Jayhawk95

Yep, and KHSAA rules allow for that. Now that it's changed to just 8th graders, will that record ever be broken? If they change to only HS, then what? Have an asteric * beside it?

Again, in Ky. Not the real world.

Tell that to the Ohio player and I'm sure 70% of the other states that don't support MS playing HS. I'll find the real stats on that.

As long as Ky and KHSAA allow it , coaches will use it, manipulate it, parents of those kids will support it. Why not, it gives them exposure and the "OMG, an 8th grader is as good or talented enough to play at HS? They must be the next Britney Griner..." But sadly they are not. Parents get to boast and gloat about their super star. It's not humbling, it's about exposure and the ugly truth about athletics. It about teaching your kids, right from wrong. Waiting your turn to show greatness. As a former athlete, I would have been beyond upset if I knew I had to play against a MS player when I was on Varsity. Not because they were good enough to play, but the integrity of being in HS and what it meant to be on Varsity. For all those that tried and never made it, it was to be special, getting that letter. Now it's watered down because there are not enough to fill a team? Trust me, plenty of talent that walk the halls that say forget it because of politics of MS players, playing in Ky.

This is my last argument. What if?? Player from Ohio breaks the national point record her Sr. year, let's say it's 5,000 points. 4 years Varsity. Player from Ky, a year later breaks the record her Sr. year, let's say 5,005. 6 years Varsity. MS play 7th and 8th grade. Is that fair? Is it recognized? Do they just take the best 4 years? How do you compare? Legitimize the record?

KHSAA has set the rules and standards. It is allowed. My argument is Ky is the minority in this amongst states. Your also telling me MS kids are so good (freakish) that they can play up not one level but 3? A lot of comments have been "if we didn't have the MS players, we would not field HS teams". So is is about true "freakish talent" moving up or supply and demand? I've come across few MS players of such talent that they deserve to play up. Not only that, what does it truly mean to someone when they get their HS letterman jacket and they are MS? Apples to oranges, hate to see a talented Sr. marked to win a state championship, let's say in a track event, only to be outdone by that freakish 8th grader that beat them. How's that feel to look back at your HS athletic carreer. That 8th grader has her whole HS ahead of her to be the best of the best, now they've taken away from someone else. That is not right. Same goes for those 5 spots on a Bball team. Colleges are looking to recruit at different years, if your loaded up with 8th graders and uderclassman, that upper classman gets passed up, no chance of scholarship money. I know, I know, that comes from AAU play but still. My freshman year Greg Ostertag was also a fresh. Waist to my chest high at 7'2. Was he talented or just big? He went pro, great shot blocker. Weight room ethics, very weak!, Was one of the weakest on team, not a hard worker in my mind. To me, he was the freak, could see playing HS as a MS player. He was from Texas so he did not. Those players are few and far between. Everyone knows the "true" talents are not on the courts of the NBA, but backcourts of the inner city, kids who didn't get a chance or failed because the educational system failed them. New NBA rule, have to play at least one year of college to play pro. It's about development, MS players are not at the same level. Your argument is about supply.

All great points too....but we are talking MS vs HS sports/athletes and if they should play up. Not academics and weather they should go to Harvard. There is no gifted and talented athletics criteria in HS for assessment, even though we think there is. lol You're opening Pandora box by keeping that rule. I was 5'10, 240, 8th grader. Easily could have played up and destroyed the the Varsity level in football, should I have been allowed to move up? I did for Hockey but Football? BBall is a contact sport, play that 8th grader coming up the lane on a 6 ft 200+ Sr beast that cruises them and slams them down on the court, blocking their shot because they didn't think to stop back, rather drive to the hoop, Kamikaze style. Noe what? At 12 years old their growth plates are still developing, (reason why we do not restrain kids on a upper body shoulder move) then they fall on their growing joint, being slammed by a stronger, faster, more developed player. Now what? Injuries, injuries, injuries, and everyone in the stands say "owwww, they should have never played that MS girl on that team"..... Do you know that amongst Football, Basketball is one of the sports they say that can cause major issue with growth development? The constant pounding and jarring of the joints, heightened by all the repetitive action, over use of playing the kids over and over again without proper rest or conditioning? Throw in higher caliber athletes, with higher expectation, with higher intensity that the MS player may not be accustomed to or be ready for. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Not every MS player is ready for Varsity, even if the parent may think so. Just because your program lacks the numbers or involvement, doesn't mean your MS players are ready for the next level, its supply and demand. You move them up because you don't have enough, that's not based on skill, that's based on need. No longer is it about skill and weather they are good enough to play is it? God help us if we start seeing a lack of involvement at the football level that we ask the MS players to play up? Suicide.....but that's the KHSAA rules. "My son is 6'4, weighs 280 and benches 300 and is 12 years old, he should play on the Varsity team"? How big was Shack at 12?

