What can the coach do to level out the talent in a given class? If the coach does not win then they here it from the few fans that do show up for the games and/or the administration. What should happen next year when you have 4 seniors (3 of which are basketball primarily) and a host of juniors and sophomores that are football players. The JV team had success with 3 juniors playing and a large group of soph's most of which are football players. The frosh also had a nice season and from what I understand 5 out of their top 6 are also football players. If the football team has any success next year then the basketball program starts off behind the eight ball right away. What does the basketball coach do to attempt to rectify this situation?

 

Football has always been king at HHS. Nothing new. Perhaps the judgement of talent is askew. My opinion is that these coaches fall in love with a certain class early. They commit to the all of them, and keep the other classes from developing. 10 Jrs is crazy. A long time ago, we knew as freshman that no matter how good we were, there were only going to 6 of us playing as sophs. Thats the system I played in, I think you may be familiar with it also. I seem to remember those as pretty successful years at Highlands.

Football has always been king at HHS. Nothing new. Perhaps the judgement of talent is askew. My opinion is that these coaches fall in love with a certain class early. They commit to the all of them, and keep the other classes from developing. 10 Jrs is crazy. A long time ago, we knew as freshman that no matter how good we were, there were only going to 6 of us playing as sophs. Thats the system I played in, I think you may be familiar with it also. I seem to remember those as pretty successful years at Highlands.

 

So what you are saying is it doesnt matter if you have 8 very good players in a class, you should cut 2 of them regardless to maintain a successfull system. I dont think you will see another class with as much talent as this past year's Sr class to be quite honest.

JOAT no answers here but a very valid point.

 

*For one thing very disappointed in the number of fans at the basketball games period. If the boys could only draw a crowd like last night. It was nice to see the turnout.

*You are correct that the boys in sophomore and freshman class play both football and basketball and I hope they continue to do both, but it does create a problem as the football season continues to run late in the post season (a good thing) but that does impact the basketball season.

*You and I both know that the baseball program talent is going to come from the current 5-9th grade age groups. How many of those boys are going to be lost to Spring football.

Truly a problem for athletics as a whole. Every coach in every sport wants kids to devote the majority of their time to that particular sport. I long for the old days when kids played the sport in season. I really believe we are burning kids out at an alarming rate and putting very large demands on them for their time. Maybe we as parents should step back and take a good luck at what is going on. I know we all want to live vicariously through our kids but are we pushing them too hard sometimes. After all how many kids ultimately end up getting out of sports what we want them to get, the athletic scholarship! Maybe a good topic for another thread.

If coach Flynn decides to remain the coach beyond this year! I believe he took this job because of the expectations that everyone had for this team. There was talk before he took it that he was close to retirement but wanted to give it another shot.

 

I think Coach Flynn took the job because he knows it is an elite program and he has always wanted to coach there at some point. Those are the words that came right out of his mouth.

So what you are saying is it doesnt matter if you have 8 very good players in a class, you should cut 2 of them regardless to maintain a successfull system. I dont think you will see another class with as much talent as this past year's Sr class to be quite honest.

 

 

Really? Then we must be overstating the talent. Were they good? Yep. Did they win a regional? Nope? How good were they? hate to be so blunt, but all we are hearing is excuses as to why this program is where it is. Highlands has had great basketball teams starting in the mid to late 70's all the way through the early 2000s. Something has changed since then.

I think Coach Flynn took the job because he knows it is an elite program and he has always wanted to coach there at some point. Those are the words that came right out of his mouth.

I hope you are right.

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Really? Then we must be overstating the talent. Were they good? Yep. Did they win a regional? Nope? How good were they? hate to be so blunt, but all we are hearing is excuses as to why this program is where it is. Highlands has had great basketball teams starting in the mid to late 70's all the way through the early 2000s. Something has changed since then.

 

I guess having Holmes in the region has made things tough the last two years. How's that for an excuse? Most us basketball parents can't understand why we don't get six playoff divisions like football. Hate to be blunt.

I guess having Holmes in the region has made things tough the last two years. How's that for an excuse? Most us basketball parents can't understand why we don't get six playoff divisions like football. Hate to be blunt.

 

Holmes has been in the region more than two years, and yes Highlands in the past has defeated Bulldog sqads that rival this one in talent. Also I don't recall Holmes knocking out the Birds the past two seasons. Sounds like you have an inside track. Why do you think that the Birds are quickly approaching a 10 year gap in trips to Rupp?

Edited February 25, 201016 yr by malachicrunch

Holmes has been in the region more than two years, and yes Highlands in the past has defeated Bulldog sqads that rival this one in talent. Also I don't recall Holmes knocking out the Birds the past two seasons. Sounds like you have an insde track. Why do you think that the Birds are quickly approaching a 10 year gap in trips to Rupp?

 

Three observations, so don't kill me. 1. The basketball team is nowhere near as athletic as the football team is. That may be a direct result of the best athletes in Ft. Thomas are concentrating on football. It may also be a result that the offseason program that basketball has does not improve athletes the way that the football team does.

