[BlueRaider4Life]

Spring Ball is a great way to get a feel for how your team will look in the fall....summer practice is what makes a team mesh.....football fever is year round.

[charlie22]

I'm very aware of the new rules for spring football that will further interfere with spring sports.
8th Graders will have 3 years for spring football they don't need more.
I've been involved with coaching varsity football off and on for 20+ years here in NKY. With that experience and point of view teams would be better served with more contact in July with a full team instead of March with key players missing

Okay. Just seemed like you were all worked up about the current rule concerning when spring football can be conducted and I wanted to make sure you were aware that it will likely be changing.

Personally, I like what spring football can do for a football team before the summer conditioning begins, so we'll disagree about whether a team would be better served by more contact in July instead of March. Given the ever growing focus on heat injuries, you can expect to see less contact in July; not more, as a result of the season starting later.

[sportsfan123]

i agree for the most part. i dont think spring practice should be done away with though. it helps to keep the players in the swing of things instead of having to wait until the summer to start practicing again

[Young Henry Man]

You got it! Learning how to lift is the key. The strength and weight will come, but so many kids out there do not know the proper techniques in lifting, which result in a couple things:

1) Serious injury

2) Hampering them from increasing their strength and weight they want to push around because they haven't learned the proper technique(s).


Is that right Young Henry or is that another sign of someone who is clueless about strength and conditioning?

You mentioned doing a workout two/three hours before a game. I do not understand why you think that is a good thing to do. :HitWall:

[Fly Like a Duck]

You mentioned doing a workout two/three hours before a game. I do not understand why you think that is a good thing to do. :HitWall:

Workout, as in:

1) A light lift if it is part of what you have been doing all along.

2) Running a few pass routes,stance and starts, etc to get a little sweat going.

3) Team walk-throughs that might include running plays on air @ half speed or less, once again, getting a little sweat going and the blood pumping.

Tell you what, try laying on your butt all day long without moving on game day and see how that works for you. I believe I also that trying to lift a house on game day wasn't very smart. The point is: On game day, it isn't a mortal sin to get up, get moving,get the blood flowing and work up light sweat. Is it a must? No. Is it going to hold your performance back come kickoff? No.

Neither of those would hamper performance on game day. Go to any college, any sport an

[sstack]

You do realize that the schools approved a change to the spring football timing, don't you? The change doesn't go into effect this spring (the change has to be approved by the State Board of Education and a General Assembly committee, but is expected to be approved and go into effect next year). Once approved, it will eliminate the mandatory 3 weeks to get in 10 practices right after the boys and girls basketball teams are eliminated, and will allow the schools much greater flexibility to schedule spring football.

I agree on letting the kids play spring sports but if they want to play spring football, why take that away from them? To me it seems if some adults and coaches want to do away with spring football to force the kids to play baseball or run track. Those folks are as bad as those football coaches pressuring kids to play spring football.

I do think that any football coach that attempts to pressure a kid wanting to play baseball to not play and come out for spring football instead should be warned and then fired if he continues such behavior.

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.

[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.

[sstack]

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.

Glad to see Dale is encouraging other sports. I still think the kids feel pressure to be at all spring practices if they are going to start, and with many kids, that is not the case. Many of the players would still be starters even if they played baseball or ran track. It is just a shame with all the fast runners and strong kids who could make alot of noise in field events, that Highlands can not put more than 6 kids on the track team. I know Dale's daughter was a runner, and the family still follows Cross Country, so it is good to hear he encourages kids to run. But, how much does he encourage, and would he rather the kids run and play baseball, or show up for spring football? I like Dale and what he is doing for the school, it just gets frustrating some times that a school like Highlands can not dominate in other sports too. Thanks for you answers!

[Pigskinman53]

Thats what tradition is called and Highlands football has tradition and kids will do what it takes to be part of that tradition. Like your nephew who could go out and play for a sub par (really don't know how good or bad Highlands baseball team is just making a general statement) or try and compete for a starting spot on a state championship team. I for one know what I would pick! In many cases kids make there own decision on what is inportant to them and starting for Highlands is inportant to the young man!

[False Hope]

Spring practice is vital to a good program simply because other teams are doing it. It all about being fair

[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.

Guess that says it all

[charlie22]

Guess that says it all

It does indeed. To each their own I guess.

