stevescarb

We have an appointment with the orthopedist tomorrow as a result of a ridiculous clothesline at the Independence tournament last weekend. No foul was called then either. Frankly, I cannot read the descriptions of this incident without thinking a foul occurred. I would have to see a good video to make any determination as to who it was on. Having said that, I would not fault the player or the coaches being sued (although if anyone should know better, it seems like it would be the coaches), but rather the ref system in this state. We are so horribly inconsistent that players never know how aggressive to be. No player should be allowed to play in a manner that can cause harm. Call the smaller fouls agressively, use cautions liberally, and protect the players, refs. Just my opinion, of course, but I've never seen harmfully aggressive play tolerated at regional events. Until that style of officiating filters down to the high school level we'll see incidents like this.

Teams who underestimate Oneida are making a mistake. The problems I saw were small, though costly. And If that young forward isn't playing on a good club team somebody is messing up. And congrats on the dedicated soccer field, Oneida. It takes a few years to get the dips out unless you have tons of money. A little attention from the soccer dad's over the next few seasons and you folks will have a great venue.

Much worse than either one of those noble people. I'm a soccer Dad, ex. asst coach(more like a steppen fetchit) and a has been ref ( but not much of one). I help manage Kingston for now. OHS is a program on the rise. Any school that makes an internal commitment to its soccer team. like Oliver Springs has, can build one over time. soccer skills take years to develop and the younger a player starts the better. If the little kids see the big kids playing the game for their school, then that gives them the fire down below to play and learn. want a good HS team? Build a middle school team, AYSO, and local lower level club teams. (And grow us some refs who know what a foul looks like while you're at it.) Speaking of younger players, and maybe it should be a new thread, why does TSSAA make it so hard to have a team in Middle School? All they are accomplishing now is blocking school programs.

Kingston 6 Oneida 0 Oneida is better than that score indicates. The field was a total swamp because of the rains. The second goal skipped off a puddle and under the keeper's gloves, and Oneida had at least two runs stopped dead with the ball hitting a puddle. I don't know the name of their young forward but he is extremely fast and the sloppy conditions certainly weren't to his advantage. Kingston had their starting keeper back in goal but they were still missing their sweeper. Kingston also has several starters playing hurt. They play Oliver Springs Thursday and then get a week off to heal up.

Oneida and Kingston is a great rivalry, with both teams having their years. There's great respect in Kingston for Oneida and I hope we get to see all of the Swains. From before the start of the season, Kingston has had both forwards and the starting sweeper hurt and Thomas S. is still recovering from an assassination attempt at the Indy tournament but he'll play. (Did I mention how much I hate the Dual?) Both teams bring it for this game and I could't possibly predict the outcome. Kingston has a week off after this one so hopefully they can heal up a bit.

I have reffed before, in college tournaments. Talk about brutal. While overusing the expression, my hat goes off to the refs in TN. I might not agree with their calls, but we couldn't have games without them. We also are running out of refs (notice the 2 man system running more and more) Ever wonder why? Because mostly, all we do is complain. If it was brutal, it was because you as a ref let it be brutal. As for fewer refs...I think you're taking the easy way out. We have fewer refs because after seeing the ones we have, very few young players want to be like them. Having said that, I have my ref cert card. Both my kids play and carry a ref cert. How many games have you watched and seen players taken out from behind and no foul even called much less cautioned? Now tell us how many cards have you seen for dissent or profanity after such an event? Where's the justice in that? Hoya advocates players ignoring the ref and playing the game and so do I. But I don't excuse lousy officiating. Every ref should strive to be a roll model, teach something, and learn something in every game. Listen to the players and accept the fact that they are aware of things you aren't aware of. if you are making good decisions and explaining your calls you'll get respect. If you can't explain why you made a call...you shouldn't have made it. And all you players, when it's your time to move on, consider giving back to the game in the form of becoming a ref. It will be your chance to show us old guys how it should have been done.

