East/West all stars

[RCC9]

Perhaps MLB should quit calling its championship the World Series since it only involves teams from North America!

 

I have always felt that way.

 

...but at least you can vote for all their players on the all star ballot.

[PH2]

If we opened up KY all-star balloting to the online universe, it would probably end up worse than it is now.

[RCC9]

If we opened up KY all-star balloting to the online universe, it would probably end up worse than it is now.

 

I agree. I think you know what my point is. All state honors should not be restricted by whose coach has or has not signed up for an association. It's an award for the kids and when a coach doesn't sign up, that should not take away from the kid's opportunity. All kids should have the same opportunity to be awarded this honor. If any coach in the state has a kid that deserves nomination, they they should be nominated. That should not be determined (for a kid) on whether her coach paid his association dues.

[heavy duty]

It's an interesting hypothetical discussion for sure, however, since KHSAA has no State Awards/Recognition outside of the State Tournament Awards, the reality is that were it not for the KSCA and the efforts, and work they do, there would be NO individual recognition on such a level...and since the awards are, in fact, available to any player within the state of KY, then they are representative of that State-Wide tag...in the environment that exists, the responsibility of the coaches is to, for lack of a better term, do their part, which is join the KSCA per their guidelines, pay the dues (which are pretty minimal, I believe), and advocate, when needed, for their players they believe are deserving.

The "fairness" when it comes to nominating, voting, etc., lies with the adults in the group beyond that point, and that's a well flogged horse on it's own.

 

I hear what you're saying, though, and it sucks that the ball was dropped with your membership...I hope for the sake of the stud players coming up in the 9th in the future, that the 17 other R9 coaches who chose not to join the KSCA, will share your passion, and get in the fray moving forward.

[Jack of all Trades]

Let me pose this question and see what everyone thinks. Coaches have a lot on their plate during the course of a season, no matter the sport. To be honest they may be like RCC9 and simply not join because of an oversight while others may not join because frankly they are too busy or do not want to be bothered. What if the school AD made sure that all head coaches at their respective school were in fact members of whatever organization existed for said coaches. They could also respond to those e-mails that come seeking nominations for recognition by simply forwarding to coaches and asking for their input. Not sure that a good AD could not make this an expectation of each and every coach if all they had to do was submit a list to the AD along with whatever other information might be needed.

 

Again, this is one of many things that I think an AD should be able to get taken care of without a lot of issue IMO. Problem is that some schools have AD's that are also coaches and to be honest really do not worry about programs/teams other than their very own. I realize that these are mostly "TEAM" sports that we are talking about, but the kids that put in the blood, sweat and tears do like to hear their names recognized for a job well done because it is something for them to be proud of and to look back on many years down the road.

 

The "politics" involved in the voting are never going to be cured as long as things are allowed to progress as they are. Perhaps voting could be made a part of the overall equation and then maybe a committee of coaches selects the best of the best from said list.

[RCC9]

It's an interesting hypothetical discussion for sure, however, since KHSAA has no State Awards/Recognition outside of the State Tournament Awards, the reality is that were it not for the KSCA and the efforts, and work they do, there would be NO individual recognition on such a level...and since the awards are, in fact, available to any player within the state of KY, then they are representative of that State-Wide tag...in the environment that exists, the responsibility of the coaches is to, for lack of a better term, do their part, which is join the KSCA per their guidelines, pay the dues (which are pretty minimal, I believe), and advocate, when needed, for their players they believe are deserving.

The "fairness" when it comes to nominating, voting, etc., lies with the adults in the group beyond that point, and that's a well flogged horse on it's own.

 

I hear what you're saying, though, and it sucks that the ball was dropped with your membership...I hope for the sake of the stud players coming up in the 9th in the future, that the 17 other R9 coaches who chose not to join the KSCA, will share your passion, and get in the fray moving forward.

 

I understand most of that. But if you're going to take on the responsibility, then it's the job of the association to take on the responsibility that no kid is left off. I could understand restricting the voting to only the ones that pay the dues. But any kid should be able to be nominated by anyone, not just committee members. How hard would it be to send the emails to all coaches and ask "Coach, do you have any players we should consider for all state nomination?" Gather the list of players and then have the committee vote.