[charlie22]

Thats what tradition is called and Highlands football has tradition and kids will do what it takes to be part of that tradition. Like your nephew who could go out and play for a sub par (really don't know how good or bad Highlands baseball team is just making a general statement) or try and compete for a starting spot on a state championship team. I for one know what I would pick! In many cases kids make there own decision on what is inportant to them and starting for Highlands is inportant to the young man!

As to the bolded, it's so true that's it is important to him. It's important too that the team wins another state championship this year. Like many other kids in FT, he wants those football state championships like his uncles, cousins, brothers, etc obtained. Like many other kids in FT, he wants to be a starter for Highlands football. Tradition drives those desires.

Some people discount the impact tradition has on the outcome of a game or a season. Not me. Tradition is what causes 99% of the players to attend every weight lifting session; every conditioning session and every practice. It's what causes them to give a 100% all the time. It's what causes them to will themselves to a win against more talented teams. And, unfortunately in the eyes of some, it's what causes some of them to choose to concentrate on football and not play other sports.

[sstack]

As to the bolded, it's so true that's it is important to him. It's important too that the team wins another state championship this year. Like many other kids in FT, he wants those football state championships like his uncles, cousins, brothers, etc obtained. Like many other kids in FT, he wants to be a starter for Highlands football. Tradition drives those desires.

Some people discount the impact tradition has on the outcome of a game or a season. Not me. Tradition is what causes 99% of the players to attend every weight lifting session; every conditioning session and every practice. It's what causes them to give a 100% all the time. It's what causes them to will themselves to a win against more talented teams. And, unfortunately in the eyes of some, it's what causes some of them to choose to concentrate on football and not play other sports.

Tradition has been going on at Highlands for a long time, and the recent abandoning of spring sports is just started to happen over the past 5 years or so. Why do we have a decline in spring sports now? We were winning football championships with kids playing 3 sports in the past and showing good in all sports. It is fine if the kids are choosing one sport only to participate in, but just curious why people think this is happening?

[tradition]

Tradition has been going on at Highlands for a long time, and the recent abandoning of spring sports is just started to happen over the past 5 years or so. Why do we have a decline in spring sports now? We were winning football championships with kids playing 3 sports in the past and showing good in all sports. It is fine if the kids are choosing one sport only to participate in, but just curious why people think this is happening?

Just guessing, but maybe kids are choosing only one sport now as opposed to multiple sports because now you have year round leagues in soccer, basketball, and baseball.

[sstack]

Just guessing, but maybe kids are choosing only one sport now as opposed to multiple sports because now you have year round leagues in soccer, basketball, and baseball.

I think you might be right, and in football you never used to have spring practice, football camps, 7on7, ect, it was over after state game and no football until late Aug.

[Young Henry Man]

Right you are. If kids lifted year round, then you wouldn't have to worry about soreness as much. They would get in the routine of working their sets of muscles and constantly be improving. In saying that, you wouldn't want to do 8x2 of 90% on Bench Press, Power CLean and Squats on game day, but be smart in the workout you do.

Karl Malone and Ben Wallace are two NBA guys that were very public about their pregame workouts; the day of! Why people believe that getting a good sweat going before your game on that day is a bad thing, is beyond me. I'm not saying do the 300 Workout, but to get a good sweat going a few hours before kick-off, tip off or the first pitch is not going to kill you. In fact, it will probably do the exact opposite and make you more alive. I know it did with with me.

Workout, as in:

1) A light lift if it is part of what you have been doing all along.

2) Running a few pass routes,stance and starts, etc to get a little sweat going.

3) Team walk-throughs that might include running plays on air @ half speed or less, once again, getting a little sweat going and the blood pumping.

Tell you what, try laying on your butt all day long without moving on game day and see how that works for you. I believe I also that trying to lift a house on game day wasn't very smart. The point is: On game day, it isn't a mortal sin to get up, get moving,get the blood flowing and work up light sweat. Is it a must? No. Is it going to hold your performance back come kickoff? No.

Neither of those would hamper performance on game day. Go to any college, any sport an

I am not sure where you stand. You say workout first then retreat back to walkthroughs. My only point is lifting on gameday is not smart at all. You don't want your body repairing itself at gametime because you lifted earlier that day.

[Fly Like a Duck]

I am not sure where you stand. You say workout first then retreat back to walkthroughs. My only point is lifting on gameday is not smart at all. You don't want your body repairing itself at gametime because you lifted earlier that day.

