The rule has always been more is better. The more kids you have the better you are going to be. The one exception to that is Highlands. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but HHS only has about 450 boys? Now how is it that a school with only 450 boys continues to turn out teams that can at least compete (and sometimes beat) teams with 3 and 4X times the number of kids. Pound for Pound HHS has to be the best team in KY year in year out. So what's their secret? Is it the youth league program, ie. feeder system? Have they just been lucky in the talent that grows up in the area? I mean how many D1 QB's have come from HHS? What about other positions?

 

Does Ft. Thomas youth program just do a better job of teaching football at a young age? What is it about their program that as lead to such success? Is it something other then the feeder system?

 

I don't want this to turn into mud slinging so please don't bother posting if it's only to make accuasations.

:ohbrother: :deadhorse: :isurrender: My man... almost 10,000 posts on here and you haven't seen enough discussion on this topic? :lol:

The rule has always been more is better. The more kids you have the better you are going to be. The one exception to that is Highlands. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but HHS only has about 450 boys? Now how is it that a school with only 450 boys continues to turn out teams that can at least compete (and sometimes beat) teams with 3 and 4X times the number of kids. Pound for Pound HHS has to be the best team in KY year in year out. So what's their secret? Is it the youth league program, ie. feeder system? Have they just been lucky in the talent that grows up in the area? I mean how many D1 QB's have come from HHS? What about other positions?

 

Does Ft. Thomas youth program just do a better job of teaching football at a young age? What is it about their program that as lead to such success? Is it something other then the feeder system?

 

I don't want this to turn into mud slinging so please don't bother posting if it's only to make accuasations.

 

 

More is not always better, probably the succes in the program lies in the parental and community support and the accountability that this program seems to have...bottom up....the support of parents and a community can not be underestimated, show me a good program that does not have a community that absolutely loves football and have parents that demand the most of their kids....Ft. Thomas is a football crazed town and their parents hold their kids accountable....kids grow up dreaming about playing football and they know they have to work harder than the next kid if they want to make the cut...the communities support of football forces kids to give everything they have to be better, communities with poor football programs have no community support and very little parental support. This I believe sets HH apart....

I'll take a stab. I've lived in Ft. Thomas for about 10 years and have helped out with the junior league. I'm no expert but here's the way I see it:

 

1. The Ft. Thomas Junior Football League has a lot to do with it. Not necessarily due to excellent teaching/coaching, but the fact that you keep a lot of kids interested for a longer time. There are usually four 7/8 grade teams, which means 4 QB's getting snaps (and it goes for all positions...). The Junior League also uses the same type of formations and terminology as the high school. Also, it's an instructional league with required playing time for all players. This interest remains through high school. This season almost 25% of the boys at Highlands are playing football.

 

2. A close-knit community that is willing and able to commit resources of time and money to carry on a tradition they are proud of. Time: Lots of stay-at-home moms willing to put in the time to do little things like decorating players houses, fix meals, etc. Also parents volunteering to coach the Junior League, work fundraisers, join the boosters club - the list goes on and on. The players themselves are also willing to put in the time in the weight room, spring practice, film study, etc. Money: Ft. Thomas is a well-to-do community where people have disposable income. This allows kids to focus on playing football instead of getting a job. I believe the turf field was purchased through private funds. Ft. Thomas is not full of filthy-rich people all driving Cadillacs (I'm testament to that), but the incomes are above average. Tradition: There are always 2nd and 3rd generation players on each team. People don't seem to leave Ft. Thomas - that's how the tradition builds from generation to generation.

 

3. Dale Mueller. He's responsible for almost half of the State Championships. I've never met a more positive, motivating, simple guy in my life. And when I say simple, I don't mean a simpleton. I mean he can take about anything and break it down to a level that it just seems so easy that anybody can get it.

 

4. Luck? I'm not sure if it's luck or not, but HHS is blessed with athletes. Some are home-grown (Pat Towles), others transfer in because they want to be part of a winning program. Pat Towles is typical of Ft. Thomas "luck." Who knew that when he came in to that St. X game as a scrawny sophomore that he would grow into a prototypical, 6'6", 235 lb, NFL QB? That kind of stuff just seems to happen in Ft. Thomas.

 

I'm sure others can add other things, but for me that's what I've seen in my time around here.