 

It's my guess is today you have coaches joining in years when they have good players and skipping years when they don't. So that makes it feel like you are paying for a nominee and a vote. Rather than really making it about ALL the kids.

[SoftballFan14]

I understand most of that. But if you're going to take on the responsibility, then it's the job of the association to take on the responsibility that no kid is left off. I could understand restricting the voting to only the ones that pay the dues. But any kid should be able to be nominated by anyone, not just committee members. How hard would it be to send the emails to all coaches and ask "Coach, do you have any players we should consider for all state nomination?" Gather the list of players and then have the committee vote.

 

It's my guess is today you have coaches joining in years when they have good players and skipping years when they don't. So that makes it feel like you are paying for a nominee and a vote. Rather than really making it about ALL the kids.

 

Whoa, totally on the opposite side of this one with you Coach!!! It is NOT the job of the association to ensure that each girl has the opportunity to be included in these awards. That is the job of the coach & I can even jump on the wagon of AD being responsible to ensure the coaches are registered members of the association. The association is out there and available to every team in the state, coaches just have to put in the time and effort to afford their kids the opportunity by being a member. The kids do their jobs by getting on the field and playing to the best of their ability & showcasing themselves. If I had to take a guess as to why we have poor 9th region participation in the KSCA, it is because the coaches don't want to or don't have time to drive to the meetings and participate. I can tell you a couple of weeks ago, I would have much rather had the weekend afternoon with my husband rather than him going to Franklin County for the All-State meeting, but it is his responsibility as part of the coaching staff to attend. It's part of every school/coaches responsibility to be a part of any association that will get recognition to the players!

 

And Coach it's great that the past two years you've been a part of the association, unfortunately this year you weren't. Hopefully the association knows enough about your girls from the past two years and your state showcasing you have done with your schedule, that they get some votes despite the oversight for this season.

 

It's the same as travel ball coaches.........they SELL their players to colleges. You SELL your players to the association!

[RCC9]

Whoa, totally on the opposite side of this one with you Coach!!! It is NOT the job of the association to ensure that each girl has the opportunity to be included in these awards. That is the job of the coach & I can even jump on the wagon of AD being responsible to ensure the coaches are registered members of the association. The association is out there and available to every team in the state, coaches just have to put in the time and effort to afford their kids the opportunity by being a member. The kids do their jobs by getting on the field and playing to the best of their ability & showcasing themselves. If I had to take a guess as to why we have poor 9th region participation in the KSCA, it is because the coaches don't want to or don't have time to drive to the meetings and participate. I can tell you a couple of weeks ago, I would have much rather had the weekend afternoon with my husband rather than him going to Franklin County for the All-State meeting, but it is his responsibility as part of the coaching staff to attend. It's part of every school/coaches responsibility to be a part of any association that will get recognition to the players!

 

And Coach it's great that the past two years you've been a part of the association, unfortunately this year you weren't. Hopefully the association knows enough about your girls from the past two years and your state showcasing you have done with your schedule, that they get some votes despite the oversight for this season.

 

It's the same as travel ball coaches.........they SELL their players to colleges. You SELL your players to the association!

 

That's the way it works now. If you don't pay your dues, you have no say in who can be nominated??? Is that really in the best interest of all the kids?? And if they say that's what this is really about (the kids), then figure out a way to easily include all the kids. Not just the kids whose coaches paid their dues! In today's solution, if you're not part of the association for whatever reason, those kids most likely have no chance. I'm not saying the association has to do the nominating or marketing for any kids. I'm saying if they are representing the state, then they should come up with a solution that allows for all kids to be considered/nominated, not just because they paid association dues. What is the harm in allowing any coach to nominate kids? Just don't restrict nominations to only association members. Restrict the votes all you want (if that's what you want to do). The way it feels today, you have to be a member of the club to get your high school players any recognition? Why? If the kid is deserving, there should be nothing in the way of a nomination!

