FastForward

Not sure if this was sarcasm, but yes it happens!! More often in basketball but this specific incident occurred 2012/2013 season. 2 separate individuals, one prior to school season & the other over Christmas break after school season was finished!! I may add that the later transfer was from St.Henry to Ryle (home address in Boone district) but somehow allowed to attend Ryle & not Boone!!! I assume this was acceptable given the parent was asst coach on Ryle's bench the following season!! Believe me...there's more than one reason these 3 powerhouse programs are good year after year & it doesn't involve luck!!! I'll add before you blast me that it happens everywhere & in every sport & not every great team is shady or cheating!! The example I gave is just that...one separate example just to prove it does indeed happen!! I am not saying NDA, SH or Ryle have any current violations or recruited players on the team this season, but I do think as far as public school is concerned it happens a lot!! I'd be curious to see how many players actually live in the district of the school they play for. Might find a few schools losing big players if that was actually investigated!!!

FYI-this player was a NDA & NKJV problem that was cut, then became a SH problem. As if that wasn't enough they soon became a different club's problem, whose director just happens to be asst. coach for school team. Just stop & look at players for local clubs that by senior year have moved private to public school!! So as you can see, some club problems find a way to infiltrate the school programs!! NDA's former Coach Andrea did NDA a favor by not putting up with it. We'll see what happens since she is no longer coaching at NDA?! Obviously it is parents over players but doesn't make it right!!

It's a general statement & not an argument. This list of teams could change from game to game as to who plays 110%. I believe that there are some (not all) players on the 3 teams mentioned that feel they are above their peers on the court solely because they attend the school & made the team. I saw it firsthand in club season. A whole new 1s team was created because players that didn't make a 1s team at another club & missed tryout/invites for this club demanded they be on a 1s team because they played Varsity for a top school!! For those players that made the team but didn't attend those schools were made to feel inferior even though they were/are fundamentally better players!! It is an elitist mentality that is fueled by people insisting other NKY teams & players can't possibly be on the same level year after year!! Same family left one top school & transferred to another top school after not making the 1st school's team!! Again it was after tryouts so they were given a "private" tryout & placed on the team!! This is a perfect example of a player out for individual glory & not for the sake of the team!! Schools loaded with talent have issues from time to time with who's getting more sets & other individual type glory. From what I've seen, Cooper doesn't have that issue or at least doesn't show signs of that being an issue. I would love to see the blinders yanked off some people & IMO this year Cooper has the best shot of doing just that!! I am also not a fan of playing down to a team. No one wants to lose in a blowout situation, but for the amount of time & energy these ladies put into practice, they deserve to be respected & not turned into a charity case or not worthy of playing an "A" team!!!

My thoughts exactly NKYVB!! Just looking for some talented teams (other than the same 3 legendary programs) getting the respect they deserve!! If Cooper is tested this week & doesn't deliver then it is what it is, but until then they deserve to be viewed as a top threat in 9th Region!!!

As for the "give up" comment, what I meant was Cooper doesn't sit key players out games against traditionally lower ranked teams. I've seen NDA play their "B" team against teams like Brossart or Boone & while some may say that is to save key players from injury, I say its bull!! Every Varsity team knows they will win or lose & if I'm coaching a school that in reality doesn't stand a chance of winning, I don't want pity. These girls put way too much time & energy in practice for that stuff. I've seen St.Henry do the same. Every player for Cooper that has their feet on the court isn't gonna let a ball drop anywhere near them because they are winning by 10 & it doesn't matter. They go 110% the entire night no matter what the scoreboard shows. So that is what I mean by Cooper will claw, scrap, & dive never giving up!!!

Love it!! I just like when people talk about teams outside traditional "favorites"!! I do not have psychic powers so I can't say for certain Cooper will topple any of them, but I think Cooper is a "team" & not a just a one player show. They have Smith as a headliner but they also have players that don't make headlines & do contribute big for Cooper's success, players like Powers, Klute, Gillespie, Ruppel & Fortner. I don't think St. Henry has what they need as a whole this year & Ryle is good if they remain injury free, but past Ryle's headliners what do they have? NDA has a roster of young talent & will be good but they can't look past any team like Cooper or Ryle because they could be taken down. As for my Coach of the Year comment, it was partly for kicks but as a whole Coach Isaac can be taken as a seriously good coach, just look at her record & given the talent she graduates. She's had at least 1 or 2 players every year go on to play in college. Some of that can be due to club, but I think she also has those players ready to play due to her "Team" approach!!! I just hate when players put forth a great effort & are great players, but because they don't go to the big 3 volleyball schools in NKY, no one talks about them!! I wish I could name players from other schools that I know are good but haven't been to many games yet to name them!! I will though make it my mission to point out those names of players on other teams besides NDA, Ryle & St. Henry, just to give them the credit they deserve!!!

