[AlittleRusty]

Has anyone heard anything about the two transfers from Courtland N.Y. one of them being a 6'6" forward and a 6'3" guard.

[Mountain]

Would that surprise anyone? Is Hicks not still the coach? That seems to be what 14th and 15th region ball is turning into. Not many of those true mountain boy teams left. We all remember the Shelby Valley team that won the state a few years ago. Those type teams seem to be of the past.

[2elijah]

Would that surprise anyone? Is Hicks not still the coach? That seems to be what 14th and 15th region ball is turning into. Not many of those true mountain boy teams left. We all remember the Shelby Valley team that won the state a few years ago. Those type teams seem to be of the past.

There are a few positives to recruiting.
The competition level is raised.
Winning becomes the goal. Pleasing parents becomes secondary. Small town gossip about
favoritism disappears.
If your local boy has talent, the upgraded competition can only help him reach his basketball potential.
Sports forums will begin to discuss coaching fundamentals and strategy.
As a result of the above, fans will begin to understand the game better.
Then, dunking and shooting the 3 won't be the sole topics that fill the sports forum.
Or in this case, local boys aren't getting to play. Those things will move to Topix.

[shady21]

Imagine eating breakfast at the same resturant for years and ordering the same thing. You would expect that owner values your loyalty. Now imagine the owner walking up to you one morning and saying "this guy from out of town is ordering an expensive steak and he wants your seat and even though you have given me a little of your money everyday for the past few years, he's spending a little more than you today so move it". Most business or people in general wouldn't do that, because they do feel an obligation to the people they serve and its not good business sense. Only reason I could see why they would do that is if they were closing soon and wanted to get as much money as possible before they did. I think thats the case with SV's coach. He is not from here, he isn't obligated to the people here, he's obligated to himself and making sure his future elsewhere is secure. You shouldn't be upset that an outsider is about outsiders. You should have expected it. He's been here for over a year and a half and still rents instead of owns.

He's had 6 customers (players) quit this year, and now he needs two more tables, so all I know is he must have really good advertising because for some reason people keep ordering the special thinking maybe no one else will come and ask for a steak!

[oldfan13]

Well said shady, he's the worst thing that could have happened to Shelby Valley. There's boys on that team that have been playing varsity ball for 5 years and started until he showed up so it takes those players chances away. My 2 cents

[Big Don]

Settle down folks! He may be building a Platoon like Cal has at UK.

[shady21]

Lol, Cal plays both platoons, and Cal knows how to keep five happy while bringing in 5 more. The 6 kids including my son that quit this year all say that Hicks treated them like garbage cause basketball wasn't there entire life and they wanted to play other things too, but it was fine for some others to just show up Oct 15th because of who there parents were. I cant help I am a nobody, but that shouldn't mean my kid gets treated different. He's a good kid, not the best student I'm sure, but he is a good boy, and he is fine with it, enjoying other things, but it still bothers me. I just always loved Valley Basketball and wanted my son to play there, now I can't say that now. But I guess it's not Valley basketball anymore, its an AAU team with a few Valley players on it.

[Motley]

Sounds pretty personal on all accounts from people who put down Hicks. Who cares if he rents or owns? I don't know about any transfers, but I do know that it's your own fault if your kid can't hack it because he doesn't want to compete for playing time.

Shady - Name the 6 players that quit for me if you don't mind. I'm sure they will be missed.

[TheTigersEye]

Definitely would make for an interesting season over there.

[Cougar Connection]

:argue:Haters will Hate!

[E's Army]

Can the two recruits play? Has anyone seen them or is this an urban legend like the two 7 footers from Nigeria moving into Buckhorn?

[shady21]

Sounds pretty personal on all accounts from people who put down Hicks. Who cares if he rents or owns? I don't know about any transfers, but I do know that it's your own fault if your kid can't hack it because he doesn't want to compete for playing time.

Shady - Name the 6 players that quit for me if you don't mind. I'm sure they will be missed.

Yeah my kids are personal to me and what happens to them and other kids should be personal to everyone. It isn't about playing time for him. He didn't play a lot in middle school either, it was about being treated fairly. Him and others were treated differently, insulted sometimes, and taught to think if they said anything about it they were being "poop stirrers" and if they said anything bad about the coach they were just trying to hurt the team. It took my son over 2 months to even tell me anything because of that. He did not want to hurt his team, he loved the guys and being apart of the team and he tried hard but realized he wasn't the best and would probably not play much. He just hated being there because of how he was treated. He was just going to just not show up but I insisted he be a man and tell the coach. Coach Hicks didn't miss a beat to say "ah we didn't need you anyway".

