Kearny on the Web: Kearny High School Sports - Kearny on the Web

How come nobody is addressing how poor Kearny High School sports have become? It is abysmal. Sports at KHS have become a joke. Students are now leaving in droves to go to catholic schools. KHS has lost at least 10 top baseball players alone in the past 4 years. The once proud baseball program is in shambles, and from reading on here it is not going to get any better. Kearny has not won any State title in any sport in at least the last 5 years. The current A.D. is the former boys soccer coach, and that is the only sport he cares about, and even the once storied Kearny Soccer program is mediocre. So many kids do not even go out for any sport. Very good athletes walk the halls unable to play. The way the 2 twin brothers were handled, whether they did something wrong or not, was nothing short of a fiasco. The job of the A.D. is to get kids out for sports instead he hinders students. He should just collect his pension and go down to West Long Branch. I along with others thought with a sports friendly ex-A.D. as principal things would get better instead they got worse. As per the BOE President KHS is a failing school, so we can't even say we are trading good academics for poor sports. Funny she admits to it failing under her watch then she is somehow re-elected. There is no discipline at the High School, as I was going to a Volleyball fund raiser I witnessed a girl sneaking in a large bottle of vodka and another alcohol which I did not know what type. So how do we fix this?

We need to have new people in charge. Get younger educators in the top positions and get rid of these individuals who are only trying to increase their pension. A huge problem is the ex music teacher VP in charge of discipline. start there and thing will improve immediately. Why does he need 5 secretaries, a teachers and student runners to take attendence anyway? You know the real issue about all this? All these top administrators are not even from Kearny, and they have no vested interest in the education of our children. That coupled with a new, young athletic director at half the salary will be a step towards returning Kearny to athletic competitiveness.

Smitty, on Apr 29 2010, 02:37 PM, said:

"The way the 2 twin brothers were handled, whether they did something wrong or not, was nothing short of a fiasco."


Really? Doesn't matter either way?

Smitty, on Apr 29 2010, 02:37 PM, said:

You are nothing but a trouble maker. I attended the Volley Ball fundraiser and there was no alcohol there. What was there was the good people of Kearny, the teachers, the police department, the fire department, all volunteering their time to raise funds for Project Graduation. Are you a part of the Project Graduation committee? Have you donated your time all year to raise funds for these great kids that attend Kearny High School? As much as I don't like VP Ragnoni, he doesn't have 5 secretaries. Where did you come up with that? I noticed you started a couple to topics, and if I see your name on here again, I won't read what you have to say. I also attended the wonderful Art show the other night. You want to see talent? I attended the academic excellence program this week. You want to see smart kids? Whoever you are, you are not a good kearny person.

Smitty, on Apr 29 2010, 02:37 PM, said:

You're right, the fact that they were allowed back into ANY Sport shows that there is way too much corruption involved. Understand something, if they had been Adults, they would have been FELONS. As it is, **** one of them has already gotten jammed up again, and let's just say the Apples apparently dont fall far from the tree...there is a REASON the ******** ****** has been absent lately.

Smitty, on Apr 29 2010, 02:37 PM, said:

If you did not report what you saw to the people in charge, you are part of the problem, not the solution.

Guest, on Apr 30 2010, 04:45 PM, said:

The backlash against these kids continues to be unbelievable. While I don't think they should have been allowed back into sports so quickly, I don't think you should be stirring things up by talking about them getting "jammed up" and where apples fall from. Get a life, loser. Focus on your own kids; make sure they don't become gossip-obsessed mixers like you.

They were and are adults. And the charges as I understand it are being DROPPED. What corruption? I don't know about any absences you are referring to....

Guest, on Apr 30 2010, 04:45 PM, said:

Guest, on May 1 2010, 11:11 AM, said:

That obviously has to do with the apples!!!!

