IMG discussion thread

[ellitor 33,086]

So if a kid/parents attends IMG to maximize his football future, his interest is solely on getting a P5 offer.

And once he gets there his interest will be the NFL.

Guess I'm old school...I just don't see any loyalty to the high school or college.

Most kids going to IMG already have P5 offers. The big benefit to transferring is development. They have better facilities, training, & in most cases coaching than where they transferred from. IMG don't slack on academics either though.

[cole256 17,043]

So if a kid/parents attends IMG to maximize his football future, his interest is solely on getting a P5 offer.

And once he gets there his interest will be the NFL.

Guess I'm old school...I just don't see any loyalty to the high school or college.

I'm not understanding the loyalty to the high school stuff

[ShocksMyBrain 9,363]

So if a kid/parents attends IMG to maximize his football future, his interest is solely on getting a P5 offer.

And once he gets there his interest will be the NFL.

Guess I'm old school...I just don't see any loyalty to the high school or college.

I'm not understanding the loyalty to the high school stuff

Same. I have no intentions of ever returning to my high school or attending any of their athletic events.

[bigbird 60,501]

To continue the IMG hijack. Here is what we are doing about it.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2016/04/07/texas-high-school-football-coaches-back-words-img-academy-texas-2016

[ellitor 33,086]

To continue the IMG hijack. Here is what we are doing about it.

http://sportsday.dal...demy-texas-2016

I don't see any founded complaint in there. I see the complaints but don't see the whys which is what I am interested in. Sounds like it's more about Texas pride which there is nothing wrong w/ that given Texas does have the best HS football. I still don't see the problem playing IMG. Since they don't play for championships or keep their opponents from playing for championships it's basically a glorified exhibition game against really good competition that allows opponents to see where the team & individual players are at.

[bigbird 60,501]

Here is another that was sent out earlier

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2016/02/22/thsca-president-says-floridas-img-academy-destroy-profession

[aujeff11 6,243]

Here is another that was sent out earlier

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2016/02/22/thsca-president-says-floridas-img-academy-destroy-profession

Those are legit complaints but there really is nothing the high school coaches can do about it, legally anyway.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

I can totally see the complaint in football hotbeds like the South East and Texas, but just to give another side to this, places like where I grew up, the odds of a kid getting a shot at a decent college were slim to none, because the coaches were often also the history teacher, facilities were non-existent, and the competition wouldn't last a quarter playing a decent football team. However, there is talent in the area (Braden Smith and Steven Clarke are from within an hour of where I grew up, for instance), the kids just needed to be properly coached and given the opportunity. So, a place like IMG gives kids from those areas a place to possibly build a future. The key is getting IMG to find as many or more of the diamonds in the rough as they recruit star players out of places that are already taking good care of them.

[ellitor 33,086]

Here is another that was sent out earlier

http://sportsday.dal...troy-profession

Those are legit complaints but there really is nothing the high school coaches can do about it, legally anyway.

Yup. Just not schedule them like they are doing.

I look at the whole thing from a player's perspective and can give a hypothetical. I went to Prattville which is one of the bigger & best known schools in Alabama. I also graduated w/ the current HC & DC there. I know them as men & coaches. They are great men but are average coaches IMO. If I had a son playing for them that IMG wanted & my son was ok not playing for championships I would be ok with that if I could afford it. Even though only 1.6% of high school kids make the NFL I'm ok w/ my kid going to chase his dream by going to get better coaching, development, & training because I also feel IMG (like most private schools) would allow my kid to thrive academically preparing him for college even if football is not there in college.

[telling tiger 156]

High schools exist for every conceivable interest a kid can have. Alabama School of Fine Arts as an example, who also have a school focused on science and math, as well. Tennis academies and swimming are 2 other examples. IMG can only handle so many students at a time, overall when you only have 3 students from someplace as large as Texas, it is a negligible overall effect, imo.

I understand the state HS athletic association fighting it, they are free to share their opinion. They aren't free to control the choices of kids and their parents.

As someone else said, such a small percentage go on to the NFL, still could be good college prep and aid in preparation for careers as coaches, sports management, even something like representing other athletes as agents,, athletic department management..

Such small numbers. Just don't see the need for all the sound and fury.

[triangletiger 1,599]

I predict that in the not-too-distant future, there will be multiple private schools created across the country following the IMG Academy mold and they will schedule games against each another.

[telling tiger 156]

Triangle, I don't see that as unrealistic. Think it will be somewhat of a slow process, might be something where many people want to see the results of another academy environment before diving in head first. Somewhat surprising it hasn't started somewhere else already.

