Wow, coach j, that was a mouth full. I do hope you can turn the football program around at Ballard. You mention "no cost" to the parents and there is always a cost. Look at Ballard's softball, baseball and field hockey programs. Those programs have done very well at a financial cost to some parents. Parents at private schools look at the costs as an investment in their childs future. I for one, am glad I spent my savings and then some to send my kids to a private school. You have the talent at Ballard to compete with anyone, you just need to find the X factor to turn the corner. I wish you luck.......

COACH J

 

You seemed to be upset at times with the officiating.

How do you compare that crew with what you see week in and week out on the local level ?

Coach J! I was impressed with the job you were doing throughout the season before I read your post. Now, i'm convinced you will be successful with your program at Ballard. Good luck in the off-season and we will see you next year! Will Ballard, under your leadership, return to playing our Freshman and JV teams?

Coach J! I was impressed with the job you were doing throughout the season before I read your post. Now, i'm convinced you will be successful with your program at Ballard. Good luck in the off-season and we will see you next year! Will Ballard, under your leadership, return to playing our Freshman and JV teams?

 

My preference would be to play Trinity TWICE every year in JV -- once at home and once there -- depending on whether it works with our scheduling of JV with the other teams with which we have varsity games.

 

As to the officiating, I thnik it is unprofessional to comment publicly on the particulars of how a game was officiated. To your point, I will say that there were times I was amazed certain things were not called and wondered why aloud...but that happens at pretty much any game. I will also say that the officiating was not the reason we lost the game.

My preference would be to play Trinity TWICE every year in JV -- once at home and once there -- depending on whether it works with our scheduling of JV with the other teams with which we have varsity games.

 

As to the officiating, I thnik it is unprofessional to comment publicly on the particulars of how a game was officiated. To your point, I will say that there were times I was amazed certain things were not called and wondered why aloud...but that happens at pretty much any game. I will also say that the officiating was not the reason we lost the game.

 

 

I did not mean to suggest that it was. Also, did not mean to put you on the spot or ask for a 'unprofessional comment.'

 

I (and others with me) were less than impressed. Their mechanics left alot to be desired not to mention their positions.

 

I understand that calls (or non-calls) are always questioned - this just seemed to me to be less than a stellar bunch. Too bad for such an important game.

Some complimentary things said here about our program...and that's appreciated. But the credit for the strides made from game 1 to game 12 goes to our kids much more than our coach. They had a LOT to overcome this year with learning completely foreign offensive, defensive, and special teams systems and a very rocky start.

 

I'd read elsewhere that our program might contend one day 'if the people at Ballard allow him to do what he wants,' and I just wanted to express on the only board I post on that nobody at Ballard since I got here has been in any way less than 100% supportive to doing what it takes to compete at the highest level.

 

That being said, there IS a plan in place to compete better than we did this year.

 

First, it'll involve not taking ANY kind of solace in "playing them tough" or "hanging in til the 4th quarter." We will strive not to be just someone to "give them a good challenge" before their mettle is tested for real against St. X in the only game that 'really matters.'

 

Next, it'll involve NEVER complaining about the 'advantages' held by the private schools, but rather we will be doing as much of what they currently do as we can because they're the right things to do. People that emphasize their "advantages" all day long to kids are being COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE! Those perceived advantages give kids the feeling that they're something those of us in public schools could never hope to achieve.

 

As a matter of fact, we will actually play up the advantages WE have over THEM -- a first-class college-preparatory program emphasizing AP classes in virtually every subject, a great faculty, and a proven track-record of sending kids to college as prepared as any in the state. While both X and T offers those things too, we will emphasize that we do it all at NO COST to the parents (that's GOT to mean something in today's tough economic times).

 

We will promote the way we provide year-round in-school strength/speed/explosiveness training coupled WITH certified ACT preparation for three years for our football players...all at no cost to the parents.

 

There's open enrollment in the Jefferson County public schools, and as long as that's the case and we have the kind of reputable academic program we have, there's no reason to complain that two schools do too good a job attracting great student-athletes to their schools.

 

Like they do, we will aggressively and legally promote our school and what it has to offer. We will continue to attract top-notch athletes from the public school youth leagues, but from now on will keep him ONLY IF he has a track-record of discipline on and off the field, has proven he values academic success, and understands the importance of respect of authority. Otherwise -- regardless of athletic ability -- he'll be asked to leave. We WILL be known as a program that plays its best TEAM and not necessarily its best ATHLETES.

 

Further, we will welcome with open arms any of the hundreds of well-coached kids from the parochial leagues looking for an opportunity to play for a program that -- like X and T -- values DISCIPLINE, COMMITMENT, CHARACTER, is COMMITTED to WORK to improve himself in the off-season, wants a coaching staff that will work countless hours helping him get where he wants after high school and might want the opportunity to compete on the varsity level BEFORE his senior season.

 

We will emphasize the advantage we have in the prospect of being part of the START of a great tradition rather than simply adding to one that already exists.

 

We will never refuse to play them hoping they'll jump out of the KHSAA...rather, we will play them EVERY opportunity we can so we can get to know our enemy inside and out (the 1980 US Hockey team challenged the Soviets to a scrimmage 3 days before the Olympics and were mercilessly beaten 10-3). We hope they stay IN the KHSAA -- when we do it, it won't mean as much to win it all without them in it.

 

We will have a full staff of coaches that understand the game very well and are skilled teachers of it, but that understand coaching is FIRST about building RELATIONSHIPS with the kids they coach and building in them a FOUNDATION of respect, integrity, and character...and that loving to win and hating to lose is only a very close second. Thank God, this is something in place already!

 

We will aggressively approach those that can help us to improve our facilities until they rival those we must beat. Unfortunately, this is something NOT in place already...but the gears are in motion.

 

We refuse to take the approach others have. We know it won't happen overnight, but the ground is fertile at Ballard and the seeds are there to be planted and cultivated. We will approach the problem of "the gap" like only a FEW in the state have (Highlands, Boyle County to name a couple). We will have a PRIVATE SCHOOL MENTALITY/WORK-ETHIC in a PUBLIC SCHOOL situation.

 

...when that happens, we will hopefully stop taking compliments for "playing them tough."

 

Bravo, fantastic and superb! Great, great post that deserves to be archived in the Classics by itself. :thumb:

My preference would be to play Trinity TWICE every year in JV -- once at home and once there -- depending on whether it works with our scheduling of JV with the other teams with which we have varsity games.

 

As to the officiating, I thnik it is unprofessional to comment publicly on the particulars of how a game was officiated. To your point, I will say that there were times I was amazed certain things were not called and wondered why aloud...but that happens at pretty much any game. I will also say that the officiating was not the reason we lost the game.

 

I have been out of town... Sorry for the late response. I am very happy to see that you are working on the possibility of playing home and away with our JV's. What about on the Freshman level? In 2002, my oldest son played on the last team to face the Bruins at the freshman level. It was a great game and fun for the fans on both side... Again, good luck with your building process and we will see you next year! I think we can agree with officiating. Sometimes things are missed...

Some complimentary things said here about our program...and that's appreciated......when that happens, we will hopefully stop taking compliments for "playing them tough."

 

Congrats on the accomplishments in your first year, CoachJ, and best of luck in the future! Here's hoping to see you bring Ballard back to the OC schedule again soon! That game should happen every year...(although you might not recognize the facilities anymore!)