kissinger

NO assistants deserving shot. Period. From outside, program needs thorough clean-up and start over. Period. Including over-involved booster club parents. But its tough at the state's largest school to manage all of those things.

Let's face it. First, LN does know more than most coaches. Secondly, and in all reality, coaches need to focus a whole lot more on dealing with today's kids, today's parents, and what offense and defense they are going to run instead of being preoccupied with retooling a system so that they can have new found success. Have you ever noticed in the last 20 years that no matter what systems are implemented, the successful programs are successful programs. They aren't worried about jumping around so they can be successful. They simply implement a system, get buy-in from all, and work toward a common goal. Then, when they leave, the tradition remains and carries on.

Have been over most of the state. Trying to figure how you would even get from Pineville to Ashland. No offense to anyone, but there is a big difference in the area between I-75 and I-64 (the south east) between how points look plotted on a roadless map and how you actually drive to get there, especially on a school bus.

Totally agree (not about more classes, that would be absurb, but about the large school division) as you and I talked before when I threw you the idea. The top 16 in one class, regardless of geography, then divide the rest of the state into 5 groups will allow for probably, the best of all worlds. Those 16 would all be in, no matter what, and could have different pairings in different years to make sure there is some variety. And those other 5 groups don't have to be perfectly the same number of teams. It is my hope that there will be some very hard looks over the next few months, (and I would guess after they get the 2008-2009 data so Cooper and Harlan County aren't excuses and unknowns), at a different way of dividing those other groups. What is so appalling from what I have heard, is a bunch of large school coaches signing a letter asking for bracketing to be rigged to where, no matter the geography, the two large parochial schools always play early, with most of the letter signers being from schools with 750 to 1100 boys. I doubt they get any sympathy at all from the rest of the five classes. To be honest Guru, whether coaches like it or not, I cannot help but think that some old fashioned common sense will have to be involved with the next real realignment they do as the gas prices are probably here to stay, and we have to get out of the mode that every district needs the same number of teams, even if one has to travel, etc. And that includes playoff bracketing. That's just old school thinking that will have to go by the wayside if the total best interests of the kids and schools are at heart. I read last week that one of the states in the north has disregarded school size and formed local school conferences (that's the way it used to be done), just so travel could be contained. I am sure the coaches will feel one way about the issue, the fans another, and the superintendents who have to pay the bills will have a third opinion. Should be a great debate.

Personally, with diesel at over $4 a gallon for school busses, six in one to help with travel seems to be much smarter. I just wish there was a way to fix one district in 5A with absurd travel.

Just from looking at it, I would say you hit the nail on the head. Remember that, at least for our school, 2008 is the second year of a contract cycle and working people into a schedule seemed better in 6A with the other Boone County schools. Likely in the future, I can see B, C, R and Cooper all being in the second largest group (not the top group). That would make it very interesting.

See http://www.allaclassic.org/ Looks like everything pushed back a couple of hours

As I understand it, and it has been explained to me, 2 things need to be clear. First, if administrators didn't pass down a mailing asking for survey responses, that's probably a local problem. As I understand, the schools were sent a survey near the first of March and it was reported that at the Board meeting, KHSAA staff said only around 40 returned. It did require sigs from Supt, Prin and Coach, that may have been some of the holdup. Nevertheless, to your second point. If schools aren't happy with the representation they got on the coaches committee, they should contact those committee people. I am told that Dale Anderson at Southwestern is the head of it, if that's the case, get with him on your feelings. Just because someone wasn't involved in a specific decision doesn't make it a bad decision, just gives those who didn't get involved or who weren't involved, yet another excuse.

From what the AD at JC said, it isn't JC that cancelled the chance to play the second game so how the Central / Belfry game played out doesn't matter. Its Central that didn't want to renew the contract and play another year.

Laughing or not, the biggest problem I see them (the Board) facing is that they try to respond to what the schools want in this case for the playoff pairings (AND IN THE PREVIOUS CASE WHEN THE SUPTS REQUESTED NOT TO CROSS-DISTRICT). They appear to be trying rather desperately to accomodate the membership by hitting a moving target as the schools, particularly the football coaches keep changing, and begin to resemble the "boy that cried wolf" as they keep changing what they want. Best conclusion appears to be what a former board member from Hardin County once said in a news article years ago, "they're not sure what they want, they just don't want what beat them last year." Football coaches next fall, with gas prices and all, may be left to say, "we should have been more careful with what we asked for." In the end, it really doesn't matter how you bracket. The big picture is you have to have a team capable and prepared to win four consecutive football games when the pressure is highest in order to get to the finals. A few coaches that are simply satisfied with or looking for an easier path of getting to the finals, will probably look for systematic changes in order to get them through those four weeks without regard for their ability to win the 5th and most important game. The real coaches, and by far, the vast majority, would tell you to just "bring em on, doesn't matter what order we play, I have to win five in a row to get the big trophy."

