soccerdad

The Commandos snuck up on the Bison while they were grazing and stampeded them into a trap where they were slaughtered (like in the days of old). Thick, woolly hides go on sale soon. They will keep you warm all winter and remind you of the demise of the "thundering herd". /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Man up and play the game! If you get past your next opponent, then you've got something to say. Otherwise.....

WAY to GO Hawks! Keep your talons sharp and you just might pick off that buffalo and drop him into a village of hungry Indians!!!! /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Great job!!! Way to go!!! Let's hear it for BB! Also, great year ND - you rock!!! Start working on next year. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

You're 100% correct on that! Soccer officiating has not been able to keep up with the sport's explosive growth over the past 40 years. As our players age and go into officiating, as a part-time job, they find the demands to be great and the stress to be high. They often face disrespectful parents and coaches, who often don't understand soccer and rudely treat these young officials. Often, these officials are asked to do games above their level of competence, rather than breaking them in more slowly. This can lead to them making a higher number of mistakes. Usually, we don't have enough protections for these aspiring officials. Until we do something about this we will continue to have a shortage because so many of our youth are chased away from officiating. Ref assigners need to set a limit on how many Tu/Th games that can be scheduled, in a first-come-first-served approach! I always tried to schedule about 1/2 of my games on M/F - it made a big difference in the officiating.

Yet, it seems we always have the same problem: the lack of quality officiating. Way too often the cards are pulled unnecessarily. Our refs don't have enough experiences beyond city, club, and high school games to give them sufficient understanding of the rules and the situations which require a card and those that don't. Too often they bring their "city-league-protect-the-child" attitude to the high school game. Additionally, I've often seen the ref's emotions as a contributing factor in bringing out the cards. No other high school sport has such an easy route to ejection as does soccer. Two minor offenses and you're out. One major offense and you're gone. In football and basketball you see very similar rule infractions receiving either a "15 yard penalty" (which is not even assessed against the individual) or "foul" maybe even a "technical". Rarely, are they ejected. Additionally, our common, two-man officiating system adds to the problem - not enough eyes/ears/brains available to always make the appropriate call. The game we play has been fine-tuned over many decades and many continents. FIFA is not perfect, but it's rules are the best there are, so why does TSSAA think it can out-think them? Who does this help? The concept of expulsion is to remove a grossly troublesome individual so the game preserves it's "beauty" and the individual is given the chance to "come to his senses". Expulsion and missing a game should be seen as sufficient for our players. We're not dealing with professionals who have their "professional fouls" repertoire and other baggage, we're dealing with teenage boys and girls who sometimes don't think too clearly (due to their immaturity). Therefore, it is unfair for them to be punished in such an extreme manner by our inexperienced, under-manned officials. To protect the players from undue exclusion from games we should have the quality of our officials reviewed. Every time a player is ejected by an official, it should be noted on his/her review. Then the official is watched (by some supervisor) to see how regularly this happens. After so many, the official is called in to review his calls with the supervisor. If the official knows he/she was being reviewed, he/she would probably work harder at making sure his/her call was warranted. Of course this would only happen in a perfect world!!! /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

How do do figure that? Looking at the stats you don't know how much a player played. So no way to disqualify somebody's numbers. By the way, there are more first team backs than those cited and the second and third strings played in many games. So the att. average is the only way to judge on paper. Friday night will be the other. Hoping everyone has a safe trip and all players have a game they can look back on and say the gave their best. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

Hey, old timer, were you there for our first match up in '78 in Madison? You guys were HUGE! It was a great game that Alcoa won 27-0. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Please look closer at the stats. They have very similar Att. (attempts) = way of measuring like things. It doesn't matter how many quarters.

Thanks MVM for your thoughtful words! Yes, I too find it sad that public education has had to be given up in certain areas. But it's not due as much to the academics as it is to the intolerable social/moral decline many find happening in metro areas. As you probably read above, I've been in both AND I've had my kids in both - right now my last one is in a public school. However, we moved to find a school with a better social/moral climate .

