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Is what I am hearing true?


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10 minutes ago, tornado99 said:

Which community would be the blueprint for reference? Since I have been away from it for several years, I couldn't say what the issue is, although at the time fall soccer seemed to be attracting more kids away from football.  Are there any fall flag football leagues for those who have been deterred by concussion concerns? It's an interesting topic that I hadn't given much thought, and assumed the problems were everywhere. 

Big Stone has a pretty robust youth football league, runs until age 12 and then the kids start 7th and 8th grade and then JV.  The youth league is in pads, 11 man football.

You cannot have a successful, sustainable HS program without an excellent youth league with decent coaches who try and help the kids learn. Wins and losses at that age aren't as important as learning how to play safely and productively. 

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8 minutes ago, tornado99 said:

So, how many teams and kids roughly in the BSG system? Do they have much competition with other sports?

Four teams with each team having a sub-team, the younger kids (8-9yo IIRC) play the young kids on the other three teams on different days while the older kids (10-12yo) play on different days. I'm not 100% on the total numbers, @UNION'S HAMMER could prob answer that better, but id imagine it's roughly 100 kids. 

 

As far as competiton, I dunno. I know the local little league ends before football starts, not sure about all the travel baseball teams. The town sponsored soccer league plays during a different time I believe. BSG seems to do a good job of spacing out stuff for the most part. It's impossible not to have some overlap if you're doing soccer and football both but AFAIK in BSG, the youth football seems to be in drivers seat.

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3 hours ago, BigWinners said:

Big Stone has a pretty robust youth football league, runs until age 12 and then the kids start 7th and 8th grade and then JV.  The youth league is in pads, 11 man football.

You cannot have a successful, sustainable HS program without an excellent youth league with decent coaches who try and help the kids learn. Wins and losses at that age aren't as important as learning how to play safely and productively. 

 

1 hour ago, BigWinners said:

Four teams with each team having a sub-team, the younger kids (8-9yo IIRC) play the young kids on the other three teams on different days while the older kids (10-12yo) play on different days. I'm not 100% on the total numbers, @UNION'S HAMMER could prob answer that better, but id imagine it's roughly 100 kids. 

 

As far as competiton, I dunno. I know the local little league ends before football starts, not sure about all the travel baseball teams. The town sponsored soccer league plays during a different time I believe. BSG seems to do a good job of spacing out stuff for the most part. It's impossible not to have some overlap if you're doing soccer and football both but AFAIK in BSG, the youth football seems to be in drivers seat.

Thanks for the response. 

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50 minutes ago, FootballFanatic37 said:

As a parent with two kids in the Richlands youth program, can some one tell me why they feel that the league is failing? I just registered my boys last week, to play flag football this summer and football this fall. 

Good question. My guess is purely numbers, based upon me asking the question myself.  Evidenced by the number of teams (2), compared to my past experiences 5 and 4 with Baptist Valley, Raven, and Cedar Bluff no longer active.  I assume soccer is mostly to blame, but again, that's why I asked. I thought other SWVA communities were in the same boat prior to the responses in this thread. 

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On 5/28/2021 at 2:24 PM, Plywood_King said:

Money, of course, but outside of that, a quality feeder system and low expectations. You've got a lot more job security at a school that isn't used to winning. Richlands is a tough job to fill because the expectations will be high and it's the worst kept secret in SWVA that the Tornado is about to take a big step back in talent. 

Tazewell county is no worst that Smyth or Scott or Lee even though that’s not saying a whole lot. Washington and Wythe are the places to go if you want to make money. I just figured with all the pressure to win the booster club might sweeten the pot a little

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3 minutes ago, Jags52 said:

Tazewell county is no worst that Smyth or Scott or Lee even though that’s not saying a whole lot. Washington and Wythe are the places to go if you want to make money. I just figured with all the pressure to win the booster club might sweeten the pot a little

I think they’d have to sweeten it several thousand dollars for it to be worth Rhodes coming compared to what he makes presently. 

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 I would have to agree that soccer, travel baseball, travel basketball and  a growing youth wrestling program has probably impacted youth football numbers across the area as a whole. With that multitude of options kids have an opportunity to try different things, sports that may better suit there size, age, weight and skill set.
Richlands still has 5 total teams. 2 in the younger smurf division, 2 in the pee wee division, and the boys combine to form 1 team in the older midget division.

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That's right. I was referring to the teams at each level with a total of 12-15.

3 hours ago, FootballFanatic37 said:

 I would have to agree that soccer, travel baseball, travel basketball and  a growing youth wrestling program has probably impacted youth football numbers across the area as a whole. With that multitude of options kids have an opportunity to try different things, sports that may better suit there size, age, weight and skill set.
Richlands still has 5 total teams. 2 in the younger smurf division, 2 in the pee wee division, and the boys combine to form 1 team in the older midget division.

