when I was growing up most of us were multisport athletes and I do not remember nearly as many injuries, particularly knees, as we see now. I think we were good athletes because we played every sport. Every kid I knew could throw a football, a baseball and shoot a basketball it didn't matter whether you were built like a lineman or a pt guard kids could play. Nowdays we struggle to find more than a handful of kids that can play QB. Now our seasons did not over lap nor were they as long as they are now. I think we do a disservice to our kids by not encouraging them to play more than one sport. I think coaches that try to limit them are only being self-serving and are not as concerned about the athletes well being as they are about their own. IMO

Football should start and end a week earlier. Cut out the 3-4 seed in the playoffs and everything would be solved

Yes. It would solve things like 3 seed Ncc winning state.:scared: That doesn't seem like the answer to anything to me.

Football should start and end a week earlier. Cut out the 3-4 seed in the playoffs and everything would be solved

 

That only eliminates one week, where does the second week come from??? Also, if you end a week sooner with next year's format, you wind up in the same predicament you had this year with U of L having a home game every other year.

Maybe around "here", but there is other places besides "here"

 

His "here" and my "here" are very different, but I'd say that football statewide is at the very least closer than any basketball coach wants to admit. I know that some coaches have reportedly discouraged "their" players from going out for football and actively lobbied them to quit football or not lift with them during the offseason. I have also heard of certain coaches treating football players unfairly in their classes and running them off the basketball team. This usually doesn't seem to hurt the football teams and generally winds up costing the basketball teams some athletic kids.

Sure seems to me that Kentucky is more of a football state over the last 20 years than a basketball state. I don't follow high school basketball that much, but the last Kentucky kid I remember going to the NBA is Alan Houston. While on the NFL side there's been Shaun Alexander, Tim Couch, Jerad Lorenzen, Frank Moreau, Craig Yeast, Jason Dunn, Dennis Johnson, Todd Perry, Billy Lyon, Marty Moore, David Akers, Travis Prentice, Chris Redman, Rashad Holeman, Tony Driver, Dean Wells, and Rob Bironas. Those are the ones I can remember, I'm sure there are more.

Sure seems to me that Kentucky is more of a football state over the last 20 years than a basketball state. I don't follow high school basketball that much, but the last Kentucky kid I remember going to the NBA is Alan Houston. While on the NFL side there's been Shaun Alexander, Tim Couch, Jerad Lorenzen, Frank Moreau, Craig Yeast, Jason Dunn, Dennis Johnson, Todd Perry, Billy Lyon, Marty Moore, David Akers, Travis Prentice, Chris Redman, Rashad Holeman, Tony Driver, Dean Wells, and Rob Bironas. Those are the ones I can remember, I'm sure there are more.

 

Try tabulating D1 scholarships for football vs basketball. I would say football will have WAY more than basketball and all other sports combined.

I hate the comments, but I would think that a program like Male's wouldn't let this be so. I'm sure the AD at Male will deal with this situation.

I think basketball coaches that see pushing FB season back a week as a negative are missing what can be a big POSITIVE for their sport (as well as missing the PRIMARY reason for it overall -- the HEALTH and SAFETY of athletes).

 

I think it gives all of us a new OPPORTUNITY to help kids that play both sports.

 

In the past, June has meant two things: 7on7 competitions for football and a whole other season for basketball.

 

That also meant kids that played both those sports were pulled and tugged by both programs to "show commitment or else."

 

One of two things usually ensued, depending on the philosophies of the coaches at each individual school:

1) BB and FB would work independent of each other and schedule their June activities without consulting each other and then tell the kid he had to CHOOSE what he was going to do (and very often, his choice was "held against him" by the coach of the sport he did not choose in June).

2) BB and FB coaches would work TOGETHER and try to schedule their activites where there was little or no conflict between the sports -- with the intent that the 2-sport kid could get to pretty much ALL of BOTH sports' games, practices, etc. in June.

 

Now, #2 seems better than #1, but actually BOTH were bad.

 

In #1 the kid might be "punished" directly by the coach of the sport he "missed out" on in June or indirectly by just being behind in the learning curve compared to the guys on his team that WERE able to do the June stuff.

And being it was usually the basketball coach that usually makes the ultimatum: "if you don't play in summer, you won't play in the season," 7on7 football at most schools lost out on having what were usually their best athletes for at least some of the 7on7 tournaments, leagues, and practices.

