I have never cut a kid who works hard and shows up. In my career I have cut two players. Both were for major cultural issues and never an ability thing.
In small schools this is often a bone of contention. Winter sport coaches don’t appreciate forcing kids to lift weights during “their” season, or having kids abandon the winter sport so they can lift. I think the more sports play and experience competition, the better they become at football…
This mentality is why every week there was a story about some team cancelling the rest of the season due to lack of players. This is why schools have gone from having a team for each grade level in middle school/jr high to many teams struggling to fil 1 team.
That how it should be. I don’t care if you need a second JV team. If they want to play, work hard and participate then they should be welcomed with opened arms.
The problem is not the kids. The problem is the parents who think their kids should be playing more and go to admin and the board over it. The amount of parents like this seem to get more and more each year. This is why I started with all the data collection.
And the size of the district shouldn't matter -- the comment that "this isn't a group 4 or parochial". it's a matter of taking pride in your craft.
I heard of so many kids who just quit because they want to or need to work. If you want one sport to be the focus of your kids life send them to an IMG academy. If not we should be encouraging the kids to play all sports.
I agree. It a case of parents and coaches putting far too much much emphasis on sports.
The stupidity is overwhelming.
I agree with that. In-season athletes should always focus on their in-season sport. I do hope that most teams have maintenance lifts as well as mobility and flexibility workouts.
You know, I’d literally respectfully tell the parents your kid isn’t better or good enough to play over the kids playing in front of them.
And your career as a high-school coach would probably be short for being brutally honest. Cue up Jack Nicholson saying "You can't handle the truth!"
Why can’t they do both?
Because I don’t feel like getting up at 5:15 in the middle of the winter,
I have heard rumors that there will be a blackout window in the summer, but allow off-season contact like other states.
100%
I had a parent storm into the office and claim we were hurting their future NFL contract by not starting him.
Sports specialization is a huge issue. My oldest son is 7. He plays 3 sports (football, wrestling, lacrosse), but he has friends who are already playing just 1 sport year round.
No doubt they are being pressured already at 7 years old,,, what a crime.
I have lost very good players in sports over the years because other coaches have pressured them to quit to work in the off-season. I have always encouraged kids to play at least 2 sports in their high school time. I think it is a shame when coaches do that to athletes.
I don't want to hear that talk in front of the cousins or at this table - it's very hurtful.
I think a fundamental change is happening youth sports
IMO, everything should be beyond a liberal/conservative issue. The whole liberal vs conservative thing is the absolute dumbest modern social trend going.
So you are telling me your daughter that played softball at MKA and club level did the absolute bare minimum? Dad never took her to field to work on skills? She never belonged to a gym or did speed training?
I have 2 kids. A 19 year old and a senior in HS so I went through this already. The challenge you will need to manage is the demands from the 3 programs. The Football/wresting/lacrosse programs will start to specialize early and ask your kid to pick one above the others. It’s stressful for the kid and no child should play 3 sports at the same time year round. They will get hurt or burned out. Kids that young shouldn’t have to make a decision to just pick one. Try to find programs that are flexible and make sure your kid enjoys it. I can’t tell you the number of kids I saw crying at the fields because they were exhausted. Kids need sleep, need to have fun and don’t need the stress at an early age. Good luck on this journey and always keep your kids best interests first.
Getting enough Sleep is more important at that age.
Other parents, car pooling, juniors and seniors with their license and or they walk or ride a bike. You telling me if one of your kids said dad I really would like to go the gym at 6am before school you’d tell them no? We both know you would bend over backwards to give your kids whatever they wanted or needed.
Sleep, mobility, flexibility, and diet are the most overlooked things for high school athletes and why many of them burn our or get injured.
