RCC9 would you like to see the All A go away? I guess I just don't see how this event is detrimental to any involved in it.

 

We got close last year in it and I hate it for our girls that we lost Fri night to NCC to give us the opportunity to play in owensboro this year. As long as we are at St Henry and there is an All A tournament, we will make this tournament a priority. I'm sure if you were in our shoes or NCC's or any of the other 9th region teams, you would feel the same.

 

Obviously our ultimate goals are our district, 9th region and state but I'm not gonna downplay the All A when that opportunity is afforded to us. And yes we had shirts made last year commemorating our All A accomplishments. And we will again...hopefully in 2015

 

Sure, it's great for the ones that are involved in it. They get a chance to experience success and have what is considered a state championship. Then those same girls have chance to also play and win the region and go to state again. Don't get me wrong, that is great for those kids. It really is. I have nothing against the teams that play in it at all. Yes, I would put my team in it if we qualified. I just can't stand the hypocritical defenses used to justify it.

 

Now, we all agree it's great for those kids. And I think we'd agree that most of the teams that win their region in the A can compete in their region. And I think we'd agree that pretty much the same schools win the A all the time. Probably comes down to 2-3 teams in each region every year. So why is it fair for us to create a tournament to give the kids a second chance to experience success like that when we have 100's of other schools that do not get that chance. Many of those 100's can't compete with the teams that are winning the All A regions. Where is their opportunity to experience success? We want to say "this is great for the kids". "This is a great tournament and experience". "Whats wrong with that?". Well what's wrong with that is why does a third of the state get and extra opportunity to experience success and we say it's a good thing and then when you bring up the rest of the state, nothing is said. Or it's "do it yourself, create an new tournament if you're jealous of the A." What happened to it's good for all kids to experience the success? Now all of a sudden it's not or others don't want to help all kids...just theirs? If all that is so great, why aren't you same people advocating for all the other kids that don't get that same opportunity? It's all hypacritical. You argue one thing until we apply it to someone else. Then the arguement changes to a different reason.

 

I don't hate the tournament. I do think its good for the kids. But just admit what it is. It's a way to keep the smaller schools from complaining so they don't have to change the format of the state to classifications. They award a small school state to keep them happy. The problem with that in this day and age, those same small schools that are winning the A's can compete just as easily in the KHSAA competition as 80% of the schools in the state anyway. So why keep the A, unless people just think they deserve an easy way to a state championship.

 

Again, I'll ask this question to the St Henry and NCC fans. Do you take offense to the arguement that the A is for the small schools that wouldn't otherwise be able to compete. I know the answer. The answer is, you can compete and you know it and take pride in it. You should. You both have very good programs. So now tell me why the A is important to you. I know the answer to that too. It's important because it's great to see the kids get an opportunity to experience something like that. I get it! It is. But now I ask you this. If it's so great to see your kids get to experience something like that and you know that your teams can compete with all the other schools, why wouldn't it be good for ALL kids to be able to experience the same thing that you're happy to see your kids experience? I completely understand why you think it's a great thing. But if you weren't supporting an A team, would you think the same thing? What if you were at a school that didn't get to experience that for your kids. The A advocates act like it's A schools and then all 6A schools. There are several schools in between that would love to have their girls have the same experiences as you in a similar format. But they aren't given that opportunity like the small schools. Either go to classifications and support that or don't crown a small school champ...that has just as much opportunity as anyone else in the state.

 

If this were truly for small schools that didn't have a chance to compete otherwise...I would be all for this. But it's not. The schools winning the A regions can compete with just about everyone else.

^^^

If you don't hate the tournament and think it is good for the kids then why go on and on about it?

Honest question.

 

What's more impressive - a Class A football state championship involving a total of 32 teams, or an All-A "state title" involving what - 3 times that many?

 

Well if you read anything I put on the football board about their classifications, you'd know that I hate 6 classes! It's completely watered down. I believe in earning a state. But several on there also use the "isn't it good for more kids to experience success" argument as well. No, I think it should be earned and everyone should do the same thing to earn it.

 

And more teams doesn't always mean a tougher path. Remember, NCC just run ruled 3 or their 4 opponents on the way to the regional championship. Do you think that happened because they were on fire or was it the competition level they were playing? In reality, there are probably only 20-25 A teams in the state that would even have a chance of winning the A. So yes...many more teams. But no, not tougher to get there than a football team. Again, I hate the current football classifications. 0-10 teams make the playoffs!

^^^

If you don't hate the tournament and think it is good for the kids then why go on and on about it?

