Forest Hills Future

[kmr]

What is going on with Forest Hills? Twenty some kids dressed last week for varsity no 8th grade team it all seems non Forest Hills like. Is Don Bailey still able to connect with the kids? Heard there some kids unhappy with the way things are going. Or is this just a sign of the times with less kids going out for football.

[Coach]

Look around the ICC where 9th graders don't come up. Ridiculously low numbers is happening everywhere. Schools with multiple fall sports and now with more "specialists" as well... I wonder how programs will do.

[davesandstorm]

Mount Union is a prime example of low turnouts in the ICC. We're a small AA school/large A school depnding on the cycle and routinely have had 30 kids come out for football. We had over 40 to start this year, which is unheard of numbers for our recent history. I think if you looked at sports as a whole across the area, maybe even the state and nation, you'd find that numbers are down overall. I know from helping with our Little League that numbers were down significantly this past year.

[S Cube]

I agree with Coach, a big part of it is specialization. It sucks, especially for small schools. It's not just football that is affected either. Northern Bedford Little League has had 4 teams in U12 and 4 teams in U10 for as long as I can remember. Last year they only had enough kids for 2 teams in each age group and had to play other schools just to get regular season games. Kids would rather sit around and get fat I guess.

[Coach]

Enrollment numbers are down too... Everywhere around the area. NB usually has classes of about 90 total kids. 2 of the classes in grades 6-12 have closer to 60 total.

Pushing sports on kids at really young ages might be a turn off. That is happening more and more.

I wish there were no LL All Stars. It would be good to have 2 teams of mixed ability join a league with Central and Everett for example. Play two nights a week May and June. End it then. Last year I saw parents talking about taking kids to 3 tournament games in one day. That's a lot for a 11 year old, even one who loves to play.

I know I sound negative on the topic but it is one of the most frustrating things out there.

[costanza]

I agree with you 100%...too much too soon for young kids, but is satifies the parents who want to live vicariously. most of them didn't even play sports.

[WildCatz]

The Rangers may be down but you can bet they'll be back... Every program experiences its dry spells and yes enrollments are way down.

[anysport24]

The same problem is also the case at Tussey. Like S Cube stated...the saxton little league used to have 4 teams alone not counting the 3 teams from Six Mile, Roberstdale and Wood area. Now Saxton is down to 1 team for U12 and ! U10......Robertsdale and Wood had to merge to field one U12 team and 0 U10 teams, and Six Mile only had 10 players on their U 12 team - no U10 team. For the football program...they have a decent amount on the varsity level (mid 30's? i believe)....only 4 9th grades on the jr. high team - no 9th graders moved up to varsity. What really hits the football progam is only 18-19 kids are playing elem. football in 5 & 6th grade. here is the real kicker for Tussey------For being known as a basketball school....there is only 2 6th graders on the 5 & 6th grade elem. boys team.....very hard to understand what is up with the youths in today's sports????????????????

[knowitall]

Pushing sports on kids at really young ages might be a turn off. That is happening more and more.

I wish there were no LL All Stars.

They are still playing little league! Something called the American Eagle Fallball 10 and Under league had a game on its schedule between Portage and Ebensburg at 5:15 this afternoon. How many innings does a nine year old pitcher have in his arm?

I saw a coach screaming at his third or fourth grade football team this evening. I bet those kids can't wait for junior high.

[anysport24]

Well said Coach and KnowitAll - some kid's are being pushed way to hard at a yound age. I seen coaches in little league take there teams to team tourneys and throw the same kid in the league one nite, it the team tourney Fri. nite & Sat. morning then have him pitch in a league game again Sat. afternoon. And for the football coach, reminds me of a youth game Sat. when a coach would yell at his kids every play a team would get a first down telling them to be ready for push-ups and running hills come monday at practice. By the way his team was up 48-18 at the time and to make matters worse, the starting team was left in and threw a halfback option pass with 30 seconds to go so they could score again. I bet these young players really admire their coach.