PHargis

The issue concerning concussions is a legitimate issue in all sports, high schools boys and girls. I would doubt that very many will respond to the Tennesseans request. May concussions may have started out primarily with something else being wrong and wound up the way it wound up. Many blame it on a number of reasons but the major ones I have read is athletes, young athletes, are not and have not been taught to protect themselves with their hands and by moving their feet. Yes I have seen many, the worst lately bing a guard that plays at Riverdale, Petty, who at a State tournament finals in Basketball ran head on mid court with a player from memphis Central and there was no doubt she got a concussion. She was taken to the hospital. In all cases, the scarey thing is this, players get concussions and the thing that happens, they try to shake it off and continue to play. Thats not the way it works. I have read many things and surveys made from a lot of states and it has surprised me that with all of the commotion made by the State, no stats have ever been published about who, when, sport, etc. I don't feel good about that because when that happens, just how valid is just saying be careful. I have seen stats from North Carolina, Missouri, Michigan, and read many stats from the internet. The big thing that has been done so far, whether there is a response or not, is that it has made a lot of parents AWARE to know to watch and after the athlete is finished playing and is at home and starts acting strange, do something about it if nothing but take them to a hospital. Listening to some Titan Players on the radio discuss concussions tells me it is an real time problem that could effect someone later in life. AmI an alarmist? Nope.but do I think young parents should be cautioned, you betcha. Do I think that teaching kids to prolect themselves is important? By all means. Do I think to keep a youngster out of the sport a while to recoup, talk to a doctor. Too much has been written and someone else writing, if they don't know what they are writing about, can make a lot uneasy.

The ranks at Hickman now is in the spotlight as Girls Coach and promoter now at Riverdale. Hickman to be a good spot for a next rising coach. Riverdale will not miss a beat and is a program which has a lot of players. Hard to post this, but they will miss Barbee but likely the team will decide they have something to prove with Wild and Barbee leaving at the same time. It might be called stepping up no matter what players show up at Blackman, Smyrna, Oakland and siegel.. 7AAA will still be strong and with more great players. It will be again be the place to be on Tuesday and Friday nights.

IMO,Riverdale will not be adverse to hiring someone again who if opportunities existed would leave the school for another assistant job in a University/DI School. In the past, it is obvious that the coaching ranks at a lot of schools have been full of some of the finest high school coaches. Generations of selectors of those coches are beginning to change and what may be important now is to select them or train others as to what to look for in that area. How well that is done will go a great distance in keeping the coaching talent refurbished.

One thing that is for sure, all roads to that job will go thru Principal Nolan and before he makes his decision, thru some parents of the team. There is so much talent there who have numerous schools looking at them, there will be a lot of consultation and interest on who will get the job. As with previous selections, the Coach selected with be a well known person as has been in the past. Two State Tournament wins, a lot of returning players will make a pressure packed decision that won't get too far off the Warrior track too far. What is interesting is only one female has been mentioned.

It may be less but June and some of July are low volume of usage months which is unfortunate for the first high school sports of the year. No news but there is news. No body posting.

Read Careful, no pridiction but you might look back at a number of head, asst coaches the school has had as those connections always arise when selections are needed. Once a Warrior, always a Warrior.

This one is going to have to be a big name that can draw. Players on the squad now require an equal to Wild along with someone who can teach, has AAU heavy background. There are a number floating around but only a few on the list mentioned. An issue will be the policy of the District as to how this will be done. Look for previous coach, a previous District 8 Coach or two, A University asst. Coach, numerous small college coaches and at least 2 0r three current 7AAA Coaches whose talent is very heavy. And yes, someone who has local Hooptown connections.

The thing that has made 7AAA High School Athletics so good has been evident for some time, IMO, for at least the past 6 years. The total athletic program of the District and for that matter, the whole County has been exceptional. Results do not lie. Mopst of this has to do with great leadership at the schools who had a knack of finding the right people as Head Coaches but finding those people who worked together best whith the schools of the communities they led. There is no doubt of the capabilities of both. These are big schools with a fan base that has high expectations and losing a number of coaches does not change that a bit. Changing coaches at Riverdale is not something unexpected because it is a fact of life with the program. John Wild is a great Coach and will be the same at the next level. He will fit in very well where he is going. The type of Womens basketball played in Miiddle Tennessee has attracted a lot of good coaches. Some are moving on to other programs. Football has been the same way, great programs. Volleyball has been a great example in that 4-5 schools have very good programs with Coaches finding other ground to conquer. Really not unexpected. So some of the schools will have to find other coaches and I can assure everyone 7AAA will reload and do their best. Tey have very high expections.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304898704577478370452447012.html

The same debate the same time every year. Its now getting to enrollment times for Private Schools and while its pretty civil this year, one can make cases all over the State of the Pro's and Cons, If education is the emphasis, its just like anything else and a business decision. Look at the cirriculum, what is offered, what is students interest and pay the price if its cost effective. If its for mostly athletics, right now it hard to justify. Whats so great about D2 athletics? I can tell you there is a lot to offer for a D2 to play in a D1 District or Region. If a D1 and D2 is in the same town, that might even things up a bit. But with the huge controversy that has hit the papers this year in D2, Public Schools have taken a pretty good step in a lot of ways and they are much better except in inner city and even there, there have been some good results. Privates, find kids close to your school. A player who wants to leave an area where his home town is or the friends he has grown up with has to be able to cut ties there. If thats all right fine but if its like the Mt Pleasant player who left town, transferred, then had to transfer to an intercity school and never went back home, hope they remember him. Few students want to do that but some do. There is a place for both and a good place but there is something to be in a place, close to your friends and family and be known if you walk down the street and see someone you have known, instead of spending your time traveling in a car, or walking into your Middle School and having those who remembered seeing you play crowd around and say, good to see you. Is is true there is more to school than athletics? News articles have sure born that out and everything comes from the top down in every school.

