Why leave SC high school league? Why not join SCISA? Legion details move to NCISAA
BY ALEX ZIETLOW
ROCK HILL
Legion Collegiate Academy athletic director Strait Herron has fielded a lot of phone calls since Wednesday of last week.
That’s not surprising.
Legion made waves when it announced it would exit the South Carolina High School League last week and join the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association as a provisional member in July. The move effectively punctuated a short-lived but tumultuous relationship the Rock Hill public charter school had with the SCHSL and its traditional public school neighbors.
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And the response to that move? That hasn’t necessarily been surprising, either.
“Well for the most part, it’s all been positive,” Legion athletic director Strait Herron told reporters after a news conference at the school on Monday afternoon. “Even the coaches who are in the South Carolina High School league who are in our region — I’ve gotten emails from them saying, ‘Coach, we understand exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. Good luck.’ So that’s been great.”
He continued: “Parents, their biggest concern right now is the two-year provisional (membership) period, and not being able to play for a state championship (in that two-year span). … That’s going to be the only drawback to this. But in two years, that’s going to change.”
Since its inception, even before the school’s inaugural 2019-20 season, Legion has drawn criticism and contempt from its Rock Hill traditional public school brethren — in large part because, The Herald previously reported, traditional public schools perceived that Legion was recruiting the best athletes from York, Chester and Lancaster counties to transfer to Legion. That bad blood manifested in different ways, per reports: Legion had trouble renting facilities in which to train after the four York County school districts denied Legion’s requests to use their sports facilities. The Lancers also had a difficult time scheduling local schools to play them in various sports.
There were also issues at the state level, which Herron briefly rehashed on Monday: The school was one of a dozen plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the SCHSL this past summer — one that argued that the league ““intentionally and illegally” discriminated against the S.C. private and public charter schools that were SCHSL members.
All this considered, the decision to leave the SCHSL made sense, Herron said.
“It was just really, really difficult to maneuver through the South Carolina High School League,” Herron said. “And the NCISAA, they’re just so organized. It’s a smaller league and I think that they would have our best interest at heart.”
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In addition to why Legion decided to leave the SCHSL, other questions — ones about Legion’s future, about its process of coming to this momentous decision and more — were answered on Monday, too.
legionfield.jpg
Legion Collegiate Academy is planning to build a 33-acre, multi-sport athletic facility at its permanent site near I-77 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. LEGION COLLEGIATE ACADEMY
HOW CAN LEGION, BASED IN ROCK HILL, PLAY IN NORTH CAROLINA?
Legion principal TK Kennedy told reporters after the news conference that Legion never really considered being an independent school.
That’s not to say they didn’t know what being an independent school would mean: Kennedy, who has worked as an educator in York County for years, actually served as principal of another public charter school based in Rock Hill — York Preparatory Academy — that was an independent school for a while before joining the SCHSL as a conditional member in April 2018.
But after speaking with Legion’s management and board — and even talking to and learning from Westminster Catawba Christian School, a private school based in Rock Hill that plays in the NCISAA — Kennedy said Legion wanted to be in a league.
“We do like the camaraderie and the sportsmanship that we can share with other schools,” he said. “It’s just a good thing to have. So that was a first and foremost piece. … I had some experience working with York Preparatory Academy, which was independent prior to coming (to the SCHSL). So I knew it existed. I knew you could get games. I knew you could have officials. But we just wanted to be in an organization to kind of have some brotherhood, sisterhood.”
But how was Legion permitted to join a North Carolina league while residing in South Carolina?
Kennedy explained that because the league is independent and isn’t a government entity, it can choose to add schools as members that are based outside the state’s border if it chooses to — and the league was interested in expanding its membership.
That said, the public charter school, while competing against several North Carolina schools during its sports seasons, will still only be allowed to admit students who reside in South Carolina.
“We’re educating South Carolina kids,” Kennedy said. “That’s what the tax dollars pay for.”
WHY NOT JOIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ASSOCIATION?
The North Carolina league is prestigious. It better allows for national scheduling and national exposure, Legion officials say. Joining the NCISAA, too, is convenient for Rock Hill’s public charter school — with a bulk of the league’s best schools residing in Charlotte, about 30 miles north of Legion’s campus on Interstate 77.