But sense you mention playing time. It's hard to know how much "hacking it you have to do" when someone better can always be brought in from somewhere else. And is it my sons job to hack selling t-shirts, programs, gym signs, and other random things, to show up every day for practice, take insults, listen to other players and coaches tell him what was said about him by coach Hicks when he wasn't around, and then give up the little time he was able to earn because the coach is friends with some other players parent, or because he brings new guys in? That's a lot to hack for a teenager.

I don't know all of the names of the players that quit and wont say the ones I do on here, but I would bet it was kids who knew things wasn't fair. But I must say you do a great job representing the same type of thinking "Motely" because your right, sadly they will not be missed, but I think they all should be. I just think the coach should be loyal and kind to our children first, not roll out the red carpet for others to come and take things from them. Look at the kid from last year. Not saying anything bad about him or his parents, I'm sure they were nice people. But are his parents still here? Do they vote and pay taxes here? Will he move back here one day? If we lose homes in a fire, flood, or whatever will they come help us rebuild? I lived in WV for a few years in my 20's but I don't care what happens there now. I care what happens here, to our children, to our community. So it matters to me if Hicks owns his home because he doesn't have any ties to this community other than a paycheck. He doesn't have to live with the problems he can create here, he can hurt our kids and take things away from them and when the damage is done or he finally upsets someone who does matter he can up and walk away from it in less than a days time without any consequences. And because he chooses to rent it tells me he plans on it.

So yeah now it is personal for me. But if we support this type of thinking it will eventually be a problem for everyone. We do so little to support our own then wonder why our people can't find jobs, why our community has so little, why our kids do with out or can't "hack it" and why the ones that can "hack it" leave and don't come back. It's because there is no loyalty to our own and too much done for people who will never give back. You want to let kids transfer in, make them put in the extra practice time to get caught up, make their parents raise extra money to get caught up, and make dang sure they are invested in our community and not just what they can take from us and it before they leave. And don't get me wrong, I don't blame people for taking advantage of us or hold it against them, they are just doing what is best for them and their children. I just wish someone was worried about what was best for ours.

But what do I know. I'm not a concerned parent, I'm just a "poop stirrer" for worrying about OUR children with what is obviously just a "personal problem".

[Motley]

Just talked to a friend who said there are no recruits. Just somebody trying to cause trouble

[E's Army]

Another urban legend.

[shady21]

So everyone in a Valley uniform this year went to school at Valley last year? If thats true then I apologize for my rant but my son and other adults told me there were two already, not from New York.

[2elijah]

Coaches who let parents have a say in how their programs are run do not
win. New coaches understand this and sometimes overzealously "lay down
the law." Kids who are used to sharing team information with their parents, starters or not, find themselves between a rock and a hard place: Loyalty
to the new coach and his rules? Or give in to the parent who wants "to
know what is going on with the team and his kid?"

"What about the children?" becomes the rally cry for these snubbed parents.
"I pay my school taxes." "The new coach isn't one of us." "All I want is for
the coach to treat my kid fairly and respectfully."

[BGCat]

Some things never change!

[Motley]

So everyone in a Valley uniform this year went to school at Valley last year? If thats true then I apologize for my rant but my son and other adults told me there were two already, not from New York.

No a couple kids have came in but that happens at nearly EVERY school. Good thing you had all the facts before you ran your mouth and admitted several times that you and your child are "stirrers" as you like to out it.

[sprucepinetiger]

Yeah my kids are personal to me and what happens to them and other kids should be personal to everyone. It isn't about playing time for him. He didn't play a lot in middle school either, it was about being treated fairly. Him and others were treated differently, insulted sometimes, and taught to think if they said anything about it they were being "poop stirrers" and if they said anything bad about the coach they were just trying to hurt the team. It took my son over 2 months to even tell me anything because of that. He did not want to hurt his team, he loved the guys and being apart of the team and he tried hard but realized he wasn't the best and would probably not play much. He just hated being there because of how he was treated. He was just going to just not show up but I insisted he be a man and tell the coach. Coach Hicks didn't miss a beat to say "ah we didn't need you anyway".

But sense you mention playing time. It's hard to know how much "hacking it you have to do" when someone better can always be brought in from somewhere else. And is it my sons job to hack selling t-shirts, programs, gym signs, and other random things, to show up every day for practice, take insults, listen to other players and coaches tell him what was said about him by coach Hicks when he wasn't around, and then give up the little time he was able to earn because the coach is friends with some other players parent, or because he brings new guys in? That's a lot to hack for a teenager.