Good post Rick! How can we agree on these "significant factors"? What might be some of them?

HMMM? Hey how about an Alcoa/Trousdale game? Great coaches, discipline, fundamentals, execution and no recruiting. Whoa, wait, I shouldn't even be thinking this way..... /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Are you close to this "epicenter" of football? If so, run for cover! I too wonder why no one, except for those teams that end of having to play them, ever say anything. When those from my school (who have a date this weekend with one of these) bring it up, those from this area act hurt, insulted, and haughty. What's the matter with the TSSAA and its member schools, can't everyone see it and stand up to it? /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

Hey, Gov. They do compare, in some areas. Today's private schools have changed with the times. With the great competition for students in metro areas, private schools have developed programs that reach out to many of these students you mentioned. I've worked in both types of schools (public and private) and so has my wife. Currently we work in two different private schools and in our work we work with the learning disabled, the emotionally unstable, the physically challenged. Check it out, many private schools now have speiclaized programs for these unique students. Of course, the poor are not present. But, the people who send their children to private schools are not all working in executive positions for Fortune 500 companies. Everyday, I see landscapers, plumbers, mechanics, carpenters, masons, electricians, car salespeople, public school teachers, etc. bringing their children to school along with the managers, owners, professionals, and other well-paid workers. There are many parents who sacrifice a better home, better vacations, more "toys" to send their children to a school they feel meets their needs best. Not all privates are like BGA, MBA, Ensworth, BA, or many other "elite" privates. Many exist due to religious reasons and these schools are the ones that are reaching out to these unique students.

HA! My unified league of non-achievers is just a joke. But it shows the extremes "fairness" can take us to. A problem I do see, in this area of fairness, is the disparity between urban and rural. /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" /> Could we have a third division that sets them apart?

Coach, we've got the annual TTSSAA (the extra T is on purpose - don't want you to get the wrong idea) decade Snipe Hunt set up for Dec. 31 at Henry Horton at 4 a.m. Should I book you a slot on a hunt team? I could probably get you some TTSSAA scouts to help you out! /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Well, it's not as easy as it looks! /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

Well, having coached at a small public, I agree with you!! It's not level now!! My poor old school had no weight room, a tiny gym, no playing fields, AND we had to play against PUBLIC schools that had 600-800 students more than us! Sir, is that fair? Of course I'm talking about those "minor" sports that go by the A/AA classification. It was a little better when we only had to play on the A level of classification, in other sports, against schools that had double our enrollment. Yes we were small and there were few like us, so obviously we had to "play up". In sports there really is no ideal situation - we need to make LEMONADE when we get raw deals. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Well, you've raised a VERY cogent argument. TSSAA wants it all to be FAIR. How is that possible with the amount of diversity between schools? They try to be fair by separating by: the # of students and the $$ given students. They want to be fairer by separating you if your school receives no public aid (although it appears that the people in these non-aid receiving schools are the folks next door who pay for their part of that aid - is this fair?). There is NO way to make the field level! If so, we would just have a dismal form of communism. Been there, seen it first hand - no competition, no drive, no hope, no excitement, no joy. WHY DO WE DO SPORTS ANYWAY? Isn't it to teach life's lessons and promote the physical being? Go ahead and level the field and you dry up the SPIRIT of sports!!!!! The 2009 awards ceremony: "Comrades, I award you the Order of TSSAA! As you know it's for all of you who have put on a uniform and adhered to the "fair and level" of sports. None of you have risen above the others and become proudful!! You are ALL champions!" [Note] /ph34r.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ph34r:" border="0" alt="ph34r.gif" />

