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School sporting scholarships/recruitment

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
I have read on numerous posts in this thread terms and descriptions such as 'advantage' and 'old school tie' etc etc many times relating to these scholls. I didnt go to a GPS school, I went to a Catholic 'bush' school. If anybody has the time could some one actually explain to me what the advantages are that kids get from these schools? I work with people every day from all walks of life, I cant seem to find anything that sets people who went to GPS schools apart from any one else. Some a great blokes, some are tossers, some a smart, some are not, some are great athletes, some are fat slobs. I really dont see much 'advantage', could some one enlighten me please?
 

CTPE

Nev Cottrell (35)
Bearing in mind that 1st XVs often comprise players from Years 11 and 12 that's 300 rugby playing boys to pick from.

Your hypothesis assumes that the majority of boys in Years 11 & 12 play rugby - there are other alternatives though for Winter sport - primarily soccer followed by cross country. Kings usually fields up to 10 opens teams which equates to about 160 -170 boys playing rugby.
 

whatever

Darby Loudon (17)
I have read on numerous posts in this thread terms and descriptions such as 'advantage' and 'old school tie' etc etc many times relating to these scholls. I didnt go to a GPS school, I went to a Catholic 'bush' school. If anybody has the time could some one actually explain to me what the advantages are that kids get from these schools? I work with people every day from all walks of life, I cant seem to find anything that sets people who went to GPS schools apart from any one else. Some a great blokes, some are tossers, some a smart, some are not, some are great athletes, some are fat slobs. I really dont see much 'advantage', could some one enlighten me please?

It is called the "old money" syndrome. Unfortunately, the majority of tossers seemingly find high end positions in some of the country's leading firms via the old school tie. And we scratch our heads when companies go belly up.
 

It is what it is

John Solomon (38)
I have read on numerous posts in this thread terms and descriptions such as 'advantage' and 'old school tie' etc etc many times relating to these scholls. I didnt go to a GPS school, I went to a Catholic 'bush' school. If anybody has the time could some one actually explain to me what the advantages are that kids get from these schools? I work with people every day from all walks of life, I cant seem to find anything that sets people who went to GPS schools apart from any one else. Some a great blokes, some are tossers, some a smart, some are not, some are great athletes, some are fat slobs. I really dont see much 'advantage', could some one enlighten me please?
'Old school tie' connections open doors.
How far people get through those doors depends on the aptitude of the 'old school tie' doorman and the substance, skillset or bullshitting ability of the door knocker.
 

scaraby

Ron Walden (29)
I have read on numerous posts in this thread terms and descriptions such as 'advantage' and 'old school tie' etc etc many times relating to these scholls. I didnt go to a GPS school, I went to a Catholic 'bush' school. If anybody has the time could some one actually explain to me what the advantages are that kids get from these schools? I work with people every day from all walks of life, I cant seem to find anything that sets people who went to GPS schools apart from any one else. Some a great blokes, some are tossers, some a smart, some are not, some are great athletes, some are fat slobs. I really dont see much 'advantage', could some one enlighten me please?
If you are a sensible likeable character (which by the sounds of that post you are) and are true to yourself then you will make it anywhere. After coming from a bush school to a private school through necessity(no high school). I felt very lucky that my parents gave me the chance to get some big smoke experience and make alot of friends from my own school and others. Could I have the same thing at a city or big country bush school?..Certainly ...but when you are all locked up together and spend most of the time either playing sport or studying then the bond is great. When you get to Uni a few more real life episodes would have been handy......the acheivers in the state system killed us.
 

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
'Old school tie' connections open doors.
How far people get through those doors depends on the aptitude of the 'old school tie' doorman and the substance, skillset or bullshitting ability of the door knocker.

So from that it can be judged that if your a drop kick from the 'old school tie' and go knocking on doors along side a very apt and competent person from a different school with less 'connections', then the reality is that that guy who is moRE apt, has the substance, skillset and can bullshit better even though he is not from the 'old school tie' will get the opportunity because he will provide the best attributes for the guy who is willing to open the door right? That only proves that it doesnt matter where you go to school you have just as much chance of getting opportunities given to you. If it comes down to you and a guy with the 'old school tie' having the same level of attributes and he gets the door opened ahead of you because of his 'old school tie' then that it is simply nepatism. Nepatism happens in all jobs and clubs so I would have to conclude that 'old school tie' is probably someting of a myth or a relic of something that existed more so in decades gone by than in todays world and exists in the heads of those who chose to beleive it because it probably makes them feel adequate knowing that they will do better in life than they may truly deserve because of help from others rather than working hard or relying on their own skills. Confused?
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Your hypothesis assumes that the majority of boys in Years 11 & 12 play rugby - there are other alternatives though for Winter sport - primarily soccer followed by cross country. Kings usually fields up to 10 opens teams which equates to about 160 -170 boys playing rugby.

Yes, but at the base of the pyramid, 2 age groups (ie 13s and 14s) comprises at least 300 boys if you go down to Js and Ks in each. Obviously boys will drop out along the way and there are more injuries in the older teams, so at any one time there might be 170 boys playing open age rugby at the school. That's more that 10 boys for every position and the school has had them in its coaching programme for 5-6 years.

In my opinion, in this situation, one should be able to develop a pretty strong 1st XV without bringing anyone in, particularly when you have such wonderful training facilities and a fairly strong rugby tradition.