My point is any of the three that I listed in my last post are not going to hurt you on game day. Those are my points. All three get the same accomplished when it comes to gameday. Did you not read the 21 words that followed when I was mentioning "walkthroughs"?

[Young Henry Man]

My point is any of the three that I listed in my last post are not going to hurt you on game day. Those are my points. All three get the same accomplished when it comes to gameday. Did you not read the 21 words that followed when I was mentioning "walkthroughs"?

Lets' just agree to disagree. No need to keep going on saying the same thing over and over. :HitWall:

[charlie22]

I think you might be right, and in football you never used to have spring practice, football camps, 7on7, ect, it was over after state game and no football until late Aug.

I'm pretty sure we had spring football when I played back in the mid 70's; I'm sure we had the 60 Minute Club all winter and spring; and I'm sure we had workouts all summer. No 7s, I'll agree with you there. I don't recall summer camps either. But we certainly had "football" between the state game and late August. Heck I think our first game (the Rec Bowl) was in mid August, so I'm sure we were in full pads by the beginning of August (at the latest). It definitely wasn't as intense as it is now, that's for certain though. We had a few football players in my class that played two other sports, but not many (Dempsey and Malone come to mind); we had a few more football players in my class that played one other sport (Scent, Pendery, Stephens and Head come to mind) but again if my memory is correct most of the football players in my class played just football their senior year. I played just football and if my memory is correct, McMahon, Roberts, Olberding, Klump, Trout, Morris, Wendel, Stegman, Pompilio, McFarland and Wahlbrink all just played football their senior year. Some of those guys may have been on the track team; sort of like I was. On the days I wasn't doing 60 Minutes or other football related stuff, I'd go throw the shot and discus with the track team, but I never took it seriously and don't think I ever threw in a meet. It really was just something to do with the buddies on a nice spring day.

[sstack]

I'm pretty sure we had spring football when I played back in the mid 70's; I'm sure we had the 60 Minute Club all winter and spring; and I'm sure we had workouts all summer. No 7s, I'll agree with you there. I don't recall summer camps either. But we certainly had "football" between the state game and late August. Heck I think our first game (the Rec Bowl) was in mid August, so I'm sure we were in full pads by the beginning of August (at the latest). It definitely wasn't as intense as it is now, that's for certain though. We had a few football players in my class that played two other sports, but not many (Dempsey and Malone come to mind); we had a few more football players in my class that played one other sport (Scent, Pendery, Stephens and Head come to mind) but again if my memory is correct most of the football players in my class played just football their senior year. I played just football and if my memory is correct, McMahon, Roberts, Olberding, Klump, Trout, Morris, Wendel, Stegman, Pompilio, McFarland and Wahlbrink all just played football their senior year. Some of those guys may have been on the track team; sort of like I was. On the days I wasn't doing 60 Minutes or other football related stuff, I'd go throw the shot and discus with the track team, but I never took it seriously and don't think I ever threw in a meet. It really was just something to do with the buddies on a nice spring day.

I played in the 80's and we did not have spring practice. We had 60 min club, but it was not taken serious and was more of a social club that met very infrequently. I can only remember about 3-4 guys who took it seriously. Our first game was the Rec Bowl also, but I do not remember starting practice until around late Aug. I also ran track and we had a nice mix of football players and non-football players on the team.We were regional champs 2 or 3 years in a row with a fair number of people qualifying for state. All the top RB's in NKY ran track in the 80's

[tradition]

I played in the 80's and we did not have spring practice. We had 60 min club, but it was not taken serious and was more of a social club that met very infrequently. I can only remember about 3-4 guys who took it seriously. Our first game was the Rec Bowl also, but I do not remember starting practice until around late Aug. I also ran track and we had a nice mix of football players and non-football players on the team.We were regional champs 2 or 3 years in a row with a fair number of people qualifying for state. All the top RB's in NKY ran track in the 80's

You must have played in the mid 80's, '83 to '88.:biggrin:

[charlie22]

I played in the 80's and we did not have spring practice. We had 60 min club, but it was not taken serious and was more of a social club that met very infrequently. I can only remember about 3-4 guys who took it seriously. Our first game was the Rec Bowl also, but I do not remember starting practice until around late Aug. I also ran track and we had a nice mix of football players and non-football players on the team.We were regional champs 2 or 3 years in a row with a fair number of people qualifying for state. All the top RB's in NKY ran track in the 80's

Yeah, the KHSAA stopped permitting Spring Ball sometime after I graduated and before you played. Who was your head coach? Hermann, Eicher or Duffy? Under Murph and Walz (my head coaches), 60 Minutes was taken very seriously. I don't always remember all the details well, but I still remember vomiting frequently during 60 Minutes.

