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Metro charter schools, scholarship promises and Capital Christian

TDHelmick

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May 29, 2001
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I had this in another thread that morphed into a political debate and so I felt I would just start a new one.

If anyone understands how the metropolitan charter and public schools work in regards to football programs I've been through it. I have been working with all of them for a almost a decade. It really all started when I set up the football schedules for MATHS out of Baltimore the years they had a school and Capitol Christian. Honestly, I literally put their entire football schedules together for a good 3-4 years. Which then led me to helping a large handful of schools in MD and DC fill their football schedules.

The bottom line is that most of them (not all) are very unorganized and understaffed. I have no idea how they run a football team yet alone the school, which many times can be a church, an old warehouse, an old office, etc. What is most disappointing however, and I see it with so many kids and their parents, is that kids today bounce from school to school. It gets so bad in the metro areas that some kids have attended 6 schools in 4 years based mostly on a promise they can get a college athletic scholarship if they play ball for this or that coach. Coaches are to blame. Moreso parents are also to blame despite they just work under pure ignorance or a complete lack of understanding of how to help their child.

This is where high school recruiting begins. The promise of a college scholarship opportunity being better at my school instead of that school. Sorry, but no coach can make such a promise to parents and no coach should. It's so easy to sell a parent and a teenage kid and we get what we have today.

Moving along... Capital Christian will field a football team. They have a full schedule. Their head coach Cornell Wade did leave to start a new football program called Royalty Institute. The claim was that he took all the CCA kids. That is not entirely true. After talking with numerous coaches in that DC area I'm not sure how Royalty will work. This first year program has some really big private school heavy hitters on the schedule (St. Frances, Calvert Hall) and are still not sanctioned by the MPSSAA. Nor do I have a clue where their school set up is even located. I have no idea what Coach Wade has in mind and I'm not getting into what I hear.

If anyone can find a single blurb on the internet about Royalty Institute you are better than I. There is not a mention of the school or program, not even on social media. Funny enough, the only thing I find when you google Royalty is this MDVarsity forum, LOL.

Let's just say so many coaches make those promises to kids in hopes they will follow them. It's scary stuff. Kids in the metro DC area just want a chance to make it out to the point where they will sell their souls just on the hint of a promise. However, I see it at so many places where high school recruiting is the name of the game. I think it's sad, but they are not my kids and I have no right to say otherwise. I'll leave it at that.
 
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I can give you a website and physical address for Royalty Institute:

https://www.royaltyinstitute.org/

The Royalty Institute of Leadership and Innovation
8400 Ardwick Ardmore Road Landover Md 20785
Housed at the Total Soccer Arena
Email- Founder@RoyaltyInstitute.org


They operate out of a soccer arena and are online classes. They also make the kids buy their own mobile hotspots so I assume they don't have wifi at the facility. The staff is mostly Coach Wade and his family and friends. This wonderful experience will cost you $9,000 or so.
 
I can give you a website and physical address for Royalty Institute:

https://www.royaltyinstitute.org/

The Royalty Institute of Leadership and Innovation
8400 Ardwick Ardmore Road Landover Md 20785
Housed at the Total Soccer Arena
Email- Founder@RoyaltyInstitute.org


They operate out of a soccer arena and are online classes. They also make the kids buy their own mobile hotspots so I assume they don't have wifi at the facility. The staff is mostly Coach Wade and his family and friends. This wonderful experience will cost you $9,000 or so.


Thanks eagle. I could not find that link. My internet search skills must be deteriorating. Notice if you click on their Application link to apply for school there, you have to pay $100 and they wil email you the application. I have no more comments to make out of shear shock.
 
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Are they trying to buy a team( like st Francis) or are they trying to get paid for fielding a team? I guess time will tell
 
When a football coach starts his own online school...you finish that sentence.
 
I think it's sad, but they are not my kids and I have no right to say otherwise. - Keep up the effort.
 
I had this in another thread that morphed into a political debate and so I felt I would just start a new one.

If anyone understands how the metropolitan charter and public schools work in regards to football programs I've been through it. I have been working with all of them for a almost a decade. It really all started when I set up the football schedules for MATHS out of Baltimore the years they had a school and Capitol Christian. Honestly, I literally put their entire football schedules together for a good 3-4 years. Which then led me to helping a large handful of schools in MD and DC fill their football schedules.

The bottom line is that most of them (not all) are very unorganized and understaffed. I have no idea how they run a football team yet alone the school, which many times can be a church, an old warehouse, an old office, etc. What is most disappointing however, and I see it with so many kids and their parents, is that kids today bounce from school to school. It gets so bad in the metro areas that some kids have attended 6 schools in 4 years based mostly on a promise they can get a college athletic scholarship if they play ball for this or that coach. Coaches are to blame. Moreso parents are also to blame despite they just work under pure ignorance or a complete lack of understanding of how to help their child.

This is where high school recruiting begins. The promise of a college scholarship opportunity being better at my school instead of that school. Sorry, but no coach can make such a promise to parents and no coach should. It's so easy to sell a parent and a teenage kid and we get what we have today.

Why is it so tragic to attend 6 schools in 4 years - as long as the student-athlete walks away with a diploma? As opposed to spending 4 years at the same school and still not getting a scholarship?
 
Why is it so tragic to attend 6 schools in 4 years - as long as the student-athlete walks away with a diploma? As opposed to spending 4 years at the same school and still not getting a scholarship?

Not sure of your comparison there. Maybe elaborate a little more so I see what you are trying to state. A student-athlete that transfers 6 times has a better chance at a scholarship over a kid who stays at the same school?

