PIAA- All 9th Graders to High School Football

[12HankQB]

Where is the concern for kids that are not physically mature enough to be on the field with 18/19 year old seniors?

This isn't saying that the freshmen have to be on the field if they aren't ready. They just have to be on the team and JV team. Hold bags, go through varsity drills, learn varsity system. Coaches monitor the action that goes on. Like I said, pick a hole doesn't involve 110lbs vs 230lbs. That's the coaches job to be sure of. If it's really an issue, JcPenny's sells dresses you can put on them.

[Hoopfan]

Hank that's the same mentality that people used to say you were a sissy if you needed a drink of water or that getting your bell "rung" was funny
Its not 1978 anymore

[12HankQB]

Hank that's the same mentality that people used to say you were a sissy if you needed a drink of water or that getting your bell "rung" was funny
Its not 1978 anymore

Again, it's the coaches job to make sure Seniors aren't beating the hell out of the Freshmen. Berlin has been this way since 2003 without issue. Freshmen wrestlers go against Senior wrestlers in the same weight class. Nobody has issues with this.

[knowitall]

Seniors have also been known to date freshmen.

[stang4life]

I remember one season, and maybe more, where Portage had two JV teams.  I think in early 2000's??  I am assuming 9th graders were brought up then? 

There where some back to back grades bringing about 20 kids a piece to the teams in the mid 2000's..yes 9th grade was with the varsity/JV...not quite sure the year when Portage decided to bring up freshmen. Probably near the same year Hank mentioned Berlin did...

[CoffinCorner]

Hank that's the same mentality that people used to say you were a sissy if you needed a drink of water or that getting your bell "rung" was funny
Its not 1978 anymore

so there are now concussion testing and monitoring and mandated water breaks for heat. players are more protected than ever.   It is not 1978 correct, our area is dying , the population is shrinking, if this is not done there are alot of JV games getting canceled.  so if my son is a sophmore or Junior but not ready to play varsity, he gets nothing  because out school does not have enough players to support a JV team.  But we have a 9th grade team that plays the same 11 on offense and defense, so a bunch of parents get to wear 9th grade champion tshirts?  

[Colonel Mustard]

I think that you guys may be giving coaches a little too much credit, in assuming that they will be going out of their way to make sure seniors and juniors aren't plowing freshmen at practice.  Especially if the numbers are low.  Are you telling me that these teams aren't running live drills or scrimmaging?  Are they blowing the whistle when a senior rb is about to run over a freshmen db?  Are they stopping the drill if a 200lb lineman is pancaking a 150lb freshmen?  I doubt it.  These are the same coaches that are running fake punts when they are up 40 on a team.

[12HankQB]

No they aren't cause a 150# freshmen could easily go against the varsity. It's the 110# 5' 2" kids that are the concern.

[abpk2903]

I think that you guys may be giving coaches a little too much credit, in assuming that they will be going out of their way to make sure seniors and juniors aren't plowing freshmen at practice.  Especially if the numbers are low.  Are you telling me that these teams aren't running live drills or scrimmaging?  Are they blowing the whistle when a senior rb is about to run over a freshmen db?  Are they stopping the drill if a 200lb lineman is pancaking a 150lb freshmen?  I doubt it.  These are the same coaches that are running fake punts when they are up 40 on a team.

Perfect point. 90% of these coaches will do a great job managing this but it only takes a few to risk the long term health of these student athletes. No matter how much these coaches try to protect their smaller/younger players if they are practing on the same field and same team all season their are bound to be some times when 215 lbs seniors collide with 110 lbs freshman. It's going to happen at some point in some drill.
Why aren't these schools combining programs? Tussey Mountain and Northern Bedford have had coop's for sports in the past. Shade and Windber could easily coop. Portage and Claysburg same thing. Literally I could go on with 40+more examples in central pa.  
This shouldn't even be an issue. Some of kids are 14 years old going against 18 year olds in summer camp. How are people justifying this as ok? 5 miles down the road is another high school doing the same thing. Why not combine these programs (actually combine the schools but that's a whole different discussion) and allow the coop to have a real football team, jv program, jr high program, and even a 7th grade team.  If you are getting 6-10 kids out per grade, your school is not capable of having a high school football program. Just face the facts. 

[12HankQB]

I'm just amazed by this conversation. Do the freshmen at Portage, Windber or Berlin have to get around with crutches and wheelchairs? These kids sign up to play the game and many of them get a lot of playing time in varsity games that they wouldn't get otherwise. At the A level, that's just life. I would bet more of them get hurt in JV games than during varsity practice.