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Am I the only one reading through this thinking "Good gosh - if you can't field a competitive football team with 2,000+ students in your building, maybe you've got other issues other than what class you're playing in? " 

Just a thought....

45 minutes ago, BDGiant93 said:

Cathedral has long marketed itself as a college prep school in a Catholic tradition. That's what I meant. Am I incorrect? If I am, then I will gladly say so.

Copied/pasted straight from the Cathedral website:

"Cathedral High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory school affiliated with the Brothers of Holy Cross. Founded in 1918, it is one of the oldest and largest Catholic high schools in the state of Indiana and has a student body of nearly 1200 in grades 9 to 12."

So my question, and excuse my ignorance on the subject, but what exactly is a "college-preparatory school" ?? Does that mean their curriculum is solely based on sending kids to college?? No vocational classes?? 

On 4/8/2021 at 10:59 AM, BDGiant93 said:

My point was that the Catholic schools such as Ritter, Guerin, Roncalli, Central Catholic, Chatard, Scecina, etc. tend to be connected to parishes within a certain diocese of the church. Covenant would not be part of the Catholic system. It's a private Christian school more like a Heritage Christian. 

Cathedral is a prep school and Brebeuf is a Jesuit school.

If I'm wrong on this or seem ignorant, I will gladly take the L. . 

Covenant wouldn't take students from Ritter normally because it's not another Catholic school. From what I'm hearing on this board, Ritter's been losing students to other Catholic schools.

What exactly does that mean?? 

On 4/7/2021 at 10:49 AM, footballfan2012 said:

What is comical about it? Just curious!

Well- since you asked:

Pike Central, Brown County, Washington, Edgewood, Owen Valley, Princeton...

Meanwhile, you have other area Sectionals with routinely 2 and/or 3 State raked teams squaring off. 

The discrepancy of competitive balance is comical. 

Someone was on some committee that had a dog in the fight, that's all I'll say. 

I guess this is as good of a place as any to appeal to the IHSAA to fix the comically put together Sectional 30?? 

12 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

Congratulations to the NEW Head Coach of the Bears!

 

Wow - impressive educational resume Mr. Zirkelbach brings to the table. It does not mention in the article the position he will hold within the school building?? Any word on that? 

3 hours ago, Tanka Jahari said:

I don't know much about Coach Hart's job details. What makes it such a sweet gig? I already know about the facilities, talent, feeder system, etc. Does he have a good teaching schedule? Is he well compensated?

I am hoping this is the year Gibson Southern finally breaks through and earns a chance to play on the big stage!

I'm not really into putting other people's business out there - but yes - he has a schedule that is very conducive for being the Head Football Coach and its responsibilities. 

And that's NOT a shot and/or a complaint. I believe more school systems should adopt a similar philosophy. 

 I've been on record in a number of threads stating your classic classroom teacher/ball-coach is becoming more&more scarce of a commodity. This ain't the 80s anymore!  

14 hours ago, Titan32 said:

Man....all the PAC guys must be busy teaching those hard core subjects LOL.

Troll much?? 

Seems like an unfair low-blow. In my opinion, the demands/expectations have led (partially) to a coaching shortage. I've seen it with my own 2 eyes and was just offering my opinion. 

Of course, we all can't be taken care of and set up with sweet gigs like some HC's in Gibson County. 

2 hours ago, Wedgebuster said:

I teach and coach of at a HS of 750.  4 JV/FR coaches (they handle both responsibilities) and 4 Varsity Coaches.  Staff has 4 "offensive coaches" and 4 "defensive coaches"  and the coaches travel between the levels at practice depending what side of the ball that level is currently on. 

So 8 total coaches at a HS practice. What are their positions/class loads within the school system?? Especially the "major" coaching roles (HC, OC, and DC?) 

40 minutes ago, Robert said:

Why don't you want it based on actual butts in the seats?

Not as easy at it seems: 

Little Johnny live in school district. Was enrolled (in person)1st semester - COVID #'s spike over winter break so little Johnny's parents are concerned, and opt for the Online option the next semester. So does he count in the enrollment totals or not?? 

Numbers will be all over the place with the Online options available to students. 

I dare say it gives schools an avenue to "fudge" numbers/play the system a little bit. Which is a scary thought. 

2 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

HC Chris Meeks:  PE Chair, HS, a couple Freshman PE and couple of APE, and 1 or 2 Health classes now this year 

DC Brian Zacher:  PE teacher Middle school, has been running our middle school off season weight program since we have to have it split with Covid

I am our school's Alternative school director running the computer lab 8 hours a day 5 days a week in a lab at the Elementary school 

Freshman Coach:  Math Teacher HS, was on staff when I played in the Later 90s high school.   