I don't know all of the names of the players that quit and wont say the ones I do on here, but I would bet it was kids who knew things wasn't fair. But I must say you do a great job representing the same type of thinking "Motely" because your right, sadly they will not be missed, but I think they all should be. I just think the coach should be loyal and kind to our children first, not roll out the red carpet for others to come and take things from them. Look at the kid from last year. Not saying anything bad about him or his parents, I'm sure they were nice people. But are his parents still here? Do they vote and pay taxes here? Will he move back here one day? If we lose homes in a fire, flood, or whatever will they come help us rebuild? I lived in WV for a few years in my 20's but I don't care what happens there now. I care what happens here, to our children, to our community. So it matters to me if Hicks owns his home because he doesn't have any ties to this community other than a paycheck. He doesn't have to live with the problems he can create here, he can hurt our kids and take things away from them and when the damage is done or he finally upsets someone who does matter he can up and walk away from it in less than a days time without any consequences. And because he chooses to rent it tells me he plans on it.

So yeah now it is personal for me. But if we support this type of thinking it will eventually be a problem for everyone. We do so little to support our own then wonder why our people can't find jobs, why our community has so little, why our kids do with out or can't "hack it" and why the ones that can "hack it" leave and don't come back. It's because there is no loyalty to our own and too much done for people who will never give back. You want to let kids transfer in, make them put in the extra practice time to get caught up, make their parents raise extra money to get caught up, and make dang sure they are invested in our community and not just what they can take from us and it before they leave. And don't get me wrong, I don't blame people for taking advantage of us or hold it against them, they are just doing what is best for them and their children. I just wish someone was worried about what was best for ours.

But what do I know. I'm not a concerned parent, I'm just a "poop stirrer" for worrying about OUR children with what is obviously just a "personal problem".

Sadly Shady21 you are wasting your time saying anything. You're only going to get bashed by those who have benefitted from what you have described and you will get sympathy from those who have also went thru it. Long gone is the day where your local team with local kid's practiced and played and tried to get better. I also seen where someone said something to the effect "if your kid couldn't hack it" Let's be honest, we as adults we will only put up with so much bull**** too. Why would you ask you kid too? When you see there is nothing you can do to overcome a situation, then why bother wasting your time? I have no kid or kids involved in this situation at Valley. However as one former Coach told me just yesterday, "It goes on everywhere, you can't escape it" Best of luck to your child in his future endeavors.

[H2O]

Tell your kids to get better or go home !!!!!

[dawg fan]

I will agree with you shady 100 percent. I think fields transfered there from east ridge. I have always said you bring in a coach that is invested in your school Rodney rowe would have been a great hire for that program. Coaches preach about family and dedication to your team but the first time someone put an extra dollar in front of them they are gone. As a parent of a multi sport athlete at lc, I feel that sports programs at the school are for the kids in the community who's parents pay for the school live in the county.

[Motley]

I will agree with you shady 100 percent. I think fields transfered there from east ridge. I have always said you bring in a coach that is invested in your school Rodney rowe would have been a great hire for that program. Coaches preach about family and dedication to your team but the first time someone put an extra dollar in front of them they are gone. As a parent of a multi sport athlete at lc, I feel that sports programs at the school are for the kids in the community who's parents pay for the school live in the county.

:thatsfunn

[Bluegrass69]

Transfers are taking over. It's sad.

[Mjolnir]

What about the girl Rodney recruited from LC that starts this year,I think she still lives in your county. Not to mention Smith,the Fraleys. Want me to go on?

[baseball1974]

Any coach that hasn't been in an area for at least ten years has no business buying anything. The turnover rate is so high with coaches that renting has become the only option. Also, just because he is renting doesn't mean he isn't paying taxes. I'm sure they take out the same taxes on his check they do for teachers that live and buy in the county. As far as the recruiting aspect goes, unfortunately it is happening everywhere but that's no excuse. The turnover will put a huge target on a coaches back if he's not competing with the teams that are bringing in other kids, and therefore, it becomes a domino affect with everyone. The same parents would be calling for his job if he was losing with local kids. Regardless, there will always be a select few that will find something to try and spin because another kid is playing over theirs. If he's emotionally mistreating these kids then that's something I'd be complaining about. Everything is else is non-sense.

[2elijah]

Any coach that hasn't been in an area for at least ten years has no business buying anything. The turnover rate is so high with coaches that renting has become the only option. Also, just because he is renting doesn't mean he isn't paying taxes. I'm sure they take out the same taxes on his check they do for teachers that live and buy in the county. As far as the recruiting aspect goes, unfortunately it is happening everywhere but that's no excuse. The turnover will put a huge target on a coaches back if he's not competing with the teams that are bringing in other kids, and therefore, it becomes a domino affect with everyone. The same parents would be calling for his job if he was losing with local kids. Regardless, there will always be a select few that will find something to try and spin because another kid is playing over theirs. If he's emotionally mistreating these kids then that's something I'd be complaining about. Everything is else is non-sense.

