I think it's the toughest situation in NKY...

 

I have heard that Scott does have students with the athletic ability to have a decent football team, but as GT asked, how do you persuade these guys to come out for the team?

 

I believe it was Renolyds Flynn who coached Holmes in basketball said if he got all the athletes out who roam the hallways of Holmes he would win the region every year and contend for a state title every year.

Perceptions are everything with prospective student/athletes, and in particular young potential players - add in an open enrollment invitation to pick and choose where to play your career and a rapidly improving Holy Cross option at the bottom of the hill and you are inviting a "poor get poorer" scenerio which seems to be effectively taking its toll at Scott.

 

Ask all of those potential Scott Eagles football players who have gone to other Kenton County Schools or choose to walk the halls and not play on the Scott football team or have opted to play at Holy Cross why they didn't go to Scott or don't play on the team and the answer I think you will hear is - "They Suck!!!"

 

Not very flattering but a way of life - the desire to play for a winner.

Scott is not the only program that has had to overcome this - Campbell County is a prime example and closer to home - Simon Kenton. Until Campbell County hired John Schlarman and Troy Styer this program suffered from the same perception and the better athletes chose either not to play at all or to go elsewhere.

 

Schlarman and Styer are young, vibrant, and became visible. They didn't wait for the kids to come to them - they went to the kids. They beat the bushes within their own school, got involved with the Red Devils, started an in-house junior high flag football program, created a vision and let the kids feel valued and got them into sharing the dream. They developed some pride in the football program and in three years the program has gone from nothing to something. Something similar has to happen at Scott.

 

If the Scott football team is losing kids from their feeder school in the back yard - shame on them! If I were the football coach at Scott, I'd be eating my lunch everyday in the Woodland cafeteria, shaking some hands and "recruiting" my own kids.

 

I'm no longer familiar with the NKYFL as I once was, but I think that Dixie has the VFW Raiders and the Bengal Tigers that probably feed them. Does Taylor Mill still have a team?? If so the Scott coaching staff probably needs to move in with those kids, make them feel important and make it a personal thing about coming to play for them. Paint the picture - share the dream. Preach the "what we can do together" gospel and get them back to being proud to be associated with the Scott program again.

 

Since its been done in other sports there, it is inconceiveable that it can't be done in football. There is nothing at all wrong with the popularity of the sport - the problem is with the popularity of the sport at Scott.

 

All good points. For the last two years, I have been involved with the Summit View Middle School program where the kids are either slated for Scott or SK (ignoring open enrollment). I've talked to many players that were slated to go to Scott and most have chosen SK or Dixie for the reasons you have given.

Perceptions are everything with prospective student/athletes, and in particular young potential players - add in an open enrollment invitation to pick and choose where to play your career and a rapidly improving Holy Cross option at the bottom of the hill and you are inviting a "poor get poorer" scenerio which seems to be effectively taking its toll at Scott.

 

Ask all of those potential Scott Eagles football players who have gone to other Kenton County Schools or choose to walk the halls and not play on the Scott football team or have opted to play at Holy Cross why they didn't go to Scott or don't play on the team and the answer I think you will hear is - "They Suck!!!"

 

Not very flattering but a way of life - the desire to play for a winner.

Scott is not the only program that has had to overcome this - Campbell County is a prime example and closer to home - Simon Kenton. Until Campbell County hired John Schlarman and Troy Styer this program suffered from the same perception and the better athletes chose either not to play at all or to go elsewhere.

 

Schlarman and Styer are young, vibrant, and became visible. They didn't wait for the kids to come to them - they went to the kids. They beat the bushes within their own school, got involved with the Red Devils, started an in-house junior high flag football program, created a vision and let the kids feel valued and got them into sharing the dream. They developed some pride in the football program and in three years the program has gone from nothing to something. Something similar has to happen at Scott.

 

If the Scott football team is losing kids from their feeder school in the back yard - shame on them! If I were the football coach at Scott, I'd be eating my lunch everyday in the Woodland cafeteria, shaking some hands and "recruiting" my own kids.

 

I'm no longer familiar with the NKYFL as I once was, but I think that Dixie has the VFW Raiders and the Bengal Tigers that probably feed them. Does Taylor Mill still have a team?? If so the Scott coaching staff probably needs to move in with those kids, make them feel important and make it a personal thing about coming to play for them. Paint the picture - share the dream. Preach the "what we can do together" gospel and get them back to being proud to be associated with the Scott program again.

 

Since its been done in other sports there, it is inconceiveable that it can't be done in football. There is nothing at all wrong with the popularity of the sport - the problem is with the popularity of the sport at Scott.

