[kyfan]

I agree with kyfan that you don't want to put freshmen who aren't ready on the field. BUT as my son would be a freshman this year I can name about 10 or more boys who have been playing football since the 3rd grade! Granted high school ball is a total different calibar of play but to say they would be inexperienced wouldn't be true. They are some VERY talented kids who can play the game if they would just come out and do so.

As far as the discipline you are correct. BUT you find that everywhere... NOT just at Phelps. I blame that on mommies and daddys. When mine plays a sport he is to listen to the coach and do as he is told to do. IF that means running 15 laps around the field for something he has done that is wrong then by golly he is to do it! If a coach can't control the kids because the parents won't let them then this needs to be addressed with a parent meeting at the beginning of the season. If they don't like it then keep their kid at home! PERIOD!!

I also agree with you on the consolidation. WHY was Phelps the only school left out of the consolidation? Yes, they are in a rural area but so are some of the other schools who were consolidated. IMO those kids deserve as much as any other child in the county. Some are very good athletes, good students, and come from good families. WHY short change them for where they live. I can remember back when I was in school Phelps was able to contend with any of the school in the district:: Belfry, Mullins, Millard, Feds Creek, Johns Creek, and Elkhorn City. Especially in baseball and basketball. You can't put a single A school against a 2 or 3 A in football though. Oh well..... I have spilled enough but I do feel that the kids in Phelps deserve any and everything that anyone else in the county gets. Its only fair to the kids to do so.

That was a very good post. I didn't mean to sound like Phelps was the only place that had trouble with discipline. All schools have it. You are correct that most of it is the fault of mommies and daddy's. But therein lies the problem. When there is a conflict, the kids are allowed to quit and because they have such a small school, there is no one to take their place. This is the biggest reason for the numbers problem.

I also didn't mean to imply that freshman didn't have the experience. I don't know how many 8th graders at Phelps were held back. I would venture to say not any. So now you potentially have a 13 year old playing football against a 19 year old. It's not an experience issue at all. It's a safety issue and not many parents are going to allow their children to risk injury and I don't blame them. It's one thing to be a 13 year old and spot play. It's another to be a 13 year old and play the entire 32 minutes of a football game.

My point goes back to I don't know what the administration at Phelps could do to get more boys to play football. My only suggestion would be to hire someone who will commit themselves to several years to build the program. Phelps was fine until the BOE started getting involved in the coaching process.