But a huge reason why Legion joined NCISAA instead of joining the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA), Herron said, is because SCISA does not accept charter schools per its bylaws.
“And the NCISAA? They haven’t had charter schools before either,” Herron said. “This is a trial run, and they understand that. They wanted us to be very aware of that. So we just hope that we can come in and be what they want us to be and add value.”
'We're so excited to be home': Legion permanent site almost ready
Legion Collegiate Academy, the newest public charter school in Rock Hill and led by principal TK Kennedy, will open its permanent site to students in February. BY ALEX ZIETLOW
DOES THIS SOLVE ALL OF LEGION’S PROBLEMS?
A lot of Legion’s issues stemmed from its membership in the South Carolina High School League. Starting in July, anyone in South Carolina can be eligible to go to school and play for a Legion athletic team. And other issues that encumber enrollment — from the scheduling woes, to the ongoing lawsuit — won’t be as pressing.
But does breaking away from the SCHSL solve all of the school’s problems? No.
Herron said that finding facilities to rent so his school’s athletes can train and have a home field/stadium is still a work in progress.
“That’s what we got to work on now,” Herron said. “That’s one of the things that the conference wants to know: ‘Hey man, where are you going to play football games?’ So we’ve got to work on that. … But the other sports, we’re going to continue to do what we’re doing as long as (our relationship with the city of Rock Hill) can keep going.”
Herron then pointed around the gym, which was finished a few months ago, a little after the school opened its permanent campus to students in February after spending over a year and a half at its temporary campus: “And of course, (this) is going to help for volleyball and basketball.”
Legion’s final vision includes having premier sports facilities — including five practice fields and four lighted game fields for football, baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse — on its 80-plus-acre campus, The Herald previously reported. In September, Legion officials hoped to have its multi-sport complex completed by 2022.
I WANT TO LEARN MORE. WHEN/WHERE CAN I DO THAT?
The school will host an information/question-and-answer session in its gym on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public. Legion’s address is at 3090 Long Meadow Road in Rock Hill.
BY ALEX ZIETLOW
ROCK HILL
Legion Collegiate Academy athletic director Strait Herron has fielded a lot of phone calls since Wednesday of last week.
That’s not surprising.
Legion made waves when it announced it would exit the South Carolina High School League last week and join the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association as a provisional member in July. The move effectively punctuated a short-lived but tumultuous relationship the Rock Hill public charter school had with the SCHSL and its traditional public school neighbors.
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And the response to that move? That hasn’t necessarily been surprising, either.
“Well for the most part, it’s all been positive,” Legion athletic director Strait Herron told reporters after a news conference at the school on Monday afternoon. “Even the coaches who are in the South Carolina High School league who are in our region — I’ve gotten emails from them saying, ‘Coach, we understand exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. Good luck.’ So that’s been great.”
He continued: “Parents, their biggest concern right now is the two-year provisional (membership) period, and not being able to play for a state championship (in that two-year span). … That’s going to be the only drawback to this. But in two years, that’s going to change.”
Since its inception, even before the school’s inaugural 2019-20 season, Legion has drawn criticism and contempt from its Rock Hill traditional public school brethren — in large part because, The Herald previously reported, traditional public schools perceived that Legion was recruiting the best athletes from York, Chester and Lancaster counties to transfer to Legion. That bad blood manifested in different ways, per reports: Legion had trouble renting facilities in which to train after the four York County school districts denied Legion’s requests to use their sports facilities. The Lancers also had a difficult time scheduling local schools to play them in various sports.
There were also issues at the state level, which Herron briefly rehashed on Monday: The school was one of a dozen plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the SCHSL this past summer — one that argued that the league ““intentionally and illegally” discriminated against the S.C. private and public charter schools that were SCHSL members.
All this considered, the decision to leave the SCHSL made sense, Herron said.
“It was just really, really difficult to maneuver through the South Carolina High School League,” Herron said. “And the NCISAA, they’re just so organized. It’s a smaller league and I think that they would have our best interest at heart.”
