It's an eternal question - who should get individual post-season awards?

 

Should they mostly go to winning teams that are deep with talent, meaning several players are selected from the same team...or is it a chance to recognize players on teams that are maybe average, but the individuals are considered above average players?

 

How would you do it? By position? By grade? By school size? Or forget all that and just go by what you see?

 

Which brings up another consideration - what are you seeing? If the only matches you see are Assumption, Sacred Heart, Mercy, Notre Dame - you could argue that those are the best players, and best teams, period. They should get the awards. All 4 are nationally ranked. Hard to argue against that.

 

But most teams and matches aren't at that level. Maybe you only get to see your local team, with player xx who stands out above the rest - is that who should be individually recognized?

 

I know the "All-Tourney Team" formula for Districts and Regionals - winning team gets MVP plus 2-3 more, runner up gets 2-3, everyone else gets 1. The KVCA and coaches' organizations like the NKYGVCA seem to go by school size. The Enquirer All-Stars usually includes at least 1 player in the "honorable mention" section from each team no matter what.

 

What would you do and who should get them?

It's a tough question, and I think on a regional level the local coaches association has a chance to get it right more than the state overall. Also, I would think that the better your coach is at marketing their players the better the chance one of them can win an honor on a team. The big four's players will always garner more attention than any other schools kids just because those programs are so strong. An example of a player not at a premier school would be Jessica Tapp at Scott. She's a very worthy candidate for a state wide list, but I'm not sure that every coach in KY would have any idea that she is that good. And if the coaches don't know, who would be a better option? No one I can think of.

I don't know about volleyball, but in other sports I've seen area/regional coaches get it everywhere from almost right to leaving me SMH. Lots of bias against successful programs and/or rivals. But you're right - I don't know who else would be qualified. Kinda stuck with it.

 

But I'm not a fan of having rules in selecting these teams - for example - does every school have to be represented? What's the max # of players from 1 school? Coaches should be able to make a list and submit it. Probably doesn't work that way though.

In Ohio, most selections I was a part of had the same process. A head coach nominated their own players and ranked them. Opposing coaches voted for "all whatever" following the coaches nominations.

 

Therefore, if my head coach nominated me third, player 1 and 2 must be ahead of me on the ballot and player 4 has to be behind me.

Coaches do make a list and submitted for the other coaches to vote on. You can not vote for your own players, You rank players 1 thru 12, and its broken down by 3 divisions by size of school in the Northern Ky Coaches Association. You have 1st and 2nd Team and rest is honorable mention. That is for the Northern Ky Schools, Then you have the NKAC Conference, done the same way.

It's not always the case on how your team is nominated by the coach. I have personally seem a coach nominate kids for all state in 1,2,3 order and the #1 kid was 2nd team, #2 was 3rd team (or HM) and #3 was 1st team. A lot of times it's based on other coaches opinions as well and they take seniority into play as well, occasionally voting a less talented senior over a more talented junior or sophomore just as a nod to their career and accomplishments, assuming the younger kids have more time to get accolades.