Poll: Who Wins?
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Belfry Pirates
Prestonsburg Blackcats
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08-20-2009, 01:51 AM
EKUAlum05 Wrote:...
What would you consider to be the epicenter of this trend? Video games? Soccer's growth? Economy?
Good question. I have a lot of ideas, but I suspect it's a little bit of a LOT of things.
That subject might make a good thread for discussion...
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08-20-2009, 01:59 AM
oneijoe Wrote:Good question. I have a lot of ideas, but I suspect it's a little bit of a LOT of things.
That subject might make a good thread for discussion...
A lot of kids simply cannot handle it.
The coaching staff pushes each player to get the best out of them. That's why they've had a lot of recent success with such small teams. I expect the same this season because Prestonsburg fields football players and each are mentally ready to step up and play varsity and it doesn't matter if their a senior or freshman.
Video games, computers, etc. are problems too. Kids gain a lot of weight by sitting around playing video games and sitting on the computer and that brings me back to what I said first, they just cannot handle it.
I really like the way the Prestonsburg's coaching staff brings the mean out of their players once they step onto the field. Jesse Chaffins (class of '04) is a perfect example. One of the nicest well-rounded people you will ever meet, but he was one you didn't want to go up against during practice or during games.
08-20-2009, 02:14 AM
Belfry Wins Wrote:The middle school keeps Belfry's numbers flowing pretty good now. Belfry actually has a very small senior class right now and Belfry's best years are ahead of them. From the junior class to the seventh grade class, each class is loaded with talent.
...
Exactly, that's my point...
Every kid wants a slice of a championship. Lots of boys in your area are wanting to play since the Pirates won the first Big One. Until that happened, Belfry's feeder system was no better populated per capita than P-burg's.
The Blackcats were on the verge of the same kind of perpetual winning setup in the early/mid 90's, but the ignorant act of a few boys ruined what might have been. The 1994 squad should have been one of the best Blackcat teams of all time.
hh:
08-20-2009, 10:20 AM
BlackcatAlum Wrote:A lot of kids simply cannot handle it.
The coaching staff pushes each player to get the best out of them. That's why they've had a lot of recent success with such small teams. I expect the same this season because Prestonsburg fields football players and each are mentally ready to step up and play varsity and it doesn't matter if their a senior or freshman.
Video games, computers, etc. are problems too. Kids gain a lot of weight by sitting around playing video games and sitting on the computer and that brings me back to what I said first, they just cannot handle it.
I really like the way the Prestonsburg's coaching staff brings the mean out of their players once they step onto the field. Jesse Chaffins (class of '04) is a perfect example. One of the nicest well-rounded people you will ever meet, but he was one you didn't want to go up against during practice or during games.
This is a very good post, and I agree with you.
Today, alot of kids can't handle the rigors of football. When I played 100 years ago, football was definitely a seasonal sport. Now, you have to be dedicated to it year round. Sadly enough, most kids just don't want to be that occupied with something. But there is something more than that, I believe.
During my career, Prestonsburg routinely fielded 50-60 players, if not more. Now, alot of those players would never touch the field, but they just wanted to be a part of the program. My coach saw no problem with that, and almost even encouraged it. You see, the more kids involved with the football program, the bigger it was, and the more excited the community became. That was that coach's philosophy. I saw Trinity and St. X play for the 6A State Championship a couple of years ago in Louisville. It was a spectacle. I later tried to figure out why it was such an impressive sight, and then it dawned on me that both teams had over 100 players. You will never see that many players at any level. Pro's only have about 35 players on the roster, and college teams have around 70.
However, some coaches have a different philosophy. A smaller team means more work and practice time for the kids who are going to play. I am reminded of how Calipari eliminated the walk-ons at UK when he got there, simply because he didn't want them taking practice time away from the ones who would be playing. Kinda the same principle. So I believe some coaches actually prefer a smaller, more close knit group.
So I believe the "problem", if one exists, is multi-factoral. Kids today on the whole are either not as driven as in the past, or they get burned out from dedicating the entire year to football. Some coaches have a different philosophy when it comes to numbers. Video games and other sports are definitely drawing potential players away from the sport. The total number of male students also plays into the equation. Louisville Trinity, defending State 6A champion has over 200 players out for their team this year, when you combine the freshman team and the varsity. They have an enrollment of somewhere around 1200 students, all male. So they have a ratio of 1 football for every 6 students. I don't know the numbers for Prestonsburg, but assuming they have an enrollment of 480 students, and assuming half of them are boys, you would have a pool of 240 potential football players. Using the same ration that Trinity has, Prestonsburg SHOULD have about 40 players. This number is not out of the question, and should be attainable every year.
The question is: How do some schools, even small ones, manage to routinely field big numbers of players? Is it just Prestonsburg kids that are different today? Are they the only ones who get burned out? Are they the only ones with an XBox? Or is it something else? Is it just a cyclical thing? Is this simply a down trend for Prestonsburg and other smaller schools?
