Co. 2 – Beach 7 – Treutlen
10 – Windsor Forest 2 – Pierce Co. 6 – Johnson Co.
9 – Jenkins 2 – Savannah 5 – Montgomery Co.
8 – Glynn Academy 0 – Appling Co. 4 – Sav. Country Day
8 – Ware Co. Region 2 2 – Claxton
6 – Groves 23 – Henry Co. 2 – Jenkins Co.
Region 4 6 – Central, Macon 2 – Portal
29 – McIntosh 5 – Pike Co. 1 – Wheeler Co.
28 – Union Grove 5 – Southwest, Macon 0 – Emanuel Co. Inst.
22 – Ola 4 – Carver, Columbus Region 4
16 – Northgate 4 – Peach Co. 5 – Brookstone
14 – Mt. Zion, Jones. 0 – Jackson 5 – Marion Co.
10 – Creekside Region 3 4 – Dooly Co.
9 – Forest Park 7 – Thomson 4 – Greenville
7 – Whitewater 5 – Dodge Co. 4 – Hawkinsville
4 – Drew 4 – Jefferson Co. 4 – Schley Co.
1 – Mundy’s Mill 1 – Swainsboro 0 – Central, Talbotton
1 – Starr’s Mill 0 – Washington Co. 0 – Pacelli
Region 5 Region 4 Region 5
21 – Allatoona 20 – Callaway 12 – Strong Rock
21 – South Paulding 13 – Central, Carroll 8 – ELCA
19 – East Paulding 13 – Rockmart 8 – Holy Innocents’
14 – North Paulding 10 – Chapel Hill 6 – Landmark Christian
14 – Paulding Co. 5 – Jackson, Atlanta 4 – Our Lady of Mercy
13 – Hiram 4 – Haralson Co. 3 – Pace Academy
10 – Lithia Springs 3 – B.E.S.T. Academy Region 6
8 – Woodland, Carters. 1 – Douglass 15 – Mt. Paran Christian
5 – Villa Rica Region 5 15 – St. Francis
4 – New Manchester 33 – Coahulla Creek 13 – Mt. Pisgah Christ.
3 – Rome 10 – Adairsville 12 – Trion
Region 6 10 – Cartersville 9 – Walker School
30 – Stephenson 8 – North Murray 7 – Whitefield Academy
29 – Tucker 7 – Ringgold 6 – Darlington
26 – M.L. King 6 – Sonoraville 6 – N. Cobb Christian
19 – Miller Grove 3 – Gordon Central 4 – Mt. Zion, Carroll
17 – Southwest DeKalb 3 – Lakeview-Ft. Ogle. 4 – SW Atlanta Christ.
14 – North Atlanta Region 6 3 – Fellowship Christian
12 – Clarkston 27 – Towers 1 – Gordon Lee
9 – Dunwoody 8 – McNair 1 – King’s Ridge
8 – Arabia Mountain 7 – Decatur Region 7
5 – Lakeside, DeKalb 5 – Blessed Trinity 7 – Aquinas
5 – Mays 5 – Woodward Acad. 6 – Wilkinson Co.
Region 7 4 – St. Pius 5 – Twiggs Co.
41 – North Springs 2 – Cedar Grove 4 – Lincoln Co.
22 – Riverwood 1 – Cross Keys 3 – First Presbyterian
15 – Sprayberry Region 7 2 – Georgia Military
14 – Forsyth Central 15 – White Co. 1 – Glascock Co.
13 – Creekview 13 – Buford 1 – Hancock Central
11 – Kell 13 – Dawson Co. 0 – Warren Co.
11 – Pope 11 – North Hall Region 8
9 – Sequoyah 10 – Banks Co. 22 – Athens Christian
8 – Osborne 7 – West Hall 11 – Lakeview Academy
2 – Northview 4 – Fannin Co. 7 – Hebron Christian
Region 8 3 – East Hall 3 – Pinecrest Academy
17 – Flowery Branch Region 8 3 – Towns Co.
15 – Apalachee 12 – North Oconee 2 – Prince Avenue
15 – Loganville 10 – Jackson Co. 1 – Athens Academy
14 – Cedar Shoals 10 – Oconee Co. 1 – Commerce
14 – Clarke Central 8 – East Jackson 1 – George Walton
14 – Salem 8 – Hart Co. 1 – Providence Christ.
12 – Gainesville 7 – Morgan Co. 0 – Rabun Gap
7 – Heritage, Conyers 2 – Franklin Co.
3 – Winder-Barrow
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102 comments Add your comment

2012 PGA Championship: Top 10 Players Who Will Shine on Kiawah Island | i-News.info

August 7th, 2012
9:08 am

[...] High School Association under Open Records laws. Only 4603 of those transfers … Read more on Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) Category: World News / Tags: 2012, Championship, Island, Kiawah, Players, Shine, [...]

blah

August 7th, 2012
9:41 am

Milton had 12…10 for basketball

WarEagle

August 7th, 2012
9:53 am

Yet more proof that Marist wins by recruiting — 3 total transfers (boys and girls, all sports) out of 217 in Region 6AAAA! (Let me guess, we are so good at recruiting before 9th grade that we don’t need any transfers later! LOL.) Time to find another excuse.

hoot

August 7th, 2012
9:57 am

I think alot of the numbers are from the average players moving AWAY from the big schools to at least get some practice or playing time. I have seen too many arrogant coaches leave in starters up my 30+ points. It makes no sense for so many players to never miss a practice for 4 years and never see the field.

