Coaching HS Athletics...

[GoDragons]

WPIAL Titan - 2 for 3141 posts. .064% not bad....

[psycho]

TITAN, that time has already come. HS "athletics" have become nothing more than intramurals at most schools -- a complete JOKE. With such pitifully small numbers at most schools up in these parts, coaches find it difficult, if not impossible , to field competitive teams. Coaches are relegated in many cases to begging kids to "please come out for the team" because "we are going to have fun" in our nice little "after school extracurricular activity". As a result, the coach has to "lower the bar", slow down practices and dumb down the way he would normally run his program in order to accomodate the intramural kids he must take just to be able to field a team. This drastically and irreversably harms the kids who want to play competitively. Denying competition to kids who want to compete is a crime.

AAU is the direct result of a HS "athletics system" that has become a watered down intramural after school "activity". Instead of "raising the kid" coaches must "lower the bar" to attract enough numbers to field teams. This creates and perpetuates the JOKE. Its not their fault. it is just the way it is when you have a refusal to consolidate failing school districts.

[costanza]

not true at all...I coach at a small high school and we didn't "dumb" anything down. it is what you make of it. now I do agree about AAU being watered down anymore, but many of them will keep kids cause it will get them more money.

[spin]

Wow, what world are you living in. What a heck of slam to all the small school coaches and student players. Dumb down programs or practices, lower the bar? I don't think you have a clue not one single clue. In fact now I will go out and say you are just making things up period.

That was just offensive and and ignorant about the hard work small school coaches put into a program. There are more than a few examples of small schools and rosters being competitive. With small numbers no you are not going to have a great chance to have 5 top quality starters. But heck if I had 5 good shooters and skilled players, I would not need to coach much to win would I.

We coach and we teach and we get the best out of every player. In return they give us the best they have. However we never lower the bar. Trust me these kids work hard to please their coaches.

My god the next thing you are going to tell me is that basketball has never been the same since the JLH AAU Team or something like that.

Sometimes people get so wrapped up with HS sports they do not ever see the clear picture of kids and the game they play. They forget these are just kids, thus if they can't play on a winning team or with great players then it isn't worth playing at all. You know every great skilled player I have coached has done their best working with players not as skilled. In fact these players often grow as a person better than anything life could teach them. They see the whole picture and it is amazing when they are able to help get the most of their team mates.

I hope the heck you are not a coach or have ever coached. The kids need leaders and good leaders to be coaches to get the most out them. There are enough people like you that try messing with HS sports, trust me you are bad for the sport. I say this with more years of experience than I care to admit too.

I do appreciate the pat on the back Titan. But I don't do it for the recognition but it was appreciated.

[usatf oldguy]

First off Titan,very good post! Psycho, please never ever think about coaching highschool sports. Sports is about helping a kid be the best he or she can be and to teach the importance of the team! You act like if you are not the best you shouldn't even play, totally ridiculous.

[districtsixhoops]

You got it right "spin". Psycho is just that. His rants are old and worn out.

[say_oww]

Another topic that has gotten way off track.... But I feel I must comment on this new old tanget. Coaching at a small school and consolidation are wholly different subjects. Coaching at a small school always has been and will continue to be a challenge, albeit a worthy endeavour. Helping to mold our future leaders is a noble profession. Those who give of themselves should be commended and encouraged.

The debate about consolidation can simply be defined in terms of quality of life. In addition to the immense joy gleaned from being a huge pain in the ****, those who tirelessly advocate for consolidation receive great pleasure by the prospect of either saving a few bucks, or increasing high school sports competition. In contrast, those who oppose consolidation value the practical nature of a regional based educational system, administered by local government, with its own history and traditions. Far from perfect, small schools provide education according to state and federal guidelines. The peace of mind gained from knowing that your children are close to home is perhaps the most decisive factor in this thought process. Most parents who share these views also feel time is better spent on extracurricular activities than in hour long bus rides to and from school. They also generally appreciate the experience and lessons learned from participation in high school sports. and realize that sports are just a means and not the end all, be all in their quality of life.

If you want elite competition then go AAU. Period, end of story.

[deepcreek]

Good post, well thought out. Can't say that I agree with you, but your points are well made.

[psycho]

No oldguy, it's not that a kid shouldn't play if he is not the best. it's that a kid shouldn't play if he does not WANT to be the best. Big difference. By keeping schools such as Ferndale and Conamaugh Valley in business, a coach must take (beg) kids with zero commitment and little motivation to "fill in" roster spots just so these schools with such pitifully tiny numbers can continue to field teams and keep their mascots and trophy cases. Kids at these schools that WANT to be the best are harmed by being trapped in such schools and "programs". The biggest reason for resisting consolidation is the unwillingness of "parents" and local pundits to give up their mascots. trophy cases and seperate "identities".

Uncompetitive sports is just one minor symptom of this disease. The real losers are all the kids who have their school cirricullums watered down, programs cut and services discontinued just so these schools can stay independent and "keep their "identity". Many kids really look to their schools as a huge stabilizing factor in their lives. Last year 72% of births in Johnstown hospitals were to unwed mothers. Over 50% of school age chiildren in Johnstown and the close in boroughs live below the poverty line. There is a growing trend toward emancipation -- where school age kids live with neither parent. In all these cases, public schools in many areas act as a surrogate parent -- feeding 3 meals a day; offering headstart and earlier intervention services such as promoting reading and getting books into the homes of at risk 1-2 yr olds; conducting after school socialization programs. These things give many children what they do not get at home and give them a chance. But if we continue to allow duplicative districts like Ferndale and CV to waste big money on administration, physical plant maintenance (let alone new construction), etc -- there is less and less money available to help the at risk kids, let alone those who can't take a calculus class because their public high school does not offer it.

[spin]

I'm not going to argue the school consolidation part. I believe local school boards and the members of the particular community have to make those decisions. I think mine should consolidate but really not interested in discussing that.

However you are really off when it comes to girls basketball for these school districts. For example Ferndale has a current roster of 19 and Conemaugh Valley has 15. Those are some healthy numbers. Not sure what is going on at Richland, large school district and a major drop in players. While they show 11 on their roster they have now dropped to 9 and two more are thinking of dropping. So this kind of shoots that small school disease your talking about.

Both Conemaugh Valley and Ferndale boys have a health roster for basketball. 16 and 15 respectfully.

Thus now if I may I have to question how you get that number 72%, since you are way off on all of your information I'm not sure I am going really take your input that seriously.