The only way to legislate this would be for the state legislature to mandate the dates for fall break and the KHSAA to tab a statewide open week.

 

Otherwise, coaches just have to do the best they can communicating with parents. Should really only be a problem with incoming freshmen, as other parents should know the drill. For a coach, there is also a difference if you are approached months in advance, rather than the weekend before or not at all.

I disagree with fall break for the following reason.

 

In the Fall

Kids get off 3 days for Thanksgiving

1 day off for election

Labor Day

Maybe 1 day for town festival

 

Thats 5 days not including a town festival or fall break. That can add up to 8 days in the fall. And that dont even include Christmas Break which is usually 10 days.

No wonder school goes on so long in the summer.

I disagree with fall break for the following reason.

 

In the Fall

Kids get off 3 days for Thanksgiving

1 day off for election

Labor Day

Maybe 1 day for town festival

 

Thats 5 days not including a town festival or fall break. That can add up to 8 days in the fall. And that dont even include Christmas Break which is usually 10 days.

No wonder school goes on so long in the summer.

 

Usually two days for election. I know of several places where they just take off that Monday .

I disagree with fall break for the following reason.

 

In the Fall

Kids get off 3 days for Thanksgiving

1 day off for election

Labor Day

Maybe 1 day for town festival

 

Thats 5 days not including a town festival or fall break. That can add up to 8 days in the fall. And that dont even include Christmas Break which is usually 10 days.

No wonder school goes on so long in the summer.

 

So long in summer?? My kids are usually done by The end of May, or the first couple days of June at the latest. We always went to Mid June. Of course we never started until after Labor Day.

Suspect someone is playing a little "devil's advocate".

 

Ehhh … Could be.

This is what's wrong with football in Kentucky...It's bad enough that you can't do anything competitive in the state with other teams until August but we can't even get the parents to buy in to the team first concept. Family first always...Get that...But what about your obligations. I bet these same parents won't go tell their employers "hey I'm taking a week long vacation today and I expect to have my job when I return!" No different when you have mandatory work days...so what we are teaching our kids is that as a parent my obligations are important our kids obligations are not. Sounds hypocritical to me. Further more most high school coaches give schedules out in May or right before the school year is out. Detailing the required days of practice and games. Seeing that the official start day for football is not until the end of July, you're telling me that families can't plan a vacation with in those two months? And it has to be the one week in October??? Come on now let's be real. And you wonder why our high school football players aren't recruited like other states...Wow

This is what's wrong with football in Kentucky...It's bad enough that you can't do anything competitive in the state with other teams until August but we can't even get the parents to buy in to the team first concept. Family first always...Get that...But what about your obligations. I bet these same parents won't go tell their employers "hey I'm taking a week long vacation today and I expect to have my job when I return!" No different when you have mandatory work days...so what we are teaching our kids is that as a parent my obligations are important our kids obligations are not. Sounds hypocritical to me. Further more most high school coaches give schedules out in May or right before the school year is out. Detailing the required days of practice and games. Seeing that the official start day for football is not until the end of July, you're telling me that families can't plan a vacation with in those two months? And it has to be the one week in October??? Come on now let's be real. And you wonder why our high school football players aren't recruited like other states...Wow

 

Actually the start date is mid July. And most teams have workouts in June up to the dead period. Which leaves about two weeks of free time in the summer.

Actually the start date is mid July. And most teams have workouts in June up to the dead period. Which leaves about two weeks of free time in the summer.

 

I believe the date is July 22 could be wrong but that's hardly mid July...Also talking about missing summer workouts that can be made up vs a week mid season maybe for a district game...trying to compare apples and oranges here.

I believe the date is July 22 could be wrong but that's hardly mid July...Also talking about missing summer workouts that can be made up vs a week mid season maybe for a district game...trying to compare apples and oranges here.

 

Check the KHSAA rules on season limitations. Football can start immediately after the Dead Period....July 10th. Many will start the First Monday after the 10th. July 22 is the first day teams may go in shells (helmet and shoulder pads).

 

Again, I hear you. My kids never missed time in season for vacations. But with multiple kids playing multiple sports, we took very few vacations. Neither of my two oldest played sports in college (the jury is still out on the 3rd). Do I wish we had taken a few more vacations?? Absolutely.

And you wonder why our high school football players aren't recruited like other states...Wow

 

You're equating fall break with a lack of recruitment?

You're equating fall break with a lack of recruitment?

 

No I'm equating the lack of commitment to the sport to the lack recruitment.

This is what's wrong with football in Kentucky...It's bad enough that you can't do anything competitive in the state with other teams until August but we can't even get the parents to buy in to the team first concept. Family first always...Get that...But what about your obligations. I bet these same parents won't go tell their employers "hey I'm taking a week long vacation today and I expect to have my job when I return!" No different when you have mandatory work days...so what we are teaching our kids is that as a parent my obligations are important our kids obligations are not. Sounds hypocritical to me. Further more most high school coaches give schedules out in May or right before the school year is out. Detailing the required days of practice and games. Seeing that the official start day for football is not until the end of July, you're telling me that families can't plan a vacation with in those two months? And it has to be the one week in October??? Come on now let's be real. And you wonder why our high school football players aren't recruited like other states...Wow

 

Some very valid points..but.

 

Practice no longer starts at the end of July. Let's face it; come July 10th it's go time.

 

However, our state not being recruited like FLA, GA, AL, TX, OH, etc has nothing to do with fall break. That's a population/demographic thing and absolutely nothing more.

 

Personally, I couldn't comprehend missing a full week when having a game as player or parent. It's an obvious issue. That's for sure.

Edited October 20, 20169 yr by Harry Doyle

No I'm equating the lack of commitment to the sport to the lack recruitment.

 

I'd love it if that was really the case. Fact is, 80-90% of the programs and kids across our state could do football non stop and they wouldn't get recruited like "other" states. Which, let's face it..we are talking about the states I mentioned in my previous post..not Idaho or Iowa.

I'd love it if that was really the case. Fact is, 80-90% of the programs and kids across our state could do football non stop and they wouldn't get recruited like "other" states. Which, let's face it..we are talking about the states I mentioned in my previous post..not Idaho or Iowa.

 

See I disagree. I have friends whom I went to college with that are recruiters. Majority say the same thing "can't keep them in college" meaning our kids get their then go home not finishing their obligations. Just my opinion and I think it's direct correlation with incidents like fall break. Not just fall break. Seems to me we don't t take football as serious as other places do.

I get it, family first. We all know that. Growing up I played multiple sports. My siblings played multiple sports. We played them year round. During the summer, when my baseball coach said, "no swimming tomorrow, you have a game," we didn't go swimming. Even if I wanted to, mom said no. We would go on family vacations and if we had a tournament the following weekend, we came back early.

Our "family time" never jeopardized by our participation in sports. We fulfilled our commitments and we became better people for it.

There were times we wanted to miss practice for multiple reasons and my parents were adamant about making sure we understood the commitment we made to our school, our teammates, our coach and ourselves.

I absolutely cannot comprehend how parents try to justify their week at the beach over that. Here's the thing, the parents may or may not remember that vacation as special family time. The kid, in the back of their mind, will always remember that was the week I let my team down.