[RunItUpTheGut]

Gut I have always wondered why there aren't better numbers out...It seems to have always been a problem, you have any thoughts...

Ill tell you exactly why.

Its not the kids, its not the "sharing", and its not the tradition, its the feeder system and how the coaches handle kids coming into high school. It always has been, always will be.

There are six elementary teams in this county. Each team with an abundance of players on both the 3rd-4th grade teams and 5th-6th grade teams.
By the time these kid get to 7th grade its obvious a lot will not play for different reasons, its more serious, might be a little scared, wont get to play etc....and the numbers conitnue to get lower and lower every year.

I remember several 7th and eighth grade teams at the middle school that has dressed 60-70 kids. By freshmen year, the same reasons start over. A lot of kids are initimidated, just dont want to, etc, and by freshmen yearm there class has been took down to 20-25 kids, and then it loses about five every year and that why you see 10-12 in the senior classes every year.

Were in a time now where you cant just expect players to show up, as a coach you have to go out and get them. Weve failed at that.

I know for a FACT that there are atleast 30 more kids walking the hallways at Whitley that should be playing football and if they were and had that experience still with them then Whitley would be in the same shape Harlan County is right now, on the up and up, but its just not the case.