I'm not sure where this is coming from but most central Kentucky schools have remedied this by having the middle school season take place from August til October. The girls can then supplement the high school program.

 

This makes sense...However, one question. Does that then force kids to chose between soccer and bball. Even if they don't play for their HS soccer teams, they most likely play club that time of the year if they are a good soccer player. Does that know down numbers. I know with our MS team last year, we would most likely have lost half the team to soccer. I guess you could say the same about volleyball too if a MS girl played up for their HS, they wouldn't play MS bball.

Its a touchy subject. There are instances of having younger freak athletes out there that need challenged at a higher level (depending on sport/ physicality). As far as basketball goes my opinion is that its a school decision. The smaller class "a" schools with lower numbers sometimes have to reach out to middle school levels to be able to field enough to have a competitive team. I feel we should have faith in our jv/varsity coaches to be able to make that decision if they are ready or not for that.

This is a girls basketball thread, an athletic team not academic team & if my kid was 12 yrs old but had the intelligence level of a 16/17 yr old...NO I wouldn't move them up 3 grade levels because no matter how smart a 12 yr old is, they do not have the social maturity of a 16/17 yr old!!! There are plenty of online learning sites they could get on to keep "challenging" their mind, just like plenty of AAU or club teams they could play on to "challenge" their skill level!!!

 

You are wrong on this!!! There are not enough girl AAU teams in NKY for teams to play on that will challenge skill level or any level. When a girl attends a try out for AAU basketball, many of the coaches already know who is going to roster that team. For many reasons, and maybe personal reasons, an AAU coach may not accept a girl and give her an opportunity to play on any of their organization teams. There are good high school players that would play AAU if more teams were available.

Very valid points with the exposure issue. But again, may be dependent on the specific situation. If the girl has an older sibling, she is already exposed to it more than you think. I know dads don't want to hear that!!!!...but it's reality. So if she is the oldest and you are trying to protect her as longs as possible...I totally get it. But if she has older siblings...too late! I only say that because my feeling is it should be specific to each kid and each families discretion. I think if that family feels their daughter is ready, they should have that choice. Will some families make some bad decisions...sure! But if they are making bad decisions on whether to move their child up either they will learn from it or they or making more bad decisions in other areas anyway.

 

If my daughter has the ability, skill, body and mind to play up, no one should be able to tell me if she should or can. Just the way I feel. I want her challenged, just like I would academically. Has nothing to do with with pushing her too far or wanting glory for me or her. It has to do with making sure she is challenged and is pushed. Why would this be any different than anything else in life. Everything we do should be to help us get better and not getting comfortable. In ANYTHING we do, we set goals to reach a plateau and then when we do, what's next? Set another goal! It applies to sports as much as anything else. Keep pushing.

 

I can tell you right now...I have an 8th grade daughter that could absolutely play up in high school. Highlands MS principal has made his own rule that none of his MS kids can play up anymore. The Barth girls was grandfathered in because she was in the HS program before he made the rule. So my daughter and one of her best friends (who is also very good) will be playing 8th grade this year. In the 6th and 7th grade, the only challenging games and time that those two actually played more than a quarter at the same time were against Conner, Another very good team. In the past two years, the two really good girls on the HHS team were lucky to avg half a game. NOW, all the other schools have basically move up anyone that was good. So the last two years, most games ended with "slow down, no layups and we have to make 5 passes before we shoot". Now with the good 8th graders gone and our two still playing 8th grade, please tell me what my daughter is going to get out of her 8th grade bball season athletically. Just my opinion, but her and her friend may not get challenged one time this year. That's not being cocky, it's reality. That's not what I want and it's not what she wants. She loves competition and she will get none. Her and her friend are in the same grade as the barth girl and still can't play with her for another year because of a silly rulle...when she have the ability and the body to do so. Heck, she's bigger and stronger than my JR that has started at PG since the 8th grade!!!

 

I felt just like you did when my daughter played AAU for you and you never challenged her. All you cared about was your daughter and a couple of other girls. You started Game Time and when it no longer provided any benefit for you or your girls - you dropped everything!! If you pick up a girl on AAU, then you should provide the same opportunity as your daughter or cut her from your team!!!

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I could not disagree more. The last thing we need is for the KHSAA to apply a blanket rule to all programs in the state. I could be wrong but it sounds like the problem may be in Boone County. Am I reading that correctly? A MS girl can move up only if she plays varsity? No fresh/jv option? The real question here is WHO

Is the person that made that rule? I would like to hear the reasoning behind it. Just my opinion.

 

That is incorrect!!! I know a middle school girl playing up on Freshman in a Boone County High School!!! Get your story straight before you post it.