 

1 former player is English 9 teacher and also Head Wrestling coach 

1 former player works in the county surveyor's office, graduated in 04 I believe 

THose are all BOMBER Grad's minus the Math teacher, who MARRIED a Bomber gal MANY MOONS ago.  

The 1 Former local player played at West Central, then SJC and is currently in our HS Math Department 

That leaves the volunteer/paid coach,  ole Chief, he has been around like I said when he was my middle school coach, he volunteer this past year, but was Paid staff many times over, he was our town's Cheif of Police for a very long time, retired and is now in the private sector working .    Retired Naval Master Cheif as well along with his chief of Police duties in his life.   

Good deal. Thanks for the info. 

Looks/sounds like a pretty good set-up for you all. As I have been saying throughout this thread (and some others) - it is becoming increasing difficult to be in a "major role" on staff (HC, OC, DC) and also try and balance the demands of a CORE subject in school. (Not knocking PE, I know it has its own challenges, but you know what I mean) 

- The demands and hours it takes to be successful (breaking down film, practice schedule, etc...) plus what is being asked in the classroom - I'm not sure how much longer I'll make it to be honest. 

9 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

I guess I assumed that when I was speaking on it, was in a typical year, not a let's hope once in a generation pandemic summer of June July 2020 

 

Carry On 

@Woody_Hayes   SPOT ON   

Love that my experiences in my career have aligned with many of your bullet points, if not all of them.   We have had the same 4 guys for 17 years and a volunteer for 25+ (he was my middle school coach in early mid 90s, and 3 younger guys, 2 former players and 1 former local player who went and played at SJC.     Cannot tell you how important that has been for our program.   

How many of those guys have a full class load? Subjects taught? 

35 minutes ago, Wedgebuster said:

#1 Hire people that will coach.   These teachers will have a better connection with the kids and get more accomplished in the classroom anyway.  Good coaches are typically good teachers as coaching is teaching. 

#2.  Give coaches a "manageable schedule".  They bring value to the building and community after school, so have them teach less different classes to prep for. Don't ask them to teach AP or classes that have heavy planning and grading loads, etc.  When other teachers complain, stand up for the fact that they coach and its valued. 

#3.  Pay stipends that allow folks to coach without feeling like they inflicting financial hardship on their family.  Lots of teachers have a "side hustle" and when those pay significantly better than coaching, it makes explaining the choice to coach to your family much more difficult. 

More thoughts to come later. 

THIS!!!!! Spot on. Very well said. I can't "like" this enough!!! 

I don't know how many 8-3 teachers we have in the building anymore, but it is a lot. Can't say I blame them sometimes. 

Maybe I misread the title of this thread?? Are we talking "travel ball" or the shortage of coaches?? I'm not really seeing how the 2 are relevant?? 

What I have said, time and time again on this forum, is that the demands/expectations of a core classroom teacher are making it more and more difficult to have the time/energy to be the HEAD COACH of a program. 

When the MIC was hiring coaches, I asked time and time again what the actual "job titles" were for the HC's in the building. Very few answered, but almost all I believe were some sort of strength coach or some "administration" position. There are still some out there, but you'll find very few HC's that still have a core teaching schedule on their plate. 

Making it such that a classroom teacher NO LONGER wants to be a HC because it's not a realistic option to do both. In my opinion, that's a problem.

10 hours ago, Titan32 said:

In a couple counties in Southwest Indiana it is legal to jump on the back of the receiver and use a horse whip on him as long as the ball isn't in the air.

8 hours ago, Titan32 said:

On a related note I would like to see the elusive defensive holding call made more often.  DBs hold a lot down here and get away with it, I'm not sure if that is an issue all over the state or not.

Maybe it is because the offense is allowed to have so many people running downfield - lineman included - the DB's can't decipher who is in fact running a pass route and who is blocking for a run play, so just grab them all and let the officials sort it out  !!

INELIGIBLE MAN DOWNFIELD ACTUALLY CALLED AND PENALIZED!!!

That is all...

Won't go into detail - will just say this year's process from our Region is/was greatly disappointing. 

On 3/9/2021 at 7:44 AM, Robert said:

https://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/about ihsaa/minutes/2020-21/021921.pdf

 

😎 WINTER TOURNAMENT UPDATES The commissioner and each assistant commissioner reported on their respective winter sports and the plans for the state tournaments including protocols at the state finals.

 

Commissioner Neidig also discussed the release of school enrollments in the coming weeks for realignment purposes. He expressed concern with some significant changes with some schools’ numbers and how much the pandemic has affected those totals. No timeline has been set on when the new enrollments will be released.