 

If you are an advocate for this tournament, then you must support classifications. (not necessarily you). I could care less either way. I will play by what KHSAA tells me to. But that's where the problem for me comes in. If the KHSAA says its all one state, why have the A. Please don't tell me "it's just another tournament". It's a state tournament for the small schools. We all hide behind whatever excuse we can come up with to argue otherwise. But we all know it's a state tournament. May not be officially recognized by KHSAA, but it's treated exactly the same...other than having your name on the KHSAA site. That's the ONLY difference. So again, if you think this is a great tournament and experience for kids, I'm assuming you want to vote for classification across the board, right? If you don't, then you (not necessarily you) are a hypocrit. It's not just A schools and 6A schools in the state. There are teams in between.

 

For the record, if we didn't want to stay as one state winner, then my vote would be for 3 classes in every sport. I believe state championships should be extemely difficult to win and it should be a great accomplishment when it's achieved. Today, we want to hand them out like candy.

You know, maybe in other regions where there aren't a lot of private schools, winning the All A may really be for the little schools that wouldn't otherwise have a shot. Maybe I'm just a product of the region I live in.

t. Maybe I'm just a product of the region I live in.

 

I think that is a lot of it. In the 1st region the basketball tournament is great every year with different teams winning it. The softball will be wide open with the consolidation of McCracken.

Holy cow! Wait a minute. I thought this was just one big tournament...you know a classic...an invitational...an in-season tournament. You mean you get rewards for winning segments of this tournament? I've played in a lot of tournaments and don't remember getting any rewards for getting to a certain point in a tournament. Most of the tournaments I played in reward the winner at the end. This opens up a whole new can of worms!

 

I thought you said you were done after the first post. Just asking..,

RCC9, the more you post, the less credible you get. Give it up, the All A is here to stay!

Here in the 16th region the all A winner is rarely if ever a threat to win the region .

RCC9, the more you post, the less credible you get. Give it up, the All A is here to stay!

 

That's your opinion, but not everyone's. I've told you that before.

RCC9, the more you post, the less credible you get. Give it up, the All A is here to stay!

 

So I assume you vote for classifications then, correct? Let's do it!

 

No one is denying what I'm saying isn't true. So I'm not sure how my credibility is lessening. They all just say "it's a great tournament for the kids, so leave it alone". Not saying it's not a great tournament and great experience...for the kids that are allowed to play in it and are allowed to have experiences that others can't. Well sure it's great for them! I agree!

 

I'm done with it. The all A is fine. I have no issues with the teams that play in it or the tournament itself. It's the hypocracy around it that kills me.

 

Just answer me this Madman. Why do only a certain few deserve a chance to experience all these things that everyone says is so great? For every team that wins the A region, I can name 10 others that are in the exact same boat as them (regardless of size). So again, why don't we care if they have an extra chance to experience this?

Do you think that happened because they were on fire or was it the competition level they were playing?

 

I'm going with "on fire"…I recall a recent thread where LawnBoy got hammered on because he was honest about the poor play of NCC.

 

RCC I get your point. I have been on your side of the fence. I recall recently when the football classifications were changed and HHS moved from 5A to 4A, with the rumor being that it was the same schools year after year.

 

I'm all in favor of having in-season tournaments at classified levels. Here's the rub: Apparently no one at any level other than the "A" level cares enough to put the effort in to make it happen. Period.

 

Why penalize a group, regardless of how they are divided, because there is a group of committed people that year in and year out put it together.

 

The lack of any other classified in-season "state" tournament speaks more to the lack of commitment by the other classes than to the obvious commitment by the A level schools. They just want it more.

 

I get your passion for the situation, but where is the support from others that share your position…the answer is, it doesn't exist, for whatever reason.

 

Having been around and involved in schools at the A, 2A, 4A and 6A levels (my kids) and having exposure to them through other means, I can tell you that the passion that exists at the A level schools just outweighs the passion at larger schools (for the most part). It's an ownership issue.

 

My challenge to you would be to own this one and get some support from other classes for and "in-season, state level tournament". Call it what you want, let schools give T-shirts, or trophies or rings or whatever…who cares except the kids.

 

But until there is a committed passion by other classified level schools, it's an argument that just speaks more to the commitment level of A school supporters to continue these tournaments…..the others just don't care enough to step up and make it happen.

 

No offense to you, I respect your passion for the game and your position and I support your right to put it out there…but I got over this one after taking a look at the bigger picture and seeing the "why" behind the All A from a perspective other than trophies and rings.

You know, maybe in other regions where there aren't a lot of private schools, winning the All A may really be for the little schools that wouldn't otherwise have a shot. Maybe I'm just a product of the region I live in.

FINALLY!!! You tell us your true issue!!!