I said Cooper is the team to "watch" not necessarily meaning will win it all but they could!! I think traditionally the 9th Region is associated with the same 3 teams year after year...NDA, St.Henry, & Ryle!! With that usually follows the name POY favorite coming from one of those same 3 schools!! I just feel that this year could potentially break free from that trend & in my book both Cooper & Kaity Smith should be on the top lists!!! Cooper has more than just Smith's hitting. They have other talented players that come together & play as a team to win!! They aren't playing for the individual glory or spotlight. Teams playing Cooper need to go into the game knowing that Cooper will claw, fight, scrap & never give up on the ball!! No team is going to have a perfect season & perfect games every time. Any team can be beaten on any given day no matter who they are. I'm just saying Cooper needs to be seen as a threat for NDA, St.Henry & Ryle. And given the fact Kaity Smith is a sophomore & being compared to top players that are older with more experience should also speak volumes!! While I'm at it, I'll just go ahead & throw my vote out there for Coach of the Year, too....Cooper's Michelle Isaac!!! Let the fur fly now!!!

A BIG Congrats to Cooper for giving Coach Isaac win #100!!! Cooper is the team to watch!! Coach Isaac knows how to pull the most out of her players!! Congrats & can't wait to watch the Cooper/Ryle game!!!

Thanks for the info!! I've seen Atwood & no doubt Mom has passed down her volleyball know-how to her daughter!! (Best & Smartest Coach in NKY...IMO :clap: ) Should make for a fun meeting Thursday when Conner plays at SK!!! I think Conner could be good down the road since I think their Varsity team is all juniors & sophomores. I just don't see them making a serious run at anything this year. They'll need more than just a good setter to succeed. Not sure about this year, but I thought Conner's libero did a great job of passing to Atwood but they lacked a strong hitter to complete the play. I'd like to see Conner's volleyball program develop, but given the fact Cooper & Ryle are in same district, not sure realistically they would have a chance!! Those are 2 powerhouse programs that are strong way back to their middle school feeder teams. I admit I may be biased but Cooper's Kaity Smith is the real deal & rivals the talent of Ashley Bush from Ryle!! Yep...I said it...Kaity Smith (Cooper) 2014 NKY POY!!!

I heard Conner beat Boone Co. tonight which surprises me, especially since it was played at Boone Co.!! Anyone in BGP land see this game? Is Boone Co. missing players or did all the talent graduate? Good win for Conner, but this one has me scratching my head!!:ohbrother:

According to the KVCA poll, Villa is the top team to win so NDA, Cooper & NCC better watch out!!:jump:

AMEN!! Preseason polls are a waste in my opinion anyway. Sure the top teams are pretty obvious but after 1st & 2nd in Region its all up in the air. Clearly in this particular poll, the results are comical & appear to just be drawn at random out of a hat!! If KVCA wanted some legitimate results they should have placed the poll on BGP!!!

Has to be a mistake. For one, Villa ranked higher than Notre Dame? And Newport is ranked #11...does Newport even have a volleyball team? Someone fouled up!!

I use to think the grade school program was solely the reason the Catholic schools always field hugely talented programs year after year, but that wouldn't explain the success of programs like Ryle, Cooper & SK. The majority of the players on public high school teams play club ball year round with most (not all) affiliated with NKYVC or NKJV. If young kids are showing an interest in playing volleyball, parents need to invest in club at an early age. Gone are the days when kids show up in middle school making team never having played the game before. Good coaches are also a big factor in program development. SK consistently does well year after year because Coach Atwood knows the game & knows how to pull the best from her players. Just like AAU for basketball, playing club volleyball gives players an edge & unlike basketball, volleyball is a hard sport to play alone in the driveway!! Down the road, club volleyball is also a great way to attract college scouts that may not happen for school volleyball especially small schools & non-powerhouse teams!!

Relax RCC9...I totally agree that Highlands is a great team!! My disagreement was mostly related to Ryle. I also think that as "stacked" with returning talent as these teams are they all have weaknesses that any team could take advantage of. Mostly meant in my post that I don't think the 9th Region has one clearly dominant team. The top 5 will change multiple times this season which will make the end of season tournaments that much better to watch!!! Teams like Boone, Conner & Dixie are not getting the credit they deserve. All 3 have multiple players getting college looks & could lead their teams to the top!! I put Highlands above HC in the 9th region just think people shouldn't overlook other teams!!

I agree but not 100%!! No one can dispute that the 9th region is stacked with talented players, but in my opinion there is no clear dominant team this season. Sure Highlands & Ryle are returning many starters from last year, but where were they in the 9th region tourney? Ryle wasn't there because Conner knocked them out in districts. Both Conner & Boone are returning veteran varsity players that have played with & beat Ryle more than once, so why are they overlooked?? Don't get me wrong, Ryle is tough & they make teams play the best game of their life if they want to win. Ryle's weakness is foul trouble. If the starters are in foul trouble it throws their game way off. Boone has multiple players that will give teams fits & Conner also returns a talent team. I think Boone & Conner will surprise many people this season which ultimately makes for another fun NKY girls basketball season!!!

