[bad hop]

As of today Floyd Co Schools are a combined 6 wins and 36 loses. Everyone knows that the school board dosen't care. The only thing they have done over the past several years is some work on the old Drift Field for South Floyd. But this cannot be all the problem. I know that our youth leagues are not what they could be. Johnson County has about 700-800 kids playing baseball. Floyd County is nowhere near that number.

MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN THINGS BE TURNED AROUND? BASEBALL IS SUCH A GREAT SPORT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT FAIL COMPLETLY. IF ANYONE HAS SOME IDEAS PLEASE POST.

[jammin' jamey]

Before this year, Allen Central was 72-51 over the past 4 seasons and won the school's first 15th Region Baseball Championship in that span.

I agree though, baseball is not taken seriously in Floyd County as a whole. The reason I pointed out Allen Central was because they have taken it upon themselves over the years to improve their program. Others should follow with more consistency.

You may have answered the question yourself when you noted that the youth leagues could improve. I agree.

I would make the suggestion that the season for High School Baseball is too short and starts too late in the school year, which hurts interest in the sport.

[gotcha2]

Before this year, Allen Central was 72-51 over the past 4 seasons and won the school's first 15th Region Baseball Championship in that span.

I agree though, baseball is not taken seriously in Floyd County as a whole. The reason I pointed out Allen Central was because they have taken it upon themselves over the years to improve their program. Others should follow with more consistency.

You may have answered the question yourself when you noted that the youth leagues could improve. I agree.

I would make the suggestion that the season for High School Baseball is too short and starts too late in the school year, which hurts interest in the sport.

I dont' know if you could start the season any earlier, especially with the small schools. AC has 5 starters who were still playing basketball up until March 8th. They got a few days of practice in (since they share a field with BLHS) and then it rained for 1 week. These boys were only together about 3 times before they played 2 srimmages and then season started. I'm sure there are other schools with the same problem (basketball overlapping baseball).

[gotcha2]

As of today Floyd Co Schools are a combined 6 wins and 36 loses. Everyone knows that the school board dosen't care. The only thing they have done over the past several years is some work on the old Drift Field for South Floyd. But this cannot be all the problem. I know that our youth leagues are not what they could be. Johnson County has about 700-800 kids playing baseball. Floyd County is nowhere near that number.

MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN THINGS BE TURNED AROUND? BASEBALL IS SUCH A GREAT SPORT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT FAIL COMPLETLY. IF ANYONE HAS SOME IDEAS PLEASE POST.

First off- baseball needs facilities. With the exception of the new fields at Stone Crest - are there any fields in Floyd County that were not under water Sunday or Monday?

[BlackcatFootball]

I agree. Baseball hasn't been taken seriously by any team this season. But some teams have the talent, but no coaching at all. Now South Floyd's field is pathetic. No offense to them or the program, but someone should do somthing about that. Another is that Allen Central and Betsy Layne share the same field in a Prestonsburg feeder town (Allen). If the sport was taken more seriously these two schools would have there own fields. Prestonsburg has had alot of wasted talent the past few years and so have other teams. There are some really athletic teams in the 58th, but there are lots of issues that need to be taken care of.

[jammin' jamey]

I dont' know if you could start the season any earlier, especially with the small schools. AC has 5 starters who were still playing basketball up until March 8th. They got a few days of practice in (since they share a field with BLHS) and then it rained for 1 week. These boys were only together about 3 times before they played 2 srimmages and then season started. I'm sure there are other schools with the same problem (basketball overlapping baseball).

Don't you think that extending the season or starting earlier would help though? Building interest in baseball is hard when the school year is ending.

As for the fields, that's another example of how baseball is not taken seriously in this county and I agree with other posters. There is no sense in South Floyd traveling to Drift to play baseball. But where else could they play? Where's the land for a field?

High School Baseball is the red-headed stepchild no one wants to claim in Floyd County.

[Tubby Hater]

Baseball has always played second fiddle to basketball in Floyd Co. Allen Central has had some recent success and Betsy Layne was good through the 90's but no one takes baseball serious in Floyd Co. We have two teams sharing a field and South Floyd using a goat pasture that is not even fenced in. Allen Central even used the Garret field for a few years, that was really a joke. Good to see Pburg get the new field, but the board of education had nothing to do with that.

[mrbaseball58]

well for one the interest in the sport begins when the kids are young. we have got to get more kids playing little league and the parents have to take their kids out to watch the high school boys play. when the younger kids see these boys play that makes them want to be as good as them someday. therefore the kids will play when they get to high school and put forth more effort as a team. the more students there is playing the game then more money will come out of the school systems to make better playing conditions for them.

