SwvaOG 601 Report Share Posted March 1 As for the lack of younger coaches, we should have anticipated a positive correlation between a decrease in youth football participation and a lack of younger coaches. We are seeing that manifest now. I'll also argue that there are a lot of 60-70 year old that won't let it go. I coached a youth sports team with a guy who was 65 and the game had moved on from his coaching style but he wouldn't let it go. I was in my late 40's at the time and our other coach was in his early 30's. I told him, "you gotta let the younger guys get a chance". Damn near broke his heart to give anything up.....which I thought was a bit selfish. The "young buck" coaches were in their late 30's. It is their time. Hell, you had a long run, be thankful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,919 Report Share Posted March 1 40 minutes ago, SwvaOG said: As the political divides continues, and it will, the next battle ground is going to be homeschooling vs public schooling. Currently, 20 states allow home-schooled kids to play high school sports (TN is one of them), five states allow it with the approval of local districts, five allow it if the students are partially enrolled in a public school program (my preferred option) and 20 states bar home-schoolers from public high school sports (of course Virginia and WV are in this group). Ask yourself, how many kids are only going to public schools so they can play sports? It is quite a bit. Now, the smart states will get in front of this early before a competing league is established. The answer is to allow them to play as long as they are partially enrolled (which will allow the states to receive increased funding). The backwards answer is the complete ban/bar which, of course, our state does. There is a homeschool girls basketball program locally called State Line Rush. They have sent a girl or two to college to play basketball every single year for over a decade. Not hard to see why Galax and Grayson County High Schools have seen a sharp decline in girls basketball talent in that timeframe. They fundraise like crazy and play all over the eastern seaboard. Probably play 50 games a year. Of the former SLR players that I know, one starts at George Washington currently, one starts at UT Chattanooga currently, and one started 77 games at Liberty between 2019-2023. https://www.maxpreps.com/va/galax/state-line-homeschool-rush-rush/basketball/girls/schedule/ https://www.facebook.com/statelinerush/ That is where I see youth athletics in the future. What State Line Rush is doing will be the rule rather than the exception. Edit to add: That 2018 NACA National Championship SLR won (on Facebook link) was with an extraordinary team. All three D1 players mentioned above plus three girls that played D2 basketball in South Carolina and another that played D2 basketball at Lee University. One of the D2 girls was an All-America selection. SwvaOG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jags52 346 Report Share Posted March 1 I can see sports like basketball, baseball, and volleyball going more home school/ club team oriented because of the travel system already in play it would be easy to do. However football is a different animal. The money needed to start that up is more that any of those other sports. The cost to play on a true travel 11 on 11 real football team would be insane. Helmets alone are getting close to the $350 range and that is for the Riddell speed (which the kids now a day think is a bad helmet) to get the "Cool" Helmet would cost you more like $500. A normal pair of shoulder pads are going to run you $200. When you add practice gear, jerseys, pants, ect. That adds up quick. Game Jerseys are around $160 for the top and around $100 for the bottom. At the end of the day you are asking these families to foot $1500 bill at a minimum just for equipment to play the sport. Then you have to think about insurance because no one in their right mind would run a club football team with out it. I am not sure what that cost but considering the nature of the sport I would say it is not cheap. The next question is where are that going to play? Its pretty easy to find a gym to play AAU basketball in or a massive baseball complex to play games at. However there are not as many Football fields that are open on Fridays and or Saturdays. If I was in charge of a high school you wouldnt be using my on campus field to play considering your club team is killing my biggest money maker. How are you going to fill out a coaching staff and where does that money come from. If you have been in the school system for lets say 15 years and you are a Head Coach right now you are making around $50,000-$60,000. That would probably be a minimum of what you would have to pay a current Head Coach to run your club team. You got to fill out your staff as well if you pay a supplement like that high schools currently do I would cost another $15,000 to $20,000. Honestly I do think you could pull it off in a large city where you may have a community field and enough people to fund raise but in SWVA I think we are safe for a while because we dont have the money or the infrastructure to pull that off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf1207 239 Report Share