The Slow Demise of High School Football in South Carolina

[Damefan]

There is so much truth in this article. The parity has gone because schools can no longer develop the talent that was needed in smaller schools, and the larger schools continue to dominate and we will not see a change as long as the 8/6 quarter rule is banned. If South Carolina Football is to start growing in numbers again some things need to change. This article states some basic facts. Read and make your comments, but also help support your school by supporting your Coaches and Athletic Directors!

http://scvarsity.com/2019/10/09/the-slo ... -carolina/

[Newcatntown]

World is changing too fast ...anyone seen Shawshank....Brooks said and i quote..”World went and got itself in a big damn hurry”...
cell phones, computers, social media and crazy people shooting have caused this trend! Hopefully it will not happen.

[Deputy]

Baxter is spot on with his commentary. But we live in a world where the PC crowd has run amok and wants to have everyone live in a bubble. And the SCHSL goes right along with it. Unfortunately, I think 20 years from now HS football will be unrecognizable. Will basically be some kind of glorified version of 7 on 7.

[Penguin]

There are many factors that have led to the demise of HS Football in SC. None of them is more important than the lack of quality coaches in this state. Many of the proven winners have retired, left the state for better pay, or as my favorite, the "I'm going to get mine and heck with everybody else" former head coach of one of the most successful programs in the state since 2000.

There are factors that have led to the exodus of quality coaches. The main one, is that local School Boards are putting far more efforts into educating students rather than producing Football and Basketball factories. We, as fans, have failed to understand this change in attitudes, but we aren't going to change them. The days of high school graduates just falling into the workforce are gone. Higher education is almost a must these days. And preparing these kids for that is far more important than producing NFL and NBA talent.

The effect of those priorities is reflected in the reduction of athletic budgets, meaning less travel, lower salaries for coaches, and even position lost or eliminated to save dollars.

Then, you have the explosion of population in some districts which has resulted in the building of new schools, reducing enrollment at others, and a total loss of identity for certain communities. The opening of Carolina Forest destroyed forever, the Conway program, resulting in the loss of a very good coach. South Pointe has had the same effect in Rock Hill with 3 schools there affected. They have remained competitive because of good coaching, But Jim Ringer and Moose Wallace are gone, as is Strait Herron now. Ashley Ridge has set Summerville back quite a bit, and the winningest (cheatinest) head coach in the country is now retired. The loss of all of those guys along with Chuck Reedy and other proven winners has created a void that has so far gone unfilled.

I see no simple solution, as a matter of fact, I see a further dilution coming. Enjoy what we have now, it is only going to go down from here.

[5thqtr]

There is so much truth in this article. The parity has gone because schools can no longer develop the talent that was needed in smaller schools, and the larger schools continue to dominate and we will not see a change as long as the 8/6 quarter rule is banned. If South Carolina Football is to start growing in numbers again some things need to change. This article states some basic facts. Read and make your comments, but also help support your school by supporting your Coaches and Athletic Directors!

http://scvarsity.com/2019/10/09/the-slo ... -carolina/

I agree 100% with everything in the article. I will do my part and see if it helps! Bigger thing i.m.o we as football heads can do is to educate the parents of these young kids about the false information out there. The game of football has never been safer in it's history! Never been safer - and getting safer all the time. The equipment is getting better; the knowledge of how to avoid long term medical conditions or at least minimize the possibility of them; the rules have stiffened to the point it's nearly touch football! It's the parents who buy into the false narrative that football is dangerous more than the 8 quarter rule in my mind that is a problem. Kids may play flag football and maybe a year of grey - y and then are done!
They are doing the kids a mis-justice because not being in a sport means either the kid is going to end up in the street or quite possibly "isolated" playing video games or on social media all day. They will miss more than weight lifting and hard hits - no, they will miss something more important: "how to get along with people and deal with different personalities"!
There is a commercial with what looks like a 12 year old girl "announcing her retirement from sports"! The ad is about promoting and encouraging girls to continue in sports. Just like in that commercial all those same rules apply to these young men we are leaving stranded like my Braves when we need runs. There are so many more studies on what happens to kids when they "ARE NOT" engaged in some form of social event like team sports/band/cheerleading/chess club/4-H/Boy or Girl Scouts/Church youth groups/etc. It's no contest when you put the data that has been studied and studied more versus what we know about CTE and Concussions. Another commercial is the kid asking his grandmother for another grape soda and calling her within the house at that. These parents had better get wise and we need to help them!

The 8 qtr rule was a total over-reaction based on the horrific information coming out shortly after the Junior Seau CTE study came out and other events(NFL being sued). They should at least look at mixing the old rule with the new protocol for concussions! A doctor not the coach says whether a kid continues to play or not. A kid gets dinged - the doc can take them out the game regardless of what the coach says. That wasn't around and enforced the way it is now! Any kids in any danger would be promptly taken out and the likelihood of them suffering some debilitating injury goes way down! Not anymore than the varsity kid.

Crazy times we are living in. For the record my son plays football now! I probably would not have let him play football if it was like it was when I graduated. I literally had a coach who tried to tape up a kid with a broken leg(no shtn). Another kid who didn't know where he was but he was good same coach put him back in the game to get a 1st down. A coach doing some junk like that now would probably face some type of charges! And is the perfect symbol for why I would let my kid play now! Let's all hope it gets better! I try and talk to parents when I come across them at flag football games and such. Or at grey-y games.

[btango]

Eight quarter rule is a savior for small school programs and a great developmental option for larger schools.

[btango]

Many of the proven winners have retired, left the state for better pay.

Ashley Ridge has set Summerville back quite a bit, and the winningest (cheatinest) head coach in the country is now retired.

I see no simple solution, as a matter of fact, I see a further dilution coming. Enjoy what we have now, it is only going to go down from here.

What states are paying significantly more? SC pay in some areas is great. In others it is average. Do most coaches that leave for bigger pay do so because they retire from the SC system?

Summerville has over 3,000 students. Should be able to put a quality team on the field. Ashley Ridge has right at 2,300. That would be a huge school.

[Fortfor5]

Many of the proven winners have retired, left the state for better pay.

Ashley Ridge has set Summerville back quite a bit, and the winningest (cheatinest) head coach in the country is now retired.

I see no simple solution, as a matter of fact, I see a further dilution coming. Enjoy what we have now, it is only going to go down from here.

What states are paying significantly more? SC pay in some areas is great. In others it is average. Do most coaches that leave for bigger pay do so because they retire from the SC system?

Summerville has over 3,000 students. Should be able to put a quality team on the field. Ashley Ridge has right at 2,300. That would be a huge school.

The ville chose thier fate with a fake coach search. Nepotism killed them.we have 2300 aswell.that would make 2 3800 student schools.

[likeitRnot]

This is a great article and is 100% accurate! This also cause Varsity programs to basically leave starters in entire Friday night regardless of score.

[5thqtr]

This is a great article and is 100% accurate! This also cause Varsity programs to basically leave starters in entire Friday night regardless of score.

Which is a safety issue as well if you look at it. How often as players or as fans do you see players hurt in garbage time?