 

But in #2 -- while the kid didn't "miss out" on anything -- he was absolutely run ragged by trying to fulfil total commitments of two basically "in-season" sports at the same time. I used to try to "help" the 2-sport kids on my team by making every summer football practice, weights session, 7on7 practice or game completely different than their basketball scheduled stuff. They ended up miserable from sometimes going HARD for 4 straight hours or more on a June day with very little time to rest, EAT!, or just do "kid stuff."

 

Now what we get to do is better IF the football coaches all get on board. Since practice shouldn't need to start until TWO weeks following the dead period (instead of just ONE as it is now), that should allow us to push back our 7on7 activities to those two weeks in JULY. I plan on using the month of June more for working with our LINEMEN -- kids a lot less likely to be involved in summer basketball or baseball -- while requiring the skilled players only to lift and work on straight ahead speed. Those skilled guys that don't have time taken up in basketball can still work on routes, coverages, and other "passing game" stuff, but we won't do all the tournaments like usual.

 

It would only be TWO weeks as opposed to 4 for 7on7 stuff, so some football coaches wouldn't like that part. But the fact that if it's done in JULY and it would lead DIRECTLY in to the first day of practice, your guys will come in knowing a lot more about what they need to know in the passing game than if it was done longer but in June with a 2-week layoff (the dead period) in between.

 

**Soapbox alert** Pushing football back a week and hopefully even SHORTENING it (and, by the way, shortening ALL sports' seasons) is what's best for the KIDS playing the sports. Coaches that lobby too much for their sport getting "hurt" by these kinds of rules, to me, have lost sight of what the sports are really FOR anyway (i.e., NOT their won-loss percentage).

I think basketball coaches that see pushing FB season back a week as a negative are missing what can be a big POSITIVE for their sport (as well as missing the PRIMARY reason for it overall -- the HEALTH and SAFETY of athletes).

 

I think it gives all of us a new OPPORTUNITY to help kids that play both sports.

 

In the past, June has meant two things: 7on7 competitions for football and a whole other season for basketball.

 

That also meant kids that played both those sports were pulled and tugged by both programs to "show commitment or else."

 

One of two things usually ensued, depending on the philosophies of the coaches at each individual school:

1) BB and FB would work independent of each other and schedule their June activities without consulting each other and then tell the kid he had to CHOOSE what he was going to do (and very often, his choice was "held against him" by the coach of the sport he did not choose in June).

2) BB and FB coaches would work TOGETHER and try to schedule their activites where there was little or no conflict between the sports -- with the intent that the 2-sport kid could get to pretty much ALL of BOTH sports' games, practices, etc. in June.

 

Now, #2 seems better than #1, but actually BOTH were bad.

 

In #1 the kid might be "punished" directly by the coach of the sport he "missed out" on in June or indirectly by just being behind in the learning curve compared to the guys on his team that WERE able to do the June stuff.

And being it was usually the basketball coach that usually makes the ultimatum: "if you don't play in summer, you won't play in the season," 7on7 football at most schools lost out on having what were usually their best athletes for at least some of the 7on7 tournaments, leagues, and practices.

 

But in #2 -- while the kid didn't "miss out" on anything -- he was absolutely run ragged by trying to fulfil total commitments of two basically "in-season" sports at the same time. I used to try to "help" the 2-sport kids on my team by making every summer football practice, weights session, 7on7 practice or game completely different than their basketball scheduled stuff. They ended up miserable from sometimes going HARD for 4 straight hours or more on a June day with very little time to rest, EAT!, or just do "kid stuff."

 

Now what we get to do is better IF the football coaches all get on board. Since practice shouldn't need to start until TWO weeks following the dead period (instead of just ONE as it is now), that should allow us to push back our 7on7 activities to those two weeks in JULY. I plan on using the month of June more for working with our LINEMEN -- kids a lot less likely to be involved in summer basketball or baseball -- while requiring the skilled players only to lift and work on straight ahead speed. Those skilled guys that don't have time taken up in basketball can still work on routes, coverages, and other "passing game" stuff, but we won't do all the tournaments like usual.