I don't criticise for a moment any boy or parent who takes an opportunity when it arises. I do question whether the coaching programme is right if the school feels it necessary to recruit/import players to strengthen its 1sts with the human and physical resources that they already have.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think a lot of it is the fact that the combination of private schools achieving pretty strong academic results as well as family wealth and influence means that there is an over-representation of people in executive positions and as owners of prominent private businesses who went to the exclusive private schools.

I think the old school tie thing is quite subtle but is real. It's definitely not a case of 'Oh, you went to such and such school, you can have a job.' it's more the fact that it can create a sense of shared history or similar which might make someone think a little more highly of you.
 

GPSrow

Watty Friend (18)
I think a lot of it is the fact that the combination of private schools achieving pretty strong academic results as well as family wealth and influence means that there is an over-representation of people in executive positions and as owners of prominent private businesses who went to the exclusive private schools.

I think the old school tie thing is quite subtle but is real. It's definitely not a case of 'Oh, you went to such and such school, you can have a job.' it's more the fact that it can create a sense of shared history or similar which might make someone think a little more highly of you.

If you had two people applying for the same job, with the same qualifications as each other, but one went to the same high school as you. You would him straight away! period.

Very well put braveheart
 

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
On the issue of country mud and it's contribution to these schools, particularly rugby, I must say that when I played against joeys at school you could always tell the country boarders from the city slickers. The country boys almost seemed to enjoy the game more once we decided that the realm of winning had dissapeard and it was time to lay the slipper into them (you could back then), do some eye gouging, break fingers off the ball and all sorts of other skull duggery. The country boys would smile and life their game at that point. It was great fun playing against them. I rememberb one year joeys had about five aussie schools player, four of them backs, they beat us by about 30 points so we really made sure they went home with some good bruises and track marks on their backs. At the end of the game Br Charles Evens came into our dressing room and said to us, "We start our GPS games next week. Thankyou boys for today, some of those guys despite winning by 30, have never played a game that hard. I know now they will be ready for what ever the best of Sydney can throw at them." It was the a compliment to us after we had been thrashed. I really loved rugby back then, it was definately a manly game.
 

It is what it is

John Solomon (38)
On the issue of country mud and it's contribution to these schools, particularly rugby, I must say that when I played against joeys at school you could always tell the country boarders from the city slickers. The country boys almost seemed to enjoy the game more once we decided that the realm of winning had dissapeard and it was time to lay the slipper into them (you could back then), do some eye gouging, break fingers off the ball and all sorts of other skull duggery. The country boys would smile and life their game at that point. It was great fun playing against them. I rememberb one year joeys had about five aussie schools player, four of them backs, they beat us by about 30 points so we really made sure they went home with some good bruises and track marks on their backs. At the end of the game Br Charles Evens came into our dressing room and said to us, "We start our GPS games next week. Thankyou boys for today, some of those guys despite winning by 30, have never played a game that hard. I know now they will be ready for what ever the best of Sydney can throw at them." It was the a compliment to us after we had been thrashed. I really loved rugby back then, it was definately a manly game.
I'll let you into a little secret angrydog.
Joeys used to graciously say that to ALL the teams they belted outside of GPS competitors.
 

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
I'll let you into a little secret angrydog.
Joeys used to graciously say that to ALL the teams they belted outside of GPS competitors.

Funny, because they didnt say it the next year when we beat them at Hunters Hill. In fact they didnt say much at all for a while after that because when we offered to sleep on the bus and play them the year after that but they declined altogether. Alot like when they got beaten by Matraville High in the 70's and never stumped up the courage to play them again. Isnt that odd?
 

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
In the words of the great Kamal, "Why are people so unkind?" I didnt realise that coming on this forum and posing a few questions or thinking back on a few good memories would leave me open to being shat on by so many. Dissapointing.
 

angrydog

Jimmy Flynn (14)
Take a breath angrydog.
You've insulted IS and rushed in with a comment totally irrelevant to my comment on Joeys beating teams.

Sorry mate, I do tend to get a little hot under the collar (hence the name) I jjst see rugby as a game to be shared by anybody who wants to play. I hate when guys make it a dick measuring contest about how great their school was or wasnt. I loved playing joeys, as I said I did lose to them but I also beat them. It was a learning experience on both occasions. Blokes dont need t get on their high horse to much or get their back up in relation to my original question about then benefits of going to these schools. It was genuine question, personaly I have genuine reasons for beleiving that the benefits may not be as significant as what some by think. I agree there would benefits in some respects but in in the end it doenst make much difference in the real world where you went to school, it only matters if you have some guts and are willing to work them hard to get what you want out of life.
 

whatever

Darby Loudon (17)
So from that it can be judged that if your a drop kick from the 'old school tie' and go knocking on doors along side a very apt and competent person from a different school with less 'connections', then the reality is that that guy who is moRE apt, has the substance, skillset and can bullshit better even though he is not from the 'old school tie' will get the opportunity because he will provide the best attributes for the guy who is willing to open the door right? That only proves that it doesnt matter where you go to school you have just as much chance of getting opportunities given to you. If it comes down to you and a guy with the 'old school tie' having the same level of attributes and he gets the door opened ahead of you because of his 'old school tie' then that it is simply nepatism. Nepatism happens in all jobs and clubs so I would have to conclude that 'old school tie' is probably someting of a myth or a relic of something that existed more so in decades gone by than in todays world and exists in the heads of those who chose to beleive it because it probably makes them feel adequate knowing that they will do better in life than they may truly deserve because of help from others rather than working hard or relying on their own skills. Confused?

You believe that then you're not in the real world. It can happen via "old school ties", nationality and many other reasons; it exists.
 
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