It sucks, but you don't move up, develop them at that level and let them experience a championship at their level (MS) and they can say they were the biggest, baddest MS team ever. You don't have a Fresh team, you play with what you have. HHS Volleyball almost didn't have a Fresh team this year, it is what it is. Ryle won the Regional Fresh tourney 2 years ago, 28-1 record, they had all Fresh on it, not one MS, they were loaded, they were lucky. I've seen MS players come in, think they will be 6 ft by the time they are Jrs, they end up not, end up avg, once they have to match strength to skill on the court. It's HS and HS students deserve to be treated as such and earn the respect for it, "you will get your turn one day" is an old saying but means a lot. What if you get a couple of families that come in your district, have girls that are HS and are dominant players, 2-3 players. Now they push your previous starters from the year before out? Now you have more than enough HS players to fill your team, do you now demote the MS player back, thanks but no thanks, you were good enough for Varsity before but we need you to play JV or Fresh. How would that play on that players overall psyche? Look at Delle Donne of U of Maine fame and now WNBA. Veered as the next Michael Jordan, 6'4, recruited by and signed with UConn but never went. Got so burned out by it all, left basketball completely and played volleyball for UMaine for a couple years to finally go back to Bball and now is in the WNBA. You think the pressure of all the AAU, HS, college recruiting, expectations didn't get to her, and she was the best of the best? How do you think expectation lyes on these MS girls? I see the distress in there eyes when they don't make the wining shot and feel like they lost it all for their team. Now for HS Varsity, when expectations is to win it all. Jr and Sr players looking at them, upset because their HS dreams of wining a championship, or that game, are gone and they didn't get the go, to shoot the last shot. HS plays HS, MS plays MS.....I did it growing up (easily could have played all my Varsity sports as a MS but did not), and many many more did as well. It would be interesting to actually get statistics on how many MS players who played up actually played at the next level?

No one will truly say or have a real answer but Maddie, herself, tenacious emotional player, play to win. She was not the only one who quit that had strong JV and Varsity experience that was an upper classman. She did not play another sport but was heavily involved in AAU BBall. It is what it is, fact is, I do not agree with MS players playing up and neither do most other states, but yeah I know, we're in KY.

That was because with the new coaches, players were told, we are building from the younger players up. looking at 2-3 years, not now. Discouraged, some of those talented, good Jrs and Sr that had played hard on JV and Varsity with Olvario, quit (M Martin is a great player and not playing this year) why?

I absolutely do not agree with MS players playing up and agree the better programs will have most Jr and Sr players. MS is MS and HS is HS, Ky need to set up their own MS championship/district series like Ohio and many many other states. We talk about a shortage in some schools, that if without the MS program, they would be lost? To me its a cop out. I see it as some kids who develop later on, are now in HS, look at the roster and say, oh well, no reason for me to even come out or try out, they have their team. I see 6 ft girls walking the halls all the time and don't play anything, I ask why? Discouraged because of how they were treated at the MS level and passed on because of some girls moving up, bureaucracy of it all. HS sports is for HS kids, period! I'm glad they changed the rules and need to change it again in my opinion. Comment all you want, disagree, fact is good athletes that could be great, get passed by all the time. MS playing HS, just confirms that stress even more, the pressure to win and always get the new best thing in. They MAYBE quicker and scrappier but most are less mature, make fewer good decisions, react vs think through the play, in some cases ends up hurting the team than helps, yet we push and push.....:ohbrother:

Highlands lost a great player and team leader in K. Turner, core of the team is still in place. Pitching will be the key, but defense is solid. Many teams from last year 9th region tourney have a shot at winning, any game, any day. Highlands proved that last year against the Juggernaut of ND in the finals. Looking forward to see HHS go to state again and make it farther in the bracket. :popcorn: 1) Highlands 2) Notre Dame

:ylsuper:

SMH? Stephen Hawkins? Now who's insulting?? I'll take it as a compliment since he's the most intelligent human on the face of the planet. You obviously took it personal since you decided from the start to actually mention players. I didn't. Get over yourself. Customer service rep from India? That's disrespect at its best. looking forward to supporting the lady bluebirds and good luck to the rest of the teams in the 9th. That's what this thread was about.

Sarcasum fellows, comprehension takes more than reading it face value, read between the lines. And it's been said plenty throughout the years, on posts, in the stands.....agree to disagree. New season, new year, new BGP member chest bumping. Maybe HWF should read previous posts prior to DG, this wasn't a Holmes Thread.

I just hope our non-athletic, non-physical, dainty bluebirds can hold up in the 9th against these powerful, fully loaded, AAU dream teams. Guess they're all getting D1 scholarships.

I raised and bread full blooded bulldogs, I know how stubborn and passionate they can be.......thehy don't know when to stop.

I'll stay out of the Holmes Thread, seems like RCC9 is doing well to banter in that one, lol. I knew with your "bite" you were implying to me about the Holmes game and how passionate you are about that team, seems like you're the one who bit.....like a bulldog. Talking about a player and discredit is way off base. Re-read my post you "bit" on, talks about team chemistry, not a single player, all you read was the last sentence and obviously nothing prior, but it was entertaining to throw it out there...bark, bark!!!

Hmm??

My prior comment was a generalization and you missed my point entirely dg21, that's why I hesitated to even mention the Holmes game, as I was NOT pointing out any particular player at all. But that's what I like about BGP, everyone's quick ability to over-react about a snippet of info in a tread, think its about them or their team, getting easily offended. Bank shot was more like left side, between 3 and mid-court with 2 sec left, not a strategy.....Kamikaze!!!! But that's why we like the game, for drama like that. Anyone remember Memphis Vs Kansas? LOL

It happens, we see it, and we all know it. Shots between the midline and 3 point line, last second, are not on a coaches playbook, desperation and kamikaze shots are what I call them. Practice it all you want, the percentage is not in your favor. For you, Holmes vs HHS was fun and exciting to watch in the last minute......Kamikaze :scared:

I enjoy the bantering that goes on amongst all the NKY "arm chair quarterbacks". I've watched for over 2 years without comments. I'm pretty sure last year at this time the predictions of the 9th region teams were solid but the end results of overall records probably surprised many considering talent, AAU players, multi-sport athletes that were loaded on some of these dream teams. Talent out plays hard work unless hard work out works talent. Having those who do both gives an advantage to those teams, and working as a team, highlighting each players strengths, out plays talented athletes who do not work well toegather. This Highlands team works well together to the point they can usually antipate each other's moves before they realize it, most times....I could go on about how Highlands won games last year that were not predicted to win, that there were very few posts or comments to congradulate, but when another teams won, everyone blew up BGS and how awesome these teams were? lol. Where were they in the regional tournament? How did they do in their districts? Coaching, teamwork chemistry, talent, skill, hard work, and the ever wielding demon of injuries all factor in on how a season will start or end. Oh yeah, and luck, gotta factor that one in too, because there's always that player that rises to the challenge and hits that last second shot they never hit all year....looking forward to the games and the peacocking on BGP.

Of these girls above, I know most are 2, if not 3 sport athletes that have not only made it to their respected regional competitions, won their regional competitions, made it as state qualifiers and some as a finalist. So how are they "non athletic"? LOL. I'll take this non-athletic team anytime. With the new weight facility and 3 weeks into voluntary strength and conditioning, I think they'll be a tough team to be physical against.