Interesting you should say something about that. Maybe you have forgotten that the best I can tell from the KHSAA web site, NOTHING was changed in 6A from what has been in their handbook for three years, only which round starts the cross-bracketing. Check, maybe it really is your socks.

Until Scott COunty changes football (possible competitors) AND basketball coaches (facilities), likely there is no need even mentioning that school and Wrestling in the same sentence.

You didn't like the girl from Campbell County who placed in the state meet a year or two ago?

Incorrect. Please don't answer where you don't know. There is an exception that allows for a waiver of the transfer rule (one year sit out), BUT it must be approved through KHSAA. All of those exceptions are the same, they all have to come to KHSAA. The only difference time that isn't the case is if a kid has NEVER played since enrolling in grade 9. The first start of this thread implied that the kid is sitting out, which would necessarily mean that he has played at some point after grade nine. Just shouldn't answer that one at all until we know WHY he is ineligible this year.

Yes. According to the KHSAA web site, you have to be in quarterfinals to make all tournament.

ALL sports are allowed to do whatever they want in the summer, other than football (equipment restrictions), and the dead period. So they are all the same. Only football has teh specific exception. That was my point.

You guys make it harder than it needs to be. Listen to them all at http://www.khsaa.net/

Explain to me when Basketball gets time? And to say baseball doesn't get time is out of touch with reality, period. Baseball never stops, in many cases, including the mostly ignored dead period.

Most of what you might want to know is listed herehttp://www.khsaa.org/basketball/districtregion/2008/2008weatherupdatedscheduleforregions.pdf

Yes, one per starter, and then another one for every player that entered the game for the first time.

THe new rule was passed by all the member schools. BY the administrators. Frankly, in some cases, the coaches fail to realize where they hit on the totem pole. It isn't at the top. Their opinion is valued, but ultimately, it is the building administrators (principals, superintendents, etc.), who must vote to make changes. If in fact you desire such a dead period change, why not get your principal to make a proposal. Several other schools make proposals all the time, my school has from time to time as well. It just takes initiative and effort. But I would warn you, that the most powerful group of all is not any of these. It is the parents. Because like it or not, they elect the legislators. And the legislators (yes, those in Frankfort), have the final say as they showed last summer. So unless it is something that has grass roots support, it won't fly. Period. Parents now want MORE year round activity, not less. Most of the most recent discussion in my parts of the state deal with allowing the coaches to do MORE in the off season, not less. The primary reason is that the more restricted the high school coach is, the less restrictions seem to apply to "street" coaches, such as youth, AAU, select, etc. Is it really better to restrict our kids time with high school coaches to that small window? You think that will keep them from playing? No, it will simply keep them from playing for the high school coach. If a baseball kid wants to play baseball, he will play for whoever will coach him. Same for other sports. Just a passing thought or two.

As to your last one, lets address that first. As long as KRS 156.070 and 702 KAR 7:065 are worded as such, they designate a single entity to manage the sports. They DESIGNATE, not directly execute. In Maryland for example, they are actually a unit, getting a tax appropriation from Maryland state government, etc. The KHSAA, like most other states, is solely self supporting through event revenue, corporate sponsors, ticket sales, and about 10% or so of its funding comes from dues paid by schools the last time I looked. A new association wouldn't have the "economy of scales" and be big enough to sustain itself, unless it contained all of a particular type of school. For example, an association just of all non-public schools might be able to make a go of it, but 40 to 45 schools is not really enough to generate sufficient statewide revenue to manage events, put out rule books, etc. That's why like it or not, the KHSAA has survived since 1917 as the managing entity. As for DeMatha, like many others in other state (Findlay Prep, Oak Hill, etc.), they aren't members of anything. They are nationally and state independent. A second association would have to have a very significant number of members even to be given associate status by the NFHS, and then only if concurred with by the KHSAA, since they have been a long standing member of NFHS. That's just my guess.

Hope all is well.

The officials for the Sweet Sixteen are selected through a ratings system locally. What officials do what games are assigned by a KHSAA staff member (currently Larry Boucher). For the regions, the assignments are technically made by the KHSAA. But they gather input from the local policy boards (a rep of each district in each region), as well as the regional board of control members. THat's what I remember about the system and I think it still holds true.