 

As I was just reading through this thread, I was wondering when someone would bring up the Campbell County parallel?? Almost identical comments were being said about them until the aforementioned hirings. They don't have to deal with open enrollment, but do have to deal directly with the Highlands' and NewCath's already established winning football programs. Mustang points out well how the new Campbell coaches "sold" their own kids on either getting involved with football, or not heading up the road to ply their trade in high school, and guess what--It's working!!

 

Regarding the NKYFL--Scott draws kids primarilly from the Dixie Raiders, and I'm assuming a few from South Kenton. I'm sure Dixie's reemergence as a football power is hurting them, as well as "the Holy Cross option", as it's been called. Many of the Raiders end up at CovCath, and others have shown up at the other area "football powers". Scott's challenge is the same as Campbell's was a few years ago--Keeping them at home!! The best way to do that is to get involved with the kids at a younger age in the feeder systems; both NKYFL and the middle schools, which I believe have programs as well. Judging by the recent results, I'm guessing some changes need to be made similar again, as to what happened with Campbell. Baseball might be a good program for Scott to study, as they've been able to keep many of the better area kids recently, who may have opted to go elsewhere in the past; and are seeing success as a result!!

As I was just reading through this thread, I was wondering when someone would bring up the Campbell County parallel?? Almost identical comments were being said about them until the aforementioned hirings. They don't have to deal with open enrollment, but do have to deal directly with the Highlands' and NewCath's already established winning football programs. Mustang points out well how the new Campbell coaches "sold" their own kids on either getting involved with football, or not heading up the road to ply their trade in high school, and guess what--It's working!!

 

Regarding the NKYFL--Scott draws kids primarilly from the Dixie Raiders, and I'm assuming a few from South Kenton. I'm sure Dixie's reemergence as a football power is hurting them, as well as "the Holy Cross option", as it's been called. Many of the Raiders end up at CovCath, and others have shown up at the other area "football powers". Scott's challenge is the same as Campbell's was a few years ago--Keeping them at home!! The best way to do that is to get involved with the kids at a younger age in the feeder systems; both NKYFL and the middle schools, which I believe have programs as well. Judging by the recent results, I'm guessing some changes need to be made similar again, as to what happened with Campbell. Baseball might be a good program for Scott to study, as they've been able to keep many of the better area kids recently, who may have opted to go elsewhere in the past; and are seeing success as a result!!

 

Yes Baseball is becoming a better option at Scott and this year might be the best year for the program because of how this years team has played in the past as Freshman and JV teams. But back to Scott Football......

 

I have noticed some posts about how Scott has the athletes to make their football team better. I completely agree with this. However, many of the athletes their, who may have played multiple sports in the past, have narrowed down and are playing 1 sport. There are many athletes doing this at Scott due to the fact because they are best at that sport and continuing to improve themselves in it. By concentrating on 1 sport, you can improve yourself immensely. The students who do play multiple sports, are, in general, hurting themselves at all of them. If some players were to just narrow down their options to only football, I think you could see some emerge as great players and make the team better. Alot of the Scott Football Players play other high school sports and are hurting themselves because they aren't concentrating solely on 1 sport. To sum it up, playing one sport will improve you greatly at it because you are practing and working on that one sport. Play multiple sports hurts you because you work and practice for mulitple things and you won't improve much (IMO)

Many of the athletes there, who may have played multiple sports in the past, have narrowed down and are playing 1 sport. There are many athletes doing this at Scott due to the fact because they are best at that sport and continuing to improve themselves in it. By concentrating on 1 sport, you can improve yourself immensely. The students who do play multiple sports, are, in general, hurting themselves at all of them. (IMO)

Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more the case. Driven by the year round dynamics of each sport and the demands made of each athelte by the individual coaches.

 

I don't feel now, nor will I ever feel that this is a healthy, happy, situation. What's the old saying??? All work (in a single sport) and no play (various sports) makes John a dull boy!

 

Just as the change of seasons rejuvenate we fans/coaches to look forward to the different sports seasons, so should the change of seasons allow the athletes to look forward to a fresh start in a new sport.

 

I'm not advocating three sport athletes in all cases, but a good mix of two sports would greatly benefit the athlete/program in both.

 

IMO forcing athletes to choose his "profession" as a high school athlete leads to burnout and frustration, especially in a non-championship environment.

I have heard that Scott does have students with the athletic ability to have a decent football team, but as GT asked, how do you persuade these guys to come out for the team?

 

I believe it was Renolyds Flynn who coached Holmes in basketball said if he got all the athletes out who roam the hallways of Holmes he would win the region every year and contend for a state title every year.

For the Reynolds Flynn comment... That is true every year. I could grab 5 kids on one floor of one of our buildings and beat our starting 5.

Scott has the athletes... I don't understand???

