The Poway High baseball program has become so good in recent years that concerns have grown about how it got that way.
Has it been promoting a “big league philosophy” in which players are recruited and coaches charge players for private lessons?
The answer from Poway is there have been some incidents that may have fed that perception. But the school has addressed them appropriately, according to a letter sent to the California Interscholastic Federation's San Diego Section from Poway Principal Scott Fisher and Athletic Director Dan Crane.
The section's executive committee will review the letter Oct. 1 and decide whether the issues were properly handled.
“The two of us have met with the coaches on several occasions to emphasize the CIF concern that we are promoting a 'big league' philosophy,” the letter said.
Poway finished with a 31-6 record in the spring as the Titans won their second section title in three years. But some Poway parents were miffed after several transfer players entered the program, many of whom have had prominent roles on the team. Their arrival supplanted incumbent players, fanning the controversy.
The letter responded to concerns raised by the section about undue influence in recruiting transfers, private lessons taught on school grounds by coaches, and the blurred line between the high school team and Titan Baseball, a private club business managed by Poway coach Bob Parry.
Crane acknowledged that there had been pre-enrollment contact between assistant coaches and transfer players “through their own private (baseball) businesses.” But, he said, “at no time were any of these individuals recruited by our coaches.”
Parry referred questions to Fisher and Crane.
Bill McLaughlin, section assistant commissioner, said better disclosure of such contact is required.
“They don't truly understand the extent of what the state CIF means by pre-enrollment contact,” he said. “They're probably going to have to change their method of disclosing the types they have. The state interpretation is that it could be a parent or kids on the team, but all of that is required to be disclosed so the commissioner can determine if it rises to the level of undue influence and recruiting.”
Fisher said “at least one instance” was found in which a coach had used school grounds for private tutoring of a player. Using school facilities in a profit venture is against district rules without meeting insurance requirements and filing the necessary paperwork. The letter said it addressed the issue with the coaching staff Aug. 12.
The letter also addressed the “money” issues involving the school and club programs, including whether aspirants to the school baseball program were required to pay fees to participate. The letter said this perception stems from confusion between the public school program and the private club managed by the school's coach. Poway has recommended two separate Web sites be created to minimize confusion between the two.
Poway High has “coaches who run private hitting and pitching businesses, serving some PHS students out of season, students from other schools, and college/professional athletes,” the letter said. “They do not charge PHS athletes during their high school season of sport.”
Poway conducted several interviews with parents, coaches and administrators to address the CIF concerns.
“The investigation has proven to be positive in that we have been able to identify problems and rectify them,” the letter said. “It has become clear that some of them exist in other programs at PHS, as well as the fact that these are not issues isolated to Poway High. Nevertheless, it is our responsibility to address our issues; we have done so, and will continue to monitor them in the future.”
Brent Schrotenboer: (619) 293-1368; brent.schrotenboer@uniontrib.com
