[jamesclay]

Here are the items I find most troubling about this situation:

1) The ego of Jason Mays.  The guy sounds like he thinks he's coaching big time D-1 basketball.  His statements in the call regarding "turning down the Ballard job", "getting the player on a big time AAU team", "should have gone after players harder", and particularly his derogatory remarks about his own "liability" players who don't make "meaningful" shots make it nearly impossible to be a fan of him.

2) The Ashland administration.  By standing behind Mays and not punishing him in any public way, it appears they're OK with him making derogatory remarks about their own student-athletes.  This seems unacceptable.

3) The lunacy of the Boyd County parent who recorded and released the call.  An adult recording a call where he disparages another player by calling him a "cancer" and questioning his upbringing is low.  Publicly releasing that call in an effort to try to help his son's team win is beyond the pale.

4) The Boyd County administration.  Out of the sports currently in season...Boyd's best football player is from Coal Grove.  Boyd's best volleyball player is from New Jersey.  Boyd's best boys soccer player is from Missouri.  Boyd's best girls soccer player is in "her first year at Boyd" according to her coach in the paper.  Boyd boys basketball won their only region title since Y2K thanks to a player from Fairland, Ohio.  Boyd girls basketball won several regions a few years ago thanks to 3 of the 5 starters being transfers, 2 twins from West Virginia alongside East Carter's best player.  This is hypocrisy of the highest order.

There are so many wrongs here, it's hard to make it right.  Perhaps the athletic programs at both schools should be put out to pasture for a year so they all can rethink their priorities.

16thregioner, what would you do if you held the positions of the Superintendent or Principal at Ashland with the recording of Mays?  You never have said?

With all that is being said on this thread. The main issue is a coach who was caught begging (Recruiting)  for other players to come to Ashland and talking badly about his own kids.   All schools get transfers.  I  have said it my previous posts. No one faults a kid if he doesn't like his situation and transfers to another school. I do not think any adult would. As long as they do it by the rule. It is the recruitment of kids everyone gets upset by. Home grown kids are not being developed.  They are being recruited around.  It is in the coaches Code of Ethics.  Coaches have to attend the KHSAA every year where this is explained in detail. Here are a few. 

1. Coaches shall behave in such a way that they shall bring credit to their profession and themselves. Not trying to tilt the balance of play
   
   
2. Coaches shall exhibit professionalism in their actions, words coach what you have and hope for the best. Everyone gets a kid now and then but not every year and multiple players
   
   
3. Coaches shall act in full accordance with institutional, school district and state governing body rules. The KHSAA bylaws have a standard and they are not being followed.
   
   
4. Coaches shall immediately report any violation of school district and state governing body rules regardless of how minor they believe the violation to be. Only when caught is it a problem. 
   

Transferring isn't the problem.  Recruiting in the nature heard on the tape, that is the problem.  If someone shows interest in moving to a school through different channels, plays with a student-athlete from that school at the Y (and becomes friends), parent is really good friends with another parent, or legitimately moves, etc.  Those are hitting the grey areas or maybe even just crossing the line warranting a minor punishment of suspension.  What I heard was indisputably worse than that.  My opinion is the punishment should be far worse than that.

This is the line about 90 percent of the people don’t get in this thread. Legit transfer happens. No one has an issue. It’s a coach recruiting actively other coaches kids. Over your own players. That’s the problem. Ethically, morally, and disloyalty to Ashland kids. Right now I feel like all of Ashland is clinched up waiting to be smacked like in one of those slap contest with the Khsaa. It may never come, but if it does I feel it’s gonna be a knock out for the program. I’m surprised the paper hasn’t contacted Khsaa to follow up and see if there is a time frame.

Except that didn’t happen. Coach didn’t recruit anyone. The parent was recruiting Ashland. The dad was the caller, about an 8th grader who at the time could transfer anywhere without sitting out. Coach just explained about the Ashland program to the parent, a program I’m sure he is proud of. He did what I would have done when I coached. About any coach would talk to an 8th grade parent if they are showing interest in transferring. Heck, in Jefferson County coaches are seen at middle school games with clip boards and notes to watch the County and city’s best 8th graders. 
He makes a few jokes about a Russell kid that he discouraged from the idea of coming to Ashland and you guys go on and on as if he was being serious regretting that he did that, lol. 
Coach Mays does not recruit or cheat for players and that’s the bottom line. You fellows are allowing your hatred for Ashland to get the best of you.

Sorry but you sound misinformed. There's an actual recording of the conversation. You should probably check that out.

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With 4 days left until the start of practice, it’s pretty apparent nothing’s going to be done.  All that came out of this is the coach looks like an idiot, the dad looks like an idiot, they gave the student sections plenty of fodder for signs and chants, and they likely increased ticket sales and MyTownTV ad revenue when Ashland and Boyd play this season.  Case closed.

Welcome to the KHSAA, where talk is tough and action is a joke.