 

So your entire problem with the All "A" boils down to "Private schools" and the schools around you in Northern Kentucky? All of this other stuff you talk about is just camouflage for your real issue which is that your biggest rivals have success in a tourney and there is nothing you can do about it but belittle any title that they may or may not win.

I'm going with "on fire"…I recall a recent thread where LawnBoy got hammered on because he was honest about the poor play of NCC.

 

RCC I get your point. I have been on your side of the fence. I recall recently when the football classifications were changed and HHS moved from 5A to 4A, with the rumor being that it was the same schools year after year.

 

I'm all in favor of having in-season tournaments at classified levels. Here's the rub: Apparently no one at any level other than the "A" level cares enough to put the effort in to make it happen. Period.

 

Why penalize a group, regardless of how they are divided, because there is a group of committed people that year in and year out put it together.

 

The lack of any other classified in-season "state" tournament speaks more to the lack of commitment by the other classes than to the obvious commitment by the A level schools. They just want it more.

 

I get your passion for the situation, but where is the support from others that share your position…the answer is, it doesn't exist, for whatever reason.

 

Having been around and involved in schools at the A, 2A, 4A and 6A levels (my kids) and having exposure to them through other means, I can tell you that the passion that exists at the A level schools just outweighs the passion at larger schools (for the most part). It's an ownership issue.

 

My challenge to you would be to own this one and get some support from other classes for and "in-season, state level tournament". Call it what you want, let schools give T-shirts, or trophies or rings or whatever…who cares except the kids.

 

But until there is a committed passion by other classified level schools, it's an argument that just speaks more to the commitment level of A school supporters to continue these tournaments…..the others just don't care enough to step up and make it happen.

 

No offense to you, I respect your passion for the game and your position and I support your right to put it out there…but I got over this one after taking a look at the bigger picture and seeing the "why" behind the All A from a perspective other than trophies and rings.

 

A lot of good points here! As I do believe in everything I'm saying, at the end of the day, I know the A is not going away nor would I want it to. Heck, one of the best bball games I saw all year was at the All A...sitting right next to Lawnboy!

 

For me, it's all about the discussion with the supporters as to why it's so great and the hypocracy of the small schools. They want to make sure everyone knows they are at the level of much larger schools and their program is very solid and then turn around and hide behind the argument of this being for the small schools that can't compete. Well which is it? Do you want credit for being a small school that has put together an outstanding program and can compete at all levels or are you saying you play in the A because you need an opportunity to experience things you wouldn't be able to experience otherwise? Are you running with the big dogs or not???

 

If you truly can compete with the big dogs, then why the need to drop down? When I played competitve sports, I called teams like that "Trophy Hunters". Teams that could compete at a higher level, but chose to drop down to win. They didn't want to work as hard and felt they were entitled to win a trophy. They had plenty of talent to play up a level and compete...just like everyone else. But there were no rules saying they couldn't move down...so they did...to win. Everything I grew up on is against that. As an athlete, I was taught to compete at the highest level I could and let the cards fall where they lay.

 

I've told this story in the other thread. I'll shorten it up for this one. I coached my daughter's AAU team for 5 years. We probably played in 10 tournaments a year. So let's say 50 tournaments. We were above avg, but not great. I kept the core of my kids for all 5 years. We never dodged teams or the best tournaments. We always played the D1 teams and actually sought them out. We would go to the tournaments with the best teams, not seek out the tournaments with weaker teams we thought we could win. That's easy to do if you want to. In those 50 tournaments, I think we won maybe 2 and I think those came in the last year or our team. Did we consider ourselves a success? Absolutely, because we took pride in seeking out the best competiton we could locally everytime we played. We weren't a travel team, but there were plenty of good teams to play within a 2 hour radius. We were a success because by the time my kids were in the 7th and 8th grade, they were all contributing to their high school programs. Some of them were starting and playing significant varsity minutes. We were successful and won about 4% of our tournaments. My point...challenge yourself. It's not all about winning. Some of our most memorable moments came in losses! Be proud of competing. All my kids from that team have great memories and they cherish the tournaments we did win even more.

 

It is a great event...for a select few.

FINALLY!!! You tell us your true issue!!!

 

So your entire problem with the All "A" boils down to "Private schools" and the schools around you in Northern Kentucky? All of this other stuff you talk about is just camouflage for your real issue which is that your biggest rivals have success in a tourney and there is nothing you can do about it but belittle any title that they may or may not win.

 

No no no. I did the research last year for girls bball. It may not be the case in softball, but in bball, the same teams dominate the regions and the tournaments every year in every region. All my "camouflage" still applies in girls bball at least. I just posted another post of what it's about.