[NEXT]

And how is this different from years previously ?!? (unless you're going wayyyy back to when football practice didn't start until the fall school term)

Now it may be a long-time reason for football participation to be less than what it could be, but it hardly explains a recent trend.

Because the push in middle school for everything to be taken more seriously........


In the past 5 years I've seen MS football begin earlier and earlier and last longer and longer while MS basketball has remained the same. You take away a kids July/Aug. from 6th grade on, by the time they are in 10th grade they are done.

[canoeman06]

Prestonsburg will improve in numbers in the next couple of years. The 7th and 8th grade team has 42 players as of now. 27 7th graders and 15 8th graders.

3rd-8th is at a 6-7 year high with over 115 kids total.

[King Leonidas]

The feeder programs is where it all has to start. I think of the biggest things is to have your kids at the middle school ready to compete when they get to the high school and not let it be a total shock. Run the same type of practices, the same plays, which makes it easier on them to adjust to the higher level of play.
I also think you need to try to get the whole community involved, like Belfry it seems like evrybody is at the game with a tailgait area.

[EKUAlum05]

The feeder programs is where it all has to start. I think of the biggest things is to have your kids at the middle school ready to compete when they get to the high school and not let it be a total shock. Run the same type of practices, the same plays, which makes it easier on them to adjust to the higher level of play.
I also think you need to try to get the whole community involved, like Belfry it seems like evrybody is at the game with a tailgait area.

The issue though is numbers still are going down. Take Belfry as a prime example. The Pirates have perhaps the best community support (and for that matter corporate support) as any program in the state of Kentucky. They have a solid feeder system that has quality coaches in place. They have a winning tradition. They have fantastic and new facilities. All seem to be "recession proof" luxuries.

Yet, despite all that Belfry now typically fields a 60-65 man team. For all intensive purposes this is great numbers for a school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students. The issue is that Belfry used to field 80-90 man teams in the early 90's. With Belfry, the biggest reason is enrollment drop from people having to leave the area for work. Additionally, Belfry has also been affected by some of the other topics as well ranging from complacency of kids, internet, and soccer. The Kentucky side of the Tug River in south Williamson and Belfry continues to have fairly steady work, but Williamson, WV is a dying town. A large percentage of Belfry's school district has parents who live in KY but work in WV, and the economy over the past couple decades has definately created an impact with the cutback on coal mining and the subsequent need for the railroad. I would feel safe in saying that at least 50% of the parents of Belfry players are either in the mining or railroad business.

If Belfry goes through a "down" stretch, where they can't sustain the same success they have seen the 6 or 7 years, then I expect the numbers to decrease as well, and if that circumstance were to come true I could see Belfry fielding 45-50 man teams instead of where they are now.

[BCF4L]

I think the main problem lies within today's parenting skills. I remember back when I played sports, peoples parents actually cared and would attend games, help the child get better at sports, and basically just generally pay attention to the child. Now days, parents could care less what their children are doing, therefore more kids are either getting into trouble (jail, drugs, etc.) or partying their lives away, and less are coming out for sports. They see coaches as a "boss" and refuse to put up with it because if their parents don't talk to them a certain way, then they sure aren't going to let some coach do it.

Too many parents are letting other things stand in the way of their kids, whether it be drugs or too much work going on. If todays parents continue to pay no mind to what their children are doing, then less and less kids will be inclined to do anything that requires a little bit of work. I'm sure these same kids that refuse to play sports and will play XBox instead have seen their GPA score slip down as well. When a parent isn't around to care what a child is doing, why should a child do anything that they don't have to do?

I'm not wanting this to turn into some sort of political debate but back when I was younger, discipline was rough. If you didn't do well in school, you were punished. If you acted out of line, you were punished. If you were suspended from school for fighting or drug problems, you were punished. Today's parents just generally don't give a crap about what their kids are doing and it kills me. So instead of kids working for things, they feel they can just have it handed to them on a silver platter. It's getting beyond ridiculous.

[Nefarious83]

It's a sad thing to see so many people not interested in what I consider the best sport.

[bigben]

it is sad

[hawg laig]

MY FIRST TEN REASON FOOTBALL NUMBER ARE BAD AND GETTING LOWER
1. EVERYBODY GETS A TROPHY ATTITUDE- For years Little Johnny gots a trophy for just showing up, then when faced with competing for playing time, he cries to mommy or daddy. They then inform everyone of how great he is because look at all the trophies, and remore him form the team.
2. EVERYBODY GETS TO PLAY-True for most youth sports but not football. If you want to play you earn it
3. FOOTBALL-The ultimate team sport. A great pitcher can dominate a baseball game, a great shooter can take over a basketball game, but to win a football you have to have all the pieces, A lot of kids and parents don't like the fact that thier child is not the show.
4. MEGA-MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAMS-Why don't schools have 1 team per 20 players that way you can get more kids interested. There are kids who physically develop more slowly than their age peers. Get them interested early and it may pay off for them and the high school program later.
5. SOCCER-As more kids play fewer, come out for football. That small, speedy 12 year old, doesn't play for the mega middle school football team due to his size and ends up as a 6'4" 245 soccer midfielder as a senior
6.INSTANT GRATIFICATION-Any position in sports, but especially in football take a lot of work before a player sees any reward.
7.VIDEO GAMES-There are a lot of big kids with X_Box eyes and Little Debbie Snack Cake bodies
8. SHELTERED CHILDREN-Football hurts, every day. Helicopter parents don't want to see their little one get a boo boo. The irony of this is those same parents won't hesistate to buy their little baby a dirt bike or 4 wheeler so they can get killed.
9. WIN-Middle school coaches and volunteers lose sight of the fact that their role is to develop fundamentaly sound players with a heart for the game, and intstead encourage kids to be held back, (who are physically, mentally, and socially well developed), and have a different set of rules for the team stars concerning practice attendance, and effort.
10. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT-You play football to learn what it is to be a man, not to be in the NFL. Coaches at all levels need to keep this in mind, because kids notice when your actions don't match what you profess as your beliefs.

[oneijoe]

Prestonsburg will improve in numbers in the next couple of years. The 7th and 8th grade team has 42 players as of now. 27 7th graders and 15 8th graders.

3rd-8th is at a 6-7 year high with over 115 kids total.

THAT is the best news I've heard in a very long time !!

:Thumbs: :Thumbs: