12-23-2011, 08:30 PM
Blau Vogel Wrote:Good idea, but it doesn't happen.
Three kids on the current team (they have 85 players on the roster) started attending Highlands in middle school. The rest grew up in town attending Ft Thomas public schools. The trick is, they start learning Bluebird football in THIRD grade in the FTJFL (founded around 1960). With six years of learning the system, they are ready to go when they enter Highlands as frosh. For six years, they are taught what it means to be a Highlands player. For six years, EVERY player gets signifcant playing time. Every year, there are roughly 50 kids going from 8th to 9th grade already knowing the techniques, the basic plays and the work ethic it takes.
Due to the fact Highlands does not have ONE middle school team like most other schools, rather FOUR FTJFL teams that play against each other, they are developing 8 - 10 QB's instead of 2 - 3. They are developing maybe a dozen or more running backs and receivers instead of 4 - 5. A couple dozen linemen and defensive players are learnng valuable skills every week.
In addition, they have the added pressure from their brothers, cousins, uncles, fathers and in a few cases, grandfathers who have won state championships. That is the kind of stuff that can't be "imported".
http://www.fortthomasmatters.com/2011/12...trick.html
MC: Do you think the Fort Thomas Junior Football League helped you and helps spurn the success that Highlands has had over its competitors?
PT: No doubt. I played junior league football in Fort Thomas for 6 years. They run the same kind of offensive and defensive schemes. It helps tremendously to get acclimated to the same terms as a fifth grader as we do in high school.
It is more of a laid back kind of league though. It's not like the hardcore, knock down, drag out NKYFL. I remember in 6th grade we scrimmaged the Red Devils (Campbell County) and we got smashed. But all the way through the Highlands system, you just get better and better and we ended up beating them by 60 this year.