What good does it do VoR???? If they play up they've proven to there coach there good enough to play on the JV level. So the kids who have been playing freshman all year should take a seat so some kids who played JV all year should come back down and play for them for a freshman tournament??????? Those kids have there own tournament.... The JV tournament. But no, they can drop down so those kids can sit so they can play in the JV tournament and the freshman.

 

I guess the big thing for me is one basic rule once you get to high school - the best players play. Just because you played all year because a better player played up, that doesn't "give" you that position. You only earn that position by being the best player.

To me, it puts more emphasis on winning a tournament. I thought freshman ball was about developing players. I would never even think of bringing say, a Ben Weyer down to play the frosh tournament. What do you gain and what is he gaining?

Hmmm ... that one makes me think. I tend to agree if a player is so good they are playing regular varsity minutes, then they shouldn't come down.

And we can all name a school or two that did that last year. It reflects poorly on the school.

To me, it puts more emphasis on winning a tournament. I thought freshman ball was about developing players. I would never even think of bringing say, a Ben Weyer down to play the frosh tournament. What do you gain and what is he gaining?

I cant agree with you more lawildcat. All your doing is causing problems with the kids and possibly the parents and most important, what kind of message is that sending to those freshman players???? Its a freshman tournament.

In my book , if a freshman is placed/playing up on JV/V then the coach must feel playing freshman won't be a challenge for them to continue development!! If they haven't played 1 single freshman game all season then shouldn't be eligible to play freshman tourney!! Other sports have minimum participation rules for eligibility, too!! In track, you can't compete in Regions if haven't ran in at least 6 meets prior!!

 

The point of playing kids down for the sake of a win & bragging rights is the most ridiculous thing I've heard!! What it tells the kids that have been playing all year on the team is that the coach doesn't feel they are good enough to win the big game!! Shame Shame!!!

I saw something last night that I have seen for years that I think is just wrong but it goes on all the time. In the freshman tournament 4 girls that did not play during the season 2 weeks ago on the freshman team show up to the tournament and play most of the game. We beat them 2 weeks ago without these player but got beat last night with the JV players on the floor. They also had 4 girls that never saw the floor and 3 girls that played most of the 1st game played very little. If I were a parent and a coach put my daughter on the bench so a JV player could play so we could win and she never saw the floor I would be highly upset. We have 5 very good freshman that could have done this very thing and the game would not have even been close but they have played JV/Varsity all year so they were not brought down. If that would have happened my daughter would have played very little but since our staff chooses not to she played about half the game in the lose. I have seen it in other sports as well. I know at some schools the numbers make this necessary but this was not the case.

What do others think of this practice and have others seen this as well????????

 

I have to disagree 100%.....I coach 8th grade girls and I have 3 girls that start freshman and have not played for me all year. We just won the district and are in the regional tournament. It would be a slap in the face to have some of the girls who have worked there butts off sit and an watch the girls who have played ahead of them. I dont see the point unless you want to win the tournament and really what does that mean...so you can say we won the freshman tournament..how about the girls that have worked hard all year without them. Every team in the region could shuffle some players around to win games if they wanted to. The girls have earned that playing time so give it to them!

I disagree. I say all the freshmen girls playing up should play down in the freshman tournament. Same is true for boys. I see it as good experience for the players playing up. How many freshman girls and boys are playing up in the region? If there are say 15 playing up, then let them all play down and have a true freshman tournament. If there are only 3 or 4 playing up, then you may have a point.

 

Sorry VOR, I see it as you wanting to win a game and telling your Freshmen that you are replacing, that they just aren't really good enough.

 

See to me at least, it's going to hurt your program in the long run, as next year kids will see what you did this year and will they even try out for the team much less work hard, knowing they will be replaced by the studs at the end of the year?

 

Pretty sure some freshmen improve over the summer prior to their 10th grade year and some of the studs are studs because of being older and don't won't improve. So you have taken the up and coming and pushed him aside to win a frosh game and use the so called stud instead? Not good for a program IMHO.....

To me, it puts more emphasis on winning a tournament. I thought freshman ball was about developing players. I would never even think of bringing say, a Ben Weyer down to play the frosh tournament. What do you gain and what is he gaining?

 

But don't you go to a tournament to try and win it?

But don't you go to a tournament to try and win it?

