This past week has been the boy's basketball tournament in the state. Hopkins seemed to breeze through all their games and took state. There is much talk in certain circles as to if Hopkins recruits their players. This is not the first time such talk has circulated. I remember when I attended Edina High School in the late 60's and Edina took state 4 years in a row. Our competition swore Bob Zender was brought in from Kansas to play ball for Edina. His dad worked for AT&T. Most likely his parents wanted a good education for their son and Edina offered it. Not only does Hopkins have a good sports program, they also have one of the highest ranked education systems in the state. Over the years selling real estate I do find the school system to be a strong reason why a family selects a certain house. In most cases it is not because the school has taken state in a certain sport, but it is selected for music programs, advanced placement courses, special ed, or smaller graduation classes. Most parents realize only a small number of kids play varsity. They would rather have their child attend a school where he or she can be a contender. If you want to be on the staff of the school paper, a school with a population of under 900 most likely will give you that opportunity. You attend a school of 900+ students and the competition can be fierce. I have a sister-in-law who graduated with 40 kids in her class. She could be anything she wanted to be. Cheerleader, yes. Homecoming queen, yes. Lead in the school play, yes. Class president, yes. I graduated with 850+ in my class. Hello, did anyone know my name? In a few weeks all this tournament talk will be replaced by the fishing opener. Those boys who played on those teams and their parents will live it for a long time. I do encourage them to let go sooner than later. It is sad when I meet a man in his 40's squeezing into his letter jacket and talking about that dunk that happen in the last 2 seconds of the game. Has there not been any other moments in his life that he can remember?
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