[Rob Van Winkle]

Per KHSAA rules, once both of your schools basketball teams have lost thier final season game, be it either in district or regional play, the following Monday is when the football team can begin playing spring football. The clock is then ticking. Teams have 3 "school" weeks to get in 10 practices.

Theoretically, if both your basketball team lost in the first round of the district tournament this year, they'd begin playing spring football on March 1.

How ridiculous is this? Why can't the state start on April 1, April 15, or
May 1. What would it hurt? Your spring sports athletes will miss spring ball anyways and you'd give your winter sports athletes time to heal and get into the weight room for a few weeks before getting back into football. Even if you're missing kids to baseball or track, you'd get a chance to work with kids who need more individual attention.

Also, why does football have to rely on another sport to lose before they can have spring practice? No other team relies on another team to practice, whether it's in or out of season. It seems like the KHSAA could correct this very easily by setting a solid date later in the year, when the weather is much better. Also, it'd level the playing field between teams that have turf and teams that don't. Also, it seems like it'd be best for kids.

Just some thoughts I've had recently. Thoughts?

[cougarpride08]

I think it should be the Monday after both the Sweet 16 is over with.

[Dungy]

Echo the sentiments on kids having it rough ending a long winter sport this week, then trying to suit up for football the next.

[wildcat44]

I am wondering why incoming Freshman cannot take part in full contact spring practice. Anyone know what the reason is? Thanks!!

[Dungy]

Football does not allow 8th graders to play 'up' like in basketball and baseball. I guess that rule still applies until the 8th grade year is over, including the spring.

[tradition]

:Cheerlead

I love spring football.

[Dungy]

Good point...should remember it wasn't long ago that there was no spring football at all. We should be grateful.

[HAT51]

Per KHSAA rules, once both of your schools basketball teams have lost thier final season game, be it either in district or regional play, the following Monday is when the football team can begin playing spring football. The clock is then ticking. Teams have 3 "school" weeks to get in 10 practices.

Theoretically, if both your basketball team lost in the first round of the district tournament this year, they'd begin playing spring football on March 1.

How ridiculous is this? Why can't the state start on April 1, April 15, or
May 1. What would it hurt? Your spring sports athletes will miss spring ball anyways and you'd give your winter sports athletes time to heal and get into the weight room for a few weeks before getting back into football. Even if you're missing kids to baseball or track, you'd get a chance to work with kids who need more individual attention.

Also, why does football have to rely on another sport to lose before they can have spring practice? No other team relies on another team to practice, whether it's in or out of season. It seems like the KHSAA could correct this very easily by setting a solid date later in the year, when the weather is much better. Also, it'd level the playing field between teams that have turf and teams that don't. Also, it seems like it'd be best for kids.

Just some thoughts I've had recently. Thoughts?

A great majority of people feel the same as you do. There is no reason that spring practice can't start at a later date and make that date the same for all schools. Another point to remember is in the 15 calendar school days, you do not count the 5 days of a spring break. However, if your school chooses to only give you a partial week for spring break, then the entire 5 days will count toward the 15. In other words, you get out on Thurs and Fri only, then those two days count toward your 15 days allotted for practice.

[joejoe]

Considering that the first day of evaluation period is April 15th, that would be a nice day to start.

[Brooks4Prez]

Per KHSAA rules, once both of your schools basketball teams have lost thier final season game, be it either in district or regional play, the following Monday is when the football team can begin playing spring football. The clock is then ticking. Teams have 3 "school" weeks to get in 10 practices.

Theoretically, if both your basketball team lost in the first round of the district tournament this year, they'd begin playing spring football on March 1.

How ridiculous is this? Why can't the state start on April 1, April 15, or
May 1. What would it hurt? Your spring sports athletes will miss spring ball anyways and you'd give your winter sports athletes time to heal and get into the weight room for a few weeks before getting back into football. Even if you're missing kids to baseball or track, you'd get a chance to work with kids who need more individual attention.