 

It would only be TWO weeks as opposed to 4 for 7on7 stuff, so some football coaches wouldn't like that part. But the fact that if it's done in JULY and it would lead DIRECTLY in to the first day of practice, your guys will come in knowing a lot more about what they need to know in the passing game than if it was done longer but in June with a 2-week layoff (the dead period) in between.

 

**Soapbox alert** Pushing football back a week and hopefully even SHORTENING it (and, by the way, shortening ALL sports' seasons) is what's best for the KIDS playing the sports. Coaches that lobby too much for their sport getting "hurt" by these kinds of rules, to me, have lost sight of what the sports are really FOR anyway (i.e., NOT their won-loss percentage).

 

THIS is a GREAT post, by a coach that understands the real issues at hand, and has the proper perspective.

 

Pikeville is lucky to have you, CoachJ. Is there any chance you could pack your bags and be back home within a couple of months?

 

 

Frances

**Soapbox alert** Pushing football back a week and hopefully even SHORTENING it (and, by the way, shortening ALL sports' seasons) is what's best for the KIDS playing the sports. Coaches that lobby too much for their sport getting "hurt" by these kinds of rules, to me, have lost sight of what the sports are really FOR anyway (i.e., NOT their won-loss percentage).

Move over coach, I am right there with you on the soapbox and with my girth, I take up a lot of room.:thumb:

There needs to be something done about Basketball and Baseball in this state. There are so many rules against football like when spring ball can be, when kids are a loud to go full pads, when the first day of practice is and etc.

 

Basketball and Baseball play all most year round with the school teams and then they take the same teams in AAU. Could you imagine the up roar of basketball coaches if their was an AAU Football team for high school players.

 

In Kentucky we can not even scrimmage someone for spring ball. In Florida, they have a Ref's clinic where a team can play 4 or 5 teams in a day. It's designed for Refs to practice calling games. Then Florida teams can play in one full game scrimmage. They get 5 or 6 on field scrimmages against teams in the Spring.

 

If Football has to be punished by scheduling rules in this state basketball and baseball should be as well.

 

I have to agree and disagree with this statement both. Things are getting out of hand but the solution is simple. Break all sports into FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. Give each of them 4 months for practice and games and that's it. Right now, baseball starts high school games on March 26th and district tournament is May 20th or so. That's less than 2 months for 30+ games. Football starts games the middle of August and goes with regular season games thru the beginning of November. That's almost 3 months. Basketball goes with games from approx Dec 1 thru February that's 3 full months.

 

SOLUTION:

FOOTBALL: AUGUST, SEPT, OCT, NOV

BASKETBALL: DEC, JAN, FEB, MAR

BASEBALL: APR, MAY, JUN, JUL

I have to agree and disagree with this statement both. Things are getting out of hand but the solution is simple. Break all sports into FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. Give each of them 4 months for practice and games and that's it. Right now, baseball starts high school games on March 26th and district tournament is May 20th or so. That's less than 2 months for 30+ games. Football starts games the middle of August and goes with regular season games thru the beginning of November. That's almost 3 months. Basketball goes with games from approx Dec 1 thru February that's 3 full months.

 

SOLUTION:

FOOTBALL: AUGUST, SEPT, OCT, NOV

BASKETBALL: DEC, JAN, FEB, MAR

BASEBALL: APR, MAY, JUN, JUL

Public outcry is going to be that you are costing our children scholarships by not allowing the coaches to work with them like is done in other states.

 

Also, I am not 100% comfortable turning more control of young players development to some of the AAU coaches that are out there. Some are great and some are snakes in the grass. (that's for a certain coaching friend of mine who will read this. )

when I was growing up most of us were multisport athletes and I do not remember nearly as many injuries, particularly knees, as we see now. I think we were good athletes because we played every sport. Every kid I knew could throw a football, a baseball and shoot a basketball it didn't matter whether you were built like a lineman or a pt guard kids could play. Nowdays we struggle to find more than a handful of kids that can play QB. Now our seasons did not over lap nor were they as long as they are now. I think we do a disservice to our kids by not encouraging them to play more than one sport. I think coaches that try to limit them are only being self-serving and are not as concerned about the athletes well being as they are about their own. IMO

 

Here, here! I agree. I played 3 sports in high school and then played baseball all summer and then right back into football in the fall. I know times has changed but when athletes limit themselves to one sport they limit there chances for scholarships at the next level. I didn't play the sport I loved in college. Why you might ask? Because I was offered a scholarship in a different sport. Michael Jordan loved baseball and if he would have only played baseball growing up we probably wouldn't know who he is, why? Because he was not that great of a baseball player. There is no doubt that playing multilpe sports helped me be better at every sport I played. There was another factor back in the day. At my high school two of the basketball coaches, the head wrestling coach, the head baseball coach and the tennis coach were assistant football coaches. The head football coach took stats for the basketball team and was the track coach. Not only was most all athletes multiple sport athletes but the coaches were multiple sport coaches (it's amazing at the success you can have when everyone works together).

