I actually had the Fall Break conversation the other day. I don't remember having them when I was in elementary school, but I remember them in high school. I don't know when it started between those points.

 

 

But, I loved them then. I loved them in college and I love them now.

As it is now, you have about two weeks to take a summer vacation dictated by the dead time imposed by KHSAA. Prior to that there is football practice and after that football practice starts. School begins in mid or early August. When I was a kid it started after Labor Day. The time (meaning available opportunities) for family vacations has shrunk considerably because of school and athletic commitments. I think the school and athletics already have too much power over our lives and schedules. Everything is done around the schedules set by the school and the team. You have the players full time from the second week of July until the end of October. You're going to complain that they may miss a day or two in the fall?

 

Plus, there are other kids in the family. Fall break is an opportunity to see college age kids and for siblings to do something together that haven't seen one another for a couple of months. That too is important. Not every parent has a work schedule that coincides with the school day and the school week. You have to get time in with your kids when you can. Time flies and they are soon grown and out of the house.

 

I would suggest that schools set their schedules so that bye week and fall break coincide. I am assuming the fall break is a Friday and the Monday following it, not a full week. Give the kids a day off during fall break and come back refreshed and ready for practice following it. That would give them a full seven days to prepare for the next game--four days the week leading up to fall break and three days following it.

Real simple.....committments to Team sports is an all-in committment!!!! Absolutely, nothing less. For parents to dilute this critically important lesson with a committment sabatical revolving around a trip to the beach probably is a life lesson that speaks very loudly to the "all about me" tendencies we see too often today. My father taught me decades ago, that "in our family, we were not quitters and we always finished what we started". Committment to our TEAM was something considered sacred and precious, and to this day at class reunions we still appreciate and are warmed by those bonds.

 

So team over family?? I get what you are saying. The team commitment is important, and I for one have never taken our kids from their teams over any break...spring, fall or winter. But I also understand the year long grind that is required for most sports, which didn't exist when I played. With the way we discuss and bemoan the lack of time families spend together, it's hard for me to criticize a family that values their time together over a sport that is played mostly for fun, and chooses to take time over a break to bond and enjoy some time together. That to me doesn't seem like a "me first" attitude. Seems like a family first attitude. And is that really a bad thing??

So team over family?? I get what you are saying. The team commitment is important, and I for one have never taken our kids from their teams over any break...spring, fall or winter. But I also understand the year long grind that is required for most sports, which didn't exist when I played. With the way we discuss and bemoan the lack of time families spend together, it's hard for me to criticize a family that values their time together over a sport that is played mostly for fun, and chooses to take time over a break to bond and enjoy some time together. That to me doesn't seem like a "me first" attitude. Seems like a family first attitude. And is that really a bad thing??

Then don't sign up to play for the team. You know going into it that fall break will be during the season. If that's an issue don't play. Same for baseball and spring break.

 

That said maybe the KHSAA should just mandate all teams off week be during fall break.

Then don't sign up to play for the team. You know going into it that fall break will be during the season. If that's an issue don't play. Same for baseball and spring break.

 

That said maybe the KHSAA should just mandate all teams off week be during fall break.

 

I understand. As a coach who had to deal with his long snapper being away on vacation during fall break, I get it. I never have taken my kids away during break because in addition to me coaching, my kids all play sports. That's a choice I made. But again, it's hard for me to be critical of a family wanting to spend some time away together. As all my kids are either away at college, or soon to be attending college (my youngest will be 17 Saturday), as I look back, I wish we had spent more time together as a family outside of sports. But really, with the year round commitment required, the only way we could have done that, would have been to take vacations during those school breaks, or the two week dead period. Modern high school sports requirements don't really provide much family time. Where do you draw the line?? Is it really fair to say if you want to spend time with your family, then forget about about playing sports??

Then don't sign up to play for the team. You know going into it that fall break will be during the season. If that's an issue don't play. Same for baseball and spring break.

 

That said maybe the KHSAA should just mandate all teams off week be during fall break.

 

Not everybody's fall break are the same week.

Seen this a million times. Funny part is they don't skip basketball or baseball.

And they aren't all a full week. Boone County takes a Friday and the following Monday off. They schedule the game on Friday night and have the bye the previous week.

One more thing Henderson Co isn't the only school that deals with this.

Seen this a million times. Funny part is they don't skip basketball or baseball.

 

Never basketball, I have seen baseball being a problem at times. But once the coach sets a precedent of playing during spring break the players then come to expect it.

Spring and fall break...dumbest ideas ever in my opinion. If I could snap my fingers and do away with them I would. I would also start school about 2 weeks later than most districts do. Now this is based on the traditional school year model which most schools around here still do, the "year around" thing some are doing now I don't know.

And do coaches "punish" players for missing practice or even games because of fall or spring break? In my opinion, just "going to the beach" and missing practice isn't a valid excuse/reason, and there would definitely be some making up to do (running, conditioning, etc.) when they got back. Heck, I even hesitate to call that punishment, that's just making up for what was missed during the absence. I think that should be more than expected, then add whatever on top of that as "punishment" for missing.

Mayfield thus far has scheduled it bye for our fall break and cancels practice in years when the Cards are doing well which we have been for a number of years now. Should it conflict with football I would be shocked if any of our kids missed. The commitment here to the program is one of the things I think has made MF one of the states top teams year after year

Spring and fall break...dumbest ideas ever in my opinion. If I could snap my fingers and do away with them I would. I would also start school about 2 weeks later than most districts do. Now this is based on the traditional school year model which most schools around here still do, the "year around" thing some are doing now I don't know.

 

Those breaks help recharge the battery.

The key is for the coach to have clear communication about his policy for fall break at the beginning of the year parent meeting.

 

Doesnt matter its too late at that point, parents have already planned stuff.