wild@nite wrote: ↑January 28th, 2020, 9:53 am
Gorhoops wrote: ↑January 28th, 2020, 9:16 am
In the thread "So Excited," Ark says he talked with Kacey Harper, Dir. of Football Ops and was told 19 early enrollee's, but not sure who they all are. Just from following Twitter I have seen pics of some of them showing their new lockers, like Hentz and Gainous and I know the QB from Pennsylvania is there and Tee Denson also I think. Not sure after that. I saw that Kleiman had an in-home visit with Ronald Triplette the other day, who is already signed, so he must not be coming until the summer.
It is great to get the juco's in for sure. I also imagine it is nice to get the high school guys in to get them through spring ball, but man, sometimes I feel like our society today is getting in way too big of a hurry. Most of those freshman will redshirt anyway, so why not enjoy that senior prom, run track or play baseball or basketball, go on a spring break trip, whatever. I suppose if you think you are going to the NFL you want to hurry up and get to that money, but most of these kids, I sure hope they don't regret giving up what can be one of the most fun times of your life.
Unfortunately, many of them will regret it. I personally know several kids (not necessarily D1) who poured their heart/soul and teenage years into football and got to college, quit within 2 years, return home, have no other skills to speak of, and are working entry level jobs. You can't tell me they aren't regretting it.
I love college football, but there is waaaaaayyyyyy too much priority placed on year around sports. People trash Kansas High School football, but we are closer to being right than Texas or Oklahoma. Talk about priorities being way out of line in those two states. I mean, what's more important, family, being a teenager, lifelong skills, or year around football? Some will say you can do it all, but not with much quality. Many of these youngsters are putting in 40 hour weeks in the summertime for football. Weights, 7 on 7, individuals, team camps, plus trying to play other sports. I know this conversation has been had before and some think our Kansas kids are at a disadvantage, but I'd argue just the opposite. Not having spring football, etc... is a allowing Kansas kids to develop other areas of their life.
In summary... I assure you many will end up regretting it. They may never admit it, but they will.
I agree as well Wild. I grew up in KS, graduated from KSU, but my job took me to AR after graduation. I am going to preface my next comments by saying I am a die-hard sports fanatic. Sometimes I think the only reason I went to class when I was in school was just so I could participate in my chosen sport (because if you didn't go to class, you didn't practice and if you didn't practice, you didn't play). However, with that being said, the focus here on athletics is crazy over-the-top.
I have two kids here in AR, both in high school sports. Their last block or period of class is "practice".....the entire school year. For example, my daughter plays volleyball. Her last block of class each day is volleyball practice....again, all academic year. In AR high school, there is
only a two-week dead period that starts the last week of June and ends the first Monday after 4th of July. That means, they can legally practice their high school sport (they're "forced" to choose one) for
50 weeks a year and most student-athletes do.
Using my daughter's volleyball as an example; immediately following the conclusion of volleyball season (usually in early November), they start club (travel) volleyball. This will last until at least April, but sometimes until June. Well, in June they start their school volleyball practice (sans the two week dead period) for the next season. So, as you can see, it's all year around.
High school football (and most other sports) here in AR is the same way.....spring practice, 7-on-7 school sanctioned games in the summer, etc. Heck, even in junior high, they will frequently conduct two-a-days in the spring if weather is conducive......weights in Block Zero (in the morning before classes start), then normal football practice outside in their last block.
The high school basketball teams here play in early season tournaments in the Dallas area between Christmas and New Year.....so much for time with family. The baseball teams usually play in tournaments in AZ or FL during spring break....sounds fun, but as a family you have no choice where to spend your spring break and I would say it's not quality family time.
No wonder so many kids are burnt-out and/or experience injuries at a young age. The parents of these athletes are just as bad. A teammate of my daughter plays on a club volleyball team in Dallas (5+ hour drive) and we've met multiple boys through my son's baseball that plays on travel teams in the Little Rock area (about 3+ hours from us). One father paid for private QB lessons in Los Angeles for his son....they fly there at least once-a-month. Is it really worth-it??!!