Posted March 2 4 hours ago, Jags52 said: I can see sports like basketball, baseball, and volleyball going more home school/ club team oriented because of the travel system already in play it would be easy to do. However football is a different animal. The money needed to start that up is more that any of those other sports. The cost to play on a true travel 11 on 11 real football team would be insane. Helmets alone are getting close to the $350 range and that is for the Riddell speed (which the kids now a day think is a bad helmet) to get the "Cool" Helmet would cost you more like $500. A normal pair of shoulder pads are going to run you $200. When you add practice gear, jerseys, pants, ect. That adds up quick. Game Jerseys are around $160 for the top and around $100 for the bottom. At the end of the day you are asking these families to foot $1500 bill at a minimum just for equipment to play the sport. Then you have to think about insurance because no one in their right mind would run a club football team with out it. I am not sure what that cost but considering the nature of the sport I would say it is not cheap. The next question is where are that going to play? Its pretty easy to find a gym to play AAU basketball in or a massive baseball complex to play games at. However there are not as many Football fields that are open on Fridays and or Saturdays. If I was in charge of a high school you wouldnt be using my on campus field to play considering your club team is killing my biggest money maker. How are you going to fill out a coaching staff and where does that money come from. If you have been in the school system for lets say 15 years and you are a Head Coach right now you are making around $50,000-$60,000. That would probably be a minimum of what you would have to pay a current Head Coach to run your club team. You got to fill out your staff as well if you pay a supplement like that high schools currently do I would cost another $15,000 to $20,000. Honestly I do think you could pull it off in a large city where you may have a community field and enough people to fund raise but in SWVA I think we are safe for a while because we dont have the money or the infrastructure to pull that off. This is correct for football, but I see the day coming soon when some high school programs may combine just for football. Twin Springs and Rye Cove for example. The schools would stay open but they would field one team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokie Bound 107 Report Share Posted March 2 On 2/28/2024 at 5:42 PM, 1inStripes said: I would think Tanner Hall is probably the youngest coach prior to the hiring of Sturgill at Chilhowie and they are probably close in age. Keith Warner may be the youngest before that in the immediate area. Keith Warner has done a tremendous job at Twin Springs. He went from running Power I to the Veer this year. Not many coaches can make that transition. He has to be a very knowledgable coach. The only problem for him will be sustaining the success at such a small school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokie Bound 107 Report Share Posted March 2 Billy Testerman is another good young coach who can't seem to get his foot through the door. He definitely deserves a shot somewhere. He was the defensive coordinator at Chilhowie during their two state runner up finishes and also served at Patrick Henry under Mark Palmer. He is now reunited with Palmer at Northwood so look for that program to start improving this fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jags52 346 Report Share Posted March 2 16 hours ago, Wolf1207 said: This is correct for football, but I see the day coming soon when some high school programs may combine just for football. Twin Springs and Rye Cove for example. The schools would stay open but they would field one team. I agree numbers are dropping like crazy right now. I know Richlands and Marion have both dropped below 600 kids for the first time in a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokie Bound 107 Report Share Posted March 2 6 hours ago, Jags52 said: I agree numbers are dropping like crazy right now. I know Richlands and Marion have both dropped below 600 kids for the first time in a long time Its hard to believe Marion's enrollment has dropped that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jags52 346 Report Share Posted March 3 3 hours ago, Hokie Bound said: Its hard to believe Marion's enrollment has dropped that much. I’m telling you the lines for 1A and 2A are about to move because of virtual school after Covid so many kids especially at Marion would rather sit at home and “do school” online that physical enrollment at the actual school is way down. I’ve had kids tell me the virtual school is way easier and they would rather do that then be in the classroom. It happening all over the region and I really believe your Chilhowie Grayson and George Wythes are about to be 2a because they are going to have to drop the enrollment to keep everything somewhat balanced Hokie Bound 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan4VT 4,554 Report Share Posted March 5 Hunter Norris is the new coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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