HSsportsfan14

I agree completely. At the middle school where I used to teach, the kids first started playing volleyball as sixth graders. No underhand serving was allowed at any time by any player, even if at that age they were not physically strong enough to serve overhanded. At first, you may have to suffer through a lot of missed serves, but it will eventually pay off. In my opinion, there's no point in developing bad habits. Middle school leagues are designed to help develop fundamentals. Underhand serving has no place in competitive volleyball. Therefore, proper overhand serving skills need to be taught and enforced from day one. Coaches that have high expectations for their kids in middle school are doing their part in helping to athletes that will be more competitive at the high school level and beyond.

The win against Highlands was HUGE!!! Wish I could have seen that one. What games are you referring to that they should have won? I wasn't able to see many of their matches this year.

I didn't get to see the Ludlow/ND game, but I heard they played Notre Dame better than Beechwood did. I think Ludlow surprised a few teams this year with how well they played.

I agree. This was a very exciting match. Though NCC won it in two games, I believe Highlands actually had the lead several times during the match. There are some exceptional players on both teams. I was particularly impressed with NCC's #13. I understand she has already commited to Xavier. She definitely seems to be D-1 talent. Best of luck to both teams in regionals.

I think I've put in at least 100 views. Though I don't post terribly often, I do enjoy reading about what's going on in the ninth region. I especially like to see what people are posting about the teams that I am loyal to.

Naire Jones is a tall, skinny African American kid with an arm like a cannon. He plays both sides of the ball. Safety on defense and QB on offense. He is the "real deal" and may even be a better basketball player, if you can imagine that... In addition to Jones, Newport has several freshmen athletes that are extremely quick. They are a glimpse of what Newport's future holds. The DB is Brandon Carter. He broke his ankle last week and is now, unfortunately, out for the season. Best of luck to him in his recovery!!

Newport had their share of turnovers including the 103 yard interception return by Newport's Naire Jones, which was ultimately called back for holding.

Wow!! What a great win for the CATS!! Hopefully, this will provide a little momentum for the varsity as they prepare for tonight's game. By the way, I hear this year's eighth grade team shows great promise for future success as well. I can't wait to seem them make the transition from the middle school to high school level.

Why is out? Injury?

Yeah, that's weird. Wonder how that happens.

That's correct. Title IX is meant to protect BOTH males and females when it comes to inequities in federally funded educational programs and activities. The way I understand it is if the schedules of both boys and girls were switched to non-traditional seasons, then they would be receiving equal treatment. Equal treatment between boys and gilrs would not result in a Title IX violation.

Actually, after doing a little research, I discovered that all federally funded education programs are protected under Title IX. According to http://www.american.edu: Title IX protects students, faculty and staff in federally funded education programs. Title IX applies to all elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. It also applies to programs and activities affiliated with schools that receive federal funds (such as internships or School-to-Work programs) and to federally funded education programs run by other entities such as correctional facilities, health care entities, unions and businesses.

Both soccer and football are traditionally played during the fall, so it's not an issue. There was some information in a previous thread that alluded to a scheduling discrimation lawsuit in Michigan. Here are the details as posted by ALL PLAY NO WORK in the Middle School Girls' Basketball thread. I also addressed this question on a different thread, so I'll just cut and paste my answer below: There are clear negatives associated with being forced to play in non-traditional seasons. AAU or Junior Olympic teams begin play after the traditional season ends. When athletes are forced to play during non-traditional seasons, they are then forced to make a choice between school ball or AAU ball. Players should not have to choose between these two leagues, as each league offers unique advantages to its players. Also, playing in both leagues gives athletes the opportunity to further hone their skills by playing year-round. Playing in multiple leagues throughout the year also helps to increase exposure for the athletes, which of course is great when it comes to athletic scholarships. I think the key here is that girls' sports are being scheduled in non-traditional seasons, whereas boys' sports are not. Title IX addresses inequities between boys and girls. Non-traditional scheduling for only girls' sports would constitute an obvious inequity. That's where, in my opinion, the Title IX violation comes into play. However, it appears that many of the parents are fine with this non-traditional scheduling of leagues. That brings me back to my initial question. If the majority of parents agree that the non-traditional scheduling is meeting their athletes' needs would it still be considered a violation?

