[charlie22]

I know you are a HHS fan and wonder what you think about lack of Highlands football players participating in spring sports? I do not think the coach pressures kids not to participate,but he sure does not encourage it and I think in a way this does put pressure on the kids to skip spring sports and go to football practice/wt lifting. I do not know about baseball, but Highlands could easily win the region in track with the athletes on the football team if they participated. I see schools across the state with the top football players participating (Mr KY football player from this year participates in shot put and discus)and yet each year more and more Highlands kids are dropping spring sports. If this is the kids own decision, so be it, but I do feel they get alot of pressure from coaching and parents to concentrate on football only. Highlands used to dominate the region in track and it is just sad to see the program become a laughing stock in NKY.

First, I'd love to see more football players playing other sports. I think that if that happened, Highlands would dominate the 9th region in most sports. As a Highlands fan, I'd love to see it. However, I don't want or expect kids to play sports to satisfy me, what I'd love to see, or my pride in Highlands. I just want kids to play the sport or sports they want to.

Second, you are so wrong about Dale not encouraging kids to play other sports. My son recently graduated from Highlands and played football. I know for a fact he was encouraged by Dale to participate in track and did indeed participate. I have a nephew on this year's team who played baseball last year for Highlands. He's given it up this year to concentrate on football. I know for a fact that Dale met with a bunch of players and encouraged them to play baseball. Some chose to do so; my nephew choose not to. I truly wish this myth of Dale not encouraging football players to play baseball and other sports would go away. I don't know about the parental pressure, one way or the other. I do know what I told my nephew: you have to decide what you want and enjoy. If you really want to start for Highlands varsity this coming year, the odds of that happening are greater if you concentrate on football this spring. If you really enjoy playing baseball, then you should play baseball and let the chips fall where they may concerning football.

Heck, Jeremy is having a youth baseball clinic this spring. Guess who is the featured speaker? Dale.