Valley High School Recruiting????

It's highschool sports, does it really matter?

If a group of talented kids want to play at the same HS together to increase their chance of exposure to college coaches, so be it. I don't see what the problem with that is.
 
Ballard girls from Australia

And it is just a coincidence that Ballard always seemed to have girls from Australia on their basketball team who could really play well. I don't know if there is a legitimate explanation, but it certainly looks fishy.
 
News flash people, this isn't just sports. Parents move their kids to better schools for any number of reasons. There are far more open enrollment situations due to academics than athletics. Why aren't people complaining about that?

This is all the discussion you need on this thread. Regardless if you think Valley recruits, it's not much of a stretch to say that WDM has a far superior school system to DSM public.

I encourage you to watch Waiting for Superman.
 
It's highschool sports, does it really matter?

If a group of talented kids want to play at the same HS together to increase their chance of exposure to college coaches, so be it. I don't see what the problem with that is.

Seriously. How ridiculous is this topic on an ISU board. If these are the means that brought Valley, Dowling, Ankeny, etc. kids to us who cares?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I though the decision was to split the grades, not the students. So there is no South Ankeny, North Ankeny rivalry - it's still Ankeny. This still keeps the athletics together as one community, and no offense, they were definitely worried about state titles for the sports programs.

Allow me to correct you.:wink:

Ankeny will have two schools (like Iowa City does) and they most certainly will be rivals. They already have mascots and team colors, and will begin play in 2013.

The Northern School will be called "Ankeny Centennial High School" (after the fact that 2013 will mark the 100th year of public education in Ankeny or something) and the southern high school will retain the name "Ankeny High School". They will remain the Hawks. Centennial will be the Jaguars (Personally, I prefer the "New North Ankees", complete with pinstripes, but that's just me being a goofball.)

My guess is that, in sports, it will be somewhat like when Iowa City West opened. West used to be terrible in football, and City High was the strong one, but, as the new school got its footing, it competed (and now, for the most part, is the stronger one).

And Ankeny's fiercest rival will be in-town.

What I don't know is if the school sizes will be small enough to be 3A, or if both will remain in 4A. I imagine it will be the latter, with both schools being weak sisters for a year or two.
 
Allow me to correct you.:wink:

Ankeny will have two schools (like Iowa City does) and they most certainly will be rivals. They already have mascots and team colors, and will begin play in 2013.

The Northern School will be called "Ankeny Centennial High School" (after the fact that 2013 will mark the 100th year of public education in Ankeny or something) and the southern high school will retain the name "Ankeny High School". They will remain the Hawks. Centennial will be the Jaguars (Personally, I prefer the "New North Ankees", complete with pinstripes, but that's just me being a goofball.)

My guess is that, in sports, it will be somewhat like when Iowa City West opened. West used to be terrible in football, and City High was the strong one, but, as the new school got its footing, it competed (and now, for the most part, is the stronger one).

And Ankeny's fiercest rival will be in-town.

What I don't know is if the school sizes will be small enough to be 3A, or if both will remain in 4A. I imagine it will be the latter, with both schools being weak sisters for a year or two.


I thought the new high school they just built is Centennial, which is the South school?
 
I thought the new high school they just built is Centennial, which is the South school?

I might be wrong (it gets confusing) but they are actually building TWO new high schools in new locations. The old high school is going to be a middle school. The northern most new high school building will be Centennial.

Is that any clearer?

P.S. JV has already been divided into two teams.

P.P.S. Here are the locations of the two schools:

All north feeder system 10th-12th graders attend the new Ankeny Centennial High School (2220 NW State Street)

All south feeder system 10th-12th graders attend the new Ankeny High School (1155 SW Cherry St., Prairie Trail Development)
 
Last edited:
I might be wrong (it gets confusing) but they are actually building TWO new high schools in new locations. The old high school is going to be a middle school. The northern most new high school building will be Centennial.

Is that any clearer?


Gotcha. I lived in Ankeny last year right by the new high school but I had no idea they were building a second one. Makes sense now.
 
Gotcha. I lived in Ankeny last year right by the new high school but I had no idea they were building a second one. Makes sense now.

The "First" New HS (Ankeny High) is probably what you are talking about. South side of town by fire station.
The "Second" (Centennial) is just NW of Prairie Ridge sports complex.
Identical floorplans other than 1 has a shop and one doesn't I guess
 
  • Like
Reactions: IowaSTATCyclone
Allow me to correct you.:wink:

Ankeny will have two schools (like Iowa City does) and they most certainly will be rivals. They already have mascots and team colors, and will begin play in 2013.

The Northern School will be called "Ankeny Centennial High School" (after the fact that 2013 will mark the 100th year of public education in Ankeny or something) and the southern high school will retain the name "Ankeny High School". They will remain the Hawks. Centennial will be the Jaguars (Personally, I prefer the "New North Ankees", complete with pinstripes, but that's just me being a goofball.)

