Stinky I think you got something there..Makes a lot of sense to me..

 

I also agree with SB. Looking back, the most successful teams (except the Lorenzen Smith team) had basketball guys leading the teams with a football guy or two contributing. The team I'm most familiar with had no football guys. Really the stars on that team were mainly baseball guys as the 2nd sport. Another thing, for the football guys, was the commitment to football as rigorous back in the day as it is now? I remember 60 minutes. I don't remember spring football, or 9-5 sessions in the summer.

I also agree with SB. Looking back, the most successful teams (except the Lorenzen Smith team) had basketball guys leading the teams with a football guy or two contributing. The team I'm most familiar with had no football guys. Really the stars on that team were mainly baseball guys as the 2nd sport. Another thing, for the football guys, was the commitment to football as rigorous back in the day as it is now? I remember 60 minutes. I don't remember spring football, or 9-5 sessions in the summer.

 

I agree too but look at the last 5 yrs. You had Vories/Johnson in 2006, Simpson/McGraw in 2008 and last year you had 6 Sr's who were strictly basketball. You had your core and the Birds just couldnt get it done. Listerman owned Schlarman in those Regional tournaments and last year the Birds just got beat by an NCC team that shot lights out.

 

Going forward, with the 4 state titles in a row it will be tougher to find those kids that are strictly basketball. I know my son is the only one (strictly hoops) in his class who starts JV and dresses Varsity. The class above him there are none and the class below him I dont think there are any. So basically next year during pre-season you will have him, possibly a couple other kids who are reserve players and who else? You want to talk about being behind the 8 Ball in December.

 

The football season is tooooooooo long and watered down. Eliminate those horrible "let everyone get a chance" 1st round games and start the season a week earlier. This would end the season on Thanksgiving if you make it to state. I dont want to hear about how some 1st round games are upsets, you take care of business during the season in District play if you want a shot at a 1st round game IMO.

I agree too but look at the last 5 yrs. You had Vories/Johnson in 2006, Simpson/McGraw in 2008 and last year you had 6 Sr's who were strictly basketball. You had your core and the Birds just couldnt get it done. Listerman owned Schlarman in those Regional tournaments and last year the Birds just got beat by an NCC team that shot lights out.

 

Going forward, with the 4 state titles in a row it will be tougher to find those kids that are strictly basketball. I know my son is the only one (strictly hoops) in his class who starts JV and dresses Varsity. The class above him there are none and the class below him I dont think there are any. So basically next year during pre-season you will have him, possibly a couple other kids who are reserve players and who else? You want to talk about being behind the 8 Ball in December.

 

The football season is tooooooooo long and watered down. Eliminate those horrible "let everyone get a chance" 1st round games and start the season a week earlier. This would end the season on Thanksgiving if you make it to state. I dont want to hear about how some 1st round games are upsets, you take care of business during the season in District play if you want a shot at a 1st round game IMO.

 

Some have mentioned injuries also. Last year you can look at that. 08 some, however after McGraw who really battled injury and Simpson who alse missed time, there wasn't a whole lot of talent. Hard to win with two good guards. So now we are looking at talent. Maybe the bball only guys back in the day were more talented, and perhaps Coach Shields kept some pretty talented guys off the football. We always wondered how Jeff Fischer would have looked in pads.

He'd probably look like George Grote did. When is the last time you saw a pick-up hoops game being played in Ft. Thomas? Too many seasons blending together...that is the problem I see. Soccer, FB, Hoops all have blurred into one continual cycle...not to mention baseball, which has REALLY fallen off as a sport for youth. Thus, kids (with parental influence) are "specializing". And I haven't even mentioned the video game/facebook influence.

As a parent of three sons who have played Basketball, Football, and Baseball at HMS and HHS I feel its a matter of commitment. Each sport is now requiring more of a commitment from the player. Whether that be off season conditioning, playing on AAU, etc. For my middle son who is at a cross roads with playing baseball knows that if he wants to see the football field as a starter( O-lineman) his Jr. year he will probably not play baseball. He knows he needs to commit only to Football so he can get stronger and quicker. Which won't happen on the baseball field.