I was thinking about this as it relates to Holmes before I even saw this thread. West Point requires all cadets to play at least one sport a year at some level. It can be NCAA, Club, Intramural, or any other organized sport. I'd like to see a high school try this. I know that there would certainly be exceptions for health reasons, but I think it would get a lot of kids active that get no exercise at all, plus it would add to the ranks of the varsity sports, where you might find some real talent that's been sitting on its butt.

I have heard that Scott does have students with the athletic ability to have a decent football team, but as GT asked, how do you persuade these guys to come out for the team?

 

I believe it was Renolyds Flynn who coached Holmes in basketball said if he got all the athletes out who roam the hallways of Holmes he would win the region every year and contend for a state title every year.

 

It's a mind set the kids have. They don't believe that they will be able to change a program even thou they have the capabilities to do so. Also, IMO Scott doesn't promote its athletics in its school properly. I had friends who recently graduated from Scott and they said they would not of known they had a program if they hadn't played bc they do not promote it.

It's a mind set the kids have. They don't believe that they will be able to change a program even thou they have the capabilities to do so. Also, IMO Scott doesn't promote its athletics in its school properly. I had friends who recently graduated from Scott and they said they would not of known they had a program if they hadn't played bc they do not promote it.

 

 

Good point but it is hard to promote failure.

Feeder programs is Scott's main problem. Woodland gives a decent amount of kids to field a team, but there needs to be more than one feeder program to have a continually successful team. They have other programs they get kids from but they're lucky to get two or three kids from each. Summit View drew a large crowd in the past that made its way to Dixie and in recent years has shifted toward Simon Kenton. Most of that shift has to do with the location of the kids and friendships that the kids have. If given the choice, they are going to go where their friends are going to go or where one of their friends has to go. Im sure there is a lot of other things that have played in the decisions in the past and will in the future like the new field for Dixie that are going to keep kids from Summit View away from Scott. Also the South Kenton program doesnt help either. The kids around Scotts district that could go there are pulled away towards Simon Kenton through that youth league. IMO the best thing they can do is cancel their program for a few years. Try to start a strong youth program outside of Woodland, and let that filter into a new and improved football program. That wouldn't really be fair to the underclassmen but the more important issue is in 5 years are there even going to have enough kids to field a team?

I was thinking about this as it relates to Holmes before I even saw this thread. West Point requires all cadets to play at least one sport a year at some level. It can be NCAA, Club, Intramural, or any other organized sport. I'd like to see a high school try this. I know that there would certainly be exceptions for health reasons, but I think it would get a lot of kids active that get no exercise at all, plus it would add to the ranks of the varsity sports, where you might find some real talent that's been sitting on its butt.

Yea make a high school kid do something he doesn't want to do. That always works.

Feeder programs is Scott's main problem. Woodland gives a decent amount of kids to field a team, but there needs to be more than one feeder program to have a continually successful team. They have other programs they get kids from but they're lucky to get two or three kids from each. Summit View drew a large crowd in the past that made its way to Dixie and in recent years has shifted toward Simon Kenton. Most of that shift has to do with the location of the kids and friendships that the kids have. If given the choice, they are going to go where their friends are going to go or where one of their friends has to go. Im sure there is a lot of other things that have played in the decisions in the past and will in the future like the new field for Dixie that are going to keep kids from Summit View away from Scott. Also the South Kenton program doesnt help either. The kids around Scotts district that could go there are pulled away towards Simon Kenton through that youth league. IMO the best thing they can do is cancel their program for a few years. Try to start a strong youth program outside of Woodland, and let that filter into a new and improved football program. That wouldn't really be fair to the underclassmen but the more important issue is in 5 years are there even going to have enough kids to field a team?

 

 

 

Interesting idea. Has something like that ever been somewhere else?

Interesting idea. Has something like that ever been somewhere else?

 

Not that I know of for sure but it seems like the most logical thing to do. They have tried several coaching changes in the past and none of them seem to work. I think the problem is a lot deeper than the coaching style, it is getting into kids simply not wanting to have anything to do with the program.

I don't know exact numbers and I could be way off but I'm only aware of a few SK players who lived in Scott territory. Now in basketball the Stowers' family came from that are but in football I can only think of one player. Open enrollment started my Jr year ('91) that season Scott had their best football team in the history of the school, I think they went (6-5), before that they weren't very good and after that they've had some talent but have really struggled. If they lose players to open enrollment they have to come from the Dixie side of things, how many kids on Duley Road attend Dixie over Scott?

For the Reynolds Flynn comment... That is true every year. I could grab 5 kids on one floor of one of our buildings and beat our starting 5.

Scott has the athletes... I don't understand???

When did Reynolds Flynn quote this?