[Keepnitreal]

Lots of kids don't play because their parents can't afford to drive them back and forth to practice. It's not like the city here, players can't walk back and forth to practice. Some kids could really improve if they attended a summer Camp but their parents can't afford to send them. One of the reasons coach Matney has been able to put JC on the same field as HHS is because he has been able to get some of the poorer kids out for the team. If there was higher paying jobs in this area more kids would play. With more jobs there would be people moving into this area too. I will say this too, there has been lots of great Athletes in this area that were from a poorer family that came out for the team, they may have been better, faster, stronger than so and so but SO and SO played because there family had the "PULL". Coach Matney may run a "old time" system, but he plays the best players no matter who there family is. Playing the best players to HHS fans is common sense, playing the best players at JCHS is like finally walking on the moon.

I agree with everything you're saying. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Highlands and everything Coach Mueller has done there, but if you were to compare average income of the students households at Highlands and JC I think you would probably see a huge difference in favor of Highlands. And when you speak about poor county's, Johnson County is probably one of the more affluent in appalachia.

I don't think although, that income is as big of a factor in urban or city schools because student athletes have the ability to walk to school or home from practice because school district can be measured in terms of a couple of miles. But in rural county schools, schools in areas with high rates of poverty and like in Johnson County, as in most rural countys, It's the only public school in the entire county. Johnson County is really not all that big and its still a 20 to 30 minute drive from the outskirts of the county to Paintsville and over 20 miles one way.

So there are alot of factors that I think can give urban or suburban areas an advantage as far as getting athletes out as opposed to the rural areas.

Please don't take this as an excuse. I still believe if you want to be considered one of the best programs or teams you need to play the best. I enjoy playing Highlands every year.