Certainly is and everyone is trying to go to the new one, Harding. Two or three years they will be dominent. Population changed but also compensation for coaches in the area has changed also. But that is not a major criteria.

Word seems to be leaking out some and the BOC likely knows but just let football do what they want, they will anyway, Then leave the rest alone as they have been, not much travel for the District, let them work out their own treavel for Tournaments, and that will take them to the grand finale. Thats really a full season.

bump

For those interested, Athletic Director Lykins and whoever will be Principal are accumulating resumes and the system is moving along. This high profiled position, educator and Coach will start to be considered sometime next week until its finished. The end of school, reorganization of Principal and Staff, and many other things are involved. But the world goes on as tryouts will be held, abd other events with the Volleyball program will continue until the Coach is selected. Everything is being coordinated thru Athletic Director Lykens to make sure everything is done properly. Lykens has a background in Volleyball also. Lykens is leading the search for the coach and teacher and should be contacted for interest. Since the Siegel Vo;leyball squad is large and deep, interest and questions by members of the squad should be directed to Lykens, a booster club member or the designee selected by the Athletic Director. This person will be selected by the school to lead the Stars this coming season. Interviews will start next week so I understamd.

There could be something else going on here. AC will get herself another Head Coaching assignment. Very few head coaches can walk into a head coaching assignment and can expect to be a winner expecially if the work had not been done by the previous coach. The slide down started a couple of years below she got there. Then became a series of personel problems. The school will be back but will have to look for a top nothch coach. But after 2 losing seasons, it will take 4 years and some patience. Those patrons who attend those home games will just have to find some way to attract and train players at the school. Or some familiar names may just have to return. The school will want to return its supremacy and fans in the State have3 too many mempries for basketball to be dormant at the school.

While this is surprise, and the two supposed leading candidates are Lipscomb connections it appears the choices might be made. Lipscomb has had great players in the last number of years but could not tip over to winning teams. With all of the talent around at different places and a great way to get a degree, it should be a great place to get the program going again. After all Frank is an associate director. The game is all about recruiting. Wouldn't doubt others would be interested since this is a NCAA school. The bar hasn't been high lately but it could be.

It happened very quietly and could be quite far reaching.

Riverdale will be back next year but whats new about that.

Did not see it but if WC has to go to Chattanooga for Regionals it will be hard for the regionals but not something they can't overcome. Winners are winners because they overcome adversity. Hang in there Pioneers.

Ummm, maybe we might think of some incentives which could be provided to motivate those students to stay in those schools. Might be tough and might be a little expensive but whats happening now has to be more so. With all of the change going on in the schools now and in the future, a little creativity might now be accepted and take the Principal and show successs stories and get their suggestions or...........

That is unfortunate but there are so many great coaches around the Riverdale area, it really won't make any difference. Riveerdale is prominent to day because of Barbee and some others came alsong for the ride and to play with a great player. No player is perfect just as if no coach is perfect. Select her not for the coach, who is great inhis way, but select her becasue of who she is, Barbee. She is a player that for 4 years has played, not perfect, but with a heart of a champion. She's a little undersized whereever she plays but to play against her is to play against someone with the eyes of a champion. Even if you took a few players around her away, she will still have the same record. She has been who she is, has done what it takes, and played the positions she has had to play and many times has not been able to play the best position that would emphasize her skills but it has always has been for what she has been asked to do. Another one of a series of great players that have come thru the school. Barbee the player and Barbee the will to succeed.

Oakland girls have been playing exceptional basketball this year with few losses. Much of it can be attributed to a new attitude which has become obvious. Coack Grandstaff has a renewed fire without a doubt. Last night Siegel beat Oakland easily. It was becasue Siegel had decided to take over the game and decided to be the team they have been the past 6-7 years. Siegel had a renewed fire as well. No matter what has happened the first half of the year, it looks like 7AAA is trying to get back to something more than a one trick pony this year. Riverdale is so good they have played like champions and at this point are. It took a while but the important thing is Oakland, Siegel, Blackman Smyrna and even Lavergne players and coaches determined in the first half of the season that something was going to change. All got better, some better than others. Yes its true Lavergne is still getting beaten by some outrageous scores but they are better and the rest of the schools are looking for Tournament time. We all have to wait for what happens next. Things will begin to turn out all right.

I could have this mixed up BUT the rules are agreed to by the Heads of the schools, "el President", and they sign off on them. They will go by the rules. So to have a checker check the owner of the schools to see if they are following the rules makes one wonder what is going on. it makes no difference the division or what. And how does the TSSAA come out in this. Why would anyone want to be responsible to run an organization like that when you cant believe what is agreed on. And then to have one of the schools to have a seninar on the rules when the TSSAA is Seminar giver and they should be the enforcer. There is no doubt that some of the D2 schools stayed in D! becasue they could not believe all of this. Not that D1 is that perfect.TSSAA is not running the show. Maybe they should be.

Tennessee Volleyball Sets 2012 Camp Dates Knox Co., TN - The Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball program has announced its 2012 camp dates, all of which will be held this summer on the UT campus. Camps 1 (setter camp) and 2 (hitter camp) will both be held on July 9. That same day also marks the beginning of the first team camp, which runs through July 12. Camp 4 will focus on serving and is slated for July 20. The overnight individual camp takes place over July 20-23. The sixth and final camp will be the second team camp and occurs July 23-25. Check www.TennesseeSportCamps.com for more information soon about all six of the camps. Further details can be found by calling (865) 974-8847. Information submitted by Todd Jeffery Mounce, University of Tennessee Media Relations