[RCC9]

Whoa, totally on the opposite side of this one with you Coach!!! It is NOT the job of the association to ensure that each girl has the opportunity to be included in these awards. That is the job of the coach & I can even jump on the wagon of AD being responsible to ensure the coaches are registered members of the association. The association is out there and available to every team in the state, coaches just have to put in the time and effort to afford their kids the opportunity by being a member. The kids do their jobs by getting on the field and playing to the best of their ability & showcasing themselves. If I had to take a guess as to why we have poor 9th region participation in the KSCA, it is because the coaches don't want to or don't have time to drive to the meetings and participate. I can tell you a couple of weeks ago, I would have much rather had the weekend afternoon with my husband rather than him going to Franklin County for the All-State meeting, but it is his responsibility as part of the coaching staff to attend. It's part of every school/coaches responsibility to be a part of any association that will get recognition to the players!

 

And Coach it's great that the past two years you've been a part of the association, unfortunately this year you weren't. Hopefully the association knows enough about your girls from the past two years and your state showcasing you have done with your schedule, that they get some votes despite the oversight for this season.

 

It's the same as travel ball coaches.........they SELL their players to colleges. You SELL your players to the association!

 

You sell your kids to colleges in travel ball for thousands of dollars in scholarship money. All state is an individual honor, not a monetary reward. The play on the field should "sell" the honor. Not whether anyone joined an association. Again, what's the harm in taking nominations from any coach? Otherwise you are forcing the hands of someone to pay the dues and join just to get a kid recognition. That's like the inner city kid that could never play golf because he couldn't join the country club. It's not all state unless all players are considered. I'm sure there are many reasons why coaches can't be a part of the committee. Some lazy, some don't have time, some don't care, but some may be legit reasons. Regardless of any of those, the kid should still have a chance to be a part of the consideration.

[RocketsDad]

This is puzzling and disappointing because kids get left off these all-star teams due to their coaches decisions about where they should play and how they should hit/making them slap hit and then they don't get to be looked at by college coaches at these all-star games! Very ticked off right now but hopefully we recover with the travel season and on-campus camps and workouts!

[SoftballFan14]

You sell your kids to colleges in travel ball for thousands of dollars in scholarship money. All state is an individual honor, not a monetary reward. The play on the field should "sell" the honor. Not whether anyone joined an association. Again, what's the harm in taking nominations from any coach? Otherwise you are forcing the hands of someone to pay the dues and join just to get a kid recognition. That's like the inner city kid that could never play golf because he couldn't join the country club. It's not all state unless all players are considered. I'm sure there are many reasons why coaches can't be a part of the committee. Some lazy, some don't have time, some don't care, but some may be legit reasons. Regardless of any of those, the kid should still have a chance to be a part of the consideration.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that since you are so opposed as to how the association is ran that next year you will not be a member? Or you just like to discuss constantly with the same repeated answers on most subjects that you differ opinion about?

 

Anyways, if you are that opposed as to how the association does it.....become a member and fight for a change in the system. My guess is though, you'll just keep arguing your case here, where nothing can change.

 

Good luck to all the teams in the upcoming region games!!

[RCC9]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that since you are so opposed as to how the association is ran that next year you will not be a member? Or you just like to discuss constantly with the same repeated answers on most subjects that you differ opinion about?

 

Anyways, if you are that opposed as to how the association does it.....become a member and fight for a change in the system. My guess is though, you'll just keep arguing your case here, where nothing can change.

 

Good luck to all the teams in the upcoming region games!!

 

First, I'm not opposed to how it's run. They can do whatever they want. That's why its an association with membership. They get to make the rules for themselves like any other club, association or organization. I'm opposed to any solution for recognizing such an esteemed award that doesn't include all kids without conditions being met. If any "member's only" association chooses to take that on for the state, then, in my opinion, it should find a way to include everyone. I'm not saying this association has to be that, but they do market it as THE All State selections for the state of KY. I'm saying the process this association has does not include everyone and it's truly not an All State award. Only about 43% of the high school head coaches are members.

