Millrose H.S. Mile

Chantelle Dron, the fastest H.S. miler/1500 runner returning this year, probably won’t be eligible to enter the Millrose H.S. mile, most prestigious indoor race for high schoolers, because she is home schooled. Only high schoolers “sanctioned” by their state governing authorities are eligible.

Among her credentials are placing 2d in the USATF Juniors 1500 and 2d in the Pan Am Junior (after a PR 4:22.08 in the heats). Dron may also not be eligible for the Nike or the National Scholastic meets (indoor or outdoor). Is this ridiculous or a justified application of the rules. Since there appears to be a trend to more home schooling, this situation may arise more frequently.

[6 5.5hjsteve]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

sorry, but I cannot resist the opportunity to make a social comment here, hope I do not offend anyone:

Home schooling is not a good thing. Parents that do it are only shielding their children from the Real World.

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

Yep, sure screwed me up good, look, i can't even use proper grammar now. seriously steve, is actually learning something during your formative years such a bad thing? Our esteemed public schools sure aren't doing much in that department, that's why you see so many people homeschooling their kids now. and yes, it is a shame that there are so many restrictions on homeschooled kids sporting participation. who knows, maybe i could have made footlocker when i was in high school, had i been given the chance. maybe not but, point is, i was denied the opportunity simply because my mother chose to give me the best education available in our town. last time i checked, this country is supposed to give everyone an "equal" opportunity, heck, even arnie. now obviously millrose is a private entity and they can do whatever they want but, it would be sad to not see the best of the best in the race. how about this, what would the national spelling bee be like without homeschoolers (who've won the overall more times than i can remember)? sorry to digress into social commentary but i didn't start it.

CH.

[6 5.5hjsteve]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

and I am not going to finish it. It's a free country. 'Nuff said.

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

Christian, I respect your opinion. I do however want to correct one thing you wrote. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals research, most kids are homeschooled for religious reasons or 'lack of religion in public schools'. This may not have been your situation, but I did think that point should be made. Personally, I find it strange people would want to participate in only the parts of public school or any other organization that fits their individual needs without contributing or being part of the entire experience. I'll pass along to my boss what parts of the job I will perform tomorrow. Again, this is not aimed at you in any way, just giving an alternate opinion to stimulate discussion. Like Steve, I will drop it at this point. Good luck with your running. Keep at it! Your improvement should be encouraging.

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

With all due respect for social and political views, could we get the discussion back to who is eligible to run in high school races.

I think Millrose has a great opportunity to market these H.S. races and to attract new and young fans. I think these races should include the best runners of H.S. age, no matter where they go to school.

With all the discussion of how to raise the profile of track and field, here is one meet with a great tradition that can do something about it. Yet, this meet has to abide by some arcane eligibility rules.

I think Chantelle Dron is an extraordinary talent and it would be great to match her against the defending champion Nicole Blood. This is what track and field should be all about. I think we should straighten out this "sanctioning" stuff, so young talent is not denied the opportunity to compete at high levels.

[6 5.5hjsteve]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

banked track, I sure agree with that. In an "open" meet such as Millrose should be, any and all high-school age persons should be able to compete. At the same time, a high school -age athlete should NOT be allowed to compete in official High School meets, for the simple reason that they are not students at the school ! As someone else spoke it, if a student and/or parents choose not to avail themselves of the educational facilities offered, they have to take the bitter with the better.But to repeat, in "open", non-NYHSAA ( or whatever it is ) events, LET 'EM RUN !!

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

Banked Track:

The one thing you haven't IDed here that's crucial to any sturm und drang is just who is responsible for saying no. Millrose management? National Federation? NY State Federation?????? Gotta know which target to shoot at.

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

Old Millrose programs listed the states that sanctioned the H.S. races so I would assume each state from which there is a participant.

I read in Dick Patrick's USA Today's column that the new owners of the meet want to better promote the meet and streamline the schedule. What better way to promote than to get ALL top H.S. milers in the country together in ONE RACE.

Skip Stolley is quoted as saying he wants to use the Garden track in other arenas in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. I wonder if he realizes that the Garden track, because its configuration to fit the Garden floor, is one of the tightest-radius 11-lap track. It's got more straighaway yardage than curve yardage.

Where is the San Diego track (where Eamon Coughlin set his first World indoor mile record and Steve Scott set the still standing AR) when we needed it?

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

>sorry, but I cannot resist the opportunity to
>make a social comment here, hope I do not offend
>anyone:

Home schooling is not a good thing.
>Parents that do it are only shielding their
>children from the Real World.

It's important to get the kids out and have them socialize - HOWEVER - the test scores, including SAT scores, of home schooled children are far, far higher on average than those of kids in public schools. Most public schools have become PC indoctrination factories, with materials dumbed down to the lowest levels, to cater to the unintelligent. Take a look at CA. The public schools cater to the least successful, the least intelligent.

That said, let the kid run!

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

>Old Millrose programs listed the states that
>sanctioned the H.S. races so I would assume each
>state from which there is a participant.>>

That must mean that somebody at the NY end has a rule that the people have to be cleared by their state fed, but since Dron isn't under the state fed.......

[6 5.5hjsteve]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

it is a true but totally misleading fact that home schooled kids have higher test scores than the general population. Well, duh ! Parents that take their kids home for home schooling, be it for releigious reasons or otherwise, if nothing else, care about their kids and surely as a lot are better educated, etc. than the general population . What does that prove ? What it certainly does NOT prove is that their academic performance or test scores are better than they would have been if they had stayed in public school.

If poeple want to argue the merits of home schooling they cannot use a comparison of test scores as a reason.

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

The question about whether home-schooled children should be allowed to compete in their state's sanctioned events come down to this...

Are the students and their parents willing to follow the same rules of competition that are established by the state association?

Many, if not most, states do not allow practices or competition on Sunday. If the parent is to serve as the coach, then they should not proactice on Sunday.

Many, if not most, states forbid athletes to compete in non-school events in-season. So, the home-schooled distance runner would not be allowed to run in the local road race during cross-country season.

There are probably several other examples, but the point is this... If a home-schooled student wants to compete against traditional student-athletes in state competition, they should be required to follow the exact same set of rules that everyone else must follow.

[Natasha]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

That's ridiculous CAH. She should be allowed to run regardless of what she does or doesn't do on Sundays.

[phil]

Re: Millrose H.S. Mile

i may be delirious but.........

if, if, if she is of the proper age --- not too old, then home schooling should not be a problem and she should be allowed to run....