TSSAA set to rewrite high school sports calendar

[BeaverPop]

BAD. BAD. BAD. A lot of it seems to be just patently ridiculous.

 

Does TSSAA even have authority to impose the 50% rule on "non-school" teams?

 

The TSSAA seems to be bent on further degrading the quality of Tennessee athletics.

[ksgovols]

BAD. BAD. BAD. A lot of it seems to be just patently ridiculous.

 

Does TSSAA even have authority to impose the 50% rule on "non-school" teams?

 

The TSSAA seems to be bent on further degrading the quality of Tennessee athletics.

 

 

1. I think that would depend on the purpose of the non-school team. You're not talking about rec league teams here.

 

2. How so? More time with the high school coach. Less time with the summer ball coach. I don't think that's all bad. The showcases and Nike camps will still be there.

[rcpatriot]

ksgovols, I've read many of your post throught out the year and it really surprises me that you would make statements that sound as though HS coaches are the only ones that prepare athletes for the next level. Not knocking any particular HS coach, but there are some quality coaches in AAU, USSSA, etc. that continue to help get these kids to the next level.

 

The problem I'm having with TSSAA in general is that they are charged with keeping order in Middle and High School sports, but are attempting to dictate what, who, and when our children can play these sports outside of education. If my child wants to play AAU baseball from June-July, thats my childs choice and my choice as a parent. In my opinion, they are steping outside of their boundries with this new proposal, as well as with some of the ones they currently have in place. The problem is, who is going to stop it. It will have to be someone with very deep pockets, or a group with very good lawyers.

[necvol]

TSSAA needs a Boss!!! I am for Legislative Oversight. Some think a Legislative Oversight Committee would only create another bureaucratic nightmare. IMO, it could be no worse that the TSSAA nightmare we have now. We need to "check" the power hungry 100% Public School controlled dictatorship that is the TSSAA!!!

[ksgovols]

That's not what I mean at all. The coaches that can make a positive difference on a teenage athlete should be allowed to pursue that. They can either get a high school teaching certificate or be a volunteer coach. I think TSSAA and the county school boards should look at hiring those sort of coaches that do have the skills and time to spend with teenage kids. I fully realize that alot of these guys can make alot more money in the 'real' world than at teaching. Alot of really good teachers aren't very good coaches and could use the expertise of folks not in the profession that are. I'm saying, put it all in the school system where we have some semblance of control over egos and $$$ that typically attract the snake oil salesmen that are only brokering kids. The college coaches that are recruiting the kids would rather have it that way and it would make the bad apples have to stand up to some scrutiny rather than just sell a dozen kids and their parents on the concept and go along their merry way unabated.

 

The other positive is the multi-sports kids aren't coerced into choosing one sport over the other at age 10. Let 'em play! They'll figure it out themselves. I think setting up the entire athletic structure for the sole purpose of getting a college scholarship is a doomed endeavor to begin with. There are thousands of high school athletes that will never play beyond that level. There's nothing wrong with that. Too many parents are playing the lottery through their kids and too many kid brokers are leading them down the primrose path. Sure it needs regulating, whether the TSSAA does it or someone else does.

[longoffthetee]

The TSSAA is supposed to be there for the schools and coaches. NOT the other way around. They are supposed to support what schools deem as necessary and that is not what happens most of the time.

[Cowboys Up]

i guess the fact that programs across the state practice illegally, kids can't play more than one sport because of the time and money demands of high school programs.... naw, we don't need any change, i say open practice year round, reduce the number of classes needed to graduate to 12 - three a year, make it manditory for all students to take strength and conditioning year round and concentrate on one sport for the rest of the day -

 

how about this - georgia - play 24 games no preseason scrimmages in baseball

in football, two scrimmages for i believe 30 minutes with clock running

 

we have it great in tn - don't kid yourself if you check around you'll see we are not losing ground - we have to have legislation in order to keep a balance of life- we have so many people who think sports rule the day- i am sick of it - hopefully there will be no vote they'll just do it

It is not right to legislate a balance of life. For some, their sport is a vehicle to a higher education. It is not for you or anyone else to say that a student should have the right or not to concentrate on a sport. Some kids are just like that and you can't legistlate that out of them.

[3-6-3]

It is not right to legislate a balance of life. For some, their sport is a vehicle to a higher education. It is not for you or anyone else to say that a student should have the right or not to concentrate on a sport. Some kids are just like that and you can't legistlate that out of them.

 

 

it's also not a coaches right to legislate them to go to passing league, lift weights 350 days a year, etc either. overzealous coaches more concerned with winning than the purpose of providing athletics in a school setting. It should be a part of their overall education, not the most important thing in their life. or their parent's life, living thru their child...... etc

 

and the kids who want to specialize for whatever reason will not be hurt by it... our focus as a society has swung too far toward the "scholarship", get drafted mentality.... it is truly pathetic.... i again challenge you to look at other states and tell me we are behind in what we do!

Edited April 11, 2006 by 3-6-3

[davidlimbaugh]

Ok, where do we start....

