Scott, Dixie and Simon Kenton Athlete Parents - Terry Cox Cruey

[HoopsLady]

I fired off this email this morning after all athletic programs were denied practice this week by the edicts of Superintendent Cruey:

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Dr. Cox-Cruey;

 

 

I am writing this note to ask you to reconsider your activity cancellation policy. Your policy of cancelling after school events in the event of a school closure has been devastating to athletic programs district wide. It is specifically devastating to those athletes pursuing athletic scholarship as the majority of programs operate on a policy that is more friendly to athletics.

 

Coaches and administration have an obligation to prepare student athletes for success when they enter the field, court, or class room. This has not been happening as most of the programs that we compete with for post season success and recruiting exposure are practicing on an optional basis during inclement weather. JCSD is one such district that operates with such a policy.

 

In addition to forfeited competitiveness and loss of recruiting exposure, athletes that are pressed into competitive game situations without practice and preparation have substantially more injury risk than those athletes that are prepared to compete.

 

Please do your part to support athletic programs and the pursuit of athletic scholarships district wide. Please amend your inclement weather policy to allow for optional practices.

 

Thank You;

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Basketball, wrestling and swimming were all denied practice time this week due to the draconian KCSD weather cancellation policies. Teams were allowed (compelled) to play games yesterday despite not practicing for a week. Swimming and wrestling were denied practice yesterday even though basketball games were allowed.

 

I am asking you to make your sentiments known on this matter to the Superintendent. Her email address is :

 

terricox.cruey@kenton.kyschools.us

 

Thank You!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

[Clyde]

If I may critique your approach....

 

 

Devastating ?

[ggclfan]

I agree that schools should use common sense on letting teams practice when schools are closed. To just say they cannot is not right to me. However, I seriously doubt anyone is going to lose a scholarship because of a week of bad weather. I also doubt injuries will rise. As a matter of fact, a little break may actually let some kids heal up.

 

That being said, I TOTALLY AGREE with you that schools should not make a blanket decision that they cannot practice because the school is closed. We had a day this week in the Cincy area where the morning was awful for travel. However, by early afternoon, the roads were fine. A team could have practiced at 3pm with no problem.

[Clyde]

Who should make the decision?

[HoopsLady]

If I may critique your approach....

 

 

Devastating ?

 

If a player sustained a season or career ending injury as a result of being pressed into a competitive situation without preparation, I would call that devastating. Dr. Cox-Cruey is trying to live in a risk free world and is ignorant of the risks she is introducing by her policies.

[HoopsLady]

I agree that schools should use common sense on letting teams practice when schools are closed. To just say they cannot is not right to me. However, I seriously doubt anyone is going to lose a scholarship because of a week of bad weather. I also doubt injuries will rise. As a matter of fact, a little break may actually let some kids heal up.

 

That being said, I TOTALLY AGREE with you that schools should not make a blanket decision that they cannot practice because the school is closed. We had a day this week in the Cincy area where the morning was awful for travel. However, by early afternoon, the roads were fine. A team could have practiced at 3pm with no problem.

 

A two or three day break, maybe. Not 8 days though.

 

KCSD also has a no practice on Sunday policy whose only exemptions have to be made through an arduous administrative process.

 

KCSD basketball teams will be playing win or go home games on Monday w/o having practiced for a week or more. Some of these teams are(were?) contenders to compete in state tournaments. The recruiting value of exposure in state tournaments is significant.

[HoopsLady]

Who should make the decision?

 

Make inclement weather practices optional. That shifts the decision making, and risk, from the school to parents.

[All Tell]

Make inclement weather practices optional. That shifts the decision making, and risk, from the school to parents.

 

Really? Do you really believe that practices on those days would really be "optional"? Just like weight room workouts for football, or open gym for basketball? We all know that when a coach calls an "optional" practice that's code for you better be there but I'm not allowed to tell you you have to be.

[lawildcat]

You have quite the passion for sports considering you only watch them via Hudl videos. I can't imagine how you'd feel if you actually attended games. :lol2:

[75center]

If a player sustained a season or career ending injury as a result of being pressed into a competitive situation without preparation, I would call that devastating. Dr. Cox-Cruey is trying to live in a risk free world and is ignorant of the risks she is introducing by her policies.

 

And if they sustained a season or career ending injury as a result of an accident on the way to practice on slick roads? I'd say that is the greater possibility.

[Clyde]

Make inclement weather practices optional. That shifts the decision making' date=' and risk, from the school to parents.[/quote']

 

So you think the coach will make it optional?

[mcpapa]

Heaven forbid we can't get a basketball practice in during blizzard conditions. That would indeed be devastation on a Biblical scale. The 10 plagues of Egypt have nothing on this.

 

And that coming from a Mason County fan.

[uk#1fan]

I think 8 days might help them rest their legs and get injuries to heal.

[B-Ball-fan]

What's stopping kids from exercising and staying limber from the confines of their own home during snow days? Does staying active during days where there is no team practice deny a kid from moving his/her body just because it's not done under competitive team practice circumstances?

 

Who lives under conditions where they can't at least do stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, aerobic exercises, and perhaps even with the help of treadmills, staircases, and such... cardiovascular exercises?

 

I'm sure that if it's a matter of importance for a dedicated athlete, he/she can come up with substantial creative ways to stay active, and if they're in tip top shape to begin with I hardly see where a week of less intensive activity is going to be very devastating to their progress.

[rjs4470]

Let's not forget that the kids didn't have school. Athletics are not, have never been and should never be more important than school. The vast majority of athletes are not or have very little chance of ever receiving a college scholarship, and an 8 day hiatus isn't going change that. I doubt that any schollys are being lost because of the missed games/practice. In other words, if you are a senior there's not much you could of done this past week that would change your prospects of playing at the next level. and if you are an underclassman, there's even less a chance this layoff hurts you. The missed schoolwork and instruction in the classroom is worse than missing a few days of hoops practice. Sports are also no more important than band, drama club, etc. special exceptions should not be made for sports.

 

School cancellation decisions are strictly based on safety concerns for all students. In our own little bubble, we may disagree or feel like there should be no problems for kids to get to practice. But everyone's bubble is different. A week off of practice sucks. But someone getting hurt driving to practice on a snow day sucks a lot more. And I don't buy the chance for injury going up from lack of activity. Kids roll out of bed and play street hoops every day across the country with no practice, and no supervision and playing on asphalt and survive.

Edited February 21, 2015 by rjs4470