Noneya

August 7th, 2012
10:40 am

I would like to see the average per sport. I know they don’t go into that much detail, just wishful thinking. Looking at Single A where the most fuss was made I just don’t see the massive numbers of transfers that people on these boards would make you believe. Especially considering that these numbers go across all sports.

Tips on How Parents Can Prepare Their Child for the School Year « InKhab

August 7th, 2012
10:42 am

[...] Athletic transfers top 6000 for 2011-2012 *There are 15 football-playing schools that had no transfer students playing sports in 2011-12. All except Pacelli in Columbus are rural Georgia public schools. They include Wilcox County, which was at the forefront of the movement to have public and … Read more on Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

taco taco

August 7th, 2012
10:43 am

I hope these athletes are keeping up with the academics as well.

AVikingFan

August 7th, 2012
10:44 am

Good work Todd! Two questions. Does this list include students who transfer from another state? What is the cutoff date for 19 years olds to be eligible to compete in Alabama?

In response to “hoot.” Lowndes, as I’m sure all schools compete with 9th Grade Teams and with B Teams. Lowndes has upwards of 75 9th graders who will play 6 or 7 games this year. We also have approx 50 B Teamers who may dress with the varsity but who possibliy won’t get into Varsity action until the B Team season has ended. The secret to playing time is to get into the playoffs. Colquitt County, for instance, has played 43 ball games the past three years. That’s a lot of “PT.”

I’m sure very few – if any – head coaches “run up the score” on purpose.

Just saying.

alphadog

August 7th, 2012
10:48 am

If I’m a basketball player I transfer to Milton or Wheeler. If a running back I go to Walton, wide receiver to Lassiter. Where do I transfer to if I’m on the Debate Team?

WarEagle

August 7th, 2012
10:53 am

@hoot — I bet most of these transfers have nothing to do with playing time, or sports, at all. Most are because families move — to be closer to a new job, to be near other family, to be in a school district that provides better education, or for other life reasons. I think very few students transfer because they want to be on a better sports team — some do, and folks complain about it all the time, but I suspect that is the substantial minority.

CoffeeC100

August 7th, 2012
10:59 am

@ AVikingFan – I see where you’re going. If this list does indeed include Alabama transfers, (And I don’t see why it wouldn’t since it comes from enrollment records), it really pulls the ground out from under everyone tht has been on Probst’s butt about transfers. In fact it is really strange that Colquitt ranks in the bottome 10% of transfers among AAAAAA teams.

Maybe it’s a quality thing. Maybe all 5 of Colquitts transfers started on a state championship team in Alabama last year. (Little smiley face thingie)

DostaDawg

August 7th, 2012
11:01 am

Colquitt may have only had 5 “transfers”, but don’t even think about counting how many players move there every year from Bama. That school is a joke, Rush P is a recruiting guru that can’t develop talent but will do whatever it takes to win and that’s a shame.

different view

August 7th, 2012
11:09 am

How many are using sports as an excuse to get into a good school that otherwise is overcrowded and not accepting any other transfers, possibly arguably from better academic students or from ones in worse situations?

billyBobjacket

August 7th, 2012
11:10 am

Among the private schools, it appears that Greater Atlanta Christian stands out well above the other AA Atlanta area schools, and there seems to be an inverse relationship between academic standards and sports transfers. You see GAC up there at the top of the transfer list (anybody remember that really academically brilliant, mature, and well-behaved kid Caleb King who transferred to GAC a few years back…whatever happened to him?), I guess because they can admit pretty much anyone with their academics, whereas on the other hand you see Westminster and Marist down at the bottom of the sports transfer list but at the very top of the heap academically.

Todd Holcomb

August 7th, 2012
11:15 am

”Two questions. Does this list include students who transfer from another state? What is the cutoff date for 19 years olds to be eligible to compete in Alabama?”

Yes, the data does include transfers from out of state. Don’t know the age eligibility cutoff in Alabama, but I believe that it’s three months difference than in Georgia. Off the top of my head, you can turn 19 after May 1, 2012, in Georgia in be eligible. In Alabama, it’s around Aug. 1. So if I turned 19 on July 15, I’m eligible in Georgia, ineligible in Alabama. All of Colquitt County’s transfers were evaluated by the GHSA and declared legal.

amartin

August 7th, 2012
11:16 am

Investigate that the majority of students that transferred were majority AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATHLETES TRANSFERRING TO MAJORITY WHITE HIGH SCHOOLS..

