yesFarmrocket wrote:Anyone else notice that there seems to be more and more teams with low numbers?
What are the reasons?
Run4Fun2009 wrote:Several teams are low on HS numbers...especially in Region 1 GBB.
What is interesting about many of these schools is that they field large numbers of VB athletes but can't retain those athletes for BB season; Is it specialization? In some cases, I think it is...but it doesn't explain all cases.
Flip wrote:yesFarmrocket wrote:Anyone else notice that there seems to be more and more teams with low numbers?What are the reasons?Run4Fun2009 wrote:Several teams are low on HS numbers...especially in Region 1 GBB.
What is interesting about many of these schools is that they field large numbers of VB athletes but can't retain those athletes for BB season; Is it specialization? In some cases, I think it is...but it doesn't explain all cases.
An older coach once told me the change of seasons has hurt basketball numbers. After volleyball girls want some time off. I know in region 2 if you lose your play-in game you get 9 days off before basketball starts. Teams that play in the 3rd place game at regions or lose in the championship get a whopping 3 days off. I wish they could some how model it after MN. In MN all, but the teams that qualify for state, get at least 9 days off. Many teams are getting 2-3 weeks off. MN VB has the same start date and a lot more teams to eliminate too.
There is more of a chance to play in VB too. I'm guessing most teams are playing 8-9 kids a varsity match.
Run4Fun2009 wrote:I've heard the excuse of there is no running in VB and BB has lots of running...I feel this excuse is bogus...and that there are a lot of 'lazy' athletes out there.
Flip wrote:
One more thing I didn't bring up in my previous post is girls mature faster so you're going to see a lot more 8th grade, freshman, sophomores play at a varsity level. So in many cases they are taking minutes away from older girls. Girls are more sensitive and many can't handle younger kids playing ahead of them so instead of accepting their role or working harder they quit.
Sportsrube wrote:We have this issue in our school and in a number of schools in our District. (A lot of girls out for VB, very few out for BB). I asked 3 of the girls in our school and I got the "less running" answer from two of them but the third one blew me away with her answer. She said in VB she doesn't have to deal with the "idiots" (her word, not mine) in the stands who think they know everything about the game and constantly yell at the players and the refs. She said she is tired of certain parents and certain fans in BB who are constantly yelling at players and refs so she decided she had better things to do in the winter. She is now working 30+ hrs a week as a CNA.
boblee wrote:I believe there are a lot of potential reasons, which means there really isn't one.
I do not, however, buy the "lack of time off" argument. When I was a senior in high school I played football, hockey and baseball. We lost in the state quarterfinals in football on Friday. First hockey practice was Monday. Played in state hockey championship on a Saturday. First baseball practice was Monday. Lost in baseball playoffs on a Friday. Legion started on Monday. TONS of kids in Minnesota would have been going through that.
My best guess is the "everyone gets a trophy" era. More parents are teaching their kids to hate a coach because they don't play enough or because the coach yelled at them once. More kids are quitting when they are just a role player off the bench of an upper classman who doesn't play as much as they want to.
Another documented dynamic is the out of season expectation. I have coached softball around here. Softball is the "in season" sport in the spring (and probably the summer) and we have kids missing games and practices for traveling volleyball, traveling basketball and even basketball camps or volleyball camps. The schools that "share" their athletes the best typically have better numbers or more success. Schools like Thompson and Hillsboro come to mind.
Just my two cents.
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