Lockwood enrollment issues
- Thread starter Veer2Eternity
- Start date
What's sad is that high school sports, especially football, are really meant for these towns with the declining populations. No disrespect to suburban communities, but Friday Night Lights just ain't that big of a deal in O'Fallon.
In my opinion, high school football is best-served in those working-class towns of 1,000-20,000 people. Towns like Moberly, California, and Hannibal all come to mind. These towns might not have the same individual talent, but the success of the team is more important to these places than the achievements of a single player. I could be way wrong on this, but I've never felt like communities in the STL area really rally around their local team or alma mater, but moreso root for or watch individual players. That might be because everybody attends commuter private schools now and the sense of community isn't as present.
In my opinion, high school football is best-served in those working-class towns of 1,000-20,000 people. Towns like Moberly, California, and Hannibal all come to mind. These towns might not have the same individual talent, but the success of the team is more important to these places than the achievements of a single player. I could be way wrong on this, but I've never felt like communities in the STL area really rally around their local team or alma mater, but moreso root for or watch individual players. That might be because everybody attends commuter private schools now and the sense of community isn't as present.
I think you are right, especially in this area around SWMo. You have seen alot of growth in communities outside of Joplin and Springfield in the last decade just for this reason. In Springfield there is no sense of community if you go to say a Kickapoo or Glendale. But move to a one high school town like Ozark or Nixa and yeah you see that. If you look at Joplin they could have split into two schools, but I remember when they did have two schools it split the sense of belonging because you were not a Joplin eagle, but either a Parkwood Bear or Memorial Eagle, the town was split.
Now you see towns like Log-Rog growing and it is people from Springfield who want their kids to have that small town pride, because Nixa and Ozark might soon have to build new high schools based on their growth. Stafford is growing along with Clever, people want what those towns can offer for their kids yet be close enough to Springfield that they can enjoy what they offer in the way of Jobs, eaters, and entertainment. Joplin people didn't move to Webb because of sports in the beginning while that was a nice trade off, they moved because it was a small community, smaller than Joplin especially back in the late 80's and early 90's. Now you are seeing CJ growing, Carthage is seeing some of that tool.
"Sorry" BHP, COD, AKJ, VTE I couldn't see inside the gym when I drove by going home from work.
Thanks old buddy. I read the preview and saw they had 11. Surely they can come up with 5 to play basketball. Everton and gc do every year!!
The numbers are down in the youth football program at Webb, but this year's 7th had 79 kids come out compared to when they were in 3-6th grade they had roughly around 52-56 kids. Coach Rod, didn't suggest them to go to 2 teams, he gave his blessing for them to do whatever they wanted. My son is on a 6th grade team and between their 3 teams last year they only had about 44-48 kids by the end of the year. I am glad they went to 2 teams.
Well that is not what they exactly told the SW conference youth board when they said they were going to two teams. My understanding from listening to them was John asked for a meeting with the youth board and at that meeting approached the board with the idea of going back to two teams.
They needed to go back to 2 teams when they only had numbers in the mid 40s and to be honest I dont know what the other grades had out. I'm just talking just 6th grade here. Other grades could have less.
Going back to 2 teams? When did they ever have 2 teams? I'm honestly asking because ever since I moved here, they've had 3.
I want to say they went to 3 teams in 2011, we joined in 2012 because Joplin could not get back to 3 teams after the tornado, but dang so many years have passed my memory gets everything messed up. We were set to join the year before but Webb decided to go to three teams because of numbers.
Yes there is a breaking point where talent can be spread to thin.
it's daddy ball. Spreading talent too thin should be the last thing you worry about. Limit your numbers so kids get more snaps. More snaps means they're getting better.
Nobody cares who wins in 4th grade.
If we could we would love to split into two teams, I think we figured at least 15-16 kids per team so about 30 kids minimum per grade to do that.
I am not going to tell another town how to run their program, but Webb's youth program has over the years even with three teams been very good. But who am I to tell them what is best for them.
But you also don't want to put kids in a position where they cannot succeed or could get another kid hurt. Some kids you just have to bring along a bit slower so they don't start to hate the game because they are getting beat up.
Lockwood isn't getting very many girls traveling from outside their school district for sports, but they do still get that for the boys playing football.
i saw in their board minutes they hired a girls bball coach last spring. Surely with 11 volleyball girls they'll make it work.
Traveling teams and parents are comical. Playing baseball 30 weeks out of the year, blaring "Old Town Road" and shot gunning White Claws from your Yeti cooler you put on your overdue credit card so you can yell at 8 year old kids at 7:45 am on a Sunday. Its the new American Dream!
But hey, maybe you'll get lucky and your kids will get into club soccer instead
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