 

Yes a Varsity game but Freshmen teams are for rebuilding that Varsity team.

 

Tell me, would you today, give up a Frosh tourney championship, for a Varsity win and a trip to Rupp?

Then I could say you are penalizing those freshmen who are playing up for being good. They don't get the chance to see how they stack up against their freshman class.

 

Any other reason why you don't think they should be brought down?

 

Why do they need to see how they stack up with other freshman? To make them feel good? Shouldn't they feel good they have the opportunity to play up...where all the other girls wish they could play?

 

This is nothing but trying to win a trophy for the school which is crazy. Tell me why numbers are down. Talk to the parents and players that put their heart and soul into the season to get pushed aside when it really matters. I don't care what age they are. It tells the other kids you are only so good enough. Once your this far into the season, that team has become a team, no matter what grade the kids are in. I bet those kids coming down have never or very seldom even practice with the freshman team.

 

SK brought them down last year. How'd that turn out for them. And I know first hand that kids and parents were pissed. Half of my AAU team are fresh or 8th graders now at SK. So I know what I'm talking about!

 

I'm glad HHS doesn't do it. I'd be embarrassed. And they be pretty good. Two freashman start varsity and another plays about half to three qtrs of the game.

 

I'm sure the ones defending it are either at the schools that do it or parents that haven't had this happen to their kids.

But don't you go to a tournament to try and win it?

 

It's a high school freshman tournament!!! How many colleges recruit a player because they won the freshman tourney? & how many high school coaches are recruit & receive a large paycheck for winning a freshman tourney? A successful coach is one that focuses on developing the young freshman players to make a successful program in years to come!!! Everyone wants to win or else they wouldn't bother playing, but the level that some would stoop down to never ceases to amaze me!! It's high school sports people!!

Why do they need to see how they stack up with other freshman? To make them feel good? Shouldn't they feel good they have the opportunity to play up...where all the other girls wish they could play?

 

This is nothing but trying to win a trophy for the school which is crazy. Tell me why numbers are down. Talk to the parents and players that put their heart and soul into the season to get pushed aside when it really matters. I don't care what age they are. It tells the other kids you are only so good enough. Once your this far into the season, that team has become a team, no matter what grade the kids are in. I bet those kids coming down have never or very seldom even practice with the freshman team.

 

SK brought them down last year. How'd that turn out for them. And I know first hand that kids and parents were pissed. Half of my AAU team are fresh or 8th graders now at SK. So I know what I'm talking about!

 

I'm glad HHS doesn't do it. I'd be embarrassed. And they be pretty good. Two freashman start varsity and another plays about half to three qtrs of the game.

 

I'm sure the ones defending it are either at the schools that do it or parents that haven't had this happen to their kids.

 

AMEN!! Conner has 5 freshmen that dress Varsity...2 do not play on freshman team nor will Conner bring them down for freshman tourney!! No doubt if they did, Conner would own that tourney!!! Even during season when the freshman team was down to 6 players due to injury, no one was brought down...they played & won with 6!!

AMEN!! Conner has 5 freshmen that dress Varsity...2 do not play on freshman team nor will Conner bring them down for freshman tourney!! No doubt if they did, Conner would own that tourney!!! Even during season when the freshman team was down to 6 players due to injury, no one was brought down...they played & won with 6!!

 

I agree with you on everything except the "own" part. I think HHS and Ryle may have something to say about that.

If a freshman is a key to the varsity lineup, the coach will not let them play down for any reason. If they stand to get more valuable court time, coach will let them. It's hard to let a freshman play three games a night. That's what ends up happening with our freshman games. If there is an opportunity for stand alone games, they play because they're not needed for the JV and V games that typically follow.

If a freshman is a key to the varsity lineup, the coach will not let them play down for any reason. If they stand to get more valuable court time, coach will let them. It's hard to let a freshman play three games a night. That's what ends up happening with our freshman games. If there is an opportunity for stand alone games, they play because they're not needed for the JV and V games that typically follow.

 

It's hard to judge every situation without knowing what team each of us is talking about. The size of the school and numbers have a lot to do with it.

 

Just my feeling is that ANYTIME you bring kids down that are part of the team above them, it is wrong. Unless its because of numbers or injuries. Outside of that, it's completely for the wrong reasons in my book and causes more harm than help. Maybe immediate satisfaction, but long term hurt.