 

We are also forgetting the most important commitment they have and thats academics. Always comes first! There were several spring school nights when we wouldn't get home from a baseball game until 10 ish and would still have homework or have football practice until 7 ish, come in eat dinner take a shower and be up doing homework until 11:00. Again its all about how committed you are to be your best at any sport.

For those that say it's due to specialization of sports how do you explain other schools having success? Ryle has a strong overall sports program. CCH has a strong overall program. NewCath does. Holy Cross seems to. Dixie.

For those that say it's due to specialization of sports how do you explain other schools having success? Ryle has a strong overall sports program. CCH has a strong overall program. NewCath does. Holy Cross seems to. Dixie.

 

The reply will be how many state football championships have they won. Outside of NewCath the answer is zero at least in the recent past.

 

To My3Sons: Your son is exactly the type of kid that I am talking about when it comes to a kid giving up a sport he obviously likes if not loves for the sake of getting ready for the next football season that does not begin until July. Is he really going to win that starting spot in the weight room during those few months that he could/should be playing baseball? Heck he can be working out on his own during baseball or with a personal trainer to make sure that he is keeping up with the Joneses' of the football program, all the while continuing to play baseball for his high school. IMO, if a kid is good enough to start and/or contribute they are going to play because at the end of the day the goal is to win a state championship irregardless if they spent those two months in the weight room or on the baseball diamond.

The one other point to be made is about length of season. HHS football players all practice together from day 1 til the state championship trophy is in hand. Officially from mid July until early December.

 

As a point of clarification, if you show up to football practice "mid July," you are 6 weeks late. Last year, the entire summer practice schedule was passed out before the school year ended and actual practices began the TUE after school was out on FRI. (They would have started on MON, but it was Memorial Day.). So 187 days of football from June 1st to December 4th state title game. (Of course, that doesn't count the 10 days of spring football and the MON, WED, FRI "60 minutes" sessions staring in JAN.)

The reply will be how many state football championships have they won. Outside of NewCath the answer is zero at least in the recent past.

.

 

Then that weak response shows that kids are only playing a sport if they think they can win a state championship or that football somehow has too much control. Neither are good answers.

You can be the best in Football and just ok in all other sports, or like NCC and Ryle and CovCath, may not be great but good in all sports.

Then that weak response shows that kids are only playing a sport if they think they can win a state championship or that football somehow has too much control. Neither are good answers.

 

I agree bad answers but the truth. So many kids worry that if they dont show up early enough for football that they will lose out to a kid that did show up and that is where the competition for one position on one side of the ball for a State Championship program begins. So the story goes and goes and goes.....

The reply will be how many state football championships have they won. Outside of NewCath the answer is zero at least in the recent past.

 

To My3Sons: Your son is exactly the type of kid that I am talking about when it comes to a kid giving up a sport he obviously likes if not loves for the sake of getting ready for the next football season that does not begin until July. Is he really going to win that starting spot in the weight room during those few months that he could/should be playing baseball? Heck he can be working out on his own during baseball or with a personal trainer to make sure that he is keeping up with the Joneses' of the football program, all the while continuing to play baseball for his high school. IMO, if a kid is good enough to start and/or contribute they are going to play because at the end of the day the goal is to win a state championship irregardless if they spent those two months in the weight room or on the baseball diamond.

 

In re the bolded, to answer the question: yes he very well could win that spot because of committing himself to lifting and conditioning. The corollary is that if he isn't doing it in order to play baseball, but his competition for the starting spot is doing it, he may not, and likely will not, win the starting spot. And if he's good with that, in order to play baseball, I'm good with that. He should do what he enjoys and accept what comes as a result. It's all a matter of what's more important to him; not whether adults think playing multiple sports is some wonderful thing every kid should do. I played multiple sports as a young kid; I only played football in high school. I have no regrets about that. I don't feel I missed a thing.

Then that weak response shows that kids are only playing a sport if they think they can win a state championship or that football somehow has too much control. Neither are good answers.

 

If the goal of that kid from an early age was to win a football championship, and he dedicates himself to doing so, who are we to say that it is wrong? The kid obviously enjoys what he's doing or he wouldn't put the time into the sport and make the sacrifices it requires. If that's what he enjoys and wants to do, who are we to say it's somehow wrong? Why is it wrong?