Also, why does football have to rely on another sport to lose before they can have spring practice? No other team relies on another team to practice, whether it's in or out of season. It seems like the KHSAA could correct this very easily by setting a solid date later in the year, when the weather is much better. Also, it'd level the playing field between teams that have turf and teams that don't. Also, it seems like it'd be best for kids.

Just some thoughts I've had recently. Thoughts?

Because it takes a lot more guys to have a spring football practice than other sports require. And with the physical demand of Spring ball you do not want it to overlap with a major part of another season like basketball.

[RAM-A-DEVIL]

Why even have 10 days of practice 5-6 months before your season starts anyway. Spring football might be a good thing at a school where they probably don't share athletes
For example.......Trinity or St.X. But spring football at a class "A" School is rediculous in my opinion. I'll bet some of these schools can't even practice baseball until Spring football practice is over because half of thier team is also on the football team.

[Iam4thecats]

From what I understand Trinity doesn't have spring ball. I find that interesting.

[tradition]

Isn't spring football an option? If a coach doesn't want to do it, does he have to?

I was under the impression that it was an option and if a coach did not want to conduct spring football he was not required to.

[tradition]

Isn't spring football an option? If a coach doesn't want to do it, does he have to?

I was under the impression that it was an option and if a coach did not want to conduct spring football he was not required to.

OK, I have answered my own question. Yes it is an option. A coach does not have to conduct spring ball if he doesn't want to. I know Trinity and Dixie do not. So for all those that don't like spring ball and want the KHSAA to do something about it, why not take it up with your coach. If it is the timing of spring ball, if you push it till mid April or later then you interfer with track and baseball. For teams that are already eliminated from the Basketball tournament, spring ball begins and his much less of a factor on baseball and track. I'm sure that is a majority of teams in the state.

[nky]

Why even have 10 days of practice 5-6 months before your season starts anyway. Spring football might be a good thing at a school where they probably don't share athletes
For example.......Trinity or St.X. But spring football at a class "A" School is rediculous in my opinion. I'll bet some of these schools can't even practice baseball until Spring football practice is over because half of thier team is also on the football team.

Small schools do have a hard time since most of the athletes are involved in spring sports.

[charlie22]

OK, I have answered my own question. Yes it is an option. A coach does not have to conduct spring ball if he doesn't want to. I know Trinity and Dixie do not. So for all those that don't like spring ball and want the KHSAA to do something about it, why not take it up with your coach. If it is the timing of spring ball, if you push it till mid April or later then you interfer with track and baseball. For teams that are already eliminated from the Basketball tournament, spring ball begins and his much less of a factor on baseball and track. I'm sure that is a majority of teams in the state.

Your point about the impact of spring football being later on baseball and track is a good one. If it's moved back to mid April or later, it will have a much greater adverse impact on those two sports than it does if its held in March. The baseball fields are usually too messed up for the baseball teams to be on them much in March. Sure, they can be working in the batting cage and throwing inside, but kids playing baseball and spring football can do those activites after spring football practice is over for the day if they want to. Furthermore, by mid April the baseball season is underway I think. Having a kid playing both sports miss a baseball game to attend spring football I'd think is much less desirable to a baseball coach than having the kid miss a session of batting cage and throwing with his teammates.

Honestly, there is no perfect solution. The football fans want it later; the baseball fans want it to happen as soon as possible after basketball ends to get it out of the way and the kids concentrating on baseball excusively.

The point someone made about artificial turf teams having an advantage over real turf teams is a valid one. However, as was pointed out by another poster, football coaches, players and fans should feel fortunate that there is any spring football practice permitted at all. Push too hard to move it later where it will interfere with baseball and track even more and I can see spring football going away entirely. Besides, if a team can't get on their field because it's so muddy, they can still get a whole lot out of practices in the gym going over alignments, systems, plays, philosophies, etc. Heck most teams I'm told don't do a lot of hitting in spring any way (Highlands is definitely one of the exceptions). Is practicing in gym a perfect thing? No, but it sure beats not getting to practice at all during spring.