50+ years of questionable history

August 7th, 2012
11:19 am

Hopefully the state will monitor the going’s on at Dalton, Calhoun and Buford. Enough already!

Hiram Abiff

August 7th, 2012
11:21 am

Enter your comments here

Hiram Abiff

August 7th, 2012
11:22 am

I know for a fact half of the transfers at Stockbridge live in Dekalb county and play football…..that guy(A.D./HFC) is a liar and a joke

South Ga Coach

August 7th, 2012
11:28 am

The misleading thing about this article is it makes it seem as if the 6,000 athletes are all that transfered to different schools this year. It also leads you to believe that they only transfered for athletic reasons. I have 3 basketball players that play on my travel team, all the 3 are transfering to new schools this year 2 because their parents got new jobs in different counties and 1 because of a custody situation due to divorce. I bet if they look at the overall number of transfers this school year, it will be clear that athletes are only a small percentage.

GFY

August 7th, 2012
11:30 am

alphadog:

I would suggest Banneker or Carver, Atlanta. You can have a debate each day with fellow students about whether you will be robbed or shot before end of year.

RiverdalePlease

August 7th, 2012
11:31 am

This report is bogus. There is no way students are transferring to Riverdale High School for sports (19). The school has one of the smallest sports programs. Don’t know where this information is coming from.

Newnan needs a coaching staff

August 7th, 2012
11:32 am

Hoot is so right. A lot of kids put in the work,time and never leave the sidelines. Newnan has a lot kids that are trying to leave. The coaches play maybe 20 -24 players in a whole game. They had 120 players last year. Now they have 70 and the numbers will get smaller. McDonald belongs in class A ball. Lets see him work with 25 players. Watch the other side of the fence, it could be worse.

GFY

August 7th, 2012
11:33 am

Anybody looked at Jeter from Wilkinson County and his basketball transfers?

Fan

August 7th, 2012
11:40 am

The article says nothing about students transferring solely for Athletic reasons because as most are thinking some of these schools aren’t exactly known for their sports. The powerhouse sports program of course you can question the “moves”. Most of the students just so happen to be athletes who were required to be cleared in order to compete.

Diane

August 7th, 2012
11:43 am

First, what is GHSF Daily (identified as your collaborator in reporting this data)? Also, you completely lost me with the paragraph that starts “I realize the rich get richer…” ??? You need to explain what he’s referring to with that statement and what buying and selling houses has to do with your story. Please.

tardawg

August 7th, 2012
11:45 am

The problem is really easy to solve if the transfer is because a student moved into the district, they are well within their right to play for that districts school, but if if a student is transferring for other reason make where they can’t do any other outside the classroom activities.The schools here have different academic classes some offer ROTC if that is why they transfer make it that ccan’t do no activities unless it’s the reason they transfer, believe me it used to be a good recruiting tool here but not its not because of the rule changes.

tardawg

August 7th, 2012
11:46 am

should be not now due to rule changes.

Misty

August 7th, 2012
11:57 am

I know for a fact there is a star basketball player that lives in my neighborhood, but she goes to school across town.

BASKETBALL MAN

August 7th, 2012
12:05 pm

The new king of recruiting is Eric Holland at Tift Co. Someone really needs to check all the new bball players eligibility very closely!!!

Tag

August 7th, 2012
12:16 pm

This is nuts.

6000 Families moved for this. What’s the world becoming????

BlacknGold24

August 7th, 2012
12:23 pm

Great article thanks Todd. Just maybe this will quite some of the critics of Rush Probst and the Colquitt program. It looks like Camden and the Valdosta schools are actually the real culprits in bringing in transfers to their program. I actually have no problem with a kid transfering in to a school as long as he meets the requirements. The Valdosta schools numbers may be higher due to the athletes parents being transfered in to Moody Air Force base. It is amazing how the success of a program will bring out the finger pointers. Colquitt is actually winning with less transfers than all the other schools.

SportsMama

August 7th, 2012
12:28 pm

This article is very misleading. It reads as though people are moving just for athletics, and honestly,I don’t think that is the case.

ALL TUCKERRED UP

August 7th, 2012
12:37 pm

I agree with WAR EAGLE the majority are just moving for family reasons. The small number that are moving for sports are the one that need to be restricted & monitorred.

woodrow

August 7th, 2012
12:43 pm

I think we should eliminate football from public schools. It is damaging to academic focus. I’d rather have smart students than football players. The smart students have value beyond entertainment.

ready for football

August 7th, 2012
12:48 pm

Man the Pelham Hornets in Class AA. I never thought I see the day.