I'll take a stab. I've lived in Ft. Thomas for about 10 years and have helped out with the junior league. I'm no expert but here's the way I see it:

 

1. The Ft. Thomas Junior Football League has a lot to do with it. Not necessarily due to excellent teaching/coaching, but the fact that you keep a lot of kids interested for a longer time. There are usually four 7/8 grade teams, which means 4 QB's getting snaps (and it goes for all positions...). The Junior League also uses the same type of formations and terminology as the high school. Also, it's an instructional league with required playing time for all players. This interest remains through high school. This season almost 25% of the boys at Highlands are playing football.

 

2. A close-knit community that is willing and able to commit resources of time and money to carry on a tradition they are proud of. Time: Lots of stay-at-home moms willing to put in the time to do little things like decorating players houses, fix meals, etc. Also parents volunteering to coach the Junior League, work fundraisers, join the boosters club - the list goes on and on. The players themselves are also willing to put in the time in the weight room, spring practice, film study, etc. Money: Ft. Thomas is a well-to-do community where people have disposable income. This allows kids to focus on playing football instead of getting a job. I believe the turf field was purchased through private funds. Ft. Thomas is not full of filthy-rich people all driving Cadillacs (I'm testament to that), but the incomes are above average. Tradition: There are always 2nd and 3rd generation players on each team. People don't seem to leave Ft. Thomas - that's how the tradition builds from generation to generation.

 

3. Dale Mueller. He's responsible for almost half of the State Championships. I've never met a more positive, motivating, simple guy in my life. And when I say simple, I don't mean a simpleton. I mean he can take about anything and break it down to a level that it just seems so easy that anybody can get it.

 

4. Luck? I'm not sure if it's luck or not, but HHS is blessed with athletes. Some are home-grown (Pat Towles), others transfer in because they want to be part of a winning program. Pat Towles is typical of Ft. Thomas "luck." Who knew that when he came in to that St. X game as a scrawny sophomore that he would grow into a prototypical, 6'6", 235 lb, NFL QB? That kind of stuff just seems to happen in Ft. Thomas.

 

I'm sure others can add other things, but for me that's what I've seen in my time around here.

 

Without discounting the importance of #2 I'd say 1, 3, and 4 are the keys with 1 being the most important IMO.

I'll take a stab. I've lived in Ft. Thomas for about 10 years and have helped out with the junior league. I'm no expert but here's the way I see it:

 

1. The Ft. Thomas Junior Football League has a lot to do with it. Not necessarily due to excellent teaching/coaching, but the fact that you keep a lot of kids interested for a longer time. There are usually four 7/8 grade teams, which means 4 QB's getting snaps (and it goes for all positions...). The Junior League also uses the same type of formations and terminology as the high school. Also, it's an instructional league with required playing time for all players. This interest remains through high school. This season almost 25% of the boys at Highlands are playing football.

 

2. A close-knit community that is willing and able to commit resources of time and money to carry on a tradition they are proud of. Time: Lots of stay-at-home moms willing to put in the time to do little things like decorating players houses, fix meals, etc. Also parents volunteering to coach the Junior League, work fundraisers, join the boosters club - the list goes on and on. The players themselves are also willing to put in the time in the weight room, spring practice, film study, etc. Money: Ft. Thomas is a well-to-do community where people have disposable income. This allows kids to focus on playing football instead of getting a job. I believe the turf field was purchased through private funds. Ft. Thomas is not full of filthy-rich people all driving Cadillacs (I'm testament to that), but the incomes are above average. Tradition: There are always 2nd and 3rd generation players on each team. People don't seem to leave Ft. Thomas - that's how the tradition builds from generation to generation.

 

3. Dale Mueller. He's responsible for almost half of the State Championships. I've never met a more positive, motivating, simple guy in my life. And when I say simple, I don't mean a simpleton. I mean he can take about anything and break it down to a level that it just seems so easy that anybody can get it.

 

4. Luck? I'm not sure if it's luck or not, but HHS is blessed with athletes. Some are home-grown (Pat Towles), others transfer in because they want to be part of a winning program. Pat Towles is typical of Ft. Thomas "luck." Who knew that when he came in to that St. X game as a scrawny sophomore that he would grow into a prototypical, 6'6", 235 lb, NFL QB? That kind of stuff just seems to happen in Ft. Thomas.

 

I'm sure others can add other things, but for me that's what I've seen in my time around here.