[Rob Van Winkle]

I have to disagree about some of these posts. If a kid is playing baseball, he should play baseball. If a kid is running track, he should run track. I know that some schools share athletes, but spring football is a time when the team can get better at fundementals.
This means that coaches can work with kids in smaller numbers. I know it's not ideal to have your #1 WR and #2 WR out with a sping sport, but you can help your #3, #4, and #5 WR become better football players. This can happen in the gym, but it should be happening on a football field.
If a football team can't get onto a field because it's too muddy, then every spring sport is vying for time in the gym. So a larger problem seems to be created by pushing the date for spring football season in March.
Ultimatly, a team can help build depth by giving kids reps in the spring, that they otherwise will see in limited number during the season.

[nky]

I have to disagree about some of these posts. If a kid is playing baseball, he should play baseball. If a kid is running track, he should run track. I know that some schools share athletes, but spring football is a time when the team can get better at fundementals.
This means that coaches can work with kids in smaller numbers. I know it's not ideal to have your #1 WR and #2 WR out with a sping sport, but you can help your #3, #4, and #5 WR become better football players. This can happen in the gym, but it should be happening on a football field.
If a football team can't get onto a field because it's too muddy, then every spring sport is vying for time in the gym. So a larger problem seems to be created by pushing the date for spring football season in March.
Ultimatly, a team can help build depth by giving kids reps in the spring, that they otherwise will see in limited number during the season.

Again smaller schools probably don't have a #4 and 5 kid at any position. Spring football for the most part is a waste for the smaller schools who field 25-30 kids during the season and with most of them on a spring team. These teams may have a dozen kids availible. Keep lifting, get strong, work harder in the summer on fundementals.

[charlie22]

Again smaller schools probably don't have a #4 and 5 kid at any position. Spring football for the most part is a waste for the smaller schools who field 25-30 kids during the season and with most of them on a spring team. These teams may have a dozen kids availible. Keep lifting, get strong, work harder in the summer on fundementals.

So are you arguing that because spring football may be a waste of time for smaller schools, all schools should be prevented from having spring football? I hope not.

[charlie22]

I have to disagree about some of these posts. If a kid is playing baseball, he should play baseball. If a kid is running track, he should run track. I know that some schools share athletes, but spring football is a time when the team can get better at fundementals.
This means that coaches can work with kids in smaller numbers. I know it's not ideal to have your #1 WR and #2 WR out with a sping sport, but you can help your #3, #4, and #5 WR become better football players. This can happen in the gym, but it should be happening on a football field.
If a football team can't get onto a field because it's too muddy, then every spring sport is vying for time in the gym. So a larger problem seems to be created by pushing the date for spring football season in March.
Ultimatly, a team can help build depth by giving kids reps in the spring, that they otherwise will see in limited number during the season.

We'll just respectfully disagree with one another. If I was a baseball coach (and I've talked to our baseball coach and he agrees with my thinking) I'd rather have spring football in March than in April or May because he does share some players with football. He and our football coach coordinate practices very nicely, both on the field and in the gym. The baseball coach knows in advance what days the football team is going to practice and what baseball players will be practicing football those days. He plans his baseball practices accordingly. It works out fine. The baseball coach doesn't feel that missing several baseball practices in March affects the quality of the baseball team come baseball tournament time. When both teams have to be inside, the pitchers and catchers do their work in the hallways. Kids work on their arms in the hallway. Batting cage is set up in a room other than the main gym. There are plenty of ways some fundamentals can be worked on while the football team is in the gym. Sometimes its the baseball team in the gym and football is moved to the hallways or is in the film room working on things. A little coordination and cooperation goes a long way.

[Dungy]

Yesterday was the first day for some of the teams that lost early in b-ball...any news or surprises?

[Thunder Lips]

Why even have 10 days of practice 5-6 months before your season starts anyway.