He also discussed how the Tournament Success Factor will be applied given that last year’s boys basketball tournament didn’t reach a conclusion and the softball and baseball tournaments were cancelled altogether. No schools will move up in those sports given schools won’t be able to achieve the point totals necessary during the current two-year cycle but some schools already playing up a class could remain in their same classification for the next two years.

 

 

Um..surely someone has sat down and explained the whole pandemic process with him (from an enrollment standpoint ) that is. To use this years enrollment numbers for the next 2 year cycle would just be irresponsible - surely the Commissioner would be aware of that??

He statement to the press doesn't seem so ?? 

Speaking strictly football here - but having a D-I type level athlete at the 1A level, coupled with an already established tradition, will normally lead to pretty good results. It's not rocket science here fellas! 

Look back at the Sheridan years with Law/Zachary

Then the LCC years with the Anthrops 

Now, Pioneer with Kiser and then the Llewellan twins (sp?)

I know that "one or 2 players does not a football team make" - I understand that. HOWEVER, what a lot of people over-look is having that phenomenal of a talent walking through the halls generally will bring more people to participate, as the likelihood to be successful increases. Having a talent like that in youth levels, kids then good used to winning, and more likely to stick with it. 

Couple that with 1A numbers and competition, and well, there you go....

2 hours ago, DE said:

I see what you are saying, but I respectfully disagree.  I am a core teacher and things work real smooth for me.  Find your system that works for the kids AND you.  Stick with it.  Do not reinvent the wheel.  

I am not telling you "how I used to do things", I am informing you how I STILL do things.

A lot depends on the Admin in the building in which you teach I suppose. Good for you. 

3 hours ago, DE said:

It was difficult in my early years, but very manageable.

We were on tri-mesters.  A LOT of planning the 1st year.  Coached football, basketball and softball.  I attended all off season work outs for all sports that didn't interfere with my in season sport.  I was also the student council co-advisor.

My advice....DO NOT try and reinvent the wheel.

Haha...I always kind of get a kick out of veteran/older teachers telling us "how I used to do things" 

This is going to come across smug/arrogant and it is not actually meant that way - but the days of "read/hand out a worksheet" are over. Teaching expectations and documentation and data collection in CORE subjects have become almost too much to try and do and still have energy to run a program. 

It's why I've asked numerous times on here about head coaches and the subjects they teach. More often than naught , especially at your bigger programs (4A and above) - the head football coach is not in your traditional classroom setting. They are teaching PE, Strength, or have some Admin position. And I know those have their challenges, but they don't necessarily require the daily/hourly requirements of core subjects. 

14 hours ago, DT said:

Parents keep these kids so busy during childhood years that there is only so much time for so many activities.  Something has to give.  Seems like kids lives are way too structured and scheduled anymore.  Those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s had it way better than we ever could have imagined.  We had INDEPENDENCE and FREEDOM.  Kids today are prisoners of their parents demands   Im thankful Im not parenting in todays culture.  

Football and wrestling coach here - I will tend to agree with the above statement just in the fact that with Club Wrestling and RTC's now-a-days - the time commitment it takes to be an elite level wrestler is just astonishing and something I don't think many people realize. I'm talking State Championship material here, not just State Qualifier (which is still awfully tough) 

Now, bigger guys (195 +) can get by on sheer strength/athleticism - but in your "prime" weight classes, it almost takes a year round commitment. 

Life was definitely simpler not so long ago....and I'm not so sure we've made it that much better. Certainly have made it more expensive, that's for sure. 

49 minutes ago, BigBH said:

No he's not wrong because his system had them competitive in every game it appears.  And yes different works also, but in the case of Noblesville most games they were not competitive and system did not allow them to be.  Call me crazy but when most teams are down by a large amount coming out of halftime they usually go to something different in the playbook to chip away...Not Noblesville they played rugby...ground and pound..maybe the defense relaxes and sure they put a TD on the board.............but then the clock is just rolling and the winning team subs out starters and we all go home.  Successful....the HCC will take step back so maybe they can go 4-6?  I mentioned earlier they will lose kids to transfer to other Hamilton County schools...I heard there biggest stat leader from last year has already transferred so they lose 700 rushing yards right there.  Coach needs to find and develop a QB....plenty of families paying big bucks for Johnny QB prodigy in that area

Ever heard of a school named Zeeland West out of Michigan?? The offense can be dynamic if the kids get over themselves and buy into "team" 

Did Zeeland West make an appearance this year?? Also kind of enjoyed watching that offense work.

Offensive preference for the new HC??