Amen. Hopefully your post will lead us towards basketball discussions.

[Gator95]

Rodney doesn't have to recruit his players. They come to him! And do you blame them? I mean his girls program is through the roof and by far the best in the region. The girl from LC transferred to Valley elementary in middle school. That wasn't Rodney's doing. Fraley and smith wanted to play for valley. Look where it got them, back to back region championships. As they will probably cruise to another one this year with ease. But the rumor is completely false but even if it was true, why whine about it? Probably because you know if they would've had the transfers, everyone in the region would be in trouble.
Don't hate the players, hate the game.

[Heisenberg Effect]

It happens and it will continue to always do so. Whether they got any transfers coming or not,you can bet your bottom dollar that Shelby Valley isn't the only school to go after players.I honestly feel sorry for home grown players but then after you watch some of them play,you can only say one thing"Get better or get out of the way!" Sorry about the rant but either work hard or quit whining.........

[baseball1974]

Yeah my kids are personal to me and what happens to them and other kids should be personal to everyone. It isn't about playing time for him. He didn't play a lot in middle school either, it was about being treated fairly. Him and others were treated differently, insulted sometimes, and taught to think if they said anything about it they were being "poop stirrers" and if they said anything bad about the coach they were just trying to hurt the team. It took my son over 2 months to even tell me anything because of that. He did not want to hurt his team, he loved the guys and being apart of the team and he tried hard but realized he wasn't the best and would probably not play much. He just hated being there because of how he was treated. He was just going to just not show up but I insisted he be a man and tell the coach. Coach Hicks didn't miss a beat to say "ah we didn't need you anyway".

But sense you mention playing time. It's hard to know how much "hacking it you have to do" when someone better can always be brought in from somewhere else. And is it my sons job to hack selling t-shirts, programs, gym signs, and other random things, to show up every day for practice, take insults, listen to other players and coaches tell him what was said about him by coach Hicks when he wasn't around, and then give up the little time he was able to earn because the coach is friends with some other players parent, or because he brings new guys in? That's a lot to hack for a teenager.

I don't know all of the names of the players that quit and wont say the ones I do on here, but I would bet it was kids who knew things wasn't fair. But I must say you do a great job representing the same type of thinking "Motely" because your right, sadly they will not be missed, but I think they all should be. I just think the coach should be loyal and kind to our children first, not roll out the red carpet for others to come and take things from them. Look at the kid from last year. Not saying anything bad about him or his parents, I'm sure they were nice people. But are his parents still here? Do they vote and pay taxes here? Will he move back here one day? If we lose homes in a fire, flood, or whatever will they come help us rebuild? I lived in WV for a few years in my 20's but I don't care what happens there now. I care what happens here, to our children, to our community. So it matters to me if Hicks owns his home because he doesn't have any ties to this community other than a paycheck. He doesn't have to live with the problems he can create here, he can hurt our kids and take things away from them and when the damage is done or he finally upsets someone who does matter he can up and walk away from it in less than a days time without any consequences. And because he chooses to rent it tells me he plans on it.

So yeah now it is personal for me. But if we support this type of thinking it will eventually be a problem for everyone. We do so little to support our own then wonder why our people can't find jobs, why our community has so little, why our kids do with out or can't "hack it" and why the ones that can "hack it" leave and don't come back. It's because there is no loyalty to our own and too much done for people who will never give back. You want to let kids transfer in, make them put in the extra practice time to get caught up, make their parents raise extra money to get caught up, and make dang sure they are invested in our community and not just what they can take from us and it before they leave. And don't get me wrong, I don't blame people for taking advantage of us or hold it against them, they are just doing what is best for them and their children. I just wish someone was worried about what was best for ours.

But what do I know. I'm not a concerned parent, I'm just a "poop stirrer" for worrying about OUR children with what is obviously just a "personal problem".

Hicks is Appalachian royalty. So I'm confused on how he is being considered an outsider? You're talking about a man that is the great great great grandson of Devil Ance Hatfield. He's more pike county than anyone.

[new o]

Profiitt transferred from Cowan Elementary to Valley her 8th grade year. Smith enrolled as a freshman at SV. Fraley transferred her junior year and had to sit our most of the season even though she moved. Rodney Rowe never recruited any of these girls. Ask the kids!