With all the talk about youth leagues maybe I am unaware of how youth leagues are ran around the state.

 

The Trinity and St Xavier fans have said that they have a catholic league for their schools. In North-Eastern Kentucky our JFL is associated with each school. It is not part of the school, but each school system has a JFL. Raceland has the Raceland JFL, Greenup Co has a Greenup JFL, and so on. Each school plays the other schools. Except for Russell and Ashland who have inner mural leagues.

 

I have read some people talk, to lead me to think that there are some areas that have a regional JFL. Is this correct? Where youth from multiple schools are all put in a league together.

I think most people will agree that it doesn't go long enough. However, I see that you have a baseball avatar that speaks volumes:thumb:

 

:thumb:Exactly..Lets Play Two..

With all the talk about youth leagues maybe I am unaware of how youth leagues are ran around the state.

 

The Trinity and St Xavier fans have said that they have a catholic league for their schools. In North-Eastern Kentucky our JFL is associated with each school. It is not part of the school, but each school system has a JFL. Raceland has the Raceland JFL, Greenup Co has a Greenup JFL, and so on. Each school plays the other schools. Except for Russell and Ashland who have inner mural leagues.

 

I have read some people talk, to lead me to think that there are some areas that have a regional JFL. Is this correct? Where youth from multiple schools are all put in a league together.

 

 

I know I'll leave some out, but in Louisville there's the Muhammad Ali League, the Hikes Point Lobos, a league in Lyndon, one in Fern Creek...but none are affiliated with schools. I have no idea how it all works.

 

I can tell you the CSAA encompasses all the Catholic parishes, and that a kid only needs to be a member of the parish to play. It's not just for students at the affiliated grade school. Some parishes with combine to have teams. For instance, St. Francis and St. Agnes are combined. And many parishes have more than one team. There are A, B & C teams. My son attended St. Gabriel, and they fielded 3 teams, and played in the largest class, which included combined teams from other parishes. It was a huge deal to make the "A" team. It was a great motivator to improve skills. Many of the kids he played against in grade school were on his team at Trinity, and many of the kids he played with at St. Gabriel were on X's team. These kids grow up playing with and against each other.

 

Combine the dedicated coaching, the advantage of a well run athletic association at the grade school level, and I believe these kids have a huge leg up on most kids in the Louisville area, many (if not most) who begin playing football when they get to high school. Add to that the Toy Bowl, and you have a lifelong experience of competing for championships.

^ The above is "brutally" true....we have kids that have been pounded with discipline, and football know-how....along with that, the desire for each child to play at whatever school he yearns for, is an instant recipe for sucess.

I forgot one thing...playing to represent your school or parish definitely creates 2 more things...a kids pride in his school, and a sense of community that the parents carry with them as their son advances to play high school ball. I found new friends among my son's high school teammates' familes, but I also had many who I'd shared 6 years of grade school memories with.

 

I also want to add that I've attended many, MANY grade school games where the attendance was greater than that I saw turn out to see some high school teams we have played at Trinity.

Combine the dedicated coaching, the advantage of a well run athletic association at the grade school level, and I believe these kids have a huge leg up on most kids in the Louisville area, many (if not most) who begin playing football when they get to high school. Add to that the Toy Bowl, and you have a lifelong experience of competing for championships.

 

I can testify to the championship atmosphere. To this day, I still don't know whether losing to Male in the 2000 state championship or St. Raphael in the 1998 Toy Bowl was more painful.

 

The well-organized, well-coached intensity of a good youth league is vital to the success of high school teams later on and I definitely want to echo the sentiment that the CSAA is a big part of Trinity's and St. Xavier's successes.

You have that already, the Optimist League.

 

 

I think those league are still good. However, half the kids in those leagues still go to private schools anyway, so it's not like a true feeder system for publics.

I also want to add that I've attended many, MANY grade school games where the attendance was greater than that I saw turn out to see some high school teams we have played at Trinity.

 

 

Even more remarkable was watching St Raphael play, and sadly lose in the Toy Bowl 2 years ago. I spent half the game watching some dads (or Alumini) lined up along the fence, cheering on St Raphael. Half a dozen Raphael dads wearing specially made St Raphael letter jackets I might add. Each jacket showed the year they played, and listing all the Raphael championships on the back, dating back to the 50's. It was very quaint to see, even though nary one of these gentlemen still fit into those ill fitting jackets. Go Giants!!

^ The above is "brutally" true....we have kids that have been pounded with discipline, and football know-how....along with that, the desire for each child to play at whatever school he yearns for, is an instant recipe for sucess.

 

True, but some folks just don't understand that.

I think those league are still good. However, half the kids in those leagues still go to private schools anyway, so it's not like a true feeder system for publics.

 

Looking at the X and T rosters saying half is way off.

There are less than 10 teams in the optimist league. Not even one for every public high school in the county. If you include the Ali league, there may be one little league team (7th & 8th graders) for each public high school. How many teams are in the CSAA? Most of those kids go to T or X. I'm not sure the CSAA teams are individually much better than the other youth teams, (in fact I'll bet the Yellowjackets were the best youth team in the county this past year) but collectively the CSAA is a much better feeder system for X & T.

My suggestion for JCPS, which may or may not work in some counties, depending on size.

 

1) Make all schools single sex

 

2) Make all schools single sex.

 

3) Make all schools single sex.

 

Sorry, I only have one point, but it looks better if I have a list. :creepy:

 

 

Here are the benefits:

 

1) It wouldn't require any new bldgs, just relocating students. Some could then be closed that aren't needed. Male (male) Manual (female), etc. If I recall correctly, Manual was originally all girls anyway. This applies to private schools as well -- Desales (male) and Holy Cross (female).

 

2) The biggest benefit is learning environment. If a kid is worried about the opposite sex not being in school with them, then they are missing the point of school to begin with. My catholic friends can attest, your love life won't be affected. Some NYC inner city have experimented with this in the last few years, and have seen vast improvements in scores and attitude, less violence, etc.

 

3) Athletics wise, many schools will be "evened out" in terms of enrollment, eliminating the advantage of St X or Trinity. I personally still believe they will still dominate, as I don't prescribe to the "numbers" theory that many do. But it will make those folks feel better anyway. :thumb:

 

4) For the most part, except some county schools out in the state maybe, I believe there is more comradery or pride in single sex schools. They are more unified, students are closer. This will build stronger schools, and increase enrollments.

 

 

I know this idea will be summarily dismissed by many, but you need to think outside the box a little, as others have. Plus it's cheaper than one of my other ideas. Eliminate about 2/3 of the counties in KY.

How many private K-8 or private middle school programs are there in the Louisville area that have fooyball.

How many private K-8 or private middle school programs are there in the Louisville area that have fooyball.

 

 

I assume Christian Academy of Louisville has one.

 

Now as far as the CSAA schools I am not sure, I'll need to do some research on it before I could give you an answer.

I went to the CSAA's website and came up with a list of the teams I found, this is by no means complete.

 

Ascension

Holy Spirit

St. Albert

St. Margaret Mary

St. Anthanasius

St. Aloysius, PeeWee Valley

St. Bernard

St. Agnes/St. Frances of Assisi

St. Patrick

St. Edward

St. Mary Academy

Holy Trinity

Notre Dame Academy/ St. Paul

Our Lady of Lourdes/St. Leonard

St. Nicholas Academy

St. Martha

St. Stephen MArtyr

St. Gabriel

John Paul II Academy

St. Raphael

St. Rita

St. Michael

St. Anthony

 

 

Here's the site: http://www.loucsaa.org/8fb_schedules.htm