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New allegations surface involving faculty member, overseas trips
READ MORE
In addition to why Legion decided to leave the SCHSL, other questions — ones about Legion’s future, about its process of coming to this momentous decision and more — were answered on Monday, too.
legionfield.jpg
Legion Collegiate Academy is planning to build a 33-acre, multi-sport athletic facility at its permanent site near I-77 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. LEGION COLLEGIATE ACADEMY
HOW CAN LEGION, BASED IN ROCK HILL, PLAY IN NORTH CAROLINA?
Legion principal TK Kennedy told reporters after the news conference that Legion never really considered being an independent school.
That’s not to say they didn’t know what being an independent school would mean: Kennedy, who has worked as an educator in York County for years, actually served as principal of another public charter school based in Rock Hill — York Preparatory Academy — that was an independent school for a while before joining the SCHSL as a conditional member in April 2018.
But after speaking with Legion’s management and board — and even talking to and learning from Westminster Catawba Christian School, a private school based in Rock Hill that plays in the NCISAA — Kennedy said Legion wanted to be in a league.
“We do like the camaraderie and the sportsmanship that we can share with other schools,” he said. “It’s just a good thing to have. So that was a first and foremost piece. … I had some experience working with York Preparatory Academy, which was independent prior to coming (to the SCHSL). So I knew it existed. I knew you could get games. I knew you could have officials. But we just wanted to be in an organization to kind of have some brotherhood, sisterhood.”
But how was Legion permitted to join a North Carolina league while residing in South Carolina?
Kennedy explained that because the league is independent and isn’t a government entity, it can choose to add schools as members that are based outside the state’s border if it chooses to — and the league was interested in expanding its membership.
That said, the public charter school, while competing against several North Carolina schools during its sports seasons, will still only be allowed to admit students who reside in South Carolina.
“We’re educating South Carolina kids,” Kennedy said. “That’s what the tax dollars pay for.”
WHY NOT JOIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ASSOCIATION?
The North Carolina league is prestigious. It better allows for national scheduling and national exposure, Legion officials say. Joining the NCISAA, too, is convenient for Rock Hill’s public charter school — with a bulk of the league’s best schools residing in Charlotte, about 30 miles north of Legion’s campus on Interstate 77.
But a huge reason why Legion joined NCISAA instead of joining the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA), Herron said, is because SCISA does not accept charter schools per its bylaws.
“And the NCISAA? They haven’t had charter schools before either,” Herron said. “This is a trial run, and they understand that. They wanted us to be very aware of that. So we just hope that we can come in and be what they want us to be and add value.”
'We're so excited to be home': Legion permanent site almost ready
Legion Collegiate Academy, the newest public charter school in Rock Hill and led by principal TK Kennedy, will open its permanent site to students in February. BY ALEX ZIETLOW
DOES THIS SOLVE ALL OF LEGION’S PROBLEMS?
A lot of Legion’s issues stemmed from its membership in the South Carolina High School League. Starting in July, anyone in South Carolina can be eligible to go to school and play for a Legion athletic team. And other issues that encumber enrollment — from the scheduling woes, to the ongoing lawsuit — won’t be as pressing.
But does breaking away from the SCHSL solve all of the school’s problems? No.
Herron said that finding facilities to rent so his school’s athletes can train and have a home field/stadium is still a work in progress.
“That’s what we got to work on now,” Herron said. “That’s one of the things that the conference wants to know: ‘Hey man, where are you going to play football games?’ So we’ve got to work on that. … But the other sports, we’re going to continue to do what we’re doing as long as (our relationship with the city of Rock Hill) can keep going.”
Herron then pointed around the gym, which was finished a few months ago, a little after the school opened its permanent campus to students in February after spending over a year and a half at its temporary campus: “And of course, (this) is going to help for volleyball and basketball.”
Legion’s final vision includes having premier sports facilities — including five practice fields and four lighted game fields for football, baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse — on its 80-plus-acre campus, The Herald previously reported. In September, Legion officials hoped to have its multi-sport complex completed by 2022.
I WANT TO LEARN MORE. WHEN/WHERE CAN I DO THAT?
The school will host an information/question-and-answer session in its gym on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public. Legion’s address is at 3090 Long Meadow Road in Rock Hill.
