When I was growing up a bunch of kids in the neighborhood would get a football, divide up into teams and play in somebody's back yard. I don't see how having an "open field" would be any different than the pick up games that happen in "open gym". Am I missing something?

Open gym is way different than having practice - when executed within the rules of the KHSAA.

If you really believe that-I have some ocean front property in Arizona for you.

If you really believe that-I have some ocean front property in Arizona for you.

 

My bet is that more go by the rules than don't. Even so - the question of having pick-up football games available wasn't addressed in your reply. Why not have the same policy?

I don't get the "better weather" argument. Heck yesterday it was 50 degrees and sunny. Perfect weather. Suppose to be in the 50's all next week.

 

 

Yeah, but Monday it was rainy, muddy and cold....2 of three days last week same deal.

 

This time of year you are lucky to get 3 out of 5 days good weather.

 

And its not like the fall...you can't just go out and screw your fields up in the spring because you will screw up the grass and it will be HORRIBLE in the fall.

 

May = less rain days. Better field conditions.

 

I've always thought there needed to be a spring scrimmage vs. another team. Tennessee does that. Seems like you could make some more money that way.

My bet is that more go by the rules than don't. Even so - the question of having pick-up football games available wasn't addressed in your reply. Why not have the same policy?

Unless I am mistaken, football players are not allowed to use school football equipment, or it is seen as a school sponsored practice. I suppose they could have 7 on 7 pick up games, but that does leave the linemen out. But the complexity of football practice is more on skills practice not just running up and down the field with the ball.

 

Open gym is a very productive time for a basketball player and the team, but just having 7 on 7 is not as productive for a football player or the team. Batting practice is productive for baseball and softball, but we can't just have hitting practice for football.

 

All football really wants is: three weeks of practice, they don't want to practice all spring and all summer. This is done on the college level as well. It's not a big surprise.

When I was growing up a bunch of kids in the neighborhood would get a football, divide up into teams and play in somebody's back yard. I don't see how having an "open field" would be any different than the pick up games that happen in "open gym". Am I missing something?

Open gym is way different than having practice - when executed within the rules of the KHSAA.

 

Without pads there is no comparison between back yard football and having an open gym for basketball.

Unless I am mistaken, football players are not allowed to use school football equipment, or it is seen as a school sponsored practice. I suppose they could have 7 on 7 pick up games, but that does leave the linemen out. But the complexity of football practice is more on skills practice not just running up and down the field with the ball.

 

Open gym is a very productive time for a basketball player and the team, but just having 7 on 7 is not as productive for a football player or the team. Batting practice is productive for baseball and softball, but we can't just have hitting practice for football.

 

All football really wants is: three weeks of practice, they don't want to practice all spring and all summer. This is done on the college level as well. It's not a big surprise.

 

:thumb:

:thumb:

:thumb::thumb: Double that.

Unless I am mistaken, football players are not allowed to use school football equipment, or it is seen as a school sponsored practice. I suppose they could have 7 on 7 pick up games, but that does leave the linemen out. But the complexity of football practice is more on skills practice not just running up and down the field with the ball.

 

Open gym is a very productive time for a basketball player and the team, but just having 7 on 7 is not as productive for a football player or the team. Batting practice is productive for baseball and softball, but we can't just have hitting practice for football.

 

All football really wants is: three weeks of practice, they don't want to practice all spring and all summer. This is done on the college level as well. It's not a big surprise.

 

Let me first say that Ram - I enjoy reading your posts, they are well thought out and fair minded.

To say that football kids can't benefit from a pick up game like basketball kids do I will have to disagree. Learning how to run a route, throw the ball, read a defender, and make up plays is as beneficial to a football player as batting practice is to a baseball player.

 

My love is basketball so I know I'm out of my element here, but truth be known, open gym is a time when basketball players develop as many bad habits as good. It is no where nearly as productive as practice and can be counter-productive when no one plays hard, no one sets a screen, kids shoot shots they would never shoot in games.

 

I would guess true baseball guys would also argue that a batting cage isn't nearly as productive as baseball practice.

 

My point is that we often de-value the finer points of the sports we aren't as deep into.

 

An additional 3 weeks of practice in the off season would do basketball, baseball, volleyball, whoever - a lot of good. Much more good than just playing pick up games. These three weeks are an advantage football has over other sports. No one else has this window so it's easy for us outsiders to see it as an advantage football has that no one else does.