DostaDawg

August 7th, 2012
12:52 pm

@ BlacknGold24 trust me these numbers are not 100% accurate Colquitt had 5 transfers on the Defensive side of the ball alone! Rush recruits Point blank period. A packer touchdown club member I’ve been friends with since the 90’s told me when they started summer workouts in June, they had 12 “transfers” this year from January too May alone all for football………….

disgusting

August 7th, 2012
12:59 pm

So these parents have a magic formula for selling their houses and getting their kid in football and basketball factory districts? While the rest of their neighbors have had houses on the market forever in this recession? Yeah right.
High schools are flat out recruiting kids, and others want to join the bandwagon.
It’s a very unethical side to high school sports. No morals.

and guess who pays for their homes, new jobs, etc.

August 7th, 2012
1:08 pm

And you thought there was some magical DNA in certain schools as to why some are good generation to generation? They cheat. These schools haven’t had a constant flow of magical talent born and raised in their district for generations. It’s impossible for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years going.
Lets see those transfer numbers decrease to legitimate family moves for work, etc and see how long it takes the traditional football factories to consistently have rotten years….not very long.

90% of parents don't have enough money to get up and move, so you have to wonder how

August 7th, 2012
1:14 pm

Perfect example (this year)…..Reuben Foster was bought and paid for to transfer to an Auburn, AL high school.
Although that one was fully financed by Auburn (puke) University .

?

August 7th, 2012
1:16 pm

Where did all these parents, whom many are dirt poor and on welfare, get money to move all of a sudden?

Todd Holcomb

August 7th, 2012
1:19 pm

This report does not say or insinuate that all of these moves were prompted by sports. It merely shows how many student-athletes are moving every year in Georgia. No one knows how many of the moves were related to sports.

Rick

August 7th, 2012
1:19 pm

Savannah Christian with 13 transfers last year and a state championship. They will tell you it was because of hard work. Yeah, right.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:20 pm

The average transfer number per school for a single sport or even multiple sports is more than my high school had in entire student body transfers in 4 years!!!!

Rick

August 7th, 2012
1:20 pm

Todd, if they filed for eligibility, then at least we know they were athletes.

Todd Holcomb

August 7th, 2012
1:24 pm

The comment from Gary Phillips that ”the rich get richer” is his decription of what happens when the families of good athletes move to schools with good athletic programs. Phillips was not speculating on how prevalent this is, but simply acknowledging that it does happen, and that there isn’t much that the GHSA can do about it except to make sure the moves are legal.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:25 pm

You mention all of these numbers are all athlete transfers, yet many transfers in normal society are not of the athletic student.
My guess is 90% of these transfers are for sport purposes.

Todd Holcomb

August 7th, 2012
1:26 pm

”Todd, if they filed for eligibility, then at least we know they were athletes.”

Yes, these are student-athletes. Any transfer student who appears on a varsity roster must be cleared by the GHSA. Schools must file paperwork on all transfers who play varsity sports.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:28 pm

Like I said before, I don’t remember my high school having that many transfers in 4 years, let alone one year!

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:29 pm

And in this economy….very strange

APS Parent #2

August 7th, 2012
1:31 pm

Grady, Therrell, Washington, South Atlanta and Carver are on your list above. Those who have kids in the competitive athletic programs (ie, football, basketball, track & field) in these schools know the truth.

Many of APS’ finest high school atheletes do not play for their zoned neighborhood school. APS may have shut the floodgate for kids who want to attend a higher performing academic school, but it left the backdoor open for athletic programs seeking to draw regional and state attention to APS atheletics. If you update the list for other sports, then check back in the winter for Mayes, Grady and South Atlanta basketball.

The new wave of fresh faced athletes ready to play for [fill in the blank APS high school] have been tapped by someone, usually an AAU or league coach, to play for a particular program.

Too bad for the kids who live in-zone who want get the opportunity to participate in sports. If the kids being recruited to these schools were taking academic seats, then wonder if the parents would let this happen? I doubt it. However, these parents like to watch a good football or basketball game and need a crop of talented kids to watch.

If APS wants to meaninfully enforce its policy, it should investigate ALL high school athletic transfers from out of the cluster in ALL clusters. If the student doesn’t have a file showing a feeder pattern from elementary, middle to the high school in the cluster, then the principal or a member of his staff should conduct an in-home visit over a weekend to congratulate the kid for a game well played on Friday night. If the kid isn’t at the address, then he/she should be thanked for the game and then sent packing back to his/her zoned high school.

APS needs to enforce its policies. That might help redistribute students populations more than the recent redistricting.

Todd Holcomb

August 7th, 2012
1:32 pm

”A packer touchdown club member I’ve been friends with since the 90’s told me when they started summer workouts in June, they had 12 “transfers” this year from January too May alone all for football………….”

