Any truth to this?
- Thread starter BigHawk
- Start date
Haven't heard but I a have a son that is in his early 20's- almost all of his friends played football in Jr.High and H.S- it just was expected and enjoyed. I also have a son that is 12 - none of his friends- himself included are playing football. Zero interest- they are playing fall baseball, and basketball. The difference is striking.
CR Washington has just 16 sophs out for football. They obviously can’t field a full team with those numbers - they’ll probably combine the sophs & freshmen into one JV squad.
This is happening with many of the football programs everywhere. In the CR Gazette story about Wash they noted there were over 5000 fewer high schoolers playing football statewide than there were 10 years ago.
This is happening with many of the football programs everywhere. In the CR Gazette story about Wash they noted there were over 5000 fewer high schoolers playing football statewide than there were 10 years ago.
KId: While I admit I am shocked by the decline in football participation, I am more amazed by the general decline in everything.....What I mean is that an amazing number of kids really don't do anything at their schools. Not football, volleyball, golf, cross country, or the play.....
This just amazes me.
This just amazes me.
Yeah I can see a time in the not too distant future when 4A football has a Varsity and JV team, not unlike the smaller classes but there will still be the Dowling's, Valley's & Bett's of the world which will still have decent numbers. Problem is if you have 70 kids out for J/V FB and not split them into FR & Soph it's going to be tough to keep them interested for long.
IMO this is part of the problem. The kids with less natural talent but are working hard are finding themselves on the sideline because the kids with more natural ability (who sometimes didn't work as hard as the kid on the sideline) are on the field. Year round conditioning is asking even more from kids who will never or rarely see the field.
More pressure than ever is being put on the coaches to win leading them to often take the short game and play the best kid at that position period. No love for the kid busting his butt but not as talented.
Long game, that move results in fewer kids participating....which can lead to less depth, less capable practice squad, ect.
Coaches/programs need to develop more kids. Take those kids working hard and develop them so they can get on the field instead of picking out your best 12-15 kids and have them basically never leave the field.
Looks like Dew Jr. didn't make the Marching Band cut again this year.
I'm even going to speculate that the reason why a couple years ago the state started allowing the external scrimmages many teams are holding tonight is due to a decrease in participation.
Used to be easy for teams to have their offense vs defense. Now with even larger schools using an increasing number of 2 ways the only way for coaches to have a good look where they are really at offensively and defensively heading into week 1 is a scrimmage against another team.
To answer the original question, no, there is no truth to this. There are 18 freshmen out for football. Even that is, admittedly, a low number for a 3A team, especially at Heelan. There are 70-some boys in Heelan's class of '23, and about 150 kids overall. Good numbers; just need more participation, which is, as previously mentioned, an issue in general.
Unfortunately the State's policy is that a coach cannot hold offseason expectations/work over a kid. Basically if a kid is more talented, but didn't work at all, and wanted to challenge a coach on lack of playing time, the kid would win.
Please. They technically can't but they most certainly can.
If the state says they can't factor off season workouts into a kids playtime will a coach be stupid enough to say that is why someone isn't playing or getting reduced playtime? Doubtful.
As far as playtime and what leads to it (or a lack of it) that still remains largely subjective in the eyes of the coach. If he wanted to reward/punish kids on their off season involvement in programs he can still easily do so.
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Not sure 18 freshmen is a healthy number to field a team. Figure in a few kids who probably should not be playing football, a couple kids on code of conduct/grades, and a couple kids injured and you are down to the bare minimum just to cover everything.
Once you get that small group through the freshman year even though they may get a lot of playtime that could change the next year. The following year in JV they may go from getting a lot of playtime (due to lack of warm bodies) to spending a lot of time on the sideline due to an adequate supply of better players. How interested will the kid be in football then?
IMO, if you can't get at least 23-25 freshmen out, might be better to scrap a freshmen team and lump them with the JV and see if you can work out a "freshman quarter" with the opposing coach.
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Uh, coaches do all of the time.
How? Unless it's cross country or track where the best are clear cut, every other sport playing time is based on coaches discretion.
How? Unless it's cross country or track where the best are clear cut, every other sport playing time is based on coaches discretion.
I'm sure it is a tool coaches use when it serves their interest such as when a parent complains because their kid worked hard in the off season and is getting less playtime than someone more talented who didn't work as hard. I'd bet that in that scenario the coach assures the parents, "I'd like to reward your kid for all that hard work in the off season but the state sets the rules and just won't allow me !"
One thing you can count on is assistant coach's bloodlines playing regardless. Talk about closing ranks- these guys play their game, go to a coach's house afterwards for a cold one- talk about how much they hate or despise some parents for reasons the kid has nothing to do with- and repeat.
Its affecting some of the bigger schools. I watched 3A Grinnell do anything at will against Iowa City High this past week in a scrimmage. Iowa City is a shell of what it used to be. Talent is way down and numbers weren't impressive either.
Heelan sports have been in a decline for awhile. And not because of lack of numbers.They fired the only good coach at the school the volleyball coach because parents bullied the weak administrators.
Good news though with new state setup should drop us a class or two that might help maybe
who had the live stream..i was looking ..but could not find it..otherwise i would have watched it too...is it just the first game they do that with heelan.....also, the harlan radio station was messed up for a half, and had to listen to it on the denison radio
does not sound good for heelan fans, i hope they get on track. harlans freshman beat dension 34-7...not sure if freshman games are a idication of future success.some bladt kids coming up through the ranks now, coach bladt will probably keep coaching to watch them play.how often does grandpa coach grandsons, probably not too often...harlan has 26 out on the freshman team....the 7th and 8th grade teams has fairly large numbers out, cannot remember now..i did not realize that denison has 220 more kids in high school than harlan, sort of suprised me when i looked the info up on the ihsaa site...they must be getting close to 4a
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Right- My guess is they (Denison) down the road will be similar to Omaha South ( maybe not as salty in hoops) but a beast in soccer and track. Although Harlan, as well as most in the Hawk-10, may have their hands full beating Denison in basketball this year. They should be pretty good again.
Long Lines Broadband in Sioux City they do a bunch of games on cable station and live stream plus replays. Good to watching the game is fun.
I watched the Lewis Central vs SBL game on longlines.com and then watched the on demand of Heelan game there too. It was good, like being there. They have a whole list of games to choose from.
Noticed they are broadcasting Harlan vs SB-L this week. That should be an interesting game. No Heelan game listed but with their qb out with injury it might not be worth watching after last week.
Metro teams and some CR teams live stream. If you go to Central Iowa TV they have games listed this week. Great way to follow games of interest that you usually only see the scores. Couldn't find the Dowling Waukee game though.
I noticed longlines.com recap games in fifteen minutes. I watched it and get all the key plays. How times have changed used to just get a cracklin radio broadcast if the weather was right.
I noticed longlines.com recap games in fifteen minutes. I watched it and get all the key plays. How times have changed used to just get a cracklin radio broadcast if the weather was right.
I was kinda surprised to hear this but the same article also said that IC West has had a combined freshman / soph team for years so it's not unheard of, even at high achieving programs.
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