With Highlands losing in the semis to Boone today, did we see Willie coaching his last game as the Birds head coach?

It would be a shame if it was Schlarman's last game ... the guy is a very good coach.

No way you can keep10 seniors! If your not in the top 7 or 8 rotation you should get cut. You have to let your jv players fill out the roster so they can get varsity experience for the future.

 

There might not be a need to cut anybody. I think there are a couple current Jr's who may decide to not play next year unless they simply want to be part of something special. I think next year's squad will compete for the Regional title for sure. One thing you also have to consider is that to really be an effective head coach you have to put the time in during the summers as well. I would expect with this group that they should be traveling over the summer competing in high level camps and playing in competetive leagues. This can suck a lot of time out you as well.

It is stuff like this that I think has Willie doubting whether he wants to coach or not next year. You have made comments all year regarding the fact that no seniors were on the team this year. I will ask you how many tried out? What senior that did not play could have helped this team? If a senior really wanted to play then they should have come to practice and made the coach cut them. There are some people that I know personally that did just that when they played. Perhaps if some of the football players that played all summer would have come out then things would be different. I will ask you as the parent of a football player, why do more football players not try out for the basketball team each year? Where was Daniel Gold this year? Where was Austin Collinsworth? I think that these are questions that need to be answered. I have a son that currently plays all three sports and I am going to do my darnedest to encourage him to play all three in high school because you only get to do it once.

 

Going from football to basketball at Highland is a tough proposition. Then guess what 1 day after basketball is over you're back on the field in full pads. Many of the football players may just need a break after 5 straight months of a grueling football regiment. The kids that can do this, a Zack Hurtt, and a Tyler Grubbs really love basketball and are very tough pyhsically and mentally.

I sincerely wish your son the best of luck in his endeavors, but come frosh year, it's usually decision making time.

Edited March 10, 200917 yr by malachicrunch

Going from football to basketball at Highland is a tough proposition. Then guess what 1 day after basketball is over you're back on the field in full pads. Many of the football players may just need a break after 5 straight months a grueling football regiment. The kids that can do this, a Zack Hurtt, and a a Tyler Grubbs really love basketball and are very tough pyhsically and mentally.

I sincerely wish your son the best of luck in his endeavors, but come frosh year, it's usually decision making time.

 

I agree, football at Highlands is a sport that usually requires full blown dedication 12 months out of the year. If a kid can do 3 sports and excel at Highlands than more power to him. You look at athletes like Josh Conner, Austin Collinsworth, Tony Gudugli and you see the sports they chose. Grubbs is an exception and still will always get the late start and not really get into basketball shape until January.

Q and Malachi you are pointing out exactly what I am trying to get across and that is the football program whether some like to hear it or not does impact to some degree those kids that may want to play other sports. A kid that wants to play basketball as well usually gets a late start because of the football teams success in the playoffs and then if they play are expected to suit up for 10 practices a day or so after the basketball season is over. A kid that wants to play baseball has to in some respects choose spring football practice or getting ready for the baseball season and then really cannot play summer ball because of the commitment needed to begin preparation for the upcoming football season. It is not the star players (Smith, Lorenzen, Glazer, Gino, Grubbs) that are affected because their spots on the football field are secure rather it is the marginal kids that are affected. I will close with this question. How many of the kids that played frosh and 8th grade basketball this year will be playing hoops in the winter for HHS? Just curious to know since many play both sports.

It is stuff like this that I think has Willie doubting whether he wants to coach or not next year. You have made comments all year regarding the fact that no seniors were on the team this year. I will ask you how many tried out? What senior that did not play could have helped this team? If a senior really wanted to play then they should have come to practice and made the coach cut them. There are some people that I know personally that did just that when they played. Perhaps if some of the football players that played all summer would have come out then things would be different. I will ask you as the parent of a football player, why do more football players not try out for the basketball team each year? Where was Daniel Gold this year? Where was Austin Collinsworth? I think that these are questions that need to be answered. I have a son that currently plays all three sports and I am going to do my darnedest to encourage him to play all three in high school because you only get to do it once.