This data is for 2011-12. Anybody who came since January that didn’t play winter or spring sports would not count.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:32 pm

What kind of restraints can the GHSA put on high school booster clubs?….some of them have grown larger than small college boosters.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:37 pm

Guess some of these principals have got their priorities straight? Forget about academics and truly preparing these kids for college schoolwork. Just get em ready on the football field and hope they get a scholarship, because they wouldn’t be prepared otherwise.

It's a joke

August 7th, 2012
1:39 pm

and APS should be abolished.

billyBobjacket

August 7th, 2012
1:44 pm

The principals, assistant principals, and AD’s are fully complicit in this, and in the overall glorification of sports success instead of and to the detriment of academic success. They host and hold these nauseating “signing” ceremonies where the dumb jock picks a hat from the football/basketball factory school from which he will likely never graduate, while the staff and students cheer and clap. Somewhere in that audience may be a kid going to Stanford, Harvard, Virginia, MIT, Northwestern, or some other great academic school after which he/she will go on to do great things that will benefit society, but the principal doesn’t know or doesn’t care, and would certainly never make an announcement about it in front of the whole student body.

billyBobjacket

August 7th, 2012
1:51 pm

Heaven forbid you recognize kids with brains instead of sports ability, because that might hurt someone’s “self-esteem”. Schools are scared even like to have separate classes for the bright kids for the same reason, although it is perfectly fine to cut the fat slow kid from the sports squad. I guess academic self-esteem and athletic self-esteem don’t count the same?

HS Coach

August 7th, 2012
1:51 pm

Everyone needs to understand that these numbers only show how many kids filed for eligibility as a transfer student under the GHSA rules. These numbers are somewhat inflated, because EVERY student athlete that moves in new to your school after 9th grade has to have eligibiltiy completed to play a varsity sport. My school completes this paperwork, BEFORE tryouts, as schools are supposed to. These numbers are the total number of these kids. Remember that EVERYY parent thinks their kid can play anywhere, so some of these 6,000 are bottom of the barrel athletes. Some are kids that were cut after completing eligibility paperwork, some are kids that may not have played but moved to a new school and are trying it for the first time, some are kids that quit football after picture day, and some are kids that didn’t get playing time at one school and moved to another, thinking the grass was greener. Make no mistake that some of these 6,000 make a difference where they go, but don’t be fooled into thinking all of them do.

APS Parent #2

August 7th, 2012
2:00 pm

@billyBobjacket. I had a high school friend who was recruited to play football at GaTech. He was a top student, top athlete, very handsome and a minority. When he got to Tech, they treated him like a king with wining and dining and girls. They didn’t care how he did in class as long as he was producing on the football field.

Decades later, he confessed that he’d been treated like a modern day house slave. He’d traded his academic career for the opportunity to wine, dine and play on football tv. He managed to graduate. In retrospect, though, he said he’d regretted not attending Tech on an academic scholarship and focusing on a true major. He was bitter. Very bitter.

BlacknGold24

August 7th, 2012
2:02 pm

@ DostaDawg

You guys were saying the same thing last year, and the numbers show you guys “recruited” more than Colquitt. Valdosta has recruited for years. It is amazing, that if anybody else has success in football other than the Valdosta schools, the whining in fingerpointing starts. The starting quarterback for the “CATS” is a transfer from Colquitt County, isn’t that ironic.

That Dude Says...

August 7th, 2012
2:04 pm

This report has me scratching my head. McIntosh had 29 transfers compared to only 1 at the crosstown school Starr’s Mill (even though SMHS has a Fayetteville address but is a Peachtree City school)? Starr’s Mill has a good football program while McIntosh is annually one of the worst in the state. Neither school is really good at boys basketball. They both are girls and boys powerhouses in soccer. 29 transfers to the older school and only 1 to the newer nicer crosstown school?

Hmmmmmm

August 7th, 2012
2:05 pm

@APS Parent #2

And whose problem is that….. The KIds, and maybe his parents! Who cares if he is bitter… It’s his fault. Period.

Shiloh

August 7th, 2012
2:11 pm

I don’t know many people transfering because of jobs. Companies these days do not pay for you to relo. It would cost too much to move for a job. Then you’d have to sell your house IF you can.

We are talking Varsity players, does it break it down by grade level? A sought after athlete could be a 9th grader and be on the Varsity team. So these are not necessarily 12th graders moving.

Lots of questions!

Let’s also not forget that kids that excell academically have parents that are not going to be moving them around their Jr or Sr year in high school. These kids have educated parents and are pretty stable.

I also know for a fact that GCPS will take anyone with a pulse from Dekalb. Kids from Lithonia going to South Gwinnett would not suprise me. Brookwood is not far from that side of Dekalb as well. GCPS picks and chooses how hard they look at addresses and rental agreements / house contracts. More kids in GCPS just means more federal dollars. Gwinnett has the highest foreclsure rate and houses are not selling, but yet GCPS keeps getting students.