I do agree with you that track used to be a much, much bigger deal at Highlands than it is now and that's a shame.

[charlie22]

You must have played in the mid 80's, '83 to '88.:biggrin:

Those are considered by some as the "dark years" of Highlands football, but the 83 squad under Wilbur was pretty good going 10-1 losing to Conner in the playoffs, as was the 86 squad under Jack, going 11-1 before losing in the playoffs. If sstack played under Duffy, I have a hard time believing that the off season work out weren't very intense. He worked those that hung in there extremely hard. My guess, and it's just a guess, is that sstack played under Jack. Jack was one heck of a fine man, but I didn't think he was the best of coaches.

[tradition]

Yeah, the KHSAA stopped permitting Spring Ball sometime after I graduated and before you played. Who was your head coach? Hermann, Eicher or Duffy? Under Murph and Walz (my head coaches), 60 Minutes was taken very seriously. I don't always remember all the details well, but I still remember vomiting frequently during 60 Minutes.

I do agree with you that track used to be a much, much bigger deal at Highlands than it is now and that's a shame.

I think track could still be a big deal at Highlands if you had a Bernie Sadowski or a Sig Lawson type running it.

[charlie22]

[/B]

I think track could still be a big deal at Highlands if you had a Bernie Sadowski or a Sig Lawson type running it.

You are probably right about that.

[sstack]

Yeah, the KHSAA stopped permitting Spring Ball sometime after I graduated and before you played. Who was your head coach? Hermann, Eicher or Duffy? Under Murph and Walz (my head coaches), 60 Minutes was taken very seriously. I don't always remember all the details well, but I still remember vomiting frequently during 60 Minutes.

I do agree with you that track used to be a much, much bigger deal at Highlands than it is now and that's a shame.

Our head coach was Hermann and unfortunately Eicher my SR year. Alot of fighting among the coaches my SR year (vividly remember a screaming match in locker room right before going out on the field for a game). The assistant coaches would even ridicule Eicher when we seperated into group practices. What was Walz like as a head coach, he was an assistant for us. Some of the funniest memories I have, have to do with coach Walz. Some guys did not care for him, but I always liked the guy.
I was away for college for the Duffy era, but from the stories I have heard, their was not alot of love for the guy.

[sstack]

You must have played in the mid 80's, '83 to '88.:biggrin:

83 was not a bad year! 15-1 with a loss to Conner who went on to win State.

[tradition]

83 was not a bad year! 15-1 with a loss to Conner who went on to win State.

I mentioned those years as they were the only years in the '80's Highlands did not win state excluding "80.

[charlie22]

Our head coach was Hermann and unfortunately Eicher my SR year. Alot of fighting among the coaches my SR year (vividly remember a screaming match in locker room right before going out on the field for a game). The assistant coaches would even ridicule Eicher when we seperated into group practices. What was Walz like as a head coach, he was an assistant for us. Some of the funniest memories I have, have to do with coach Walz. Some guys did not care for him, but I always liked the guy.
I was away for college for the Duffy era, but from the stories I have heard, their was not alot of love for the guy.

Roger was a really good head coach; a smart coach. Some would say a smart a** because he would clown around a lot! But he's a good guy. Still see him around town a lot. He coached the O and Berta coached the D. Berta was an outstanding coach. My senior year, Murph was the head coach at Newport. We had switched defenses from Murph's split 6 to the 5-4 under Berta. Murph commented to some that he was going to be able to run the buck and guts all night long against us because we ran the 5-4. That didn't work out too well for Murph. :thatsfunn

Duffy in my opinion is still the best on field High school football coach I've ever seen (although Dale is pretty darn close. I'd give the edge to Dale in preparation for a game and a slight, slight edge to Duffy in on the field coaching). Duffy's problem was that he didn't want to deal with a lot of players on the team. He didn't cut any one, but he made the practices and conditioning sessions so tough a lot of kids quit. Not a good PR move in a football town like FT. He also didn't care much for the other sports, although he was the AD also. While Duffy won a couple of championships, it just was not a good fit. The players that stuck it out with him, loved him. But that was a very small percentage of people in FT. Best for all when he moved on and Dale came in.