Exactly. If we don't want baseball / basketball coaches to pressure kids into quitting football, we should be proactive and not pressure kids into participating in spring ball instead of playing baseball, running track, or playing lacrosse.

@SnottieDrippen (sounds like a Garbage Pal Kids name)

I always joke about Williamstown having the most athletic band in the state. The number of youth athletes that end up giving up sports to be in the band. I've heard Paris has run into this problem before or kids playing football and then marching at halftime.

 

Not to side track the thread but what marching bands get away with is crazy compared to sports. The specialization stuff is happening at a young age and causes a ton of issues. Youth coaches or parents are a big part of it. I've never heard a youth football coach try to convince a kid not to play other sports. Some might. I know I want my players playing as many different sports as they can. There is so much benefit to it. I'll say I can't count the number of kids that won't try football because they think they are going to be basketball players but won't have the height (among other things) to play past MS. When they could be pretty darn good HS football players. A few of them realize it too late.

 

I'd say one of the things that separates the top programs in this state is weight room/ S&C programs. An athlete can take part in that and still have time for being a kid. Teams that aren't very good I'm sure don't have a very good S&C program.

For those who ask why football is going on now.

 

I ask why is basketball going on now and going to team camps, open gyms, etc.

 

Why is the band out in he parking lot practicing?

 

Football is the least of worries.

How many football coaches get worked up about kids missing offseason stuff for other sports? That is an honest question. I know a number of them that get upset if a kid isn't involved in another sport and misses weights but most of the ones I know don't hold anything against a player until it's time to show up for season practice.

Y'all can go ahead and lay off the band kids now. They put in more work than any of the sports being played, you can guarantee that.

Y'all can go ahead and lay off the band kids now. They put in more work than any of the sports being played, you can guarantee that.

 

And most band directors have no idea about Heat Index protocol either. Just march them until they drop in some cases.

 

Some think they are Bear Bryant coaching the Junction Boys..."no water and no breaks until we get this right!"

Baseball I'm torn. On one hand it's THE sport of summer...on the other, asking them to play the last month of their schedule when school is out (for those in district, region and state tourney ) isn't something else the other school affiliated sports have to do.

 

Football practice starts before school starts, that's not really any different than baseball ending after school is out for the summer.

And most band directors have no idea about Heat Index protocol either. Just march them until they drop in some cases.

 

Some think they are Bear Bryant coaching the Junction Boys..."no water and no breaks until we get this right!"

 

Very true. People really have no idea what goes into a successful marching band.

Football practice starts before school starts, that's not really any different than baseball ending after school is out for the summer.

 

In that sense, the same..and you could also lump in golf, soccer, volleyball, etc. I was meaning actual games, though with school being out; kids being gone, people not being around for games like during a normal school schedule (ie: Fall Break during football season when a lot of schools and their support that week are ghost towns).

There's always been some overlap in sports, and I don't think that's all that big of a deal. It's not the overlap that's causing kids to specialize. It's a few misguided coaches and parents.

 

As far as your educational items you want addressed, I'm here to tell you while that info is nice, it's already all easily accessible and out there. And not many will pay attention to it. And there are many coaches (including myself) that discuss the "numbers" game ad nauseum. And many refuse to listen. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

 

While your statement is true about misguided parents/coaches and specialization, it definitely isn't the full answer. Actually a lot of kids start figuring out around 8th-9th grade what sports they want to continue to play, and which ones they don't. I have an 8th grader right now who won't be playing freshman football and gave up summer baseball this year because HE wanted to concentrate one his first love, basketball. Wants to be in the gym all the time, and it's the sport he is best at. A lot of kids are making the decision for themselves, not always the parents/coaches.