A

August 7th, 2012
2:13 pm

What’s a War Eagle?

billyBobjacket

August 7th, 2012
2:23 pm

APS Parent #2: There have been enough Reggie Balls, Reuben Houstons, and Joe Hamilton’s at Tech for me to have long since given up any idea that the top minority athletes there are treated any differently than at any other school. It is a shame, because there are a number of these kids who really could succeed academically, but the schools don’t want them to be distracted from the real reason they are on scholarship, which is to put fannies in the seats and keep the booster checks rolling in. We all know the colleges have a huge financial stake in it, and while that does not excuse it, it does somewhat explain it. At the high school level, I really can’t see what great advantage there is to the school, other than for the administrators to get to have their ugly mugs on TV for their 15 seconds of fame, at least until the dismal academic performances get them fired. I guess if they keep the parents entertained with good sports teams they wont complain so much about the horrible education their kids are getting.

APS Parent #2

August 7th, 2012
2:31 pm

@Hmmmmm. As my moniker indicates, I am a parent. I do my best. I have learned from my mistakes & the mistakes of others.

My friend didn’t have a dad and his mother was uneducated. He was first generation college.

Are you really going to suggest that he or his parents are at fault? Really???????? If others share the same fate, then this is the way it works and all kids are thus to blame. But, you can feel good as you exploit these stupid athletes for making their poor decision-making in their academic arenas as long as you get to tailgate and drink your beers before a football game.

@billyBobjacket. I apologize. My point was not directed at Georgia Tech, but at college athletics in general. Practice happened to my friends who were recruited to Clemson and Michigan. Just part of the game it seems.

Hmmmmmm

August 7th, 2012
2:43 pm

Aps parent #2,

Yes, that’s what I am saying… As cruel as it sounds, when someone gives you a 100K dollar scholarship, it’s up to you to take advantage… I mean good grief, what is this world coming to…. Nobody was to be accountable for anything… PATHETIC.

Military Bases

August 7th, 2012
2:50 pm

If you look close at a lot of schools with real big transfer numbers are in areas with big military bases. Those kids don’t have a choice, they go where the family goes.

FridayNightLightsFan

August 7th, 2012
3:08 pm

@It’s a joke – I would say this economy would make it more likely someone would transfer. Parents move for jobs, stress on a family causing them to file for divorce and a student leaving with on parent or the other. People losing homes to foreclose. Other people finding a better deal on homes because of lower prices. There is any number of reasons people would move now.

rwdekalb

August 7th, 2012
3:42 pm

This has been going on for years. Most of the football transfers however have little impact on their particular teams with a few exceptions. The basketball transfers seem like they would have a greater impact on how a team does because of the smaller number of players needed to make a good team into a great team.

muddyhawg

August 7th, 2012
3:47 pm

@Dostadawg, I don’t know who you get your info from, but it is bad info. Every defensive player on this years team is either back from last year or came up through our school system. In fact we do not have any transfers this year. I know because I am very close to the coaches and involved in the program, have been for years. Why all the questions on Alabama transfers, no one questioned you guys about all the transfers you got over the years from other states. Any that have transfered into Colquitt, was cleared by the school system and the GHSA. I always admired Coach Hyder and have a great deal of respect for the Valdosta program. It just appears that some of you cannot stand it now that Colquitt is once again competitive. I pull for the Cats as long as they are not playing my Packers,always have. Good luck to the Cats this season I know you guys will represent as you always do.

dekalbcounty1

August 7th, 2012
4:22 pm

@woodrow everyone is NOT a book worm! What would HAPPEN if these boys had nothing to do!!!!

WILDHAWG2012

August 7th, 2012
4:25 pm

I don’t understand all the hate that Colquit is getting from tha Valdosta area. We respect every team in our region all the time and we pull for our region in the playoffs every year but we are the bad guys cause we have a pretty good coaching staff just like everyone else in our region!! I think we have had more coaches to transfer in than players. If not then it is a pretty close number but either way everyone should contribute our competative play to the progression not of our players but to our newly assembled coaching staff mixed with some home grown moultrie coaches. These guys get the kids ready and put in the write place to make plays so give them credit i know i do.

Carol

August 7th, 2012
5:55 pm

Wasn’t a coach fired because a student transferred to his school and it was said that he recruited the student? Seems like someone should get their job back.