 

At first blush, this struck me as an attempt to get the ones-that-don't-want-to-try-as-hard to pull the 'ones-who-really-try' back to them....

 

Then, as I heard more and more about it and read this new story, I realized I WAS RIGHT!

 

Don't have an indoor facility? Don't try to improve you station in life. Just get the ones who do have one made not usable.. Easier to catch up that way...

 

I have been involved with Riverdale baseball for 12 years now. I can point out 2 to 3 kids (more or less) each year that are baseball players BECAUSE of extra work and effort. Why penalize those kids (several in schools still playing) because some folks don't want to try as hard??? Want a great example? The current starting second baseman at M.T.S.U.

 

Why do you see some of the same schools have success year after year, with turnover over turnover of kids?

 

WORK

 

If it was easy, everyone could do it...

 

Last time I checked, high school baseball has been pretty good in Tennessee. Look around the SEC - starting shortstop at Kentucky. Pitchers and outfielder and shortstop at Tennessee - a kid named Josh Bell from Jackson Northside had a pretty fair career at Auburn. Ole Miss has a fair little shortstop from West Tennessee. San Francisco Giants #4 pitcher hails from Germantown Houston...

 

Look at M.T.S.U.'s roster... Kids from across Tennessee. As well as OVC schools and others around the U.S. A great Farragut kid at East Carolina. A Christian Brothers kid at Army. Vanderbilt has a pretty good pitcher from Blackman here in the Boro...

 

So any change to open facilities makes no sense at all except to the folks that don't have any! Or have other folks off-campus offering classes at THEIRS...

 

Now, the 50-50 rule. WHY? One of the best ways to build cameradie not just between the kids but THEIR PARENTS is summer ball. Great way to get to know each other and their skills for concession stand working or emergency plumbing help or web-page-mastering.....

 

When you look around the southeast at other state's rules limiting games that baseball or basketball can play or how long they can practice, do you know the main reason behind it?

 

FOOTBALL....

 

Be wary of any plan that contains the following phrase: "Except Football"

 

In closing, don't punish the 70 or 80 or 90 percent of coaches and kids who have the drive to be something better because of the 10 or 20 or 30 percent who don't...

[Cowboys Up]

it's also not a coaches right to legislate them to go to passing league, lift weights 350 days a year, etc either. overzealous coaches more concerned with winning than the purpose of providing athletics in a school setting. It should be a part of their overall education, not the most important thing in their life. or their parent's life, living thru their child...... etc

 

and the kids who want to specialize for whatever reason will not be hurt by it... our focus as a society has swung too far toward the "scholarship", get drafted mentality.... it is truly pathetic.... i again challenge you to look at other states and tell me we are behind in what we do!

Overzealous coaches should be handled by responsible school admin., not legislation by overzealous TSSAA board members trying to even things out. It is a good life lesson for these kids (and parents) that life isn't fair - things don't ever even out. It's a hard lesson to be sure, but that is life.

 

I can only speak about volleyball having been involved for 7 or 8 years with travel and school ball. Tennessee is WAY behind. Recently, with better travel clubs and very dedicated players, Tn. has gotten better, but there is still a long way to go. I will tell you that my experience at the national tournament for travel teams, college coaches don't seek out Tennessee girls. Very few of our girls have broken into the D-1 category.

 

These new rules, if passed, will hurt the volleyball community very much. I have a son that will play HS baseball next year and I can only surmise by some other knowledgeable posters on this thread that the new rules may harm baseball, too.

 

I'm sorry that you think society has gone to the dogs because my child or someone else's child is driven to succeed in sports so they can have the privilege of playing on a college team or simply to make their HS team better. I don't happen to agree with you on that point.

[baseball16]

In some instances I understand exactly where they are coming from. For instance, there are several teams that have their graduation night planned for the date of May 19. The same date that they will be playing sub-state games to decide who goes to state. You mean to tell me that kids will work for 12 years on graduating and not even get to walk down the aisle because of a baseball game? A few more of these teams have games scheduled on the exact same night as their prom.

What is this teaching kids today? That a game is more important than graduation? I understand what it is saying in the sense that sometimes coaches make it mandatory for players to play on their summer travel ball team where they practice all week and play every weekend.

So, not only does it take away their spring, it takes away their summer. Then coaches start open facilities during september and have those 5 afternoons a week all the way up to the first day of practice in february. So this turns into an all year sport.........

I do understand where they are coming from, but I do believe it is a little too much. Just cut back on open facilities a little, and cut back on summer programs......

[longoffthetee]

Dont give us that crap about a game being more important than graduation. Those sub-state dates are set by the TSSAA. Baseball already has to schedule around more STUFF than any other sport. Most notable...PROM. Any coach who has challenged that date has been dealt with severely. Its not that a game is more important but a lot of times coaches hands are tied when it comes to dates. I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, Milan had that dilemma last year or the year before. Their seniors had to make a choice or were going to have to make a choice of which one they were going to attend. Graduation or Sub-state? Personally, I dont think they should have had to make that. Either the game time or the graduation time could have been changed.