Was it nice? No. Was it effective. Very. I think you might be careful with statements like that one. It could be misinterpreted that you are advocating that kind of behavior. It goes on entirely too much. Ok, now...Each year I state for the record that in East TN the refs are the weak link in our sport. I stand by that again this year. Having traveled to regionals and seen what good refs can mean to the quality of our beloved sport, I saddens me to see what the kids have to deal with in our area. We have to ask ourselves why there isn't a strong group of young refs taking over for geriatric cases like me, whose knees are unfortunately the same age as the rest of us. I think the reason is that the players don't look up to very many refs. They are viewed as authoritarians who get their way, right or wrong, and who won't listen to what a player has to say. Every good ref I've seen has an open line of communication with the players. Players forgive missed calls. They don't forgive ignorance, perceived bias, or incompetence. The most missed serious calls? Violent contact from behind. Aggressive play through the legs of the man in possession. Late challenge with no possibility of legally playing the ball. Missed offsides and obstruction are pains in the butt, sure, but they never cause injury.

I wonder if the TSSAA has goten any legal advice on this opening them up to a lawsuit? Seems like they could wind up paying some serious damages according to my ATTY buds. I don't see any perceived gain being worth the risk to TSSAA's finances.

Scrimmages are scrimmages, but Alcoa has a solid team with a lot of upperclassmen. The 2-1 result was about right for now. Kingston was missing three starters (too many smart kids play soccer) and still has some things to work out on the field. Hard to justify the 24 spot differential between those two teams in the rankings, though. Problem is that Kingston plays in the toughest District in Tennessee, with Catholic and CAK. Good thing is, we get to see some great futbol right in our own District. It all starts next week.

We knew it was a West fundraiser, and I think the West folks who did all the work and didn't charge the teams any fees deserve whatever they made. The only charges I am aware of were entry fees. Several of The refs needed the scrimmages too from what I saw (although there were some fine exceptions) . As we were leaving, the West players were taking down the nets and moving goals while everyone else was headed home. It was a good thing for us and sure showed us a few things we have to work on. I would give an award to the Mom who stood outside in that wind and sold t-shirts.

Don't sell Memphis short. The Kickers have a fair bit of talent even though they finished second in the State and second in the Premier League. That's not a bad season. I don't know how many of them play for CBHS, though. Farragut and Bearden will continue to be a great rivalry but the edge has to go to Farragut this year with five seniors from the State Champion Impact and club players at every position on the field and bench. I realize coaching is problematic but my grandmother should be able to win state with this team.

1 pm local time at Sports First. The results and schedule are posted Here: http://boards.coacht.com/index.php?showtopic=137539 Most of the kids are after an education first, soccer second. Several D-2 schools are circling the team. When do you think the D1 coaches will figure out that most of the good players in TN won't play ODP and check out the winning clubs?

The Knoxville Impact tied Vestavia 2-2 and won their second game to win the Premier league regardless of the outcome of their last game with Jackson. Vestavia played a great game against the Impact and beat Memphis 2-1. The Impact play Jackson in Huntsville this weekend. Well done, Boys!

Just because basketball made a bad choice doesn't mean we should. Just about everything about this rule offends me. Plainly put, the cure is devastating...what is the disease that warrants this? Does it boil down to TSSAA being jealous of what club sports have brought to athletics? Why 5 or 6 players? Why not 3 or 9? The idiocy of this whole thing is amazing. Unpaid refs? I resent having to pay some of the ones we get now...but the alternative is stupid...and dangerous. And now that I think about it, are the refs aware of this? Seems like they might be upset at being forced to work for nothing.

Let's try this again over here where we can all post. I wonder who the best in Tennessee are? For starters, I would list the U 18 Impact except for the new guys who I haven't watched long enough to put in. I would add most of the starters for the Memphis kickers and the Germantown Fury. Here are the Impact Players in no particular order: Andrew Stein C A Merrill Marvin Whitaker Nic Paolucci Ben Backstrom Jake Russell Josh Pelsor Nate Burns Adam Greene Chase Nieri David Pifer Hiroki NaitoMid Kenny Love Parker Camp Thomas Scarborough Tyler Swift Anybody want to add or subtract?