My guess is that, in sports, it will be somewhat like when Iowa City West opened. West used to be terrible in football, and City High was the strong one, but, as the new school got its footing, it competed (and now, for the most part, is the stronger one).

And Ankeny's fiercest rival will be in-town.

What I don't know is if the school sizes will be small enough to be 3A, or if both will remain in 4A. I imagine it will be the latter, with both schools being weak sisters for a year or two.

This is kind of why I was thinking it was just splitting the grades. I wasn't sure Ankeny was big enough to split completely yet still compete at that class level. Maybe they're "grandfathered" in with the assumption that it will continue to grow and eventually be back to the prominence that it was.

Again, I give credit where it's due as I know how proud Ankney is of their athletics. A gutsy move, but one that I think will elevate the competition around here. Kind of why I despise Valley so much. They've become hoarders to some degree.

Even so, like I mentioned earlier, I understand the logic of parents and athletes wanting the best opportunity to experience the most success. When looking at enrolling our daughter in gymnastics 6 years ago, I looked at the one place that I knew already had a junior Olympic champion which might provide the best opportunity for her as she gets older. Granite, she was 3 at the time.

Unfortunately you see the inner schools suffer to some degree. Im actually blown away by the success that Lincoln had this year, but in general our Des Moines schools suffer from these type things. If I recall, didn't Hoover have to cancel a team this year as there weren't enough kids playing.....that shouldn't happen.
 
As long as there is a transfer penalty (like transferring schools for college sports) then I don't see what the big deal is. Kids should get to do whatever they feel will get them to the next level. I understand that this will come at the expense of other schools who lose athletes and students but it is part of life.

Look at our men's basketball team---every one of those kids either went to prep schools/switched high schools or tranferred in to ISU because it wasn't working out for them or they wanted a new opportunity for themselves. In each of these situations, it was either to get to the next level, coaching changes, playing time, etc.
 
This is kind of why I was thinking it was just splitting the grades. I wasn't sure Ankeny was big enough to split completely yet still compete at that class level. Maybe they're "grandfathered" in with the assumption that it will continue to grow and eventually be back to the prominence that it was.

Again, I give credit where it's due as I know how proud Ankney is of their athletics. A gutsy move, but one that I think will elevate the competition around here. Kind of why I despise Valley so much. They've become hoarders to some degree.

Even so, like I mentioned earlier, I understand the logic of parents and athletes wanting the best opportunity to experience the most success. When looking at enrolling our daughter in gymnastics 6 years ago, I looked at the one place that I knew already had a junior Olympic champion which might provide the best opportunity for her as she gets older. Granite, she was 3 at the time.

Unfortunately you see the inner schools suffer to some degree. Im actually blown away by the success that Lincoln had this year, but in general our Des Moines schools suffer from these type things. If I recall, didn't Hoover have to cancel a team this year as there weren't enough kids playing.....that shouldn't happen.

Both will be 4A.
 
It's highschool sports, does it really matter?

If a group of talented kids want to play at the same HS together to increase their chance of exposure to college coaches, so be it. I don't see what the problem with that is.

I would tend to agree.
 
Because college kids are the only ones who head for greener pastures.
See: Coaches, employees, divorce rate, etc

So lack of commitment transcends sports-- is that even more of a reason to encourage high school aged kids to back out on commitments? Teaching high school kids that athletic success is more important than the notion of sticking out a commitment-- that's wonderful parenting.
 
I forgot all about that. Any idea whatever came of that guy? It was the head football coach and his son was the star QB

I believe nothing happened to the guy....very surprised to hear that he did that though because he was a nice guy outside of coaching...kinda like if I knew Paterno when all that **** went down.:shocked:
 
I know the educational system is better in Iowa than Chicago, but don't people ever go to private school because they think they are getting a better education?
 
If the parents/guardians truly move into the West Des Moines district and/or all of the open enrollment guidelines are followed, what is the problem? Who can blame them, and why shouldn't they have the freedom to move and go to school where they want?

It's only "recruiting" if Valley initiated the contact. Is Valley contacting kids and convincing them to come to Valley? Find out that happened and then you've got something.

Read your 1st paragraph, then your 2nd. they are horizonally opposed.

Even IF valley asked a kid to come to their school, IF everything is kosher regarding residence and paperwork, it's still ok I would think.
 
Originally Posted by cyclonestate
This is why I admire Ankeny for their decision to go with two smaller high schools instead of one huge high school. Unlike West Des Moines, our community chose to do what is best for the kids instead of worrying about all the state titles our football and basketball teams will miss out on.

You have GOT to be kidding me. Gag me with a spoon! Let us all sit around the campfire, hold hands and sing "Kumbayah" shall we? When Ankeny with two of the smaller schools in 4A starts to get their a$$es handed to them time and time again from schools they regularly beat for the last 30 years then come and talk to me.

There will be very few Championships garnered by ankeny in the foreseeable future........ Ask, Newton!!! IB