 

I am in my 21st year coaching football(I have also coached baseball, baketball, softball and wrestling over the years) and I came to the conclusion over 10 years ago that kids will do what they enjoy doing. I mean, no coach of any sport will be able to get an athlete to quit a sport they love playing. All we can do as coaches who have the kids best interest at heart is to keep supporting our kids and showing them that we care about them unconditionally by supporting them know matter what decisions they make.

 

My phylosophy has changed over the past 21 years. I use to think the game was larger than life and nothing was more important than winning the game. However, making the decision to put God first in my life helped me realize that when life comes to an end that football, basketball, baseball ect... was just a game. It is not worth putting your family second in your life or making a young man feel bad because you put him in a position to decide what sport to play. Most of the kids I coach look to their coaches for guidence and I am sure that is the case at most schools. It is a shame that grown men who call themselves coaches can't make better decisions when dealing with our young athletes.

 

I know this thread was started quite awhile ago but I am new to BGP and have been looking over as many threads as I can and this particular topic has been around for a long time so I had to preach some. My mother told me since I was a boy that I wouild grow up to be a preacher or politician so I became a coach which allows me to be both!

 

"Be wise, use your time to make healthy relationships with God and others"

Here, here! I agree. I played 3 sports in high school and then played baseball all summer and then right back into football in the fall. I know times has changed but when athletes limit themselves to one sport they limit there chances for scholarships at the next level. I didn't play the sport I loved in college. Why you might ask? Because I was offered a scholarship in a different sport. Michael Jordan loved baseball and if he would have only played baseball growing up we probably wouldn't know who he is, why? Because he was not that great of a baseball player. There is no doubt that playing multilpe sports helped me be better at every sport I played. There was another factor back in the day. At my high school two of the basketball coaches, the head wrestling coach, the head baseball coach and the tennis coach were assistant football coaches. The head football coach took stats for the basketball team and was the track coach. Not only was most all athletes multiple sport athletes but the coaches were multiple sport coaches (it's amazing at the success you can have when everyone works together).

 

I am in my 21st year coaching football(I have also coached baseball, baketball, softball and wrestling over the years) and I came to the conclusion over 10 years ago that kids will do what they enjoy doing. I mean, no coach of any sport will be able to get an athlete to quit a sport they love playing. All we can do as coaches who have the kids best interest at heart is to keep supporting our kids and showing them that we care about them unconditionally by supporting them know matter what decisions they make.

 

My phylosophy has changed over the past 21 years. I use to think the game was larger than life and nothing was more important than winning the game. However, making the decision to put God first in my life helped me realize that when life comes to an end that football, basketball, baseball ect... was just a game. It is not worth putting your family second in your life or making a young man feel bad because you put him in a position to decide what sport to play. Most of the kids I coach look to their coaches for guidence and I am sure that is the case at most schools. It is a shame that grown men who call themselves coaches can't make better decisions when dealing with our young athletes.

 

I know this thread was started quite awhile ago but I am new to BGP and have been looking over as many threads as I can and this particular topic has been around for a long time so I had to preach some. My mother told me since I was a boy that I wouild grow up to be a preacher or politician so I became a coach which allows me to be both!

 

"Be wise, use your time to make healthy relationships with God and others"

 

VERY nice post. You and I are of very like-mind...I especially relate to the "preacher/politician...coach" part.

 

Seems like the younger the head coach, the more intent he is on the kids doing what's best for HIM...as they get a little older with more "perspective" (probably, when they actually get kids of their OWN growing old enough to get into competitive sports), they think more about what's best for their PLAYERS first...and then, amazingly, they start to win more too!

Well if these coaches are wanting their players to hoop it up all season then I think maybe they, the coaches should move up to the college ranks where this could happen.