DostaDawg

August 7th, 2012
6:01 pm

In the region championship game last year the players on the field that caught my eye, i later found out were ALL transfers. I didn’t even know Segraves was a transfer until my buddy told me but Willie W and S Washington were both one year rentals. I will say i’m very excited washington is coming here for college but very surprised he didn’t get a bigger offer. I respect Colquitt and always looked forward to going to play in the HawgPen especially my junior year.

furmanpaladindeathdealer

August 7th, 2012
6:10 pm

Big time recruiting going on. Only schools busted yet are bottom feeders, yet everyone knows what is really going on. Private school folks don’t have a district to draw from like a public school, so unless they want to go 0-10 every year, it probably behooves them to go find some players. Sadly, city schools and public school coaches where schools are located closely together have followed suit and are not trusting their coaching ability, and they are loading up with players for the seasons that lie ahead. For those who are drinking the Koolade about these families moving to another school because of finding a new job or because of divorce, you have been sold some ocean front property in Arizona. 95% is all about putting junior or missy in a school where he/she has a chance to be noticed and earn a scholarship, or win an elusive State Championship ring. When private schools played private schools, since by the very nature of not having an attendance area to draw from, they had to recruit, and no one could blame them for it. Since they were playing people who did the same thing they were doing, for the most part we had a level playing field. However, the rural, smaller schools in South Georgia are at a distinct disadvantage now since there are not 8 schools within a 12 mile radius of them as it is in the Atlanta area, hence they are not gaining players through recruiting. Some of these small schools in small towns are being penalized because they don’t draw people to want to move in because there is nothing but a red light there, not much jobs or industry. We got kids living in one district, but claiming to live in another district where they are playing. The GHSA does not have the manpower to show up 3-5 times to check on this in a 2 week period, some get their mail sent there and never live there. We need to get back to a level playing field. We need a rule in the state that anyone moving into a new school after the 9th grade must sit out one year before they become eligible, no matter what the reason. Sure, you can send your kid to the new school, and if it is for academics, fine. But too many times it is only to cherry pick the best teams to play on to get more exposure for their kids. It is something a parent should want to do, but the governing body must not allow them to do it. Not many kids after the 9th grade are going to sit out a year, expecially those that are very talented. This would do away witht the fictitious addresses that are abundant now, and it would give the GHSA with its limited staff time to ascertain if in fact the kid and his parents have made a bona fide move. At present, it is too easy for a parent and player to do the fictitious address stunt and gain immediate eligibility. Got to do something, the playing field is not longer level unless you get in the recruiting game also. Think they have a rule like this in Texas and Tennessee. How do we level the playing field? Think sitting out a year if you change schools and playing B-Team ball would seriously curtail kids changing schools as they are now. You got to make a hard and fast rule, because parents and kids who want to do this will come up with every reason under the sun that they should be allowed to do this.

Let Them Play

August 7th, 2012
6:37 pm

Adults are too caught up into sports and winning. If a child transfers to a new district he or she should be allowed to play. As someone mentioned, most of these transfers probably are more about going to a better academic school than the school having a good sports program. Most kids these days are well-rounded and play a sport. It’s a little harsh for them to lose a year of eligibility because their families are looking to better their future. Public and private schools are too caught up in putting banners on their gymnasium walls.

sting_em

August 7th, 2012
6:49 pm

Its High School sports people. I don’t care if they transfer. If they get a better look at a college scholarship at another school, then good for them. Don’t make them sit out a year. If the coaches can change jobs, then let the athletes move as well.

River Rats!

August 7th, 2012
7:03 pm

With virtually no academic credentials, it’s no surprise that Riverside Military Academy is the fastest revolving door in HS sports too.

Black

August 7th, 2012
7:11 pm

Gwa had more than one last year, hey had at least 3 in one sport

Camden74

August 7th, 2012
7:12 pm

BlacknGold24, you do realize there’s a Naval Base in Camden County, right? :-D

Tommydawg22

August 7th, 2012
8:21 pm

@Dostadawg….you need to look at your previous comments..one minute you say the whole defense was transfers..now its just willie and sharmaine…seavgraves came from white co ga…and we dont have any transfers this year

Passive for money's sake

August 7th, 2012
9:09 pm

Be honest, Gary Phillips and Swearingin, want everyone to believe that they are doing everything they can to stop this illeagal recruiting, however, we just had 4,000 plus transfers approved by GHSA as bona fide moves in the worst housing market in our lifetime. When the head of the GHSA states publicly that the goal of schools, teams, and coaches should not be championships then he clearly has a non athletic view ( I am being nice here, no cursing and name calling). Which in turn means he does not care about a tilted scale of fairness.

So the real question for Todd here is what does the data look like from years past (2 or 3 years) of how many transfers versus how many schools were penalized for illeagal recruiting in that same year?

I'm Keep it REAL

August 7th, 2012
10:13 pm

@APS Parent #2 You have no clue about Mays Basketball or Athletics… Coach Mack doesn’t recruit basketball player. If he did there would be know SW Atl christian basketball, all those kids would be at Mays…. along with the one zoned for Therrell but go to South Atlanta. Mays football definitely don’t recruit, they can’t get any of the star to come to HILL. Mays has a zoned WR at CarverATL who is beast. They lost another Beast to Whitefield Academy…. two sport star foot/basket ball.
In closiing if Dr. Smith deem you as GHETtoe, you will not be attending Mays. Dr. Smith has always closed transfers since he has been at Mays. If your address is wrong you want be in Columbia Blue & Maize. A Image to keep and Legacy to uphold… it is what it is.