This was the kind of response I was looking for, thank you.

 

Can you give me more info about the junior football league? Are you saying the junior highs do not have individual teams? Is it just for 7th/8th grade or does it start younger then that?

This was the kind of response I was looking for, thank you.

 

Can you give me more info about the junior football league? Are you saying the junior highs do not have individual teams? Is it just for 7th/8th grade or does it start younger then that?

 

The FTJFL has three age groups: 3/4 grade, 5/6 grade and 7/8 grade. A few years ago they created a flag football league for younger kids - not sure if that's affiliated with the FTJFL or not.

 

There is one middle school in Ft. Thomas and they do not have a football team.

I would like to throw in the tradition card to the list. There seems to be an awful lot of "legacy" players that come through the program. Simply put, people either stay in Ft. Thomas to rasie their families, or find their way back. I'd like to see a list of names of legacy players from the last 5 seasons.

It's hard work, great coaching and community support. I also think it's a mentality too.

The secret is in the Blue Koolaid drink served in small dixie cups. It works:popcorn:

Do the four 7/8th grade teams in the FTJFL play each other only? Do they play any middle schools? Here at Boyle we have one middle school team(we only have one Boyle County Middle School) that is combined of all the kids that previously played in the youth league. Our youth leagues are split up by the elementary school they attend(3 elementary schools-4 total youth league teams) and play each other and other teams from surrounding counties also.

I suspect, to differing degrees, the factors are the same as you will find with the Greenup Co. cheerleading program, the Mason Co. basketball program, the Louisville Eastern dance team program, etc.

 

Bottom Line: it is the thing the most people in the community care about the most. That means a higher % of your athletes are going to play football from a young age and want to be great at it. It means it is the thing everyone does, from a very young age, even if they are not wildly passionate about it at the outset. It means it gets the support, financially and otherwise, of the community. It means that neither players nor parents question when asked to lift weights 3 days a week from JAN - MAY, do Spring Football fanatically 10 days each Spring, practice 5 or 6 days a week from the MON after school is out in MAY / JUN through the 1st weekend in DEC, sit through a banquet so long that both lunch and dinner are served, coach a 3rd / 4th grade team 10 hours a week, work in the concession stand or even practice on Thanksgiving Day.

 

As a "transplant," it is an amazing thing to behold.

Do the four 7/8th grade teams in the FTJFL play each other only? Do they play any middle schools? Here at Boyle we have one middle school team(we only have one Boyle County Middle School) that is combined of all the kids that previously played in the youth league. Our youth leagues are split up by the elementary school they attend(3 elementary schools-4 total youth league teams) and play each other and other teams from surrounding counties also.

 

All of the teams (3/4, 5/6 and 7/8) play only each other. Given the playing time requirements, weight restrictions, other rules and instructional emphasis of the FTJFL, it would not be practical for any of those teams to play other teams / schools. Rules, schedules and other details can be found at http://www.FortThomasJrFootball.com.

Do the four 7/8th grade teams in the FTJFL play each other only? Do they play any middle schools? Here at Boyle we have one middle school team(we only have one Boyle County Middle School) that is combined of all the kids that previously played in the youth league. Our youth leagues are split up by the elementary school they attend(3 elementary schools-4 total youth league teams) and play each other and other teams from surrounding counties also.

FTJFL only plays teams in its own league. We do not participate in the NKy Middle School league. This year, I believe, there were 5 teams in the 3/4 division, 6 teams in the 5/6 division, and 4 teams in the 7/8 division. Players do not only come from Ft. Thomas. There are several players that come from other areas of NKy as well. I personally believe that the FTJFL philosophy of having everyone get playing time is part of what keeps kids involved in the program. They get a chance to play and develop that love of the game. Once they move to Highlands, they have already had the "blue kool-aid" and are ready to be a part of the program. The final game of the FTJFL season, the 8th grade recognition game, is actually played in Highlands Blue and White jerseys, not their team jerseys.

 

Tradition plays a huge role at Highlands, not only in athletics but in academics as well. Expectations are set early on, and the students/players strive to accomplish those goals. Generations of families call Ft. Thomas home and have been Highlands players. I would not want to begin to name them for fear of leaving someone out.

The secret is in the Blue Koolaid drink served in small dixie cups. It works:popcorn:

So thats it !