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falconfan1
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Some very interesting points brought up in the article.  State enrollment figures have been going in opposite directions for two decades.  Larger schools are getting larger while smaller schools are getting smaller.  The commonwealth of Virginia, VDOE and VHSL should have been working toward possible solutions years ago.  But that's a whole other can of worms. 

Personally, I believe a 5 game postseason is too long.  It should be reduced by a game.  I know that likely means some very good football teams (especially in larger classifications) get left out of the postseason but it is what it is.  I'm also not opposed to shortening the preseason by a week.  I believe a combination of those two would be the best solution for the greater good.  Probably won't be a popular opinion though.

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21 minutes ago, sixcat said:

Some very interesting points brought up in the article.  State enrollment figures have been going in opposite directions for two decades.  Larger schools are getting larger while smaller schools are getting smaller.  The commonwealth of Virginia, VDOE and VHSL should have been working toward possible solutions years ago.  But that's a whole other can of worms. 

Personally, I believe a 5 game postseason is too long.  It should be reduced by a game.  I know that likely means some very good football teams (especially in larger classifications) get left out of the postseason but it is what it is.  I'm also not opposed to shortening the preseason by a week.  I believe a combination of those two would be the best solution for the greater good.  Probably won't be a popular opinion though.

100% agreed

 

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49 minutes ago, sixcat said:

Some very interesting points brought up in the article.  State enrollment figures have been going in opposite directions for two decades.  Larger schools are getting larger while smaller schools are getting smaller.  The commonwealth of Virginia, VDOE and VHSL should have been working toward possible solutions years ago.  But that's a whole other can of worms. 

Personally, I believe a 5 game postseason is too long.  It should be reduced by a game.  I know that likely means some very good football teams (especially in larger classifications) get left out of the postseason but it is what it is.  I'm also not opposed to shortening the preseason by a week.  I believe a combination of those two would be the best solution for the greater good.  Probably won't be a popular opinion though.

Scrimmages ok, but not a fan of the benefit game at all.

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1 hour ago, stu_bean said:

Scrimmages ok, but not a fan of the benefit game at all.

Or no scrimmages and only a benefit game.  Wouldn't 7 on 7's cover your scrimmage needs.  Except of course your OL and DL.  I believe they have what amounts to a 7on7 style camps for OL/DL.

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I say no benefit game as no team is going to show what they really are trying to do.  Main thing is just trying to knock some rust off.  To many people say well we ran all over them or they weren't anything regarding the benefit they played against them.  We won a benefit against Chilhowie one year and went 0-10 regular season so they mean nothing.  I like the idea of the jamboree having multiple teams scrimmaging against each other with no real pressure on anything.  I also read in the article that they were considering only counting enrollment from 9-12.  I thought that was already the case.  Why would you want to boost your numbers up to a higher level when you don't have the students to back it.

This season is a bit odd as well as the season is running a week later due to the way the calendar fell.  Normally last week should have been the last week.

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4 minutes ago, stu_bean said:

I say no benefit game as no team is going to show what they really are trying to do.  Main thing is just trying to knock some rust off.  To many people say well we ran all over them or they weren't anything regarding the benefit they played against them.  We won a benefit against Chilhowie one year and went 0-10 regular season so they mean nothing.  I like the idea of the jamboree having multiple teams scrimmaging against each other with no real pressure on anything.  I also read in the article that they were considering only counting enrollment from 9-12.  I thought that was already the case.  Why would you want to boost your numbers up to a higher level when you don't have the students to back it.

This season is a bit odd as well as the season is running a week later due to the way the calendar fell.  Normally last week should have been the last week.

I believe the article mentioned only counting grades 9-11.  I'm not sure how that would change classifications!?!?!  Removing the senior classes from ADM figures should leave every school in virtually the same rank in the pecking order.

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I do think that the smaller schools (enrollment) suffer greatly from year round activity. (in any sport).  Kids need to be kids and play multiple sports.  College coaches look for those kids who have played multiple sports when recruiting kids.  Even the big linemen can benefit from wrestling or throwing the shot put.   

