Are numbers down everywhere

[jbsaylor]

I am a Rockcastle Rocket fan. We have had a successful program for the last decade but for some reason our numbers have been going steadily down the last 5-6 years. I was just curious if this is a statewide problem, a rural problem or just a problem here. The only kids we can keep out now are the rare kid ( IN ROCKCASTLE COUNTY) whose parents can afford to pay for their automobile and insurance and the kids who have no hope of affording automobiles or insurance or gas. It also seems like kids don't want to be part of teams in general if they can't start or play a lot by sophomore year. Very few kids are willing to work and play a couple of years on JV in order to get to play varsity. Kids who don' t live in town have a very difficult time since the school no longer helps at all with transportation.

The problem here has occurred so quickly that its hard to even scrimmage in practice because the freshmen have to scrimmage with the juniors and seniors. I see no hope for rural schools to stay competitive 4-5 years down the road if this trend continues. If school systems are not going to be allowed to help transport rural kids I don't know if these type schools will be able to continue to offer athletics in the future. It's hard for me to believe we can afford 15-20 buses twice a week, some with only 1 or 2 kids aboard, for after school tutoring and can't afford one bus daily to transport out of town athletes. I know academics is a school systems main concern but I also beleive school spirit and athletics are also important for a well rounded school system.

As I stated earlier this is not at a school where the team and community support has been below standard, but just the opposite. I even notice when we played Bell County last year that even though they had a powerful team their numbers had fall into the 40's instead of the 55-60 Bell and Rockcastle used to have out. I worry that if something don't change rural football in Kentucky as we know it may change dramatically. I wondered what other peoples thoughts were on this or maybe this isn't a statewide problem and only a problem here !!

[Watusi]

I've never heard of schools transporting athletes to and from practice.

 

If this is something they have done in the past, I can understand why they can't afford it now.

[oldonetechnique]

This is a problem in Franklin County as well not so much rural kids, but all kids. Rich kids wont play if they are not starting young, and poor kids just cant get there.

[footballf@n4life]

Is Rockcastle County high the only school in the county? I would think if so transportation would be required. Or are you saying transportation after practice? If its not the only school, consolidation may be on the horizon.

[statmanhensley]

Is Rockcastle County high the only school in the county? I would think if so transportation would be required. Or are you saying transportation after practice? If its not the only school, consolidation may be on the horizon.

 

There is only one school system in the county and the numbers of schools that are entire system are:

 

High School (1)

Rockcastle County High School

 

Middle School (1)

Rockcastle County Middle School

 

Elementary School (3)

Brodhead Elementary School

Mount Vernon elementary School

Roundstone Elementary School

 

Alternative School (1)

Rockcastle County Alternative School

 

 

I hope this will answer your question as to how big the school system is.

[Painter]

I can only offer an opinion from my region of the state, that being the northeastern corner of the Commonwealth in Ashland. I would estimate that our numbers of players turning out for football is slightly down from over the past 5 years. Although a modest amount, our turnout this year appears to be in the mid 40ish range but have had some in the upper 50s only a couple of years ago. Word out of Boyd County HS is there are about 24 players participating; Greenup Co (geographically very large) has a small turnout compared to the population base. Perhaps some of my friends from Raceland, Fairview and Russell can comment on those programs. Rose Hill Christian School I believe is developing a football program too...those players would have more than likely attended one of the public schools if playing football was of some significance to them.

 

At the risk of sounding like an "old timer"...it just appears that kids today simply are not as interested in enduring the demands of football whether due to more choices on how to spend their time or some other reason. I have witnessed a tendency that players are looking for "instant" success and/or playing time early on in their high school careers instead of waiting their turn and "paying their dues" so to speak.

 

As for bussing athletes to and from practices, I have never heard of that at any public school and with today's gasoline crunch and school systems scrambling to offset the rising cost of fuel...I doubt that this would likely occur

[Clyde]

This is a problem in Franklin County as well not so much rural kids, but all kids. Rich kids wont play if they are not starting young, and poor kids just cant get there.

 

I don't follow the "rich kids" logic.

[Clyde]

 

At the risk of sounding like an "old timer"...it just appears that kids today simply are not as interested in enduring the demands of football whether due to more choices on how to spend their time or some other reason. I have witnessed a tendency that players are looking for "instant" success and/or playing time early on in their high school careers instead of waiting their turn and "paying their dues" so to speak.

 

 

To be fair to today's players, I never had to put in as much time (ie year round) as these kids do today. We showed up in July - not June. No spring practice. No winter weightlifting. We just showed up in July and got ready.

[spindoc]

To be fair to today's players, I never had to put in as much time (ie year round) as these kids do today. We showed up in July - not June. No spring practice. No winter weightlifting. We just showed up in July and got ready.

Same here.:thumb:

And even then there were those who couldn't play because they were expected to work on the farm or lived where transportation was an issue.

[Painter]

To be fair to today's players, I never had to put in as much time (ie year round) as these kids do today. We showed up in July - not June. No spring practice. No winter weightlifting. We just showed up in July and got ready.

 

Very true, Clyde. I know basketball is almost a 12 month sport with the various leagues out there, baseball too has a long season which extends into Summer, wrestling is a sport you see more and more at the high school level too....and no one even gave soccer a thought "back in the day"...

[Hasbeen]

To be fair to today's players, I never had to put in as much time (ie year round) as these kids do today. We showed up in July - not June. No spring practice. No winter weightlifting. We just showed up in July and got ready.

 

Very good point. Could it be that by attempting to improve our level of play that we are actually diluting the player pool?

[Hasbeen]

I've never heard of schools transporting athletes to and from practice.

 

 

I'm not sure if they still do, but when Knox Central was building up their program they utilized at least one bus.

[STRIKE3]

Very good point. Could it be that by attempting to improve our level of play that we are actually diluting the player pool?

Very good question and what the Ipods, Video Games, MySpaces and Cell phone texting.

 

I thinks kids anymore, have different priorities with Sports. I remember the biggest excuse, used to be "fumes" (perfumes and car fumes), but they have been replaced, with staying home and cyber communicating.

 

Some programs will reload and be consistent, while others are left wondering and looking for someone to blame.

[Hasbeen]

The problem here has occurred so quickly that its hard to even scrimmage in practice because the freshmen have to scrimmage with the juniors and seniors. !

 

 

I wanted to comment on the above also. For many years during the dark days at Knox Central, numbers required that freshmen practiced with the varsity. Many a promising 20 to 30 member freshmen class was reduced to 8 to 10 following that first scrimmage. Finally, the coaches just bit the bullet, separated the varsity from the frosh and did the best they could with what was left. It helped trememdously with player retention and eventually built numbers to the point it was not an issure.

[Maroon Fan]

Pulaski County has more kids than ever before coming out to play. They usually dress between 45-50 kids in a given season, but this year the team had to order new jerseys as they are up to near 65 players( I think it's 64 to be exact).