[Tubby Hater]

well for one the interest in the sport begins when the kids are young. we have got to get more kids playing little league and the parents have to take their kids out to watch the high school boys play. when the younger kids see these boys play that makes them want to be as good as them someday. therefore the kids will play when they get to high school and put forth more effort as a team. the more students there is playing the game then more money will come out of the school systems to make better playing conditions for them.

I agree it does start with the youngsters and that is where Floyd co has messed up in the past. Floyd Co little league groups kids ages 9 through 12 in the same league, tis is a use mistake. You cant bring a 9 yr old from Pee Wee straight to Little League facing a 12 yr old picthing. Some kids are talented enough to make the transition but many are not and a lot of kids get stuck on the bench and lose interest. I know Paintsville and a lot of other area leagues divide into 9-10 and 11-12 yr olds. I know Beaver creek is trying this format this season. Its no accident that you have so many kids playing Pee Wee and then the numbers drop off durastically in Little League.

[gotcha2]

I agree it does start with the youngsters and that is where Floyd co has messed up in the past. Floyd Co little league groups kids ages 9 through 12 in the same league, tis is a use mistake. You cant bring a 9 yr old from Pee Wee straight to Little League facing a 12 yr old picthing. Some kids are talented enough to make the transition but many are not and a lot of kids get stuck on the bench and lose interest. I know Paintsville and a lot of other area leagues divide into 9-10 and 11-12 yr olds. I know Beaver creek is trying this format this season. Its no accident that you have so many kids playing Pee Wee and then the numbers drop off durastically in Little League.

I know some of the Allen Central parents are involved in Beaver Creek LL and Martin Pee Wee. According to them Beaver Creek has 3 teams of 9-10's and 5 teams of 11-12's this year. Martin Pee Wee is fielding 12 teams of 5-8 year olds and has a new program for 4 year olds which has 4 teams.

[StrikeoutKing]

I agree with TubbyHater and a few others that it starts at the Pee-Wee level. When I played Pee-Wee, you had kids leaving Pee-Wee a few years early to play Little League. We accepted the challenge, and took it upon ourselves to better our game. Now days, you have kids playing Pee-Wee until the age of 9!!! Come on! That's ridiculous. When I was 9, I was seeing curveballs. I like how they divided the LL program into a 9-10 and 11-12 groups. I think with the new format, the kids won't be so hesitant to come out and play. It will allow the coaches to begin to expand on the fundamentals that they (hopefully) learned in Pee-Wee. I just think now, parents and coaches are too "soft" on their kids and players. And it shows when there are only a handful who are willing to play Little League. They stay in the safety area of Pee-Wee where they can be the stars instead of actually taking the risk of facing tougher competition and possibly "falling" in doing so.

[Tubby Hater]

I agree with TubbyHater and a few others that it starts at the Pee-Wee level. When I played Pee-Wee, you had kids leaving Pee-Wee a few years early to play Little League. We accepted the challenge, and took it upon ourselves to better our game. Now days, you have kids playing Pee-Wee until the age of 9!!! Come on! That's ridiculous. When I was 9, I was seeing curveballs. I like how they divided the LL program into a 9-10 and 11-12 groups. I think with the new format, the kids won't be so hesitant to come out and play. It will allow the coaches to begin to expand on the fundamentals that they (hopefully) learned in Pee-Wee. I just think now, parents and coaches are too "soft" on their kids and players. And it shows when there are only a handful who are willing to play Little League. They stay in the safety area of Pee-Wee where they can be the stars instead of actually taking the risk of facing tougher competition and possibly "falling" in doing so.

You are exactly right. My 6 yr old nephew has played Pee Wee at Martin for couple years now and there is way too many 9 yr olds playing Pee Wee. Since they split the age group it has narrowed the Pee Wee to 9 teams this year but its great.

[BlackcatAlum]

Prestonsburg League has it set as:

5-6 T-Ball
7-8 Minor League (Machine pitches to them)
9-10 Little League
11-12 Little Leauge
12-13 Babe Ruth League

[Tubby Hater]

Prestonsburg League has it set as:

5-6 T-Ball
7-8 Minor League (Machine pitches to them)
9-10 Little League
11-12 Little Leauge
12-13 Babe Ruth League

Thats a good set up, its about time the Floyd Co leagues start catching on and improving local youth baseball.

[BlackcatAlum]

Thats a good set up, its about time the Floyd Co leagues start catching on and improving local youth baseball.

They've always done it this way.... Well this is how they've done it since I started T-Ball in '95.