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5 game post season is too long.  If you make the championship game, you've played a whole extra half of a season.  I say start the season a week earlier and cut the playoffs to 4 games...championship games could be played on the last weekend in November.  Don't get rid of the bye week, and don't allow a bye week before the fifth game of the year.  That way kids can "refresh" a bit, especially if they are heading into post-season play.

But that's too logical for the VH$L to figure out....

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1 hour ago, sixcat said:

I believe the article mentioned only counting grades 9-11.  I'm not sure how that would change classifications!?!?!  Removing the senior classes from ADM figures should leave every school in virtually the same rank in the pecking order.

Very true, for the most-part...

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3 hours ago, GMan said:

5 game post season is too long.  If you make the championship game, you've played a whole extra half of a season.  I say start the season a week earlier and cut the playoffs to 4 games...championship games could be played on the last weekend in November.  Don't get rid of the bye week, and don't allow a bye week before the fifth game of the year.  That way kids can "refresh" a bit, especially if they are heading into post-season play.

But that's too logical for the VH$L to figure out....

For whatever reason, the VHSL moved everything back a week this year.  It will be June 14th or so before a state champion is crowned in baseball or softball.  That's ridiculous, seeing as most of our schools are done by the first week of June or last week of May.  Start football season earlier, as the teams are already practicing all summer anyway.

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Might be unpopular, but I'm not a fan of reducing playoff games. Most kids career ends at the high school level, and eight teams means more get to experience playoff football. 

I thought benefit games just raise money for a charity or a school, didn't know the VHSL took a cut. Get rid of them. 

 

I also like the idea of no byes before week five (maybe four for logistical reasons). I think after week six is perfect, enough time to gel before and enough games to get rhythm back going into the playoffs, but I know not all teams can take their bye in same week. Weeks four thru seven should be the bye for all teams. 

Nixing year round practices and stuff needs to be top on the agenda. It's ridiculous. One sport specialization is not doing the kids any favors. 

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Cut the preseason by a week. I dont care for the benefit game or scrimmage setups, personally I like the jamboree setup, team A vs team B for a half, then team B vs team C for a half, then finish things off with A vs C. Easily the best setup imo. The Jamboree with Haysi/Ervinton/Clintwood/Pound was always good; all the teams played each other later in the season so they werent trying to show anything, just out there running their 4-5 base plays from1-2 formations and knocking the rust off. 

Cut the playoffs back to 4 weeks. Ive went back and forth with this(dont want to deny players games) but were starting to see players just lay down because theyre gonna get destroyed by the #1 seed, thats not helping anyone. Better to just let the last regular season game be their last game imo. 

With 7 on 7s and all the year round sport specific stuff the season is VERY long. Maybe cut some of the year round stuff too, its just a lot.

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Food for thought from a football perspective.....Year around practices need to be monitored by Admin (LOL). For years basketball had open gyms or AAU year round but the football coaches were not allowed by rules to let kids throw pass routes supervised. Baseball could do the same. SO year round has been going on as long as there was a coach willing to give his time to open up a gym or a practice field. Eliminate an open week? Teams need to have a time to heal, shorten the playoffs could work for one week but does that really matter? SC, NC, TN I beleive all have 5 week post season games. Basketball season began Nov 11 and the tean that plays for the state championship will play  the week of  March 9. About the same amount of weeks. Just thoughts

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25 minutes ago, swvafbrespect said:

Food for thought from a football perspective.....Year around practices need to be monitored by Admin (LOL). For years basketball had open gyms or AAU year round but the football coaches were not allowed by rules to let kids throw pass routes supervised. Baseball could do the same. SO year round has been going on as long as there was a coach willing to give his time to open up a gym or a practice field. Eliminate an open week? Teams need to have a time to heal, shorten the playoffs could work for one week but does that really matter? SC, NC, TN I beleive all have 5 week post season games. Basketball season began Nov 11 and the tean that plays for the state championship will play  the week of  March 9. About the same amount of weeks. Just thoughts

Just a few counter points.  First, basketball and baseball are not similar to football in terms of the amount of contact a kid is subjected to.  Especially from a perception standpoint.  I understand your point, 7 on 7 isn't exactly a contact form of football.  That does little to ease the concerns of mothers everywhere.  Head injuries have become so synonymous with football, the perception has become largely reality.  Second, VHSL has absolutely nothing to do with AAU.  

