Wanted to get opinions on whats going on with their football program? Is it talent or coaching? They used to be the powerhouse in NKY and the last 6 or 7 years they are bottom of the barrel..

 

What do you think?

Edited October 22, 20196 yr by Colonels_Wear_Blue
Rule #13 - Capitalization

May just be a rough stretch. Basketball and baseball have been a little down the last few seasons as well.

Well... they changed coaches this season but have the same results they've had since about 2012 or so. We should give this new coach more time before drawing any conclusions on him.

 

So, let's look at talent. With first Ryle (1992), then Cooper (2007) being built in the area that Boone County High School used to draw students from, some of Boone's talent is now going to other high schools. Then consider where the housing growth is in Boone County... South and West. That is, Boone County High School's district is not receiving a high percentage of the new growth. Older neighborhoods have a higher percentage of non-school-aged residents. So, new talent is not coming in at the same rate as in the school districts that are seeing new growth. Because this trend is noted by sports families, many of them move to the district they think will be best for their son or daughter in the long run. Others just find a way for their child to attend a school other than Boone County. This does not make for a winning formula at Boone so students who may be at Boone do not have the pride in the team that they may have had if the team was winning, so you see some talent just not go out for the team.

 

All of that to say there is a lag in talent at Boone County. Perhaps the new coaching staff can begin to turn things around and attract talent to the team. Let's give them that opportunity, but demographics are not helping them at this time. I have not been to a Boone game in several weeks but there was a huge uptick in the size of the crowd at Boone games through September. I will give the new coach credit for generating interest in the fan base. Maybe this means things are heading in the right direction. I sincerely hope so. Beginning to win will help.

Very astute and well said Oldgrappler.

Well... they changed coaches this season but have the same results they've had since about 2012 or so. We should give this new coach more time before drawing any conclusions on him.

 

So, let's look at talent. With first Ryle (1992), then Cooper (2007) being built in the area that Boone County High School used to draw students from, some of Boone's talent is now going to other high schools. Then consider where the housing growth is in Boone County... South and West. That is, Boone County High School's district is not receiving a high percentage of the new growth. Older neighborhoods have a higher percentage of non-school-aged residents. So, new talent is not coming in at the same rate as in the school districts that are seeing new growth. Because this trend is noted by sports families, many of them move to the district they think will be best for their son or daughter in the long run. Others just find a way for their child to attend a school other than Boone County. This does not make for a winning formula at Boone so students who may be at Boone do not have the pride in the team that they may have had if the team was winning, so you see some talent just not go out for the team.

 

All of that to say there is a lag in talent at Boone County. Perhaps the new coaching staff can begin to turn things around and attract talent to the team. Let's give them that opportunity, but demographics are not helping them at this time. I have not been to a Boone game in several weeks but there was a huge uptick in the size of the crowd at Boone games through September. I will give the new coach credit for generating interest in the fan base. Maybe this means things are heading in the right direction. I sincerely hope so. Beginning to win will help.

 

Great observations. I completely agree and also Boone County is land locked. All the growth in the Boone County area feeds to Ryle/Cooper areas. Boone County Public needs to consider re-doing there lines to make it a little more fair for all 3 schools to have a chance to be more competitive in all sports. I think there should be some kind of compromise.

Ryle and Cooper are the preferred destinations in Boone County in my opinion. It’s going to be hard to reverse that.

Great observations. I completely agree and also Boone County is land locked. All the growth in the Boone County area feeds to Ryle/Cooper areas. Boone County Public needs to consider re-doing there lines to make it a little more fair for all 3 schools to have a chance to be more competitive in all sports. I think there should be some kind of compromise.

That’s all well and good, but I’m not certain that “football equity” should be a high priority for a County school Board.

I'm confused about how the lack growth in Boone's district negatively impacts athletics. Does Boone not have roughly the same amount of students as Cooper and Conner? They are all 5A schools.

I'm confused about how the lack growth in Boone's district negatively impacts athletics. Does Boone not have roughly the same amount of students as Cooper and Conner? They are all 5A schools.

 

Changing demographics. Less talent. It is that simple.

Changing demographics. Less talent. It is that simple.

 

How are the demographics changing?

How are the demographics changing?

 

Flight to the suburbs. People have moved from Florence to Union. Only parts of Florence are part of suburbia whereas the other Boone Co. schools are almost all suburbia.

Well, recently the school hung up flags representing the many nations of the world where the student's hail from, 20+ different flags. These students don't care much about American football. For others, the economics of daily life make having time for extra curricular activities difficult. Parents have less interest in sending the kids to get training at some of the very fine (and expensive) athletic training businesses.

 

Compare this with those families moving into Triple Crown and along Long Branch. Very different demographics that represent different needs, interests, values, and means to provide their children with opportunities in sports.

 

I don't know specific demographics, but I do know from living here that the socio-economic portrait of the area is changing, education level, number of students getting free lunch, etc. The school system has to do more and more for students not meeting basic educational goals set by the state, etc.

 

Plus, part of the original question had to do with why the glory years ended and Boone is falling on hard times. Adding two high schools in the area is a big part of that. We no longer draw those big farm boys that used to open up holes for all those running plays Owen Hauck called.

Flight to the suburbs. People have moved from Florence to Union. Only parts of Florence are part of suburbia whereas the other Boone Co. schools are almost all suburbia.

 

Same number of kids at Boone as are in Cooper and Conner?

 

Are you saying suburban kids are better players than the kids living in Florence?

Same number of kids at Boone as are in Cooper and Conner?

 

Are you saying suburban kids are better players than the kids living in Florence?

 

Just because you have the same number of students doesn’t mean you have the same number of student-athletes interested in playing football. When you take a schools population and cut it by 2/3rds your bound to have difficulty getting the same talent for all sports throughout your school. Now when you take the fact they are land locked and have no opportunity for development it truly hinders their chances to compete.

Same number of kids at Boone as are in Cooper and Conner?

 

Are you saying suburban kids are better players than the kids living in Florence?

 

Median income for Boone County is $73k. Median income for Florence is $57k. The Boone County money has moved away from Florence for Union, Hebron and Burlington.

 

Lots of studies show that kids from middle-class and low-income households are competing in organized sports less and less, and if you look around NKY the public school districts with higher percentages of lower-income households have football programs that are far less likely to compete. Ludlow, Bellevue, Dayton, Newport, Covington Holmes. Erlanger Lloyd is the relative anomaly, and they still generally are losing games to schools from higher-income areas.

 

Boone County has had a rash of unfortunate experiences between subpar experiences with coaches and a community that doesn't put much effort into supporting football. From what I've heard having an alum back as head coach has been an improvement to the team, but they're in a tough district and they're trying to rebuild.