A good friend of mine posed a question about the playoffs that I had never really considered before (at least as far as football went).

 

Basically, he pointed out that schools like Raceland, Frankfort, DeSales, Somerset, Belfry, and Wayne County's coaching staffs have a decision to make.

 

 

Basically, it boils down to:

 

a.) travel on Thanksgiving day, get to the host school's city that afternoon/night, stay in a hotel, have your kids sitting around all day in the hotel on Friday.

 

b.) travel sometime on Friday (game day), get up early, take the long bus ride, and risk having your kids have what I'd call "bus lag".

 

If you were a member of your favorite team's staff and were in a situation like this, how would you handle it?

 

What distances are acceptable for you to travel on game day and what makes you bring the team in on a holiday for a long bus ride and overnight stay?

 

How are teams actually going to handle this for those who have personal knowledge of the situations?

 

Some trips seem worse than others. Raceland going to Williamsburg, Frankfort going to Mayfield, and Wayne County going to Paducah Tilghman are some that really stand out to me. Remember, trips on a school bus are going to take longer than trips in cars, and chartered buses might not be an option for some schools.

Mapquest is showing Frankfort to Mayfield as a 4 hour drive (in a car), so I'd say that they are definitely going to be a team who goes down on Thursday night and gets a hotel. I know that's probably what I would do if I were there coach at least.

Edited November 23, 201312 yr by JokersWild24

Mapquest is showing Frankfort to Newport as a 4 hour drive (in a car), so I'd say that they are definitely going to be a team who goes down on Thursday night and gets a hotel. I know that's probably what I would do if I were there coach at least.

 

4 hours from Frankfort to Newport? What the hell did they base this on, horseback?

Mapquest is showing Frankfort to Newport as a 4 hour drive (in a car), so I'd say that they are definitely going to be a team who goes down on Thursday night and gets a hotel. I know that's probably what I would do if I were there coach at least.

 

Then they should switch to Google Maps before making hotel reservations because Frankfort is just over an hour and a half by car, if that!

I think he meant Mayfield, since that's who Frankfort plays.

If I was the Frankfort coaching staff, I would definitely travel on Thursday night... No way I make that bus trip on game day.

Mapquest is showing Frankfort to Newport as a 4 hour drive (in a car), so I'd say that they are definitely going to be a team who goes down on Thursday night and gets a hotel. I know that's probably what I would do if I were there coach at least.

 

Maybe Newport, Tennesee... Why would Frankfort go to Newport anyway? They play Mayfield.

Mapquest is showing Frankfort to Mayfield as a 4 hour drive (in a car), so I'd say that they are definitely going to be a team who goes down on Thursday night and gets a hotel. I know that's probably what I would do if I were there coach at least.

 

First, as others have pointed out, let me fix that ^ for you.

 

To answer the question, Beechwood always travels on game day - even to Mayfield. One year they went down the night before and that made up their mind to never do it again. I do know that most teams will travel the night before. I think Mayfield travels to Louisville the night before when they have to come to Beechwood.

 

Personally, 4 hours is right on the cusp for most. If it were a 3 hour trip, no doubt in my mind I would travel on game day. I would just travel early, do an afternoon walk through and not have the kids going straight from the bus to the game.

 

When talking about cost, traveling the night before is almost surely way more costly. Hotel rooms. Food. It has to be cheaper to travel game day. You probably could get the charter bus and still travel on game day cheaper than staying in a hotel the night before. Plus, I would always choose sleeping in my own bed the night before a game over sleeping in a hotel and dealing with all the hassle.

Most coaches love to say, "Boys I hope we are practicing on Thanksgiving Day". I think most would stick with that also. Practice, which would most likely be a Thursday night walkthrough anyway. Then get up on Friday morning and leave. Plan the trip with scheduled stops. Know where your going to stop and eat. Frankfort to Mayfield; you also get an hour back when traveling west. Planning is the key, nothing worse than getting there way to early and waiting. Charter bus would make the travel much better.

As an aside, am I in the minority in that I preferred the yellow bus to the charter bus? I always thought you had more room on the yellow busses.

After mine and Joker's conversation on this last night I think I've figured out what I would do. I would go get a motel and try and find some activity for my kids to do Friday morning at 10:30/11 to have some fun. Ultimately enjoying these sort of things is what it's all about, make it really special. Tour a college along the way as a group, see a state park. Many of these kids will never see the part of the state they are traveling to again.

Travel on game day.

Somerset has made back to back road trips on school days of around 140 miles one way to Prestonsburg and Betsy Layne...I don't think 165 mile to Newport will be handled any differently than they have the last two weeks.

Under 2 hours = travel on game day.

Over 2 hours = travel the night before.

 

Specifically for Mayfield I would look at things going on in Paducah that night. Sometimes the four rivers center has quality shows. If not, a movie or bowling are good choices. Or I might work something out to stop and tour Murray State on the way down. Mall trips are asking for trouble.

 

I would see if Tilghman or McCracken Co would allow the team to get on their field for a run through mid-morning on Friday. Have a study hall after lunch... and by study hall I mean film sessions in each position coach's room. Pre-game meal. Play.

 

Just me though...

First, as others have pointed out, let me fix that ^ for you.

 

To answer the question, Beechwood always travels on game day - even to Mayfield. One year they went down the night before and that made up their mind to never do it again. I do know that most teams will travel the night before. I think Mayfield travels to Louisville the night before when they have to come to Beechwood.

 

Personally, 4 hours is right on the cusp for most. If it were a 3 hour trip, no doubt in my mind I would travel on game day. I would just travel early, do an afternoon walk through and not have the kids going straight from the bus to the game.

 

When talking about cost, traveling the night before is almost surely way more costly. Hotel rooms. Food. It has to be cheaper to travel game day. You probably could get the charter bus and still travel on game day cheaper than staying in a hotel the night before. Plus, I would always choose sleeping in my own bed the night before a game over sleeping in a hotel and dealing with all the hassle.

 

Do you mind sharing why they decided not to travel the night before?