Sequoyah Conference Football is Killing District 5-AA

[orngnblk]

Shouldn't kids that are already 14 be in high school? You mentioned all of his 14 year old buddies not playing, so they're obviously in the 8th grade too? What gives with so many 14 year olds still being in elementary school? I hope they're not being held back just for sports.

BINGO!

[logcabinman]

I played in this conf as a kid, when I was on the 8th grade team Cleveland got caught (after the season was over) playing a freshman so they could win. We ended up beating them anyway, but I can understand the age thing.

Well I am not seeing your point.  There is a difference between cheating and playing by the rules.  Obviously them having an older player did not affect you.

[logcabinman]

 

My son plays for a team in this league and just turned 14 years old.  He wasn't going to play because all of his buddies, also good athletes, were not playing due to the fact they had just turned 14.  There is one other player on his team that is 14, which causes them to have to split time.  This has to be the most stupid rule known to man in football history.  I have no clue who made this rule.  Seems to me if a player can play all four year legally in high school, they should be allowed to enjoy FULLY the sport they love.  Who in the world comes up with this.  We wonder why 5-AA football is not as previlent as it once was.  Coaches at the High Schools should be irrate at this rule.  Can someone give me a logical reason behind this thinking.

 

That is why back several years ago when McMinn and Meigs County formed their own league and left the Sequoyah Conference. We wanted to be able to have football that was more like middle school football. For a long time, we had Riceville, Meigs, Etowah and Englewood. We would play two games home and way. Each could schedule other games in off weeks like Charleston or Spring City. Rogers Creek came on later. Not sure what lead to the re-joining the Sequoyah Conference. We no weight limits or restrictions ( like middle school) and we had some rules regarding not playing if you were a 9th grader or had failed the 8th grade. We also played with only 3 teams cutters, midgets and juniors....I think juniors were 7th and 8th graders only. Had a lot of good players develop under that system.

 

It was the number of games.  Copper Basin was having to travel so far, I believe they were going to opt out of the league.  When the league first started this rule was not in place.

[catcher55]

I think one of the things that each high school needs is a good feeder program. We are starting to see it in baseball several years ago Madisonville started a middle school team and look at SQHS now. Tellico, Vonore, and the rest have picked up on this. But football our biggest sport is still stuck in rec league. Now dont get me wrong I am not a rec league basher but it is what it is. No consistency, weird, or out dated rules. Plus dont get me started on the out date equipment. If I had a child in a rec league I would look at their equipment for proper fit and proper condition. Also you are looking at a change in style of offense and defense based on the coach. We need a good program in middle school that is running the high school offense and defense or at least teaching good fundamentals so they can adjust quickly. Until this happens we will battle performance issues in school and not to mention the safety concerns. 

[logcabinman]

BINGO!

No sir, not at all. Well, not from my point of view.  I was not going to start my boy in school at an early five year old.  I teach K-2nd grade PE so please do not try to tell me they need to start exactly at 5.  I have one graduating at 17, and trust me, the biggest mistake I have ever made. 

[Glory]

No sir, not at all. Well, not from my point of view.  I was not going to start my boy in school at an early five year old.  I teach K-2nd grade PE so please do not try to tell me they need to start exactly at 5.  I have one graduating at 17, and trust me, the biggest mistake I have ever made.

If he just turned 14 and is in the 8th grade then he would have started 1st grade as a 6 year old, or a 5 year - 11 month - 3 week old if he started school a week before his 6th birthday. So what is the difference in him or one who turned 6 in May or June? It's none of my business, but it just doesn't add up to me.

You never answered my question about all of your 14 yr olds friends who are still in the 8th grade.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Glory

[logcabinman]

If he just turned 14 and is in the 8th grade then he would have started 1st grade as a 6 year old, or a 5 year - 11 month - 3 week old if he started school a week before his 6th birthday. So what is the difference in him or one who turned 6 in May or June? It's none of my business, but it just doesn't add up to me.

You never answered my question about all of your 14 yr olds friends who are still in the 8th grade.

My son turned 6 right before his start of K.  Good decision for me and my family plus it was the best thing for him.  I know your not bashing.  I cannot answer for why some of his friends are 14 in the eighth grade because I don't know.  Their are more people than you think that do this with boys. 

[Glory]

I'm glad you see that I'm not bashing because I wasn't. You're a teacher so I don't think you are doing it just for sports. Too many people are holding their kids back for sports alone and I think it's a mistake. I know people who hold their child back after the last year you can do it which is 7th grade I think, even if the child is an A/B student, and they are doing it just for sports. Central had a quarterback a few years ago who started 1st grade late and was held back after the 7th grade even though he was a straight A student, just because his parents thought he would be a Division 1 quarterback. He turned 19 in October of his senior year!!! It doesn't just happen with boys, the girls parents are doing it too. It shocks me that these parents aren't even concerned more about their child's sports than they are about their academics.

[logcabinman]

I'm glad you see that I'm not bashing because I wasn't. You're a teacher so I don't think you are doing it just for sports. Too many people are holding their kids back for sports alone and I think it's a mistake. I know people who hold their child back after the last year you can do it which is 7th grade I think, even if the child is an A/B student, and they are doing it just for sports. Central had a quarterback a few years ago who started 1st grade late and was held back after the 7th grade even though he was a straight A student, just because his parents thought he would be a Division 1 quarterback. He turned 19 in October of his senior year!!! It doesn't just happen with boys, the girls parents are doing it too. It shocks me that these parents aren't even concerned more about their child's sports than they are about their academics.

I understand that point Glory, but I keep thinking - What if Pineknot had one more year?  He will graduate at 17. 

[thegreatwhite1]

I would not go as far to say that they are trying to give all a trophy, but I do think that the grade level would be the way to go. Instead of our 7th graders getting beat by mercy rule, we could field a competitive team.  I think the age requirement for high school players is cannot turn 19 before Nov.

19 Before August 1

[logcabinman]

19 Before August 1

Thank you TGW1.  My youngest will turn 18 right before his senior year. 

[1925Kee]

Hate to disagree with you logcabinman, but I do. My son played in the Sequoyah Conference, and in my opinion, the age limit thing is set up for a good reason. Not suggesting you are attempting to cheat the system, but you can bet other people certainly would if they could. At the youth level, age limits are appropriate. Whether you hold your kid back to gain athletic advantage, or whether a kid flunks one, two or more times, you have to take age and maturity into consideration if you want a level playing field.  

 

I'm always blown away by the number of parents who have a middle-school aged kid, who happens to have hit his growth spurt a year or two faster than his friends. That same kid will usually dominate in football and basketball. Next thing you know, parents are boasting about future college plans, how unstoppable the kid is, etc. But, just about as often, his friends catch up with him. They hit their growth spurt later, but later finally arrives, and that kid that used to be the bruiser? He's now just another kid on the team. It happens all the time.