Edited November 3, 201411 yr by PurplePride92

I felt just like you did when my daughter played AAU for you and you never challenged her. All you cared about was your daughter and a couple of other girls. You started Game Time and when it no longer provided any benefit for you or your girls - you dropped everything!! If you pick up a girl on AAU, then you should provide the same opportunity as your daughter or cut her from your team!!!

 

Really??? Bet I know who this is!!!! And the reason I know is because there can't be too many out there that were unhappy with what I did for their daughter. But I can't please EVERYONE ALL THE TIME. Sorry.

 

But since you mention it...I have a second daughter that is very competitive, so I must just not like her at all. At one time, we had over 140 kids playing for Gametime...the org I started. And I started it with the team you are talking about because I couldn't find anywhere for that group to play. But since you bring it up, what did all that work have to do with my one daughter you point out? 14 teams and 140 families...and I did it all for my one daughter. Sorry it didn't work out like you would have liked for your daughter. And you do realize that my daughter quit playing AAU to focus on softball AND you do realize that I took a high school coaching job (apparently to focus on my daughter's bball skills) that takes up a lot of time and I was not able to keep the AAU org running. I turned it over to others and got out completely so I could focus on my HS coaching, my "real" job and my 4 kids! Sorry it's not what you wanted, but maybe this volunteer parent wasn't in sync with you and should have checked first. I had the Org for almost 7 years, had all those kids involved, organized just about everything and never made a dime! So bark all you want, I don't feel bad about anything I volunteered to do. BTW, what did you do for all those kids?

 

Wow, and reading your other post, you are obviously bitter. Do you feel its the "right" of a kid to get fair and equal time and opportunities on a competitive team??? Is that why you're bitter? I played to win in AAU...In fact, if this is who I think it is, we even had discussions on playing time. But you apparently didn't like the way it turned out.

 

Out for only my daughter...give me a break!!! If anything, I was harder on her than anyone. And if you were around at all, you know that.

You are wrong on this!!! There are not enough girl AAU teams in NKY for teams to play on that will challenge skill level or any level. When a girl attends a try out for AAU basketball, many of the coaches already know who is going to roster that team. For many reasons, and maybe personal reasons, an AAU coach may not accept a girl and give her an opportunity to play on any of their organization teams. There are good high school players that would play AAU if more teams were available.

 

So start a team! You act like these Orgs OWE you something. Start a team and do it your way. Its that easy! Go get all the HS players that are looking to play and get them in tournaments. You make it sound like it's easy to do. You know why there aren't many that do it...because it's a lot of work and becomes a thankless job...See your other post!

Organizing, scheduling, or running any team sport is a demanding yet thankless job. I couldn't do it but appreciate those that can and do for others.

I felt just like you did when my daughter played AAU for you and you never challenged her. All you cared about was your daughter and a couple of other girls. You started Game Time and when it no longer provided any benefit for you or your girls - you dropped everything!! If you pick up a girl on AAU, then you should provide the same opportunity as your daughter or cut her from your team!!!

 

 

My two cents worth, which by the way is very sincere....

 

The best thing you can do for your child when they don't get to play like you think they should, is NEVER point the finger, pass the blame, or get angry. The best thing is to sit your child down, look them in the eye, and let them know that you love them regardless if they play basketball or not. (You need to do this for yourself and for them) Then proceed to explain to them that there is nothing wrong with them if other kids are better, more talented, more skilled, or even if they have a better opportunity by virtue of knowing the coach. This is going to happen many times throughout your lifetime, and my dear son/daughter, you need to know how to handle it correctly and how to respond. You have two choices...Point the finger, pass the blame, trash everyone, act like your entitled, burn bridges, quit, go look for another team...OR...stick with it, learn from those around you that are better, serve your team mates, work to be a great team mate, and most of all, ask the coach to be honest with you about your weaknesses, listen and begin working your tail off to improve those weakness. In other words...increase your value, not your opinion. I'll admit, this is a tough thing to do, with the emotions involved and wanting to see your child succeed. But I am telling you from experience, that although it may be the tough road, it is the right road that pays dividends. Your child will learn a valuable lesson that goes with them far beyond a made three pointer at a AAU tournament one weekend that everyone forgot about. You don't know me, but I am telling you, it pays off. I believe what I am telling you so much this year, with my youngest daughter, currently a 6th grader, I had the rare choice of teams to put her on. One where she would be a starter, play a bunch and be a main cog in the wheel. The other, she would be one of the last to get in the game. With some discussion between her, her mom and I, and with my child understanding why, I purposely put her on a team where I knew she would not hardly play. I am serious. I did it because I want her to learn the hard lesson, the best lesson, and the tremendous value of serving your team mates (get them drinks of water), being a great team mate (cheering them on), noticing and being honest about your weaknesses - then working your tail off to get better. None of these great opportunities would have been there on a team where she, the coach, mom and dad all think she is the star and she plays all the time. I will add that she is actually cool with it and buying in....and I truly believe that if she wants to continue to play, she will be the best version of herself one day because of the investment she is making now.