My thoughts exactly!! My other question is how many of these young players are asking to play up whether age, grade, team or school level? I personally have never encountered a situation where a 12-13-14 yr old kid is begging to play up all on their own!! It's "parental influence" that creates the scenerio, so who is playing the game...the parent or the kid??

Point taken & sorry if my comment offended you! My granddaughters have not played AAU basketball so that is why I am unfamiliar with how they decide D1 vs D2. I am familiar with how that is decided in soccer & both of my granddaughters play for KHA D1 teams. While they may have a losing record for season, playing in multiple D1 tourneys prepares them for Regional & National tourneys. (Both teams won State & Regional tourney!) At no time did I hear anyone mention moving down a division just to have a winning season. Of course, I also never heard anyone comparing the talent of a U13 team to a U14 team either. Unless teams play head to head, I just don't think it is necessary to say one team could beat or is better than the other especially a younger team vs older team. That of course is just my preference & many may not agree. What the comparison does prove is NKY is loaded with young talent in girls basketball!! For every girl that plays AAU, there are also talented players that choose not to play AAU for money or time reasons. I am a former basketball referee & saw first hand players just in rec leagues that had just as much if not more talent than some on AAU teams, but for whatever reason they chose not to play AAU. This area brings forth alot of talent!! No matter what age or what team a girl plays on, we should all remember why a young player is playing this sport....because they LOVE it & THEY want to just play it!!! I can't tell you the number of young players I've seen that were destined to be stars at the high school level that session by session you would see the spark fade because they were no longer playing a game they loved but were instead playing because a parent demanded they play on a certain team or pushed to play 1 or 2 grades ahead!! I'm certain that everyone reading this has seen this type of situation at least once while watching their child's basketball career!! Girls are very impressionable at this age & don't need any extra pressure or stress placed on them! Hearing parents talk about this team or that player is better only causes issues with confidence which in turn WILL effect how they play!! If your kids team wins an older D1 tourney, that's awesome but it doesn't require a comparison to another team is the same or different division!!

The way I see it, no team should be put on a pedestal or place themselves along side a team unless they've won or tied in a head to head game!! If you think your team is better then prove it!! If you're not willing to play same division, tourney & head to head game then zip it!! Amazes me how the "adults" are always the ones to compare & boast while these young girls just want to play the game they love to play winning or losing!!

Nicely stated!! I hope you do not feel I was calling you or a specific team "trophy hunters". I was just making a general statement & my opinion as to why a good team would choose to play a lower division. I'm not 100% sure how D1 vs D2 works, but in other sports if a D2 team ranks & finishes Top 2 in their region they are given an option to move up a division. If they do, then that is where they stay for that season. Clubs have the option to move down the following season if they choose to, but not during the season. Seems that rule would make sense for basketball as well!!

I agree!! To be the best you must play & beat the best!! I think some argue about "fairness" & feel confidence level will drop if God forbid someone loses!! Everyone wants to win the trophy/championship & no one likes to lose but in order for a player & team to develop, they need losses to learn from!! I get why there are different divisions, but I don't think coaches should be allowed to choose what division they play in on National level!! The only reason a team would play down is solely to make it easier to win!!

I also agree that top teams can't be predicted based off of what they did in middle school or freshmen!! There are some extremely talented young players throughout the state that can have multiple colleges scouting but when it comes down to team championships I think some people get too caught up with one or 2 talented players & not the team as a whole!! Michael Jordan himself quoted "Talent wins games, but Teamwork wins Championships!" In some weaker regions, a standout player may lead her team to State, but very seldom will you find that type of team winning State!! Most of the time (not always) a top team will have their 1 or 2 stars, but it takes 5 players on the court creating & executing plays as a team to truly be considered a "Top" team!! That takes years of experience at the Varsity level especially in a region loaded like the 9th Region!! I think people need to look closer to the bench of these teams & then decide who the Top Team is, because if the refs call like they did last season those players are the ones to make or break a team!!!

I'm curious about why SK also!!! Also curious how this transferring back & forth in high school works? I'd be a little uneasy as a coach that somehow my team would get looked at for recruiting violations. I understand transferring if moving or going from private school to public school in district, but from what I've heard that isn't the case here!! Just curious!! As for 9th Region, I don't think there will be a clearly dominate team again this season. I think there are too many teams that could make a valid argument on why their team is #1. Highlands, Holy Cross & Boone all have experienced & talented players returning, but Conner, Ryle & Dixie could shake things up also. Any which way you look at it, 9th Region will continue be one of the most talented Regions in KY!

I'd say refs this year were consistently inconsistent & that is the biggest problem for teams, not being able to play the same game both halves!! I don't think officials changed the pace of this game at all. They were bad for each team. NCC came out the 2nd half with a "Refuse to Lose" mentality & Conner just couldn't match that. NCC played scrappy & pulled almost every rebound not giving Conner a 2nd shot. Conner may have lost but they did show promise & will be a tough team in the future. Congrats to NCC for pulling out the win!!

NDA wins vs Boone County & lives to play another day!! Looks like a 9th Region rematch NDA vs Highlands...promising to be a good one to watch!!!