I could care less if we get one single state tournament in Sioux Falls. I don’t have kids, and I don’t like sports. I think the only reason sports should exist in public school is for exercise and recreation. Public schools focus should be EDUCATION! But look at our city and how much money we blow on recreation, so it should be no surprise we really want tournaments in Sioux Falls;
“Boy, for the sheer numbers, we seem to be excluded so, I hate that. We’re the big gorilla at the other end of the state,” Todd Thoelke said.
Sioux Falls, despite accounting for 20 percent of the state’s students, hasn’t had a member voted in since the mid 1990s. Thoelke, a Sioux Falls School Board member, was hoping to end the drought. However, he wasn’t elected to the board.
“I think we need to have our voice heard and to continually be shunned, it’s a little frustrating. But you know, the state voted and the tally was in and I was, once again, not elected,” Thoelke said.
Why has Sioux Falls had a 14 year drought on the Athletic Board? Protectionism is probably one reason, the smaller cities want to protect their territories. Could it also be because their is a hate and jealously towards Sioux Falls? I have often said, if I didn’t live in Sioux Falls, I wouldn’t live in the state. The small-minds in other parts of the state are reality. I think they believe if they allow someone from Sioux Falls on the board, we may suck up all of the tournaments. I doubt that one representative would have that much power, especially a rubber stamper from our school board.
Not sure why we are being snubbed, but I have a feeling, it has a lot to do with mis-trust of our Super and Mayor. And if that is the case, I would have to agree with the skepticism.