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Low Numbers in HS Football


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48 minutes ago, Grapeape said:

GC’s Little League program is in far worse shape than the varsity. Unfortunately it is illegal in Scott County for high school coaches to physically go to the elementary schools & put on a little presentation that might accidentally increase participation. There’s just nothing we can do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Wow...That's crazy, hopefully kids has younger brother's coming up though the grades that can help the coach pass the word around. And hopefully find some little league coaches that buying in to what he's trying to build on...

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13 hours ago, Grapeape said:

GC’s Little League program is in far worse shape than the varsity. Unfortunately it is illegal in Scott County for high school coaches to physically go to the elementary schools & put on a little presentation that might accidentally increase participation. There’s just nothing we can do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

This is why you're going to struggle mightily in the 2020s, regardless of coach.

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was at Battles scrimmage last night an I looked at our team on the side numbers whos numbers were down again this year an knowing that 13 are seniors. That's good if you have 10 to 12 juniors, where are our numbers (sitting on couches playing game systems). I think the main problem an I am not alone at Battle is the feeder program, rec. football is dead because we are trying to compete with travel ball on the baseball side. Little League is dead an gone because of travel ball an now some body thinks its a great thing to do that to football. At Battle up to 2000 we had 3 teams, city of Bristol had 3 teams an we played each team twice an it worked great. Now we want to run all over the country like the high school teams an that's fine if everyone had money to do this but most parents because of work have the problem getting to a game 10 miles away now you ask them to drive 2 hours 1 way for a 1 hour game. Most parents work a Saturday sometimes both do, what if there car wont make the long trip? Simple answer the child DOES NOT PLAY! when that happens 9 times out of 10 he wont play High School football. There is part of the problem, we got to find a way to put these young kids back in the feeder programs.

 
 
 
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Galax has 35 players, which is a bit of an uptick in numbers from years past.  I'm sure some of the 9th graders will play JV though.  Solid group too.  They should dominate Region C and have an excellent opportunity to reach Salem in December. 

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I believe a huge problem with Battles system is that they have a former MLB player coaching their baseball team which is a great thing and he is a great guy. But now all the young kids and their parents are getting the idea that oh there is a former MLB player coaching my son or that my son is playing with his kids that they are automatically going to the BIGs. I may come across as putting him down but I don't feel it's right to be having travel ball tryouts for next summers baseball team while football is getting ramped up and making the boys decided on which they won't to play; it's you are going to sit the bench in baseball if you play football at a youth age. 

Also Sullivan North seemed like they had as many if not fewer than Battle had last night. 

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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.

 

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52 minutes ago, 50kw said:

As far as coaches of other sports trying to build their program.....You better be at it year round because your competition is. 

 

This is a myth that has been bought into by most high school coaches. A team is more successful with athletes who play multiple sports as opposed to a roster of players who specialize in only one sport. A majority of colleges prefer that their recruits play multiple sports and any high school coach encouraging their players to focus only one is doing a disservice to their players and the school. 

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21 minutes ago, Widespread_Panic said:

This is a myth that has been bought into by most high school coaches. A team is more successful with athletes who play multiple sports as opposed to a roster of players who specialize in only one sport. A majority of colleges prefer that their recruits play multiple sports and any high school coach encouraging their players to focus only one is doing a disservice to their players and the school. 

Galax is a prime example that this is indeed a very accurate statement!  Galax has state championships in football, basketball (2), baseball, soccer (5), and several individual state champions in wrestling since Mark Dixon took over the football and weight/conditioning program in 2010.  Those 9 state championship teams were littered with the same kids.  The dozen or so individual wrestling state champions also played football, baseball and/or soccer.

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18 hours ago, Grapeape said:

GC’s Little League program is in far worse shape than the varsity. Unfortunately it is illegal in Scott County for high school coaches to physically go to the elementary schools & put on a little presentation that might accidentally increase participation. There’s just nothing we can do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

The former head coach about completely destroyed the program to the point of tossing out all the old videos of past games and taking all the little league equipment and throwing it away. He couldn't have left a bigger mess if he would have tried to! But winning just ten games the last four seasons and ultra basketball success has kinda of muddied the water for football, yes it still important but not the end all, be all it used to be. Football more sport goes in cycles and Gate City is on the worst downturn in program history, will it ever be what it once was probably not, but I hope they can at least attain respectability again. Time will tell!

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4 hours ago, sixcat said:

Galax is a prime example that this is indeed a very accurate statement!  Galax has state championships in football, basketball (2), baseball, soccer (5), and several individual state champions in wrestling since Mark Dixon took over the football and weight/conditioning program in 2010.  Those 9 state championship teams were littered with the same kids.  The dozen or so individual wrestling state champions also played football, baseball and/or soccer.

That’s a great example of coaching by allowing his players the full experience of high school sports. Some high profile coaches , especially in the 2 most profitable sports, still believe that in pressuring kids into focusing just on their sport. Sometimes it’s more about ego than preparation. Coach Dixon is doing it right. He knows his players don’t need 9 months of preparation before game 1. He also knows the benifits of multi sport athletes. Give me a wrestler at nose guard , at linebacker or the interior offensive line. You won’t need to spend hours on tackling drills or footwork with those guys. Give me a SS or a Catcher who wants that QB spot. His mechanics will be ingrained into his brain. Or a Safety that plays centerfield. His ball skills and track down speed will improve faster than anyone hanging around the weight room. A smart coach would know these things, at least one without a ginormous ego.

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