Shouldn't the same be asked about summer basketball? You could even ask it about summer baseball when it pertains to high school baseball.

[RAM-A-DEVIL]

whatever happened to the good ol' days of playing a sport finishing it and then going on to the next one? All 3 are played year round now and it sucks. Spring football, summer basketball and summer baseball seasons that are 70 games long are why we don't have more 3 sport athletes playing these days. Kids get burned out on all of them.

[HAT51]

whatever happened to the good ol' days of playing a sport finishing it and then going on to the next one? All 3 are played year round now and it sucks. Spring football, summer basketball and summer baseball seasons that are 70 games long are why we don't have more 3 sport athletes playing these days. Kids get burned out on all of them.

If a player is on a spring roster, he can't be forced to go through spring football practice.

[RAMSPORTS]

Mines trying, but getting very hard to do 3 sports.

[launchpad4]

I think the concept of spring football is great. However in practice as it is outlined by the KHSAA I don't see it being as big a factor in developing kids as other states and I don't necessarily feel it is fair to all schools. You have some schools starting when the weather is clearly to cold to do much outside and others that can start after the Sweet 16 in warmer weather. Also 10 days of practice isn't much when you consider all the things that have to get done during this period. Player evaluations, setting summer depth charts, moving players to other positions, and installing and polishing your offense and defense. I would like to see a more collegiate approach to Spring football and for the KHSAA to set starting and ending dates in which schools can determine when it would be best for them to start. I would also love to see the number of practices increased. This would help out the kids and the teams would improve. I just don't think the current system is fair and I honestly don't think that anyone at the KHSAA office cares either.

[charlie22]

I think the concept of spring football is great. However in practice as it is outlined by the KHSAA I don't see it being as big a factor in developing kids as other states and I don't necessarily feel it is fair to all schools. You have some schools starting when the weather is clearly to cold to do much outside and others that can start after the Sweet 16 in warmer weather. Also 10 days of practice isn't much when you consider all the things that have to get done during this period. Player evaluations, setting summer depth charts, moving players to other positions, and installing and polishing your offense and defense. I would like to see a more collegiate approach to Spring football and for the KHSAA to set starting and ending dates in which schools can determine when it would be best for them to start. I would also love to see the number of practices increased. This would help out the kids and the teams would improve. I just don't think the current system is fair and I honestly don't think that anyone at the KHSAA office cares either.

Don't think I agree with the comment about it being too cold. If you were playing football in the playoffs last year, you were practicing in weather as cold as, if not colder, than it is now. Don't see the unfairness of that. Heck, a lot of players and coaches would rather practice when its in the 20s and 30s than when its in the 50s. The current weather in my opinion is "football weather".

I agree with a lot of your other points, particularly more practice days. But again, I think we need to remember the people at the KHSAA that you don't think care (which I also disagree with you on) have a balancing act to maintain. They are there to encourage and promote all sports not just football. There are plenty of people at the KHSAA that care a lot about football (a few even more about football than basketball but don't tell any one) and are a big reason why we even have spring football once again. If we have spring football intrude even more onto the other spring sports we risk losing spring football entirely once again. That would stink.

What we have is not optimal for football, but if we push too hard for what is optimal for football may result in no spring football at all.

[belfrysteeler]

guys if you love football.a nd you have been without it since november/december, wouldn't ou love to have a litle bit of full contact? plus spring football is usually fun and not stressfull at all

[charlie22]

guys if you love football.a nd you have been without it since november/december, wouldn't ou love to have a litle bit of full contact? plus spring football is usually fun and not stressfull at all

That depends on how your school runs spring practice. Highlands has a lot of full contact in the spring. Very intense practices. Lots of hitting and full go scrimmages.

[RAM-A-DEVIL]

If a player is on a spring roster, he can't be forced to go through spring football practice.

That's true but, you know as well as i do that a coach can put that subtle pressure on a lot of those young minds out there and he will show up to spring practice whether he wants to or not.