What is up at Waverly?

[UpperCumberlandMan]

I would assume so. I think what happens at many A and AA schools is that the athletes either aren't encouraged to play more than one or two sports and there's some attrition that takes place as players choose basketball over football or decide to concentrate on baseball. It usually comes to a head during the summer.

+1 happens all the time. Look at the good A and AA teams, the same core group are on the hardwood after the season. Livingston Acd went to 3rd round in AA-4a playoffs, then to State in bball with most of the same kids. Gotta share the tallent in schools were you don't have 800-1200 boys to pick from.

[ddaddy]

Waverly has a very good Middle School team and has for the past several years. I believe that the MS head coach has a son who is a Soph. at Ensworth. Waverly was dominate when he was playing there in MS football at Waverly.

[ksgovols]

I agree wholeheartedly.  I jokingly have said I wished the Dead Period was from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but that's only half a joke.  May and June at least should be off limits to mandatory participation in high school sports.  Kid gets to decide if he wants to go to basketball camps, football camps or play summer baseball or AAU basketball or take a break.  Then start weight training and conditioning seriously in July.

 

Too many of these kids are forced to make a choice and for what?  Look at any DI football roster in the SEC and the biographies will feature 3 sport athletes almost across the board.  Josh Dobbs baseball didn't affect his football recruitment.  He's likely to play both sports in college.  I'd bet he's a decent basketball player as well.

[ddaddy]

I agree there are way too many examples of great college and pro players who played multiple sports. The reason a kid should play sports is for the memories and life lessons that are taught.

[Apache]

Too many of these kids are forced to make a choice and for what? Look at any DI football roster in the SEC and the biographies will feature 3 sport athletes almost across the board. Josh Dobbs baseball didn't affect his football recruitment. He's likely to play both sports in college. I'd bet he's a decent basketball player as well.

 

 

Dead on. Too many kids are incouraged to "concentrate" on a specific sport. Sometimes under the impression that it will increase their scholarship opportunity in that sport. I feel that nothing can be further from the truth. Playing multiple sports creates a more rounded athelete. As for a correlation between MS success and High School success. I believe that it is only possible when the Middle School is Program Driven. Are they teaching things that are going to lead to better players in HS, or are they only focused on short term success?

[The Hermit]

I played football and baseball for Waverly from 87'-90' and I am a high school coach that has had a lot of success. I am interested in the job if it is coming available cause there is nothing like Tiger Pride!!! What's the story?

Edited November 15, 2013 by The Hermit

[The Hermit]

Why can't I find anything about the school on the Internet? Does the school not have a website? Who is the AD and principal?

[The Hermit]

Too many of these kids are forced to make a choice and for what? Look at any DI football roster in the SEC and the biographies will feature 3 sport athletes almost across the board. Josh Dobbs baseball didn't affect his football recruitment. He's likely to play both sports in college. I'd bet he's a decent basketball player as well.

 

 

Dead on. Too many kids are incouraged to "concentrate" on a specific sport. Sometimes under the impression that it will increase their scholarship opportunity in that sport. I feel that nothing can be further from the truth. Playing multiple sports creates a more rounded athelete. As for a correlation between MS success and High School success. I believe that it is only possible when the Middle School is Program Driven. Are they teaching things that are going to lead to better players in HS, or are they only focused on short term success?

I was a 3 sport athlete in high school at Waverly that played D1 baseball at Tennessee. With the technology today, If you are good enough, you can play where ever you want to! Edited November 15, 2013 by The Hermit

[Beagle]

Kids at Camden play 3 sports a lot. While our kids have mandatory work outs for football they have many opportunities to get them in..say you need to miss Friday for aau basketball game or travel baseball you can make it up by doing 2 work outs Thursday or any other day of the week. As long as you get you minimum required work outs in the coaches don't care when you get em. There are 3 a day all summer long(except during the mandatory shut down). Basketball and baseball players hit the weights  too even if the don't play football they have a minimum amount of work outs they have to attend also.

 

Sounds to me like some schools need the coaches to work together. That way they can take turns being in the field house giving the kids every opportunity to participate as much or as little as they choose to. 

Edited November 15, 2013 by Beagle

[drknows]

Kids at Camden play 3 sports a lot. While our kids have mandatory work outs for football they have many opportunities to get them in..say you need to miss Friday for aau basketball game or travel baseball you can make it up by doing 2 work outs Thursday or any other day of the week. As long as you get you minimum required work outs in the coaches don't care when you get em. There are 3 a day all summer long(except during the mandatory shut down). Basketball and baseball players hit the weights  too even if the don't play football they have a minimum amount of work outs they have to attend also.

 

Sounds to me like some schools need the coaches to work together. That way they can take turns being in the field house giving the kids every opportunity to participate as much or as little as they choose to. 

This is 100% correct. Unfortunately, too many head coaches these days have selfish mentalities. They only care about themselves and their teams instead of the good of the whole athletic program. Of course back in the old days there were many times that the same guy coached football, basketball AND baseball.

 

That being said I once got into a nose to nose disturbance with a football coach because he told two of his players they could not play basketball because they had to immediately start working on football for the next season. He told them that there was no way they could be in the starting lineup if they missed this all-important off season. They stayed with football. The team went 1-9 the next year after their great off-season workouts and the coach got fired. They both played basketball the next year.

 

Athletes are athletes. Like Hermit said, if you can play they will find you. Too many coaches are telling kids they cannot get a scholarship if they don't specialize on one sport and yet the first thing college coaches ask me about a basketball player is what other sports do they play? Pro baseball scouts ask me the same thing. EVERY SINGLE TIME! What other sports do they play?  What kind of kid is he? How is he doing in his classes? Those are the 3 most asked questions.

[BIRD9]

Just saw on TSSAA that Waverly is accepting apps for Head Coach position. Good luck Coach Graves in the future. 1st class individual.

[ksgovols]

Good luck Waverly in finding your guy.

 

Been an interesting discussion on multi sports athletes.  I agree completely that it's about the high school experience.  These years are only here for a short period of time.  My wife and I chose a community with a AA school with the hopes that our kids could participate in more sports or multiple extra curricular activities.  Our oldest played 3 sports through his sophomore year when he felt like he had to give up one.  It's his only regret from high school.  My youngest is playing all 3 in middle school but he's one of 2 kids in his school that are playing all 3.

 

One other soapbox item.  For the time and money and sacrifice in an often futile attempt to get a kid an athletic scholarship that's only partial in may instances, why not play as many as you can play and stick the savings in a CD, keep your grades up and go to school to get an education.  High school athletics should be about making well rounded adults out of their athletes.  I know of way too many guys that have regrets after the fact about not playing other sports while they were in high school.