PATHWAYS - Benefit or Hindrance?

[Scythe]

Many people might suggest that choosing to redo Year 12 again (Pathways) is a relatively new notion used by schools to retain valuable players who may be eligible for an additional season. However the option for boys to spread their final study load over two years has been in existence to my memory since post WWII when the curriculum was not as formalised and learning was less regulated - meaning that additional schooling could be a less expensive form of further education and gave boys an option to further apply themselves for more specific tertiary entrance examinations.

However what has come to light unanimously - is the amount of boys being encouraged - despite their academic ability - to remain in the schooling system for an additional year either for the schools benefit or their own - gaining further recognition through additional fixtures and state/national representative honours. The academic benefits are almost only existent for boys with learning difficulties, poor academic records or for extremely committed sportsman but with several current and past Wallabies being doctors, lawyers and successful businessmen - balance between sport and academics is achievable and may in fact enhance the playing career of an individual

With this in mind, do we think gifted sportsmen should spend another year in the schools system or should they be thrust into the world of adult rugby? For their own development - you would probably say that the higher the standard the better, however the representative path can yield several contractual opportunities.

Please talk about your thoughts on whether or not pathways is indeed a good option for upcoming stars


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[sarcophilus]

Schoolboy football is an u/18 comp, Which ever way pathways is undertaken, there is still two years of U20 available before grade is compulsory if a football career is continued.

Pathways may well be a way of closing the gap in the footfall that appears between school and grade. An extra year of "green-housing" before being thrust into the desert of adult anonymity. before they turn up to a club and have some St ......'s college twat nudge his mates and point out his new "muse".

most players would need to find a sponsor to support them through the wilderness years or, in the absence of such sponsors pathways goes some way to providing a link and an opportunity to develop and maintain their skills. The level of game between School Boys and U 20s changes significantly and will have as much to do with individual commitment and belief as opportunity.

I do get confused by the flow diagrams produced to describe the ARU Pathways, I think Top Cat suggested the Rugby league Flow chart was very simple to follow.... who would have guessed that.....
maybe there has to be more roads leading to clubland and Clubland than getting hung up in the Super rugby/wallabies fantasy

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The first thing is that to make it worthwhile for rugby you have to be young enough and if you're young enough perhaps you are not mature enough to leave the coddling school environment but failing that i cannot understand any read blooded male or female wanting to spend another year at school.
If you're scared of the big wide world rather than bursting to give it a shot then school is the place for you.

 

[Scythe]

I still think playing even at colts level is of a far better standard thank school boys ! Surely I would encourage all players to play the rugby that is at the highest level but the points you guys raise are valid

Is there a list of prominent players on pathways we can muster for some of the schools in 2014 ?


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[Inside Shoulder]

I still think playing even at colts level is of a far better standard thank school boys ! Surely I would encourage all players to play the rugby that is at the highest level but the points you guys raise are valid

Is there a list of prominent players on pathways we can muster for some of the schools in 2014 ?


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I agree and i think that the longer you put off the day when you have to play in front of 3 mean and a dog the harder it gets

 

[Scythe]

Let's see if we can put some players together doing pathways this year


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[sarcophilus]

consensus may suggest it's no ones business but their own.

I still think playing even at colts level is of a far better standard thank school boys ! Surely I would encourage all players to play the rugby that is at the highest level but the points you guys raise are valid

Is there a list of prominent players on pathways we can muster for some of the schools in 2014 ?

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as for the difference in quality of colts and school boys, maybe at 1st grade v 1st XV there would be, how did the trial between Manly colts and Scots go last year, for any forwards and in particular front rowers there is (not particularly onerous) testing and associated paperwork to play two age groups above your natural classification, I don't know if the laws change significantly with the new scrum sequencing.

two years of muscle bone and mind hardening is still significant at this age

 

[Scythe]

consensus may suggest it's no ones business but their own.



as for the difference in quality of colts and school boys, maybe at 1st grade v 1st XV there would be, how did the trial between Manly colts and Scots go last year, for any forwards and in particular front rowers there is (not particularly onerous) testing and associated paperwork to play two age groups above your natural classification, I don't know if the laws change significantly with the new scrum sequencing.

two years of muscle bone and mind hardening is still significant at this age

Most of the boys doing pathways are the elite in their age group or aspiring professionals so normally I think the size issues aren't as significant

If you look at j-deb from trinity now contracted to the rebels - he was already bigger than most 12s in the school boy competition when he was at under 18 level despite being at 10



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[Runner]

Educational pathways are grea for kids as Scythe suggests in particular circumstances.

Many boys are too old to play in some school / state ( Waratah Shield) based competitions in their 3rd year so sit out the school games anyway. It does help them educationally.

 

[Scythe]

Still anyone that can provide us with names of boys on pathways ?


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[formerflanker]

Having taught and coached at a school that offers pathways, my opinion is that the decision to do Year 12 over 2 years depends on the emotional maturity of the boy. However, most boys who play 1st XV rugby develop both physically and emotionally during the intensive period of rugby at school and should move on to Colts or Grade when they finish a one-year Year 12 and not spread it over 2 years. The same applies to other sports such as basketball. In a limited number of cases, a boy may need additional education, help with certain subjects, or time to mature intellectually and emotionally.
Pathway students who stay on for an extra year to bring greater prestige to their school's sporting results do so to their own disadvantage. Their friendship group moves on and they are generally left alone in their final year; their peers get better on the field under tougher playing conditions; and their move into business/uni/etc is delayed and their peers get a year's advantage.
I don't think that today's young guns have done pathways. It would be a great research project for a level 3 coaching candidate!

 

[sarcophilus]

How does this differ from someone being asked to repeat year 10 at a new school as a student swaps under scholarship arrangements. A u/16 player/student that would be going into year 11 is asked to join a new year 10 cohort
I know of this occurring in several cases and at several schools

as for school mates... most disappear as paths diverge, and may or may not realign at any-time in the next 50-60 years of real life

Pathways is another choice or opportunity for those it is available to, like the "you should only give your babies breast milk" or the one size that I use fits all and is the only obvious intelligent choice for eveyone of any discussion.

i always get confused by the rhetorical questions with a screamingly obvious answer (a conversational technique that seems readily employed by South Africans) as I more often then not don't guess what their obvious answer is and confirm for each other that we both think the other a twit.

 

[formerflanker]

Sarcophilius: yes, the "repeating a year" model is the same irrespective of the year being year 10 or 12. Both have the same goal - build a better team. I don't think a boy's journey through school should be delayed to suit the school's sporting needs.