Football v. Baseball

Football has 25 contact days during the summer. If coaches would work together rather than bicker, the kids and the athletic programs would benefit...

Your missing something, HS football rules, another undisputed fact.

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Originally posted by Playball2:
Your missing something, HS football rules, another undisputed fact.

I realize that, but during the summer months...in the heart of baseball season? C'mon...give these kids a break and let them enjoy both sports without the guilt or pressure.

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summer months...in the heart of baseball season?

Last I checked, the IHSA plays baseball in the spring. The summer is no more "baseball's territory" as it is football's. The summer is the "offseason" for every high school sport and needs to be used to best prepare the athletes for the following year.

Thanks Playball - you took the words right out of my mouth. Our football team starts "conditioning" on the first Monday following the last game of the season, whenever that happens to be, and it continues - daily - year round. The pressure to play only football is undeniable. We lost several baseball players to football just this year alone. The glory of those Friday night games playing in front of hundreds (as opposed to Monday after school in front of tens!) is hard for most boys to resist.

As far as coaches working together - our baseball coach bends over backwards in the summer for football players, but their attendance at football is expected to be 100%. Any and all conflicts are resolved in favor of football. It's affected travel teams we've played on as well as kids were pressured to skip games to go to preseason practices or other football related events. And I'm talking June - not August. Basketball also does off-season stuff in the summer, but the cooperation with other sports is much more evident.

Football is king at our school. Anybody here see it differently at their school?

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C'mon...give these kids a break and let them enjoy both sports without the guilt or pressure.

Braves coach, I am sure this was communicated to the players by the coach in advance. The summer is open season on athletes.

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Football is king at our school. Anybody here see it differently at their school?

I played 3 sports all four years. If I had a baseball game, I missed open gym for basketball. If I went to a camp, I missed open gym, weights, baseball games, etc.

There was only one time that I was pressured by a coach to miss a game.. and that was for a 7v7 tournament. Guess what? Our baseball coach re-scheduled the baseball game so we could go to the football.

I would say football is "king" at our school too, BUT our football coach expects you to play basketball or wrestle in the winter, and play baseball or run track in the spring.

I remember way, way back as an incoming freshman in high school & being 6'6 or so, I signed up to attend a basketball camp in the summer because I liked basketball. However, when the following summer rolled around and it was time for me to pitch during the week & I told the coach, I wouldn't be at basketball I got this big speech about being dedicated. He sat me, never gave me much of a chance the next year either. Call it blacklisted, whatever. It totally turned me off to basketball - if I wasn't dedicated it was because he made me so.

Unfortunately, it is this reality that parents/players fear............

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

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summer months...in the heart of baseball season?

Last I checked, the IHSA plays baseball in the spring. The summer is no more "baseball's territory" as it is football's. The summer is the "offseason" for every high school sport and needs to be used to best prepare the athletes for the following year.

Bulldog - last I checked, Legion baseball is not an IHSA sport. Further, its ONLY season is a six-week period of time from early June through July. Thus, I would consider that a "territory" for the serious ballplayer. Same can be said for club/travel baseball.

The summer is open season on athletes and most coaches communicate within a school so that the young men and women can attend camps from different sports without too much conflict. All summer activities are optional. However, look at this from a football player's perspective. Every camp day he misses is time missed out learning formations, plays, coverages, and audibles. I would have rather skipped a Legion game than be a day behind all of my football teammates (especially the other fellas competing for my position). Life is about choices. The players will chose their priorities and coaches must learn to deal with that.

I don't like the idea of a football coach pressuring a baseball player to miss out on games where he could be seen by scouts that could in turn help him pay for his education. I could see missing high school summer ball, but a serious baseball player who is going to a tournament or similar event should not have to forfeit the chance to get noticed in pursuit of a baseball scholarship for "optional" football practices. I think a ballplayer can go to his baseball and still be capable on the football field. A former quarterback at my high school was playing for Top Tier and thus had to miss many 7 on 7's etc, as he played for one of the best baseball teams in the country. He later got a scholly to Indiana and led our football team to the playoffs as quarterback. It can be done.

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I don't like the idea of a football coach pressuring a baseball player to miss out on games where he could be seen by scouts that could in turn help him pay for his education.

I am not sure this happened.