 

Hey Jack...I was just pointing out that whomever is coach next year is going to have a very difficult situation to handle. I have purposely stayed away from commenting on the roster due to I know it's Willie's hot button. More FB players would go out if they thought they had a decent shot at some PT. Danny Gold and AC probably saw how Jake Turner and Tony G. were treated last year. And knowing that the first 6-7 spots on varsity were "locks" and were going to be the same the following season...well they are smart boys and can read the handwriting. You have to encourage and develop the kids all year long. As for what SR. could have helped, Jake Turner for leadership and Tony G. for toughness/rebounding. I liked this team this year. They played great...just came up a bit short. And they should be in the finals next year since everyone comes back. 10 seniors will create a log jam for developing underclassmen...7 is even a bunch. Funny how Coach Shields adapted and flourished at the "FB school". Didn't he came from a small, Catholic "basketball school", too? :ohbrother:

Hey Jack...I was just pointing out that whomever is coach next year is going to have a very difficult situation to handle. I have purposely stayed away from commenting on the roster due to I know it's Willie's hot button. More FB players would go out if they thought they had a decent shot at some PT. Danny Gold and AC probably saw how Jake Turner and Tony G. were treated last year. And knowing that the first 6-7 spots on varsity were "locks" and were going to be the same the following season...well they are smart boys and can read the handwriting. You have to encourage and develop the kids all year long. As for what SR. could have helped, Jake Turner for leadership and Tony G. for toughness/rebounding. I liked this team this year. They played great...just came up a bit short. And they should be in the finals next year since everyone comes back. 10 seniors will create a log jam for developing underclassmen...7 is even a bunch. Funny how Coach Shields adapted and flourished at the "FB school". Didn't he came from a small, Catholic "basketball school", too? :ohbrother:

 

 

A good point lost on some people.

 

I'll admit that the tradition of football at Highlands does cause some kids to want to focus on football to win state championships. I can accept that point. But what can you do as a coach, tell a kid that they have to play other sports whether they want to or not?

 

What I don't accept or appreciate is the oft repeated belief that Mueller puts pressure on kids to not participate in other sports. That is simply not true. There have been quite a few football players that participated in spring football and also played baseball and they are not, contrary to the assertion, just the football players who were exceptional athletes. Ask Baioni if Mueller has encouraged football players to play baseball (including Conner) in the past and he will tell you, yes he has. Ask Baioni if Mueller has worked with the prior baseball coach and now Baioni to coordinate spring football with baseball practices and he will tell you, yes he has. Heck, ask me. My son is throwing shot put, which means he doesn't get to spend the entire time at football conditioning drills. Mueller was fine with it; and it's not because he will be a returning starter this year either so don't bother making that argument. Mueller was fine it it the prior year when Mueller was hoping that my son would get strong enough and quick enough during the off season to be good enough to start last year when Mueller was going to have to find 4 new starters for the offensive line.

 

I agree with people that state it is tough on kids to finish basketball on one day and be practicing spring football the next. My logical guess is that Mueller would have been just fine if Grubbs, Welz and Seidel had asked Mueller for some time off. If someone has spoken directly to the kids or their parents and was told that Dale pressured, encouraged or what ever other word you want to use those three to practice yesterday, please tell me which kid/parent so I can confirm it today when I'm at spring football practice because otherwise I won't believe you. I know all of those three kids pretty well and I'd be shocked if they weren't out there for any reason other than they love football. Heck, Grubbs wasn't out there yesterday playing spring football because he's worried about a starting spot. He started last year and is a lock to do so again this year. Welz, a part time starter last year, is a lock to start this year. Their motivation for showing up yesterday at football practice was because they love the sport and want to win a state championship this year.

 

The fact of the matter is multiple sport athletes are becoming rarer because more and more kids are voluntarily electing to excel in only one sport. Which makes them better in that one sport and makes it harder for multiple sport athletes to compete against those one sport specialists. Who am I or who is anyone else to say it is wrong for a kid to want to concentrate on one sport? I don't blame Willie for Kowolonek, Watson and Grote, all of which could be exceptional football players if they wanted to play football, for not playing football. Heck, those three voluntarily elected to not play football in order to concentrate on the other sport/sports that they wanted to play. I'm fine with that because that's what those kids wanted to do. The people that get upset with some football players not playing basketball or baseball for some reason don't seem to get upset when some very good athletes don't play football. I wonder why the inconsistent thinking?