[ellitor 33,086]

Triangle, I don't see that as unrealistic. Think it will be somewhat of a slow process, might be something where many people want to see the results of another academy environment before diving in head first. Somewhat surprising it hasn't started somewhere else already.

You know it just finally dawned on me why the Texas HS coaches are worried places like IMG could ruin the game. It's a form of travel ball like AAU is in basketball. As dirty as recruiting can be in football it's even worse in basketball because of apparel companies pushing kids on their AAU teams to colleges that use those apparels. The idea of Nike & UA having travel ball teams in high school football is very Yucky to say the least.

[telling tiger 156]

IMG already has a nice UA logo on those uni's.

I see how it could be a problem in the future. I don't think it's at saturation point yet. Also, not every parent is going to sign on with letting a kid 14,15,16 and 17 go cross country to school.....Using Texas as an example. They have literally ten's of thousands of HS football players...Three kids from Texas are in IMG.....a % so low, unnecessary to even state.

[ellitor 33,086]

IMG already has a nice UA logo on those uni's.

I see how it could be a problem in the future. I don't think it's at saturation point yet. Also, not every parent is going to sign on with letting a kid 14,15,16 and 17 go cross country to school.....Using Texas as an example. They have literally ten's of thousands of HS football players...Three kids from Texas are in IMG.....a % so low, unnecessary to even state.

And I'm sure power schools in Texas do their own recruiting good players from small schools like every power school in every state.

[telling tiger 156]

Yep, look at Brentwood Academy, Nash metro....they do the same thing. Hoover? Uh...yeah.....Highest paid non-admin Hoover School system employee? Josh Niblett, football coach.

[ellitor 33,086]

Yep, look at Brentwood Academy, Nash metro....they do the same thing. Hoover? Uh...yeah.....Highest paid non-admin Hoover School system employee? Josh Niblett, football coach.

My Prattville Lions did it too when Bill Clark was HC.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

You identify a math wiz kid and offer them an opportunity to move to an advanced class so their wings are not clipped doing regular math in an average class. No difference.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

Advanced math class is still in his same school and community. Plus he still lives at home with his parents. Some difference.

[telling tiger 156]

If they go to a math or science academy, like ASFA in Alabama....they are not specifically still at home...

Some kids can handle it, some can't..............you can't know the answer for every child in the country. Nor can someone command they know what's best for everyone else.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

That's true.

[around4ever 4,139]

The state of Alabama has two of these athletic factories. Albeit, to a lesser extent, Madison Academy and UMS Wright are private schools that excel in all sports. They recruit and offer scholarships. They do play in the AHSAA system and compete for titles. The athletes at these two schools are offered the opportunity to get a top notch education also. Most do take advantage of the opportunity. These two institutions can't be compared to IMG but as I stated, to a lesser extent they are athletic factories.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

For those that are downing IMG, please take a look at the place before you shun them. I hope you are all aware that football there is relatively new. For those that say the kids are coached up before they get there have no clue what goes on there. They have great coaches for all of their sports, Dieticians, strength training by credentialed folks and yes they get an education and have a choice in that education. So please spare the moaning about them and learn something more than what you read on an internet board and believe the negative crap posted about them. They actually help kids get to the pros in different sports and a lot of these kids are driven and want it. They also produce a lot of tennis players, soccer players and baseball players. They get better training in sports than most of the high schools in the country once you include the nutrition, physical training specialized for their sport and training/coaching in that sport....

[AUEngineer2016 407]

Quite honestly, I don't see why IMG is such a problem. If I had a son who was a high 4* or 5* recruit and could afford it, you bet that I'd send him there. Why? Because that is where he's going to get the best coaching, the best facilities, and learn how to play on a team where he may not be the superstar.

How is sending a child to IMG any different from me going to a private school for High School? Or kids going to a place like MBA in Tennessee? It's not. One is more focused on athletics, one on academics. Other than that fact, they are identical business models.

[JFDTiger80 790]

Quite honestly, I don't see why IMG is such a problem. If I had a son who was a high 4* or 5* recruit and could afford it, you bet that I'd send him there. Why? Because that is where he's going to get the best coaching, the best facilities, and learn how to play on a team where he may not be the superstar.

How is sending a child to IMG any different from me going to a private school for High School? Or kids going to a place like MBA in Tennessee? It's not. One is more focused on athletics, one on academics. Other than that fact, they are identical business models.

I do not think the 4 and 5 star players are paying. They are on scholarship. Not many can afford their crazy tuition cost that may be north of 60k per year.