 

I really don't understand this almost fanatical preoccupation on this site that every kid should play multiple sports. I really don't.

For those that say it's due to specialization of sports how do you explain other schools having success? Ryle has a strong overall sports program. CCH has a strong overall program. NewCath does. Holy Cross seems to. Dixie.

 

Respectfully, I suppose my response is somewhat the opposite of JOATs which is tell me about the success of the basketball programs of the schools you mention (or other schools in the 9th Region) or maybe better stated what is the definition of a "successful basketball program in the 9th region". If it is regional championships we are only talking Holmes in recent years having won 4 of the last 6 regionals (the "Highlands" of local basketball recently if you will" being the dominant player locally and on a state level) Extend the lookback period say 15 years total then Highlands has 4 regional championships ('97-99 and '01) and Holmes still has the same 4 championships, CovCath has 2 ('04 and '06) and nobody else has more than 1. Of the other 4 schools you mentioned with "strong overall programs" they have a combined 2 regional basketball championships over that 15 years (NC in 2000 and Ryle in 2002) and none in the last 8 years) while Dixie and Holy Cross (and Boone, Conner, et al have come up empty--although Dixie may finally break that streak and get one this year as they have an excellent team but still the odds of them versus the field make that a less than 50-50 shot) So other than Holmes nobody is really trading off football championship success for regional basketball championship success.

 

If, on the other hand, success in baskeball is defined as something other than regional championships, such as say fielding strong competitve teams in the region capable of competing for a regional championship then tell me the last time highlands did not do that. I believe last year's team, if it had been able to stay healthy would have been one of the deepest and best in Highlands history. They had the same team the year before (all juniors then), the year before that had McGraw and Simpson at guards (when was the last time they had 2 stating guards that good and again Simpson's broken hand cost them a reasonable shot at the region where they still made it to Regional semis with siimpson at less than 50%) before that the Jeff Vories led teams (that I believe also lost in Regional semis). A number of district championships in that stretch as well. All in all pretty competitive Highlands basketball teams IMO. Again, other than Holmes, tell me who has had more basketball success than Highlands in the 9th region over the past 15 years.

 

I also realize the 15 years is a bit of a conveniently drawn line for highlands as that brings in its 1997-2001 run of success. But perhaps that also highlights that basketball success for highlands (and other teams) runs in cycles when you happen to have the best horses at your school. I believe even Holmes had gone 10 years (perhaps more) without a regional championship before their recent successful run starting in 2005. Prior to Highlands run that started in the late 90s it had not had a regional championship in 10 years since 1987 when it won the last of its five regional championships over a 9 year period. Before that you have to go bacxk 45 years to find another (1934) so other than those two windows of exceptional success (1997-2001 & 1979-87) that most schools would love to have in their history this is the general state of things for highlands and most successful 9th region basketball programs.

 

I also agree with most of Stinkyboys comments above as well.

 

I wish Coach Flynn and the Birds all the best this year. He has had perhaps the worst injury bad luck in his short 1+ year tenure of any high school basketball coach I have ever seen, yet to his credit, I have not heard him publicly use that as an excuse one time and has had a great positive attitude with the team and been supportive of all the school programs. Perhaps, as often happens, the luck will even out for him and the team and they will make a good run at it this year or the next few years. With good coaches like him (and Coach Schlarman before him) I think the basketball program is in good hands and has been and will be just fine.

If the goal of that kid from an early age was to win a football championship, and he dedicates himself to doing so, who are we to say that it is wrong? The kid obviously enjoys what he's doing or he wouldn't put the time into the sport and make the sacrifices it requires. If that's what he enjoys and wants to do, who are we to say it's somehow wrong? Why is it wrong?

 

I really don't understand this almost fanatical preoccupation on this site that every kid should play multiple sports. I really don't.

 

A kid IMO should play a sport because he likes the sport. If he also has a chance to win a championship that's great.

 

Also I think kids should play multiple sports if they like multiple sports. They shouldn't feel like they have to pick one and a coach shouldn't imply or outright tell a player to pick one sport or else.

 

I'm not saying this has happened in Ft Thomas. I'm making a general statement.