5 Covington Catholic 3 Henry Clay 3 Owensboro Catholic 1 South Laurel 1 Breathitt 1 DeSales 1 Pikeville 1 Lexington Catholic 1 Highlands 1 Lexington Christian TB: 44

There is a thread in the General Discussion forum about Middle School girls' basketball beginning. I had never heard of school basketball leagues in the fall, but apparently several counties have a league going on right now. It was alluded to in the thread that this is done possibly because of scheduling conflicts with the gym during the traditional basketball season. It seems that at some of the schools, girls are forced to choose between basketball or volleyball in the fall because it frees up gym-time for the boys during the traditional basketball season. I'm not pretending to know all of the ins and outs of Title IX, but isn't this a blatant violation? What are your thoughts? Also, if parents are happy because the fall league allows the girls more practice time than if they played during the winter is it still a violation?

Just curious...Where does the term "Bush League" come from? I had never heard of such a thing until I started reading posts on here.

Actually, that's how little I do know about the topic. I never knew there were different kids of turf. Thanks for the link though. I will read up on it.

I've never had the opportunity to play on synthetic surfaces, so I'm ignorant to the types of field technology that exists these days. That said, I'm curious as which is better to play on: a traditional "turf" field or the type of field that you have described here? I assume the traditional turf field requires less maintenance, but does it sacrifice play quality? Also, which is cheaper to install?

After seeing the Little League World Series baseball teams get national exposure the past few years, I was pleasantly surprised to happen upon the girls' World Series softball tournament while channel surfing last night. I don't doubt that the girls work equally as hard during the season, so it's nice to see them receive equal recognition. I did find it strange, however, that most of the girls listed a male as their favorite athlete. I guess I assumed they would list some of the top females in college or professional sports as their favorites.

Yikes!! I'm offended and quite frankly, I am a little confused too. :confused: Why is sharing some thoughts about a team such a crime? As far as I can tell, none of the comments that I've read (or contributed) thus far about Ludlow have strayed from the thread topic. Though I don't post often, I am a frequent reader and I often see posters offer insight to the teams that they support. This is a public forum after all. I understand that very few people want to hear about "little old Ludlow", but your comments are pretty harsh. I know I'm pretty new to BGP, so forgive me for not knowing that supporting one's team is forbidden. I don't want to say anything to jeopardize my BGP status, so I guess I will leave it at that.

I can't help but notice that you failed to mention Senior guard Michelle Landrum. She was definitely an impact player last year. In my opinion, she will make an even bigger impact this upcoming season. Her speed and ability to shoot the three have really helped mold her into a legitimate threat that teams need to be concerned about. The more I think about the talent that Ludlow has this season, the more excited I become about watching the season unfold. Think about what Ludlow has to offer this year: *A powerful inside game led by Ashley Daugherty with support from Julie Hardin and Caitlin Ottaway *Superior speed and perimeter shooting by Brook Jones and Michelle Landrum *Excellent leadership by Coach Stamm and his assistants These three components will undoubtedly make Ludlow one of the best small schools in the region with the potential to possibly knockoff some of the traditional powerhouses. Hopefully these girls can overcome injuries that have plagued them in the off-season and make this the best season of Ludlow Girls' Basketball yet.

Interesting...Now I'm curious. Which school will she be transferring to?

I've been able to see first hand the tremendous commitment that Coach Stamm has given to Ludlow basketball. One thing that stands out in my mind is the importance he places on the elementary and middle school feeder programs. His efforts at creating a program that athletes can be proud to be a part of will ultimately encourage players to continue their high school basketball careers at Ludlow. This, of course, has not necessarily been the case in the past. Getting things done correctly in the feeder program is an investment that will be sure to pay off in the not so distant future. In just a few short years, he, along with assistant coaches Mike and Blake Clary, have essentially turned the program around. I am convinced that two consecutive conference championships are just the beginning of Ludlow's future successes if Coach Stamm remains where he is at. As far as being best in the region? Well, I'm sure that Coach Stamm, being the humble guy that he is, could never accept such a grand statement. However, I don't doubt that the accomplishments that he and his team have achieved over the past couple years will put him near the top. This upcoming season's schedule has been "toughened" up a bit. Playing well against these higher profile teams will serve to add credibility to the effectiveness of Coach Stamm's coaching abilities. Given the fact that he is returning 4 of 5 starters, I am looking forward to seeing how things progress this season. Kassi Wofford was an impact player over the past couple years and her absence will most definitely be felt. Despite this, the girls were able to stay competitive during summer basketball, even without injured players B. Jones and A. Daugherty. Such competitive play, in light of injured starters, is another testament to Coach Stamm's abilities. By the way, welcome to BGP Uncle Charlie!!

Any word on who is taking over Newport's girls' program yet? Who are the candidates?