I think the burning question we all want answered is this.

 

Will there be seeding in the 39th?

 

I don't know why Josh didn't lead with that!

it wasn't exactly hard hitting journalism.

I forgot to ask... does Tackett really believe that football really doesn't have a concussion/CTE issue outside of the NFL?

Second Study Shows No Link Between H.S. Football and Later Cognitive Issues > Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

 

There isn’t enough evidence to show the impact on HS players. There also hasn’t been much research in other sports. The evidence that keeps getting passed around is NFL and some college players.

another burning question, what is going to happen with the Boy's basketball state tournament.

Second Study Shows No Link Between H.S. Football and Later Cognitive Issues > Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

 

There isn’t enough evidence to show the impact on HS players. There also hasn’t been much research in other sports. The evidence that keeps getting passed around is NFL and some college players.

 

I think parents are correct to be concerned and protective of their sons with the information we currently have, to suggest otherwise is reckless on Tackett's part.

I'm not sure Tackett made a clear, focused point at any time during this conversation. He sounded like a guy who didn't really have substance to back up his opinions so he rambled on about a lot of different things. I'm not sure he clearly answered any of Josh's questions. He seems to live in the past a lot with sports that are progressing and growing, not only in this state but in the country, and doesn't really understand the surrounding culture as the youth game changes. It also doesn't sound like the KHSAA wants to put forth the work to be progressive as these sports expand.

 

Tackett hides behind his "membership". He should provide names and roles of who he says the KHSAA is talking to and where they are getting this feedback. Is he stopping at the administration? If so, that is a giant mistake as they aren't in the game and probably have very little idea of how each sport operates. Coaches should have the most input with ADs next. I've been involved in soccer for quite some time in this state and I don't know anyone who has been asked for input regarding any of these topics. So that tells me it is probably only administrative personnel who are providing feedback, or even being asked for feedback, or the people involved are not reaching out to their area schools for feedback.

 

EDIT: Looks like you can find the advisory committee for each sport on the KHSAA website. This still seems like a very narrow voice for all member schools. How do we know they are reaching out to schools in their region and actually speaking for them as a whole? I would be interested to see meeting minutes from these committees.

 

There also seems to be a real lack of understanding of different sports, specifically the smaller, non-revenue generating ones. For example, high school success has very little to do with the growth of soccer in a particular area. That is all tied to club soccer. Each sport is different and should be treated as such for the betterment of the game (including participation!). There should be committees with people who actually understand and know these sports to make the best decisions for the game and kids. Asking football and basketball people to make decisions for soccer, volleyball, etc makes zero sense. For some reason football can be treated like it is some crazy different animal and none of the normal rules apply. Some of the stuff he said about football completely contradicted his points about some of the smaller sports. Every sport is different, not just football.

 

Finally while Tackett seems to emphasize that the KHSAA's sole responsibility is participation (although I don't agree with that at all), he also goes on and on about the business side of high school athletics which blows my mind. These two things do not go hand in hand. And why is this even a consideration? These are non-profit organizations and should be treated as such. I understand a little for football and basketball as they do generate some revenue, but the majority of sports just try to break even each year. Figuring out ways to generate more revenue should be of little to zero influence in how some of these sports are run. That is putting the mighty dollar above what is best for the kids. That district and region revenue he mentions is so minimal for most sports. We shouldn't be worried about how to bring more "consumers" out to games or how to improve the "product" on the field. This is high school athletics, not the NCAA. We should worry about what is best for the kids in each individual sport, and if we do that I bet more people will come out to games and the level will improve.

Edited November 2, 20178 yr by Soccer2017

Great post Soccer2017.