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If Wheelersburg wants to stay at the top of SOC in athletics then they better wake up to the fact that all student athletes need to be three sport athletes. Too many of these athletes are only playing one or two sports. A lot of the athletes are good smart athletes and most are Div. 2/3 college players. I see a few players on the basketball team that need to play all sports and would make an immediate impact on those sports. Somebody please be honest with these young men to allow them to have a great High School careers and maybe a chance at a getting some college tuition paid.

Yeah, I know a basketball coach who gets upset when a player misses open gym or even one practice for AAU Baseball or AAU whatever...I think a lot of these kids would but it is beat into their heads they should focus on one sport...

Wheelrsburg could always hang their hats on great community, great fans, parents telling their kids to keep your mouth shut-- dont complain listen to your coaches and work hard, and if your not going to play all sports then your going get a job during that time.

eddie wrote:If Wheelersburg wants to stay at the top of SOC in athletics then they better wake up to the fact that all student athletes need to be three sport athletes. Too many of these athletes are only playing one or two sports. A lot of the athletes are good smart athletes and most are Div. 2/3 college players. I see a few players on the basketball team that need to play all sports and would make an immediate impact on those sports. Somebody please be honest with these young men to allow them to have a great High School careers and maybe a chance at a getting some college tuition paid.

Who are you referring to on the basketball team?

noone specific---- just an opinion. We see some players on the court, football/baseball field and say to ourselves that kid would be a really good whatever ----because of his athletic knowledge, quickness or strength etc...

I don't feel a player should have to play multiple sports at all. I say the answer is simple. It's up to the player. If a player loves one sport and wants to become the best they possibly can be at that chosen sport I say go for it. If a player wants to play 5 sports and only work on the certain sport during it's specific season that works too.
You shouldn't be worried about a school's tradition or athletic superiority. Let the kids be kids and make their own choices!

The problem is not the kids, it is the power hungry high school coaches that want them all year around.

eddie wrote:If Wheelersburg wants to stay at the top of SOC in athletics then they better wake up to the fact that all student athletes need to be three sport athletes. Too many of these athletes are only playing one or two sports. A lot of the athletes are good smart athletes and most are Div. 2/3 college players. I see a few players on the basketball team that need to play all sports and would make an immediate impact on those sports. Somebody please be honest with these young men to allow them to have a great High School careers and maybe a chance at a getting some college tuition paid.

Amen, certain kids I understand, but I don't get some of the guys up there now. I would have understood if spradlin concentrated on bbal. Why don't you see kids not play bball to concentrate on football?

socman --that is the attitude that we do not want. we wont student-athletes to put aside their individual wants to help the whole, the team, the programs , the community to make our student-athletes the best that they can be.

fbnut-- its easy to concentrate on other sports. that means shooting 500 shots or throwing/hitting 100 balls a day. but not many have it in them to hit the weight room everyday or work on tech. as a OL or block a sled three times a week. thats not easy, flashy or too much fun. i have seen some over the years but not many.

during fball players should work on the shooting or hitting. for one to stay sharp in those other sports and two that gives them a little separation from the everyday grind. then if they play bball during that season they should hit and throw baseball and hit the weight room 3x a week to maintain their strength and help against injury and so on.

eddie wrote:socman --that is the attitude that we do not want. we wont student-athletes to put aside their individual wants to help the whole, the team, the programs , the community to make our student-athletes the best that they can be.

fbnut-- its easy to concentrate on other sports. that means shooting 500 shots or throwing/hitting 100 balls a day. but not many have it in them to hit the weight room everyday or work on tech. as a OL or block a sled three times a week. thats not easy, flashy or too much fun. i have seen some over the years but not many.

Great post and I agree 100%!

The problem, IMO, is that until the OHSAA steps in (not gonna happen) and limit out of season activites more so than now, kids will continue to 'spealize' in a sport. Schools, as a general rule in southern Ohio are too small for kids not to play as many sports as possible. We have too many athletes not playing a sport or two because they think they are going to be college material in the one sport they do play.

Wheelersburg is a small school and they need the athletes to play all 3 sports. Over the last several years it seems like more and more baseball players are just playing baseball. They play summer legion ball and play 70-100 games in the summer and don't go to football weights because they have a baseball game that evening. In the fall they are playing "fall ball" and not playing football. They then practice all winter to get ready for spring baseball.

I'm not from Wheelersburg or anything so I don't know what all is going on, but I don't see why a kid should have to play 3 sports regardless. Maybe they just want to focus on baseball or basketball or football because it's what they like to play or what they want to do in college. It's not your place to be telling them what to do, anyway. They're the athlete, and it's their decision to make. If a kid really cares about the sport, they'll play. Otherwise, they wont play or they won't give their best effort (if they're told to play, that is).

lrn4lf wrote:Wheelersburg is a small school and they need the athletes to play all 3 sports. Over the last several years it seems like more and more baseball players are just playing baseball. They play summer legion ball and play 70-100 games in the summer and don't go to football weights because they have a baseball game that evening. In the fall they are playing "fall ball" and not playing football. They then practice all winter to get ready for spring baseball.

Thats the way it should be. If they would rather play baseball then work on other sports thats up to the athletes. Did you ever think this might be why they dominate in baseball every year. It's not the kids' faults that they are naturally gifted and would rather just concentrate on that particular sport. Concentrating on one sport all year could be the difference maker on if a kid gets the chance to play in college or not. If they play multiple sports it takes away from their natural sport.

How dare those Burg baseball players work year around.lol But football players should right.lol Go ahead and limit the baseball playeres from working in the off season.lol

BASEBALL IS SLOW AND BORING!

If a kid doesn't want to play football fine but don't use the excuse I want to concentrate on another sport. Tell the truth, i don't like football, I don't like getting hit, I don't like practicing all summer, I dont like all the offseason conditioning.

I understand Eddie's argument. Being at a small school (D5 in football I believe?) you would want all your athletes on every field, court that they can be involved in to make every team successful.

I'm from South Point, been here my entire life. I respect Wheelersburg in every sport that they play, its obvious that those kids work their tails off, listen, respect their coaches and whatever game they are playing. Look at all the kids who have or are playing college ball right now out of Wheelersburg. My point being those kids who choose to play 1 sport actually do focus on their sport. For instance the kids who play baseball only do throw everyday, run everyday, lift 3-4 times a week and swing a bat nearly every day. This is obvious to me and I live 30-35 minutes away. Go to another school and see if you find even 1 kid who does that. I'm not trying to stir a pot here I'm just saying be happy with what you all got down there, idk who is in charge but they definately know whats going on. Look how successful every team at Wheelersburg is! Football goes to playoffs nearly every yr, Soccer competes for district championships year in and year out as does basketball, Baseball competes in regionals pretty much every season. You cannot complain too much you all have it going on down there. But I do understand your point, just my opinion.

I just want to bring awareness to the subject and not down play or knock any other sport as not as important as another. I believe every sport/curriculum is important for the well being of a school and community. This is the back bone of the community—Friday night football, Tuesday and Thursday basketball games, a warm spring baseball game, a SOC track invitational. We need everyone to participate in everything they can to keep that strong tradition within our schools/community. We need team players within our administration to the custodians as well as our student-athletes to our locally owned businesses not individualist.

I still believe it’s up to the parent to push their kids to play all sports and to take all the college prep courses as possible. The parent should want their child to be the best most well rounded person as possible not secluded and only doing what they want. If there are health issues or economic problems I understand. If not then yes you are going to go hit tennis balls even though it is basketball season (after your homework is completed.) lol The homework is what they might complain about the most.