Are the other communities stand-alone or do they combine like how Grundy, Honaker, Hurley,  Lebanon, and Twin Valley had participated in Richlands? Does Graham,  Tazewell, or other areas mostly maintain their single "town/school" leagues?

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Grundy,Hurley,Lebanon, Twin Valley and Honaker were all in our league in our last full season. With each area team having one team per division.

Im not sure how Tazewell runs there youth league. I guy work with has told me that Graham plays in the Southern Mountain Youth Football League .I know Mountview  and Montcalm are in that league too, not sure about there other league teams. 

I generally don’t like to pass on information when I don’t have full details. But last week when I signed my boys up for flag and fall football I was told by one of the Richlands league reps that they are working on trying to possibly form a Southern Virgina Youth League. An attempt to try and bring everyone together. Including the above mentioned teams and inviting Graham, Tazewell, Abingdon and a team from the Ridgeview area to join. I don’t know how far along they are in making that happen , but I think it would be awesome for youth football in our area!

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4 hours ago, Gridiron60 said:

I think they’d have to sweeten it several thousand dollars for it to be worth Rhodes coming compared to what he makes presently. 

Wise county pays much better than Tazewell.  

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On 5/28/2021 at 11:45 PM, tornado99 said:

Good question. My guess is purely numbers, based upon me asking the question myself.  Evidenced by the number of teams (2), compared to my past experiences 5 and 4 with Baptist Valley, Raven, and Cedar Bluff no longer active.  I assume soccer is mostly to blame, but again, that's why I asked. I thought other SWVA communities were in the same boat prior to the responses in this thread. 

IMO this all started several years ago when the Richlands feeder program had several teams.  It's my understanding, (someone correct me if I'm wrong)the league management was made up of mostly coaches of teams themselves.  Those coaches begin to have the attitude of win at all cost, and begin closing some of the programs down to enhance their team by moving players from the closed down programs to benefit their team.  A group of concerned citizens in the Raven area even volunteered to finance the Raven program so it could remain open, and the league management closed it down anyway.  The feeder program is now down to two teams, and there are a lot of parents with potential players who are still upset with that decision and will not play in the feeder program.  The management has changed somewhat as I understand it, with those who made crucial decisions to close programs moving into assistant coaching positions at Richland high school and middle school, and the feeder program is now in a dismal state.  Why have only two teams stacked with many players, (with many not getting to play), when you could have several teams with less players, but more would get to play?  I voice my opinion, but many won't because of being ridiculed.  I'm and old fart that just has an opinion and don't think twice about stating the truth, I have nothing to gain, and my only loose it seeing the Richlands program suffer as a fan.

If I am wrong in my thinking, I will humbly apologize, but that's my opinion, and I believe we all have one.  Always and forever a Blues Fan.

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On 5/29/2021 at 3:21 PM, Jags52 said:

Tazewell county is no worst that Smyth or Scott or Lee even though that’s not saying a whole lot. Washington and Wythe are the places to go if you want to make money. I just figured with all the pressure to win the booster club might sweeten the pot a little

The Gate City LL has a lot of Tennessee kids that come and play and then go back to Tennessee and play middle school and high school. I hope that some of the kids hang around now that the Sullivan County consoladation has occured and maybe some of the kids will play football as well as Basketball. Football in SW Va is changing and not for the good because of the population declines and the lack of interest by the kids. The parents are scared to death by the CTE data and other safety concerns and the kids just have other things they care more about than football.we are  expecting our first grandson in September and our son who played high school football has already said he would steer him away from football. These are the times that we live in and we might as well get used to it.

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3 hours ago, techfan said:

Best move they could have made this time of the year the kids all know and like him plus it gives them time to find a long term fit

 

3 hours ago, CPF said:

Jeff Tarter is new Richlands coach via Jim Talbert.

Right choice for the kids and program.   Glad Coach Tarter  was named to lead the Blues and give them continuity.  A heart for the Blues and a mentor for the kids.  He did an awesome job as "head coach" against Ridgeview and led the Blues in almost pulling  off the win.  

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Thank you Coach Tarter for stepping up and helping the program move forward.  This is a super great and well deserved move for the whole area.  Coach Tarter knows the kids, and they respect his knowledge.  If anyone can get the "Blues" back on track, it's Coach Tarter, and I for one wish him the best in this endeavor.  One of Jim Valvano's favorite sayings is, "Never Give Up, Never Give Up", and Coach Tarter has that character about him.  Hat's off to all involved in this hire, you could not have done better, and it's time for all to say, "Let's go Blues"!!

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