BlacknGold24

August 8th, 2012
12:08 am

@ Camden74

BlacknGold24

August 8th, 2012
12:09 am

@ Camden74
I didn’t know there was a Naval base there, but it makes sense why Camden would have that many trnasfers.

Camden74

August 8th, 2012
12:18 am

Even with the transfers, the vast majority of Camden County Students and Student-Athletes are HOME GROWN……..Go Camden County Wildcats! :-D

Hubert Green

August 8th, 2012
12:30 am

For all those out there claiming recruiting and cheating, other than a good school, program, and coach, what does a school have to offer?

CoffeeC100

August 8th, 2012
3:18 am

Good grief folks. Relax!!! We get to enjoy high school football starting next weekend. Forget about all this routine information that has and will always exist. Enjoy and quit whining. My God. What a bunch of mostly irrevelant crap!!!

camdenfootball

August 8th, 2012
7:18 am

Camden is the only high school in the county, which is home to probably one of the biggest Navy Bases the country has. The turnover (transfers) are enormous and the children usually come along with their parents. I have no problem with the number of high schoolers who transfer in. But I can tell you that only a handfull wind up playing football, and of that number, none were actively recruited. So far, the impact has been minimal but we can only wish! Camden has a huge sports program and of the “31″, they are spread throughout the school. If we did recruit, I’m sure the Henry kid from Fernandina Beach, Florida would be playing for us!

LMAO

August 8th, 2012
8:19 am

“another comment” YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY DUMB! NO CLUE!

GhostAlDAvis

August 8th, 2012
11:57 am

Just WIN BABY!!!!!

observer

August 8th, 2012
2:49 pm

Schools with better programs will always attract more transfers than the poorer ones(with a few exceptions).It will always be more widespread in the more populous areas.As long as it is legal-get over it!The days of community based football is over except in the smaller more rual areas.The surprising thing about these stats is that some of the schools with the highest numbers are still losing.As for Reuben Foster(Troup Co)being Bought and paid for f by the Ala, school-who bought him last year when he came from Ala. to Troup?

Stephenson's Finest

August 8th, 2012
3:34 pm

will someone please tell me how gwinnett county gets away with the majority of their schools leading the state in transfers and they never get investigated, but stephenson is cast in that light every year. S gwinnett parkview grayson brookwood all hat double the # of transfers that stephenson has. oh my bad they have GHSA board members from gwinnett on their side. gotta love it.

Plowboy-Viking

August 8th, 2012
7:34 pm

Black and gold Shelby Wilkes transferred to colquitt from Thomas county then to Valdosta after cole sea graves transferred from white county

South GA Rules

August 9th, 2012
3:05 pm

I’m surprised the U of B Wolves only had 13 transfers! Of course, everyone knows they target middle schoolers (allegedly). I see that Marietta has a high number of transfers as well. Can we say that’s because Marietta has their OWN school system (just like U of B)?

Fact Finding Mission - Valdosta HS

August 9th, 2012
4:00 pm

Is cheerleading considered a sport? Valdosta High had 8 young ladies transfer from Lowndes to be cheerleaders. I wonder if these 8 young ladies are included in the 17 transfers Valdosta High had last year? Valdosta had 1 transfer (Shelby Wilkes) in football and 1(Keaunte Scruggs) in basketball that made any major differences in any varsity sport at Valdosta High.

Camden74

August 10th, 2012
12:15 am

Lots of SMOKE, where’s the FIRE? :-)

observer

August 10th, 2012
1:46 pm

At least these stats should stop some(or all)of the whining about the city schools.Buford with 13,Calhoun with 10,Carrollton with 13,Dalton with 13 etc.The massive transfers occur in the larger metro areas as indicated.This gives extra significance to schools such as Burke Co.&Peach Co. who it would appear play the homegrown talent.I feel that most all championships in AAA and above will be won by “stacked”teams.We cannot change this so lets go enjoy the season and not consider a state championship to be our only satisfaction with the game.

observer

August 10th, 2012
5:26 pm

oops-numbers wrong for Calhoun(6)&Carrollton(12).Sorry.Has anyone noticed the huge number of transfers at some schools which do not have good athletic teams?

Lonnie Combs

August 19th, 2012
12:04 am

At least one kid that transferred from another state is in an interesting “situation”…he came in and was immediately named a starter for Calhoun, while his father took over a college program in Macon. That’s a long commute for Dad! Or does he live with another family member? I bet that one of the Bibb County schools would have loved having an all state player on their team…If he does live with another family member, doesn’t that constitue “undue influence” if that family member just happens to be a coach there?

Pintocb

August 28th, 2012
10:40 pm

He lives in Calhoun, and yes, his dad commutes. I guess it’s “bad character” on their part to want to live near family……SMH