24smom

Great topic & many interesting points both for & against. Our coach has open practices, but is very clear at the beginning of the season his reason for doing so. He states to all that his door is always open & he is willing to discuss anything EXCEPT playing time until a parent has sat and watched at least 3 practices before approaching the coach. Even then, he will not discuss playing time relative to another player. There will be no comparisons made between players, only what their player needs to do to improve. Very seldom do we have a parent asking for a meeting. I have attended practices for various reasons. This year to make sure my kid takes care of an injury relative to playing at all this season. She had to ice immediately after practicing as a condition of playing this year. Other times were because we felt she was not giving her best effort & we wanted to see if she was giving 100% in practice. Our coach allows parents to watch, as long as they stay in the upper section of the gym & they do not sit on the floor. He has been known to ask folks to tone it down before! After many years (this is my daughter's senior year) I look back & think that I should not have been there for anything other than some of the reasons above or at the coach's request. There were times she was not very happy to see me & I know it had to distract her. My daughter does not want me there..period! Sometimes it is pride...when coach "runs them silly." This year practice is extra hard on her because of her injury & honestly, she doesn't want us to see her that way. We all like to think we have "Super Girl" & want to see them triumph & push through anything! Sometimes as parents we forget & let our disappointment show when they are less than perfect. My daughter & all of our athletes do not want us to see them hurting, dog tired, getting chewed out, punished or corrected in any way, positive or negative. The last thing they need to see in one of those hard moments is a look of disappointment on a parents face. I know my intentions were good & I have always felt I was a positive parent, but in my daughter's case, she did not feel my presence was positive. She didn't voice that until this year & I completely understand now where she was coming from.

I try to look at these rankings as just more exposure for the girls across the state, especially players that play for & attend schools that are not considered top tier programs by any means, but have just as much, or in some cases more ability than others that we hear about more often because of their respective programs. Making a "list" may be the only exposure they may see at all! I think the grading scale mentioned by Mr. Underwood is interesting & perhaps something to think about when we all watch players. I think an experiment in the next game I watch may be in order! I will try to think in those terms. Certainly, using that system, stats are not as big a factor, which is what we tend to lean towards when discussing a game. Many times there is a player that doesn't rack up the stats that plays the pivotal role in a contest. Some of the names on this list are players like that on their respective teams. Game changers. They would score well in most of Mr. Underwood's categories. They would also be successful at the next level. No question that I would disagree with the lists, but then I haven't seen all of these girls play either. It is interesting to compare the various rankings though.

True. Lexington Sayre was stuck on I75 for many, many hours. Some Grant County players/parents were stuck on impassable roads throughout the county as well, and many people left there vehicles & walked to get home after sitting for hours. Personally, my husband & I slid off & were teetering on the edge of a ravine with 12 other vehicles in the same curve on a road that had an uphill incline, including a deputy's vehicle. There were approx 50 vehicles off the same road on a 3 mile stretch according to the state police officer that supervised that stretch as wreckers pullled them all out when temperatures rose. Our 4x4 Ram was pulled off the edge about 1am in the morning. We were only 1/8 of a mile from home. It iced over very quickly & caught a lot of people completely off guard, including us! Horrible conditions, would much rather have snow! I lived in several snow belt areas in the past & by far, this black ice situation was the worst I have ever seen. You literally could not stand up on the road, several guys threw theie jackets tied together across the road for me to get out & cross over to the other side. I haven't heard of the re-schedule yet, but I am sure all the teams/coaches involved will work it out.

The teams for the last 2 games were already in route before conditions deteriorated on the roads.

Both went 3-0 in their respective pools. Grant defeated Newport this evening & Ludlow won over Lexington Sayre earlier today.

So very sad. Thoughts & prayers from Grant County. As someone else said, it certainly does put athletics into perspective. I for one have taken a step back after hearing about this. I promise my athlete to appreciate her every minute of every day...and try my best to show it.

Hard fought game. Much closer than the final score shows. Grant led until right before the half. Grant Co could not convert key shots or step it up at the free throw line, but played a much better defensive game tonight than previous games. Kudos to both teams for a great game!

Girdy is who I think you are thinking of from Carroll, who did graduate. Gorby is a senior this year at Grant.

If Grant gets back on defense & shoots better from the line tonight, I think they will win this one. Lots of young gals as well on the Grant Co team with no varsity experience. Should be a fun game!

Hill of Gallatin had a heck of a second half in this one...I found myself yelling for her teammates to just give her the ball! She was unstoppable.

It was exciting! I thought Gallatin did well coming back from a pretty good deficit & making a game of it! Gallatin did have a couple of T's in this one...the refs were letting them play I think.

This game was ugly. Grant did not play near to capability. This is the same team that beat Owen at Owen to open the season. We'll see which team shows up for Walton later this week!

Nice to hear. Thanks!

Did Jones play for Gallatin?

Thoughts are with her! My daughter had ACL reconstruction last Feb, returned to basketball/soccer full force this fall. She planted her foot in a hole on the soccer field & tore her ACL again, a partial on the MCL & a meniscus tear. She is playing her senior season of basketball braced with no ACL. Her surgeons told her her circumstances allow her to do so & she has their full support. She will do reconstruction again in the spring. Although not many would be able to do what my daughter is doing now, she is able to in part because of the first rehab. Her knee is stable & quads are very strong. It is however the hardest thing she has ever done, more so mentally than physically. Tell Lara as long as she dedicates herself to rehab fully, no slacking, she will be back much stronger than before!

Sad to hear another player going through this. Good Luck from Grant County.

4 Seconds left. That play was perfectly executed. Had been run a thousand times in practice (senior inbounding to a senior underneath, no panic, execute). Grant was in control & led the whole game. 2 starters ran into foul trouble in the 3rd.

At the half: 20-16 Grant Co., end of 3rd 34-26 Grant Co.

Congrats to a great player!

Best wishes from Grant County...we know what she is going through & about ready to do. Hard work & dedication to the physical therapy & she will be back, even stronger than before!

Local sportswriters from each region is my understanding.

Congrats! Love when our top players choose to continue their basketball careers in their home state.

A few surprises. I admire the abilities of all of these very talented young ladies, but I consider Stith from Williamstown a top player in the 8th region.

I must say that I am a bit surprised not to see Ashley Daughtery from Ludlow on this list.

Great news! Way to go!