 

You used to be able to find college players that played multiple sports. I played with some. But that went away for the most part years ago as college sports became better and the athletes participating more specialized. Rightly or wrongly, it has moved down to high school sports. Perhaps it has to do with society placing a lot more emphasis on athletics than it did years ago. Thank ESPN for that. Heck, you have high school football games shown on ESPN and other venues now. Perhaps its because more and more kids want to earn college athletic scholarships and other than the truly exceptional and gifted athletes, most kids feel they have to concentrate on one sport to make that happen. But whatever the reason, the multi sport high school athlete at any sized high school that has enough athletes available to specialize is becoming rarer and rarer. And no it's not because of a coach pressuring a kid to only play one sport.

LN, where did anyone say that Dale was pressuring kids to make a choice? I think that you are trying to read something into the comments that are not there. You are right that the kids and their parents should make a choice what sport or sports that they want to concentrate on without feeling pressure from any coach of any sport.

 

DMZ, back in the day Shields put pressure on kids to give up football to play basketball. I know this for a fact because one of the better football players in my era chose basketball over football where he got a scholarship to NKU but would have been a Division I football player if he had played. That guys name is Willie Schlarman.

 

I am going to close by saying that I hope Willie can be convinced to stick around because I think that he is the best person for the job right now and in the immediate future. Does he have his faults? Yes, but so does every coach.

I don't remember Willie as a FB player. His brother, John, was outstanding! I remember Willie as being the ultimate "gym rat"! And he should see this Jr. class through...and stay as long as he desires. He would have made a nice TE, though!

 

PS...Shields also pressured football players to give up basketball. I know this for a fact, too! But then he saw the light! (LOL)

LN, where did anyone say that Dale was pressuring kids to make a choice? I think that you are trying to read something into the comments that are not there. You are right that the kids and their parents should make a choice what sport or sports that they want to concentrate on without feeling pressure from any coach of any sport.

 

DMZ, back in the day Shields put pressure on kids to give up football to play basketball. I know this for a fact because one of the better football players in my era chose basketball over football where he got a scholarship to NKU but would have been a Division I football player if he had played. That guys name is Willie Schlarman.

 

I am going to close by saying that I hope Willie can be convinced to stick around because I think that he is the best person for the job right now and in the immediate future. Does he have his faults? Yes, but so does every coach.

 

 

I didn't say that any one in this thread stated that Dale was pressuring kids to choose a sport. But in case you have a short memory, it has been stated (erroneously I might add) on here in other threads and at other times.

 

And I agree with your hope Willie can be convinced to stick around for a long time. I have been and remain one of Willie's strongest supporters. I sincerely doubt you'll find a post from me to the contrary or ever questioning any decision (on or off court) that he made.

 

And Clyde, quit smiling as you enjoy the turmoil and contention you've made amongst Highlands fans in the thread that you started.

In regards to Tony G not getting PT in basketball:

 

He wasn't that good. Nothing to do with football IMO.

In regards to Tony G not getting PT in basketball:

 

He wasn't that good. Nothing to do with football IMO.

 

Yeah, that was my thought too.

Willie was an excellent line backer as a freshman.

Edited March 16, 200917 yr by Ram
Rule 13

A few thoughts here........ first, Willie is a good coach, the knock has been that he doesn't commit to the program "out-of-season" and that is probably true to some extent. (aside from the fact there aren't two Dale Muellers, there is room to work your program year round). Regarding seniors, this squad did miss some senior leadership late in the season...something a Turner or Messer could have provided. Unfortunately from a talent standpoint, there weren't players in that class that were necessarily better than the Jrs that did play.

 

Three sports at a school this size is difficult, period. For Welz,Grubbs, Siedl, its football, straight to b-ball, back to Spring football. For Dill, Crowley and maybe Watson, its B-ball from Oct to March and straight to baseball til school lets out. It would be tough to fit all three for anyone.......but for the old-timers like DMZ, LN or me for that matter.......it was different back in the Shields era! You might steal a footballer or two but they were not expected to be at Spring practice at the end because there wasn't any! I do believe that Dale is supportive of the kids being involved in other sports but we are kidding ourselves to think that the existence of Spring football doesn't affect kids/parents decisions regarding multiple sports at HHS. Who is the last kid at HHS to play all three into there Jr/Sr year ?

I could be wrong, but Matt Mason and Randy Stegman are the only 2 that I can remember to play all 3 as seniors. Mason had an absolute canon.