PREPNET / SPEAK OUT

At the end of each high school season, league coaches and media outlets select various all-star teams. Are these teams usually accurate, and is the selection process fair?

BRANDON DOTTS

Fountain Valley, Water Polo/Swimming

The media and the coaches do not do a very good job representing the best players throughout the county. The chosen players seem to come only from a select few schools which seem do to extremely well. They seem to forget about the good players on the not-so-good teams. This is completely unfair. Each and every school should be looked at to see what school has good enough players to be chosen for the all-star teams.

JEN FARNER

Rosary, Basketball

The all-league teams are usually fair and accurate because each coach is allowed to express his opinion. Because he has played the other teams, he has a feel for which players are most deserving and which players have made the most impact. The all-county teams from the newspapers are similar to the all-league selections, because they pick the players who have excelled throughout the season. All-star teams that are limited to having two players from one school might prevent all the best players from participating, but at least all the best teams are represented, and usually the best players from the county can be found on the best teams.

ROCHELLE GAUTHIER

Woodbridge, Water Polo

I don’t know how much of a role politics plays in other sports, but for water polo, politics plays a pretty big part. I’m sure that coaches try to be fair when selecting the teams, but I think that the bigger, better teams are simply going to get more recognition than the smaller ones. If a team wins Southern Section, maybe four or five players will be selected from that team, but if a smaller team has one or two players that are just as good as those players, they may be overlooked simply because the team, as a whole, is not as good.

DAN GLENN

Newport Harbor, Volleyball Coach

I don’t think it’s that fair a process, but we try to be as fair as possible. It’s more important to have something, whether it’s completely fair or not, rather than have nothing. There is a lot of apathy too. One year, we got four ballots back for the All-Southern Section Division I team. You don’t always get a lot of feedback. I don’t know the best way, but we try to get the press and more coaches involved to cover a greater area.

Note: Glenn formerly served on the committee to select the All-Southern Section boys’ volleyball teams and also helps in selection of players for the Orange County all-star volleyball matches.

MARY MULLIGAN

San Clemente, Girls’ Basketball Coach

Each league has its own way of determining all-league teams. I have found that the voting process we use in the South Coast League does not always produce a fair and accurate team. In turn, the all-league selections have a lot to do with who is selected for the all-star team. Many times, coaches who have grudges against each other will carry that over into the all-league meeting and not vote for certain players. Try explaining that to the parents!

BARRY BANDARUK

Northwood, Boys’ Soccer Coach

I would suggest where humans are interpreting chads, all the dimples and pregnant ones might be misinterpreted. Likewise, where coaches are evaluating talent with scholarships and careers on the line, evaluations are not always fair. I know there have been several quality players omitted from high school teams because they do not play for clubs with which the coach is associated. Also, some club players get the playing time based on reputation, not effort or quality of play. [Not] until coaches cannot be associated with club sports will the process begin to be fair.

JARED SHWAM

Edison, Baseball

I don’t think it is fair at all. Many players get cheated out of their all-league honors because another player has seniority or because they had a lot of ink in the newspaper. Sometimes the player is practically guaranteed an all-league selection before the season starts.

LEN FIELDS

Long Beach, Retired Businessman

This method of selecting all-star teams has its positives and negatives. For the most part it seems to be a fair and equitable way of praising the accomplished athletes. Perhaps, due to bias, an outstanding athlete is left off and a mediocre talent gets on. Also, when a tremendous athlete is playing for a poor or mediocre team, sometimes we lose sight of how good this player might be.

STEPHANIE VILLARREAL

La Habra, Football Booster

I don’t feel that the selections can be any more accurate or fair than the CIF polls themselves. Both favor high-profile teams and players, since the ones doing the choosing [coaches and sportswriters] cannot see every player in action.

MATE BORGOGNO

La Habra, Baseball Coach

La Habra varsity baseball has won three league titles in a row and never has had a [Freeway League] most valuable player. Either the selection process is not fair or I can win without the best talent.

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