I also agree that the current staff does a great job "coaching up" the players they have. I have seen them take some kids who no one thought would ever see the field and turn them into pretty dang good football players.
Like Coach Haywood said the other day, "You only need 11...", but there is alot to be said for having depth on the team as well.
I don't know what the answer is. Football is a sport that demands dedication if you are to be successful. That is a fact. Let's just hope that the dwindling numbers is not the norm and just an aberration.
08-20-2009, 11:00 AM
cat86 Wrote:This is a very good post, and I agree with you.
Today, alot of kids can't handle the rigors of football. When I played 100 years ago, football was definitely a seasonal sport. Now, you have to be dedicated to it year round. Sadly enough, most kids just don't want to be that occupied with something. But there is something more than that, I believe.
During my career, Prestonsburg routinely fielded 50-60 players, if not more. Now, alot of those players would never touch the field, but they just wanted to be a part of the program. My coach saw no problem with that, and almost even encouraged it. You see, the more kids involved with the football program, the bigger it was, and the more excited the community became. That was that coach's philosophy. I saw Trinity and St. X play for the 6A State Championship a couple of years ago in Louisville. It was a spectacle. I later tried to figure out why it was such an impressive sight, and then it dawned on me that both teams had over 100 players. You will never see that many players at any level. Pro's only have about 35 players on the roster, and college teams have around 70.
However, some coaches have a different philosophy. A smaller team means more work and practice time for the kids who are going to play. I am reminded of how Calipari eliminated the walk-ons at UK when he got there, simply because he didn't want them taking practice time away from the ones who would be playing. Kinda the same principle. So I believe some coaches actually prefer a smaller, more close knit group.
So I believe the "problem", if one exists, is multi-factoral. Kids today on the whole are either not as driven as in the past, or they get burned out from dedicating the entire year to football. Some coaches have a different philosophy when it comes to numbers. Video games and other sports are definitely drawing potential players away from the sport. The total number of male students also plays into the equation. Louisville Trinity, defending State 6A champion has over 200 players out for their team this year, when you combine the freshman team and the varsity. They have an enrollment of somewhere around 1200 students, all male. So they have a ratio of 1 football for every 6 students. I don't know the numbers for Prestonsburg, but assuming they have an enrollment of 480 students, and assuming half of them are boys, you would have a pool of 240 potential football players. Using the same ration that Trinity has, Prestonsburg SHOULD have about 40 players. This number is not out of the question, and should be attainable every year.
The question is: How do some schools, even small ones, manage to routinely field big numbers of players? Is it just Prestonsburg kids that are different today? Are they the only ones who get burned out? Are they the only ones with an XBox? Or is it something else? Is it just a cyclical thing? Is this simply a down trend for Prestonsburg and other smaller schools?
I also agree that the current staff does a great job "coaching up" the players they have. I have seen them take some kids who no one thought would ever see the field and turn them into pretty dang good football players.
Like Coach Haywood said the other day, "You only need 11...", but there is alot to be said for having depth on the team as well.
I don't know what the answer is. Football is a sport that demands dedication if you are to be successful. That is a fact. Let's just hope that the dwindling numbers is not the norm and just an aberration.
Excellent post!!! :Thumbs:
08-20-2009, 05:45 PM
No decision on a prediction yet...
08-21-2009, 03:12 PM
Very much looking forward to this one. I'll be seated in about four hours from now.
08-21-2009, 03:51 PM
LMAO......you all are nuts!!! I'll be there as well adorned in Belfry attire but WHICH Belfy shirt is the question.... HAHA.... Just look for the words "Are you tough enough" on the back of the shirt and it could be me!!
If you need assistance feel free to e-mail me at:
[email=phs1986@bluegrassrivals.com]phs1986@bluegrassrivals.com[/email]
08-21-2009, 04:07 PM
phs1986 Wrote:LMAO......you all are nuts!!! I'll be there as well adorned in Belfry attire but WHICH Belfy shirt is the question.... HAHA.... Just look for the words "Are you tough enough" on the back of the shirt and it could be me!!Look for the words "Prestonsburg" and that will be me more than likely. I figure you have about a 1 in 100 chance of getting it right. :biggrin:
08-21-2009, 04:20 PM
BCF4L Wrote:Look for the words "Prestonsburg" and that will be me more than likely. I figure you have about a 1 in 100 chance of getting it right. :biggrin:
LOL...... My point exactly!! I wish we could gather though and meet each other.... There will be a BUNCH of us BGR faithful's there tonight!!
If you need assistance feel free to e-mail me at:
[email=phs1986@bluegrassrivals.com]phs1986@bluegrassrivals.com[/email]
08-21-2009, 04:30 PM
EKUAlum05 Wrote:If you want to find me just look for the biggest, meanest redneck you can find wearing a red shirt.
To make sure I know it is someone from BGR you should grab me by the back of the collar and yell "BELFRY SUCKS!" directly into my ear
What if i do this and its not you
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