OH but it has.but eliminating players at the beginning of the year based on testing, especially when that method hasn't translated into success, might not be the smartest thing to do.
A couple things that have led to where EB is now.
1. Up until my Sr. year the worst EB finished at a district was 3rd. My Jr. year our coach retired and his replacement really didn't do much. We still had a core of players (namely myself and Seth) that carried us to the afternoon my Sr year. After we left practice stopped and tournament trips died and thus our streak of playing in the afternoon. Last season was the first tournament since 2001 EB went to. She quit teaching at the end of the 2004-2005 school year.
2. In 2003 the school board for what ever reason decided to stop teaching algebra in 8th grade. The old way you could start HS in Algebra 2, Soph year: trig and Geo JR. year College Algebra and Sr year Calculus (both CA and calculus are dual enrollment from UMKC). Because of this the calculus class became expendable, when they cut that our math teacher who didn't teach quiz bowl but did teach above and beyond in math (in a 4 year period in a school class sizes around 50 he would be sending 7-10 people off into math intentsive fields) In 2004 he left the School district I believe he is at Oak Park now. Since then EB hasn't had a single engineering or other math intentsive major.
So Kids now get Freshman year Algebra 1, soph year Algebra 2, Jr. Geo, and now for Srs they teach a combined Trig/ College Algebra. So the top two things MSHSAA asks math on isn't taught to the kids until they are in there SR year.
As much as I work with them this season they maybe got 3 math questions at districts, and as most people know math is life in MSHSAA. I did however only start working with them on math in March. We already have plans made for Dr. in math and myself to hold several workshops in september/ october next season.
So needless to say the way we pick our team isn't the reason we are where we are. It was a series of complex factors that compounded into the mess we are in now.
Don't worry next season we will make it into the afternoon of districts and in two years we will be back at state.
Idk about NKC and most larger schools but the smaller schools kid really don't have chemistry issues. Most of these kids have grow up together, their families hang out together. So each kid knows pretty much what other kids are good at. One of the joys of small school life. I can count on one hand how many kids houses in my classI haven't been to.This is especially true in finding people to round out the team. The top players probably will do well on the test, even as freshmen, but a player who scores just below the last spot may be a better asset to the team than the guy who scores one more point on the pretest but doesn't put much effort into it once he makes the team. Plus, there's team chemistry involved. A player who makes the team may not put as much effort into it or become disillusioned if his/her friends are cut. Maybe together they could have encouraged each other to become better. Having people who want to do well, learn, and get better is what forms the foundations of good teams.