 

2. Having had my boys in Ft. Thomas schools for 2 years, I can tell you that the youth lbasketball leagues get nowhere near the support that the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League does. There is a league at Moyer, and the group of parents that run it w/ the boosters do a great job. However, they are overworked, and the support for them seems very limited. There is nowhere near the parental support for this league as there is for youth football.

 

3. Ross Neltner and Derrick Smith aren't walking through that door (to quote Rick Pitino.) Highlands had an incredible run of individual talent from the late 80's through the early part of the 2000's. They just haven't had players of that caliber lately.

Three observations, so don't kill me. 1. The basketball team is nowhere near as athletic as the football team is. That may be a direct result of the best athletes in Ft. Thomas are concentrating on football. It may also be a result that the offseason program that basketball has does not improve athletes the way that the football team does.

 

2. Having had my boys in Ft. Thomas schools for 2 years, I can tell you that the youth lbasketball leagues get nowhere near the support that the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League does. There is a league at Moyer, and the group of parents that run it w/ the boosters do a great job. However, they are overworked, and the support for them seems very limited. There is nowhere near the parental support for this league as there is for youth football.

 

3. Ross Neltner and Derrick Smith aren't walking through that door (to quote Rick Pitino.) Highlands had an incredible run of individual talent from the late 80's through the early part of the 2000's. They just haven't had players of that caliber lately.

 

In response to each item.

 

1. The athletes are choosing football over basketball mainly so that is the reason you see more athletes. See Austin Collinsworth, Brandon Roller, David Hogue(who ended up being the starting punter pretty much and could have been a heckuva basketball player).

 

2. The Moyer league is great but why would I as a Johnson Parent want to put in anymore of my time to help with that league when I am already coaching 6 hrs a week for Johnson kids and they developed that league for profit. It is a Booster program and they use the money for things at MOYER. Not that other schools in the district cant do the same but just a big reason that they are probably overworked. I know that it is a way for the other schools to field teams and compete so it does help in development of the overall program but as far as not getting enough volunteers that is probably my take on why they run short.

 

3. I can think of some very good athletes that have come through the doors but none with as much star power as guys like that so you are correct.

Three observations, so don't kill me. 1. The basketball team is nowhere near as athletic as the football team is. That may be a direct result of the best athletes in Ft. Thomas are concentrating on football. It may also be a result that the offseason program that basketball has does not improve athletes the way that the football team does.

 

2. Having had my boys in Ft. Thomas schools for 2 years, I can tell you that the youth lbasketball leagues get nowhere near the support that the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League does. There is a league at Moyer, and the group of parents that run it w/ the boosters do a great job. However, they are overworked, and the support for them seems very limited. There is nowhere near the parental support for this league as there is for youth football.

 

3. Ross Neltner and Derrick Smith aren't walking through that door (to quote Rick Pitino.) Highlands had an incredible run of individual talent from the late 80's through the early part of the 2000's. They just haven't had players of that caliber lately.

 

I totally agree. I'd like to another bullet point.

4. You don't have a Ken Shields running the program.

In response to each item.

 

1. The athletes are choosing football over basketball mainly so that is the reason you see more athletes. See Austin Collinsworth, Brandon Roller, David Hogue(who ended up being the starting punter pretty much and could have been a heckuva basketball player).

 

2. The Moyer league is great but why would I as a Johnson Parent want to put in anymore of my time to help with that league when I am already coaching 6 hrs a week for Johnson kids and they developed that league for profit. It is a Booster program and they use the money for things at MOYER. Not that other schools in the district cant do the same but just a big reason that they are probably overworked. I know that it is a way for the other schools to field teams and compete so it does help in development of the overall program but as far as not getting enough volunteers that is probably my take on why they run short.

3. I can think of some very good athletes that have come through the doors but none with as much star power as guys like that so you are correct.

 

I agree. I'm used to the parochial leagues where there seems to be more support, or at least they responsibilities aren't left to only a few.

Holmes has been in the region more than two years, and yes Highlands in the past has defeated Bulldog sqads that rival this one in talent. Also I don't recall Holmes knocking out the Birds the past two seasons. Sounds like you have an inside track. Why do you think that the Birds are quickly approaching a 10 year gap in trips to Rupp?

 

When did the Birds beat a team similar to the one Holmes has currently in terms of talent (2008 state runner-up, 2009 state champ).

I totally agree. I'd like to another bullet point.

4. You don't have a Ken Shields running the program.

 

:thumb::thumb: That makes a huge difference. And even after Shields left you had a whole line of "Shields Guys"

 

This year could have been huge for Highlands because success brings excitement for the program and thus brings more kids out to play. I think they had the talent to really make a splash this year. They must be dissapointed.

When did the Birds beat a team similar to the one Holmes has currently in terms of talent (2008 state runner-up, 2009 state champ).

 

The 79 Bulldogs were a pretty darned good team. Highlands defeated them in the regional championship, in a barn burner at a raucus Holmes gymnasium. Again you can talk all you want about Holmes, but they are not the team that has knocked Highlands out of the tournament. So posting that Holmes somehow has had an impact on Highlands lack of success is sort of flawed. Look, you obviously are close to the program, and I certainly understand your feelings after last night. It is not my intent to rankle you, or anyone else. I am just dissapointed in how the program has traversed the last 8 seasons. As an ex player, I just would like to see the program at the top.