Football is football - the underdog often has his day! No confussion about that, we've seen it from Pee Wee to NFL - it happens often. Never discount the will/spirit of the other team! /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Well, Pitt happens to be the little ol college team Pittsburgh (5-7) that lost to Connecticut by a score of 14-34, Connecticut lost to #2 West Virginia by a score of 21-66. So, last Friday everyone said Pitt would be destroyed by WV because of a perceived "huge differential" in the scores between mutual opponents. Well, Pitt took #2 WV down by a score of 13-9. Hasta la vista WV - no national championship game - just the Fiesta bowl and a #9 ranking. So, as my grandma used to say, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" /> Also, "Duck and cover when a tornado goes by - they're fast but they don't always hit what they aim for!" /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Duh, you can't base a team's season on ONE game, unless it's the one in the 'Boro!! Happens all they time and teams get up and push themselves to get better. Look at Pitt. Here's hoping everyone, fans and players, will make it safely to THE game and home again. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Coach, it's hard to describe because I've only seen fields with crowns, pot holes, depressions, high spots, low spots, ankle twisters, valleys, rocks, clumps, bald spots (you're familiar with this one), and sprinkler heads. I've NEVER seen a level playing field. All "fields" are different!!! /laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> It's TRUE. Just like LIFE!

You are right!!! That tromping by Alcoa hurt bad and it is a "witch hunt" by the rural/county schools who can't compete with the metro/private schools. I must say I haven't coached in the rural/county situation, but I've done the metro/private thing. I saw little overall advantage on either side of publics and privates in metro settings. There could possibly be some advantages of metro/private over rural/county, due to their location in more affluent parts of the state. But, what are they? What is it that makes one team better than another? What is is that brings home the trophy? What is it that builds a program that can compete at the highest levels year after year? There are examples of this in both public/private AND rural/county. Success is not limited to one type of school!!! I've seen the best of fields, wieght rooms, locker rooms, fieldhouses, gyms, courts, pitches (soccer fields), uniforms, workout rooms, equipment, concession stands, fans, etc. and the worst of these. But, I really don't think these have much to do with bringing that trophy back. To me the two main ingredients are: #1 the student-athlete #2 the coach. With #2 (the coach) schools are free to go out and buy the best. If the teacher's salary he receives is not enough, then there are MANY inventive ways to pay for the best. This, then, is a non-issue except for the rural/county schools who may be in economically disadvantaged areas, that either don't have the necessary $$ power the to hire the best or the best coaches choose not to live there due to the nature of the area. The main issue we deal with in this argument then, is the student-athlete. If you are in a rural/county area, your power of school choice is limited. Choices abound in metro areas. Thus, if you are 1.) looking for a good academic school, 2.) looking for a good party school, 3.) looking for a good athletic school, 4.) looking for a good religious school, 5.) looking for a performing arts school, 6.) looking for a good college-prep school -- these may be found in the metro areas. Sometimes, several of these may be found in the same school. Thus many schools are competing for the student-athlete. Which one to choose??? Some go out and agressively sell themselves and give out money to get them there (Div II). Others use either their wide array of programs within the school, their uniqueness, their prowess in sports, their quality coaching, etc. to attract (or a combination of these). It is excellence that attracts. Not mediocre. Not bad. Not average. Once a program becomes excellent, it attracts. Basic fact of life. But how to get there? The availabilty of more players, of better quality, is usually a metro phenomenon, due to the fact that "more people = more players". But the competition is high. Sometimes, new programs start up in metro areas (eg. PJII and Ensworth) who open up their wallets to produce competative teams overnight. Most cases are not like that. It often takes decades to arrive at excellence. But, once there "it keeps rollin' along". Thus, the argument is probably more urban vs. rural. The metro schools both private and public are dealing with the same issues. The county and rural schools have their own issues. So maybe we should have 3 divisions. Div I - rural/county Div II - teams that "buy" excellence Div III - metro schools (public and private). What do you think? May not work because somebody will decide that rural schools are at a disadvantage to the county schools, or the open enrollment vs. closed, or the brick school buildings vs. wood school buildings, or rye vs. bermuda...... /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

RAT Plan, as in "I smell a..."? If the privates formed their own, wouldn't that be a problem with nfhs - don't they only recognize one association per state?