Youth leagues are the problem area wide. Football does not work locally on the travel baseball model. Get back to the small hometown leagues that allow kids to compete first against each other and develop a love for the game.
This rivalry used to be super fierce due to the fact that they grew up playing each other in Pee Wee/Midget rec league from flag through 7th grade. Now that league is just a memory and I feel because of that this rivalry has suffered a bit. I am afraid that because parents can't travel just a few miles to Sugar Hollow Park for great youth league competition between City and County that football participation numbers have dwindled for both schools.
The City/County bowl championship games were always competitive and controversial.
1. This Union defense while very young is going to be special-possibly the best we've seen by the time they gel
2. Brody Gibson looked much more comfortable tonight. All the Bears fans with doom and gloom forgetting that he's learning the position at the varsity level. He threw pretty well overall tonight and should have had a long TD pass but it was dropped (very well thrown ball).
3. Absolutely tickled to death for the kids from Gate City. They've took their lumps over the last few years. The conference needs teams like GC and Central to be good. It will only make the rest better
Could be the best district this side of the state.
So....Two commenting on numbers but no one talking about Battle's performance against SN?
As far as coaches of other sports trying to build their program.....You better be at it year round because your competition is.
I made the comment when the VHSL began to allow year round organized practice, less a few "dead" periods, that sports as a whole would suffer. The current participation numbers along with fewer true athletes to distribute between sports has taken it's toll.
No Abingdon? Hmmm that's funny, they have one of the better teams locally and are the biggest school on this side of SWVA...sure makes a lot of sense WCYB?🤔
Tennessee will always get priority because of it's larger population. It doesn't mean football is better one place or another or if it seems to be a bad matchup. It's all about getting the largest audience for ratings.
There is a decline in numbers across the board due to aging and declining population for a variety of reasons. We know it's not the student/athletes fault. If a prominent and respected member of this board is not willing to risk the health of their own child to play this game (and for good reason, no judgement, I get it completely) then the game is it's own enemy and will self devour. Students do have a large load of work just to graduate, go to college, have a car and some part time work, all the while dealing with a fast paced crazy world.
Go out and enjoy the game every chance you have. It will not be here much longer.
Everything is AAU this or travel that. Just let the kids play and when _____ season is in coach them hard, but dont make it a year round grind.
Where you are missing the point is that all these kids are going DI or straight to the pros out of high school 😂. Same kids cant even dominate A or AA SWVA talent.
I will say all the travel teams have taken the hometown pride out of local sports. That is a big part of it. There is no sense of commitment or loyalty to the community.
16 hours ago, Bearcat Dad said:
Bristol has become nothing short of a retirement community as well. With once thriving industrial parks becoming little more than ghost towns, young families have no choice but to move away from the area to find work that pays good enough to raise their children. At least we are working hard to become the retail capital of SWVA! (Sarcasm)
Even a respectable profession like education, is in a horrible state in SWVA. Teachers are grossly underpaid compared to the rest of the state and because of issues like declining population, cities like Bristol do not want to build new schools, they just want to slap band-aids on their decrepit old schools and build fancy shopping centers in hopes of mirroring our Tennessee brethren.
We do have a superintendent that is fighting very hard to help the kids in Bristol, but as we all know, the powers that be in Richmond usually forget that the state does extend west past Roanoke.
Both of my kids have expressed interest in leaving the area when they receive their degrees. I hate it, but I can’t say I blame them.
I would be very afraid to dress in the visitors football locker room at Lebanon Middle School.
I know we've talked and talked about it but SWVA is hurting for good or decent paying jobs. Coal is never going to be what it was. Check the numbers of households with school aged children and you'll see they are low.
8 man football is probably where we r headed in Va especially in SWVA the numbers r low due to so much talk lately of concussions&concussion sendrom thst kids r backing out of playing&parents arent letting them plus lots more kids 14+ are working jobs to help support their families and for themselves sad that we have come to this point these modern times there are already many many 7on 7camps so thatstendung to 8man as well its a shame football just isnt what it used to be
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Week 4 updates
in SWVA Football
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7-7 in the 3rd