According to the article linked above, high school football participation is down 13.5% over the past 7 years in Virginia.  According to a recent article in the Raleigh News & Observer, high school football participation is down 19.7% in North Carolina over the past 4 seasons.  According to a news report from September on a Columbia television station, South Carolina high school football participation has dropped an average of 2.2% per year for 29 consecutive years.  Changes need to be made or we will lose football altogether as we know it. 

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I don't know if anyone really has a good answer for declining numbers in football.

I have seen this happen though.

What would a kid rather do? Football in the hot sun all summer long or shoot a basketball in an air conditioned gym?   Before all of you get your hair in a knot about air conditioned gyms, I know that not every school has it.

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I was not aware the VHSL got some of the money from the benefit game. I would be perfectly fine with eliminating that game. Seems like 2 or 3 years in a row Richlands lost a starter in the benefit game with Honaker. To me the "Bye week" you need to keep. Kids and coaches both need a week to heal, rest, decompress, etc. 

Just keep in mind one thing. If it can be screwed up, the VHSL will do it. That much we know for sure. 

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Most if not area teams have trouble finding teams to fill out the schedules ,so they play teams from Ky,Tn, or N.C.The gate revenue lost by having say...8 or 9 game season could be made up if the VHSL would keep their money grubbing hands off of the playoff games and do what their by laws says.....administer and support the local athletes and offer state wide rules.I am sure this meeting of the VHSL will take place at a warm beach in a warm weather state. Union was beat up and we lost a player for the year playing  PAINTSVILLE Ky and we spent half the night in LETCHER CO. on a weather delay, so 8 or 9 games followed by a open date and 4 game playoff would shorten the season by 1,2 or 3 weeks. Yes good teams will be left out . We (UNION)are taking our hard earned $$$$ to KY when we play them and LETCHER never has filled the stands in BIG STONE GAP

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Difference between benefit game and jamboree as far as VHSL money goes, from the handbook.

Benefit game - After expenses, the competing schools will
each receive one-third of the net income and the remaining one-third share will be sent to
the VHSL.

Jamboree - (e) Eighty (80) percent of the net proceeds will be shared by the competing
member schools and twenty (20) percent of the net proceeds will be deposited into the
League's treasury.

Money wise, even though the VHSL is getting a larger percentage of money from a benefit game, it looks like that format gives the most money to each school.  For example: if $12K were made, that would be $4K to each school in a benefit game. For a jamboree, $9600(80%) would be split. Jamboree would have 3 team minimum. That's $3200. Four teams would be $2400.

 

From a competition perspective, I would have to imagine a jamboree would be better, especially if the teams run different styles of O, to best prepare for the season.

 

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39 minutes ago, sixcat said:

7 on 7 isn't exactly a contact form of football.  That does little to ease the concerns of mothers everywhere.  Head injuries have become so synonymous with football, the perception has become largely reality. 

Yep. My son isn’t even a week old yet and I’m already internally debating football. I want him to grow up and love the sport that I love — but concussions are a very real — and scary — issue. 

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45 minutes ago, Ryan4VT said:

Yep. My son isn’t even a week old yet and I’m already internally debating football. I want him to grow up and love the sport that I love — but concussions are a very real — and scary — issue. 

Anyone that played football has seen "Stars" or "Glitter".  Concussions happen, but your son would have a very good piece of "Headgear" on. Today's technology is unreal, and will be even better as he grows up.  I have heard this same sentiment from other former athletes.  Football is a great contact sport, and needs to be taught better at the youth level.  Guys like you need to step up and coach, and teach kids the proper fundamentals of "Head Placement" on tackles and proper form.  Soccer is the sport that leads in concussions.  Have fun watching him grow, and hopefully he is a football player one day. 

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