When a child has gone to 6 schools in 4 years...the reasons are 9 times out of 10 a "me" attitude not beneficial to the people he/she is playing with. If I am a coach, I don't want that cancer on my team any more than a parent who is in my grill because their son didn't get enough carries. But hey, everyone is different. Transfer a couple of times, OK. That many, no thanks unless you have a great reason other than opportunity.

Or as I read where you posted somewhere - "I hope Allegany and FH don't play Capital Christian". Same kind of no thanks. These are the type of kids and the programs they transfer to and from we are discussing.
 
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Thanks eagle. I could not find that link. My internet search skills must be deteriorating. Notice if you click on their Application link to apply for school there, you have to pay $100 and they wil email you the application. I have no more comments to make out of shear shock.

The Google search algorithm really can't handle a program called the "Royalty Institute King's." Especially when there are several King's Colleges already established across the U.S. and British Commonwealth. I think they forgot to list the website to show up on search engines initially. I got the link sent to me from someone who got it direct from the source because I wasn't able to find it on my own either.

Also, what kind of school has a $100,000 GoFundMe to pay for the school itself: https://www.gofundme.com/f/RoyaltyInstituteorg?member=2166560

Definitely up there with the sketchiest "schools" I've seen.

Also, if you know where I can find the full Capital Christian schedule, let me know.
 
Not sure of your comparison there. Maybe elaborate a little more so I see what you are trying to state. A student-athlete that transfers 6 times has a better chance at a scholarship over a kid who stays at the same school?

When a child has gone to 6 schools in 4 years...the reasons are 9 times out of 10 a "me" attitude not beneficial to the people he/she is playing with. If I am a coach, I don't want that cancer on my team any more than a parent who is in my grill because their son didn't get enough carries. But hey, everyone is different. Transfer a couple of times, OK. That many, no thanks unless you have a great reason other than opportunity.

Or as I read where you posted somewhere - "I hope Allegany and FH don't play Capital Christian". Same kind of no thanks. These are the type of kids and the programs they transfer to and from we are discussing.

I'm saying your statement is a vast generalization and basically wrong.

"What is most disappointing however, and I see it with so many kids and their parents, is that kids today bounce from school to school. It gets so bad in the metro areas that some kids have attended 6 schools in 4 years based mostly on a promise they can get a college athletic scholarship if they play ball for this or that coach. Coaches are to blame. Moreso parents are also to blame despite they just work under pure ignorance or a complete lack of understanding of how to help their child."

Very few kids are attending 6 schools in 4 years, but even in those rare cases, why is it a problem if those kids eventually find a program they are comfortable with, get a diploma and a scholarship? It's just not the way you approve of, lol. Kevin Durant attended 3 high schools, so what? My son is friends with a kid (Zion Harmon) that attended 3 high schools just last season for a myriad of reasons, and he is well adjusted and will be on a D1 roster in the near future.

And where did you get the 9 out of 10 times stat from? Can you name those 9 players? Of course you can't because you just made it up. My basic point is each case is different and to say there's just one way to help a child shows a "complete lack of understanding," any teacher will tell you what works for one student may not necessarily work for another. I'm not sure why you specified "metro areas" but if a kid attends 6 schools and walks away with a diploma and a scholarship why are you saying the coaches and parents failed the child? Is it better to sit on the bench for 4 years at the same school and not get a scholarship because that's the "small town way?"

My quote about Capital Christian isn't really related to this conversation, but from a safety perspective I don't think Alco or FH should be playing an obviously outclassed school with only 13 players, too many kids going both ways the entire game.
 
I'm saying your statement is a vast generalization and basically wrong.

"What is most disappointing however, and I see it with so many kids and their parents, is that kids today bounce from school to school. It gets so bad in the metro areas that some kids have attended 6 schools in 4 years based mostly on a promise they can get a college athletic scholarship if they play ball for this or that coach. Coaches are to blame. Moreso parents are also to blame despite they just work under pure ignorance or a complete lack of understanding of how to help their child."

Very few kids are attending 6 schools in 4 years, but even in those rare cases, why is it a problem if those kids eventually find a program they are comfortable with, get a diploma and a scholarship? It's just not the way you approve of, lol. Kevin Durant attended 3 high schools, so what? My son is friends with a kid (Zion Harmon) that attended 3 high schools just last season for a myriad of reasons, and he is well adjusted and will be on a D1 roster in the near future.

And where did you get the 9 out of 10 times stat from? Can you name those 9 players? Of course you can't because you just made it up. My basic point is each case is different and to say there's just one way to help a child shows a "complete lack of understanding," any teacher will tell you what works for one student may not necessarily work for another. I'm not sure why you specified "metro areas" but if a kid attends 6 schools and walks away with a diploma and a scholarship why are you saying the coaches and parents failed the child? Is it better to sit on the bench for 4 years at the same school and not get a scholarship because that's the "small town way?"

My quote about Capital Christian isn't really related to this conversation, but from a safety perspective I don't think Alco or FH should be playing an obviously outclassed school with only 13 players, too many kids going both ways the entire game.

I don't disagree with all you state. It's probably better to avoid generalizations as every individual has different reasons for doing what they do. Some of your comparisons are askew to the topic. Under that same umbrella...if you have bounced around 6 jobs in the last 4 years I would avoid that part of the employment application that asks where you worked and for how long. To each his own, but I'm not hiring those people.

I'm also not a supporter of coaches starting online schools for athletics and convincing student-athletes and their parents it's better to transfer again because I can help you more than the school you are at. That is what I see in many metro charter schools and even at rural Eastern Christian Academy type locations. And as you know well, if you are a true D1 talent most of those metro kids are headed to the big time schools, which is why DC or Pittsburgh public schools aren't much more competitive than CCA. But hell, there are kids in rural areas that attend multiple schools. It's just that there are obviously more schools to choose from in populated areas.
 
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