 

Hope that helps. And by the way, it is a public forum. If you don't like it or think it helps, perhaps someone else will.

Well thought out post Trisevens.:thumb:

My two cents worth, which by the way is very sincere....

 

The best thing you can do for your child when they don't get to play like you think they should, is NEVER point the finger, pass the blame, or get angry. The best thing is to sit your child down, look them in the eye, and let them know that you love them regardless if they play basketball or not. (You need to do this for yourself and for them) Then proceed to explain to them that there is nothing wrong with them if other kids are better, more talented, more skilled, or even if they have a better opportunity by virtue of knowing the coach. This is going to happen many times throughout your lifetime, and my dear son/daughter, you need to know how to handle it correctly and how to respond. You have two choices...Point the finger, pass the blame, trash everyone, act like your entitled, burn bridges, quit, go look for another team...OR...stick with it, learn from those around you that are better, serve your team mates, work to be a great team mate, and most of all, ask the coach to be honest with you about your weaknesses, listen and begin working your tail off to improve those weakness. In other words...increase your value, not your opinion. I'll admit, this is a tough thing to do, with the emotions involved and wanting to see your child succeed. But I am telling you from experience, that although it may be the tough road, it is the right road that pays dividends. Your child will learn a valuable lesson that goes with them far beyond a made three pointer at a AAU tournament one weekend that everyone forgot about. You don't know me, but I am telling you, it pays off. I believe what I am telling you so much this year, with my youngest daughter, currently a 6th grader, I had the rare choice of teams to put her on. One where she would be a starter, play a bunch and be a main cog in the wheel. The other, she would be one of the last to get in the game. With some discussion between her, her mom and I, and with my child understanding why, I purposely put her on a team where I knew she would not hardly play. I am serious. I did it because I want her to learn the hard lesson, the best lesson, and the tremendous value of serving your team mates (get them drinks of water), being a great team mate (cheering them on), noticing and being honest about your weaknesses - then working your tail off to get better. None of these great opportunities would have been there on a team where she, the coach, mom and dad all think she is the star and she plays all the time. I will add that she is actually cool with it and buying in....and I truly believe that if she wants to continue to play, she will be the best version of herself one day because of the investment she is making now.

 

Hope that helps. And by the way, it is a public forum. If you don't like it or think it helps, perhaps someone else will.

 

And I know he's not going to brag, but that's exactly what he did with his older daughter and she is now a JR and one of the best players in the 8th region! So he ain't blowin smoke!

The Boone County school that people are referring to is Ryle and they have a 7th grader and at least two 8th graders playing Varsity. They were not allowed to play JV or Freshman. I have no problem with middle school athletes playing high school sports but 7th and 8th graders playing varsity seems a bit of a jump. They do not allow it for "contact sports" but I have seen just as bad "contact" on a basketball court than a soccer field. I will say this though, the 7th grade girl playing for Ryle, is the best girls basketball player that I have seen since Walz. Not sure how she will be this year, playing against grown women but if anyone can hang it would be her.

I am really confused as I think most are about the rule in BOONE COUNTY. I know for a fact last year Asyah Mitchell started on Coopers Freshman team and then moved to JV after about 4 games or so. Why was that allowed? Or did Cooper learn quickly that she couldn't play Freshman, hence the change early on in the season?

The Boone County school that people are referring to is Ryle and they have a 7th grader and at least two 8th graders playing Varsity. They were not allowed to play JV or Freshman. I have no problem with middle school athletes playing high school sports but 7th and 8th graders playing varsity seems a bit of a jump. They do not allow it for "contact sports" but I have seen just as bad "contact" on a basketball court than a soccer field. I will say this though, the 7th grade girl playing for Ryle, is the best girls basketball player that I have seen since Walz. Not sure how she will be this year, playing against grown women but if anyone can hang it would be her.

 

She is very good, but (not being mean) I would have to say you need to see more basketball games. There are several very good bball players right around her age. And if that is the case, she is a lock to start and would be the best player on the court...like Walz was in the 7th grade. I'm not even sure she is better than the two 8th graders they are talking about at Ryle. Let alone the Conner and HHS 8th graders AND the loaded freshman class in front of them.

 

And man you are forgetting some really good players that have passed through the state. You are comparing her to the best that EVER played in the state. Pretty strong! You'd think you'd know her name then!! (kidding) Her name is Maddie Scherr. I know she is going to be a good one, but don't put so much pressure on the poor thing right now.

I am not saying its a Boone County rule or anything. I am just saying that is what Ryle decided to do. They said that they could not play Freshman or JV. Unless they think those 3 middle schoolers can hang at the Varsity level and didn't even offer them a freshman or JV spot.