[shottaker23]

I’m sure that the people who live in the 14th can be more specific, but it’s a culture problem. Appalachia has fell hard, but the other appalachian regions are still very good in sports. The 13th is probably the best it has ever been in any sport, and the 15th is deeper now in basketball than many years in the past, with such talent as Keathley.

The 14th has a culture issue that stems from so many causes. 1 is coaching. Name one coach from the 14th in boys basketball or hs football that a top 7 team in the 13th would replace their current coach with. There is 6-7 coaches in the 13th RIGHT NOW that would be considered HOFers in the 14th. 2 is the players are taught they are better from a young age when they just aren’t. I’ve never seen a team from the 14th from any school not have a superiority complex or “A-hole” mentality with no class that never gets fixed. The best description is lack of discipline. Maybe it’s my limited experience, but i have never been to a football game against a 14th region team where there isn’t multiple unsportsmanlike conducts for fighting, late hit, taunting. Basketball it is tripping, talking, pushing, etc. I’ve seen this from multiple schools, on multiple different campuses in different sports. When the culture is to either hurt your opponent, talk the crap or be a sore loser over bettering your own team or yourself, it’s not the players fault it’s the coaches and parents. Lastly is the idea that they have to cannibalize themselves in the 14th region and not leave to play good teams outside the region in the regular season. I’ve argued in other threads about hazard basketball never leaving the 14th. But it expands to many other teams. Perry will play 2 in-state games not on a 14th region floor. Breathitt will only play 4 games outside the region floor period. I’m telling you, leaving your holler and playing high level teams on the road makes better teams and players understand what they need to get better on.

Just my bystander opinion.

Thus far this is the best answer in my opinion. From a basketball standpoint you have to get out and play teams out of region. Case in point, during summer(yes I know summer sucks) Hazard was at the premier event for coaches to see your kids the Collins event. After losing his first 2 games Al loaded the boys up and headed back to the mtns--forfeited the last 2. Can not, will not get better by teaching them to take their ball and go home. The other issue I see is (and I despise AAU ball) their are no(that I know of) girls Travel programs in the mtns with only a couple for the boys. Again to get better ya gotta play better people. Then you get a couple of kids that move from team to team to try and create super teams and it doesn't allow someone to develop the "alpha dog" mentality. Just my opinion but I def agree that right now the 14th boys and girls is the weakest I've seen it in my lifetime.