 

I don't care who owns the process. I'm saying that whoever volunteers for that task, should include all players.

 

Ill answer your question if you answer mine. I will join because it appears I have to in order to get recognition for my kids...just like I did in other years.

 

Now answer the question I've been asking. There are 129 head coaches in the association this year. If there are 300 schools in KY, that comes to about 43% of the schools represented in the association. So my question...what is the harm in letting all coaches nominate any player they feel is deserving?

[SoftballFan14]

First, I'm not opposed to how it's run. They can do whatever they want. That's why its an association with membership. They get to make the rules for themselves like any other club, association or organization. I'm opposed to any solution for recognizing such an esteemed award that doesn't include all kids without conditions being met. If any "member's only" association chooses to take that on for the state, then, in my opinion, it should find a way to include everyone. I'm not saying this association has to be that, but they do market it as THE All State selections for the state of KY. I'm saying the process this association has does not include everyone and it's truly not an All State award. Only about 43% of the high school head coaches are members.

 

I don't care who owns the process. I'm saying that whoever volunteers for that task, should include all players.

 

Ill answer your question if you answer mine. I will join because it appears I have to in order to get recognition for my kids...just like I did in other years.

 

Now answer the question I've been asking. There are 129 head coaches in the association this year. If there are 300 schools in KY, that comes to about 43% of the schools represented in the association. So my question...what is the harm in letting all coaches nominate any player they feel is deserving?

 

As I am not a part of that association, nor can I be because I am not a coach, I can merely speculate as to why the association is setup as it is.......it's founding board and members discussed and voted for the membership deadlines, nomination and voting rights??? I would suspect they find "no harm" in allowing anyone being nominated, but their association RULES set it up that non-members do not vote or nominate. Life gives us an abundance of rules to follow....if we don't like those rules then we become part of the solution to change them, or we continue to argue why they are wrong and do nothing. But that's tiring.

 

As for your travel ball coaches are selling their players for thousands of dollars in scholarships....guess high school coaches don't do that for the kids that for whatever reason do not have the opportunity to play travel ball and be seen by a lot of college coaches. That's a truly sad situation!

[RCC9]

As I am not a part of that association, nor can I be because I am not a coach, I can merely speculate as to why the association is setup as it is.......it's founding board and members discussed and voted for the membership deadlines, nomination and voting rights??? I would suspect they find "no harm" in allowing anyone being nominated, but their association RULES set it up that non-members do not vote or nominate. Life gives us an abundance of rules to follow....if we don't like those rules then we become part of the solution to change them, or we continue to argue why they are wrong and do nothing. But that's tiring.

 

As for your travel ball coaches are selling their players for thousands of dollars in scholarships....guess high school coaches don't do that for the kids that for whatever reason do not have the opportunity to play travel ball and be seen by a lot of college coaches. That's a truly sad situation!

 

I can can only speak for my kids. The last 5 seniors we have are playing at the next level. Most of that is because of travel ball. But I have spoke with coaches. About all of them and continue to for our younger kids. The problem isn't with the high school coaches, it's the colleges really could care less about high school sports anymore. You VERY RARELY see any college coaches at high school games and if you do, it's because they have already expressed interest and reached out and are actively recruiting the kid. Very rarely do you see any college coaches going to high school games to discover a kid. I have tried to set up local networks with local colleges to let them know when I have a kid that may fit their program coming up. There is really only two that have even shown the slightest interest in that. They just get way more bang for their buck going to travel events and they just don't trust high school competition. I'm sure several coaches have done the same thing and experienced the same thing. Some may have had more success than others. My daughter just went through the recruiting stuff. Any local coach that was after her I tried to create a pipeline with. After she committed, I don't really hear anything from most of them. I'm not blaming them. Like I said, they get more out of travel tournaments and trust evaluating kids against like talent much more than having a network of high school coaches like the old days.

[PH2]

The two big reasons coaches don't scout high school are that it conflicts with their own season and the competition is generally so weak you don't learn much about the kids. You'll see some coaches at the state tournament and maybe region. Rarely during the season.