 

I'm not against spring football at all, but to say there's not an advantage over other sports is a tough argument to make.

Let me first say that Ram - I enjoy reading your posts, they are well thought out and fair minded.

To say that football kids can't benefit from a pick up game like basketball kids do I will have to disagree. Learning how to run a route, throw the ball, read a defender, and make up plays is as beneficial to a football player as batting practice is to a baseball player.

 

My love is basketball so I know I'm out of my element here, but truth be known, open gym is a time when basketball players develop as many bad habits as good. It is no where nearly as productive as practice and can be counter-productive when no one plays hard, no one sets a screen, kids shoot shots they would never shoot in games.

 

I would guess true baseball guys would also argue that a batting cage isn't nearly as productive as baseball practice.

 

My point is that we often de-value the finer points of the sports we aren't as deep into.

 

An additional 3 weeks of practice in the off season would do basketball, baseball, volleyball, whoever - a lot of good. Much more good than just playing pick up games. These three weeks are an advantage football has over other sports. No one else has this window so it's easy for us outsiders to see it as an advantage football has that no one else does.

 

I'm not against spring football at all, but to say there's not an advantage over other sports is a tough argument to make.

We do not get 3 weeks of practice- we get 10 total practice days including our spring game, and not only that basketball ends up playing about 30-60 games a summer according to who you play for. You are telling me that is not a big advantage?

Let me first say that Ram - I enjoy reading your posts, they are well thought out and fair minded.

To say that football kids can't benefit from a pick up game like basketball kids do I will have to disagree. Learning how to run a route, throw the ball, read a defender, and make up plays is as beneficial to a football player as batting practice is to a baseball player.

 

My love is basketball so I know I'm out of my element here, but truth be known, open gym is a time when basketball players develop as many bad habits as good. It is no where nearly as productive as practice and can be counter-productive when no one plays hard, no one sets a screen, kids shoot shots they would never shoot in games.

 

I would guess true baseball guys would also argue that a batting cage isn't nearly as productive as baseball practice.

 

My point is that we often de-value the finer points of the sports we aren't as deep into.

 

An additional 3 weeks of practice in the off season would do basketball, baseball, volleyball, whoever - a lot of good. Much more good than just playing pick up games. These three weeks are an advantage football has over other sports. No one else has this window so it's easy for us outsiders to see it as an advantage football has that no one else does.

 

I'm not against spring football at all, but to say there's not an advantage over other sports is a tough argument to make.

 

Good points - but basketball, soccer and baseball all have teams outside of school teams. Football doesn't - that may become necessary though. So the three weeks that football gets is very minor compared to the opportunities for play that the other sports get.

Plato, thank you for your kind words, and I know you to be a fair minded member as well.

 

I was not saying that 7 on 7 was not productive, it is, it is a needed element of the off season. If I led anyone to think differently I apologize. What I was saying, and I am not purposely devaluing any other sport, I think basketball gets more out of open gym then football would from pick up 7 on 7 games. That is what I was trying to say.

 

I know that it seems that football is getting something that other sports are not getting - out of season practice. But, like I've said before, there really is no other way for football players to practice. There are other ways for basketball and baseball players to practice. With open gyms and other angency sponsored seasons such as AAU, Summer Legion ball, and others. But the football players do not have those options.

There are other ways for basketball and baseball players to practice. With open gyms and other angency sponsored seasons such as AAU, Summer Legion ball, and others. But the football players do not have those options.

I wanted to add, "Not yet" to the above post. I think if something isn't worked out about spring practice and the "football in July" thing that someone is going to take the initiative to start some kind of "out of school" spring football league. I don't think many fans of other sports will want to see this happen, if it does it is going to cause many athletes to choose one sport, like the summer and fall baseball and basketball did. I would say baseball will suffer the most.

 

The spring is just a good time for football practice, it is cool and colleges are not focused on their season so they can get out see kids practice that they may want to offer a scholorship to.

I think the down time we have in football is very important. The brutality of the sport requires it. How many of you guys have players on your team's that are unable to compete at this point due to injuries received this season? My son is a one sport athlete and the current time and effort he puts toward his sport is sufficiant as well as proven to be effective over the years.