The Jackson game has been rescheduled for Birmingham the weekend of Oct 22. So far, that would be the only game either team plays so it should be even in that respect. AS far as the standings, if the Impact win the two Alabama games then they win the league no matter what, but that isn't why we're playing. The team wants the competition before Casl and besides, Jackson beat the Impact at regionals and this is a rematch. The boys feel like they let that one get away. Personally, I'm concerned about the officiating in Alabama. What I've encountered in Birmingham so far is not up to Premier League needs.

Refs are our weak link. I would bet that more cards are issued for dissent than serious foul play and that is exactly backwards. It is not just a high school problem but it does seem to be more prevalent there from what I observe. The two ref system should be outlawed. USSF doesn't allow it. FIFA doesn't allow it. When they can't provide three ref's, They use a club or local substitute for an assistant. TSSAA rules allow this, BTW, but nobody does it. The burden of playing in a safe manner is on the players. "They didn't mean to," is in no way an excuse. Get those yellow cards out of your pockets, refs! But first of all, how about spending a little time watching big time matches and learn what a foul looks like. That would be a big help.

The Saturday evening games were blown out by storms. The Impact were scheduled to play Jackson at 8 but it didn't happen. We may play them in Hunstville after taking on Vestavia and the other AL team. That'll be tough.

The Eastern teams are better tactically on the whole but we're seeing good talent in Central. Thomas says # 11 from Tupelo is the best player he's faced since playing Solar, which was loaded of course. The biggest difference we see is the total inconsistancy of the officiating in Central. We were nearly always pleased with the East refs when My older son played. I wish we had stayed in the east, frankly, and wonder why the change was made. Playing inconsistant competition, with inconsitant officiating, makes your team inconsistant, too. S

I'm not sure there's a lack of competition anymore. At regions this year, Jackson, MS beat the Houstonians and the Impact beat the Florida champs (Clearwater). The bracket was decided by one goal. I wish the alignment had kept us in the East with NC, SC, and GA but that is more because of proximity to the colleges my son is looking at. I understand your point, however. The lower ranked teams in the central grouping have a ways to go but the top teams are worthy. We'll know more after CASL, right? Steve

The Knoxville Impact USA is leading the league after this weekend's Premier League games in Tupelo. The Memphis Kickers are solid in second place with their only loss so far coming to the undefeated Impact. Standings and results can be found here: http://www.hotstat.com/classic/standings.cfm?DID=2673

I see a really nice lawsuit coming. The very idea is ludicrous on the face of it. From a legal sense we would have the TSSAA infringing on our kids right to associate with whomever they choose. This will probably be an opportunity to strike down the off season contact rule also. I notice the TSSAA rule book has been getting smaller as they get sued. I certainly don't understand the scrimmage rule that would not allow paid refs. That is nothing short of bizarre. High School refs are the weak link in our sport as it is. We need more of them not fewer, particularly from a safety standpoint.

I think you may be hearing crickets because of how silly this argument is. The claim is something like "they recruit too." So that's justification for putting certain private schools into the public school grouping? Are there any nearby states that have the same situation we have? I know Georgia doesn't.

Enough already...If highschool soccer were a Fall sport, well I'd think about it. I love the high school rivalries but it's time to move to the real game and the real state championships in Memphis. And I'm also ready for refs that know that a studs up challenge or a challenge from behind is more deserving of at least a yellow card than the player who tries to discuss an obvious miscall.

There's really no way to equalize the public private inequities. Public schools have a geographical limitation that private schools don't. That and the financial inequities are significant. Most people in the public arena will probably not accept the claim that there is no recruiting, whether there is or isn't, the perception will always be there. There are other issues as well but this is not the forum for examining those. (But, while it would be nice if CAK and Knox Catholic could be put in separate districts... ) At the end of the day, nobody ever said it would be fair. We're just happy to see the boys get to play.