How about addressing the real issue. Stop wasting so much time criticizing the school board and its members and going out to get a job to support your kids.

guest, on May 4 2010, 11:34 AM, said:

He has a job

Counting apples for someone

Kearny sports is really bad right now. What happened with the baseball team? They were supposed to be good. Every sport is medicocre at best, and very disorganized. It starts at the top, time to get new blood in there and let the old soccer coach go colelct his golden parachute

Time for the 'ole soccer coach to go! The only 2 teams that advanced past the first round of the states were the bowling team and the girls soccer team. So may of our teams have UNDERACHIEVED. The boys baseball team got beat in the first round of the state tournament 12-0, 10 run ruled by a freshman pitcher from Montclair. The girls softball team got beat by West Orange 4-0 in the first round. Both teams were expected to go far into the states. The boys soccer team got beat in the first round of the states for the first time in eons. The Girls Basketball team, while having a top coach, gets no support from the A.D. Boys Basketball and Football are complete jokes, and the current A.D. has made them even worse. His Head Coach choices in those sports are comical, both Haggerty and Abbott have no prior head coaching experience. The Bowling team won the sections, and didn't receive ANY recognition from the school, no jackets, banquets, newspaper recognition, anything. You cant even find the scores of Kearny games in the papers while neighboring towns and students get entire columns written about them. We are told that the coach is even happy the Boys Soccer team is so down because it makes him look better as the FORMER coach, how sick is that!

UNDERACHIEVING AT ITS BEST, on May 20 2010, 07:13 AM, said:

Please explain this: "Both teams were expected to go far into the states."

By whose expectation were they supposed to go far in the state tournament? Neither team had a superior year but were expected to go far? Neither team had the returning nucleus that would have put them as favorites to advance far in the state tournament. Your hyperbole makes it so obvious you have a personal issue with the administration.

UNDERACHIEVING AT ITS BEST, on May 20 2010, 07:13 AM, said:

Our baseball program has gone to hell because FAVORITISM has taken over that sport. Just look at how some players are used. I can tell you first hand, as a coach for many years, that unless you teach the game, you will never win. Using the same FAVORITES all the time discourages other athletes from playing. If you don't think thats the case just look at the players who no longer play ball. That only makes my case. Who wants to practice everyday and then just be a pinchrunner? Who wants to practice everyday and then only be used as a designated hitter? Who wants to practice everyday to sit on the bench most days. As long as Kearny requires ALL kids to play little league the problem will not get better. Talent rises by playing better talent Why would a real player want to play for a coach who continually plays favorites. It is time for a change in most of the coaches. Lead by example. Get it???

I have no personal issue whatsoever. Let's start with baseball. They made the states last year and returned almost every starter, I believe they only lost 3 to graduation, 1 player who had anly caught for the one year and the 3rd baseman. They won a game in the states last year, and had several supposedly extremely talented underclassmen coming up. The coach himself in the pre-season expected huge things and said he would go far in the states. So that would lead to "high" expectations, correct?

The softball girls as a group placed second in all stars in 8th grade and won the tournament the following year. that was 3 years ago, those girls are seniors and juniors now. They made the states last year and played well against a very good montclair team. Again, that would lead to the assumption that they should do real well in the states this year. You got all this?

If you don't think sports at Kearny High School has gone down you are sadly mistaken. Moral amongst the students is at an all time low. I'll give you better, moral amongst the faculty is at an all time low. All this for tons of money being paid to administration. Let them all go and collect their golden parachutes, get young blood in there who will do some good for t he students, and create a positive energy at the school instead of the negative one that exists. can't do no worse, correct?

Guestimate, on May 20 2010, 12:48 PM, said:

Is Millar retiring? that would be a step in the right direction for sports at KHS.

Guestimate, on May 20 2010, 12:48 PM, said:

Yes, both Boys Baseball team and Girls Softball team were expected to go far in the States. Let's see, both teams made the states the year before and both had many students returning as well as promising underclassmen coming up. There is plenty of talent in Kearny High School for all sports, yet we continue to flounder in the past 5 years. The problem starts and ends with the athletic director. I mean you can't even find any scores in the newspaper, how do us people who live out of town supposed to follow our school?

Guest, on May 27 2010, 02:47 PM, said:

Can you show me the media coverage or any expert opinion that supports your statement that both teams were expected to go far in the state tournament? No, because it is not true.

Just because you, Mommy of a backup player, says so, does not make it true.

Neither team was ranked in the state top 20 at any point in the season, including pre-season, so to say they were expected to go far in states is disingenuous.

Guest, on May 27 2010, 02:47 PM, said:

I don't know the problem with the other sports, but the problem with baseball starts with the head coach. He undermines the players at every turn. Hopefully after this years loses, the administration will look elsewhere.

Smitty, on Apr 29 2010, 02:37 PM, said:

Get rid of Millar and the K.H.S football. It is a waist of money now .If the district wants to save money do it there. Football is History in Kearny. Millar let everything fall apart He is lost .Promote other sports activities.