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So are we allowed to have a Spring game now

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HighSchoolOT had a chance to see Rolesville High School's 2023 "spring game." The scrimmage saw Rolesville's football program split into Red and Black teams for 7-on-7 and bump competition.
 
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Looking at the rule book, it says that a spring practice can be at competitive full speed and have bumping, but no wrapping up of ball carriers and all players must stay on their feet. After watching that video I saw instances of wrapping and more importantly kids getting tackled and multiple players leaving their feet.


 
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I don't see the front 7 with shields to prevent body to body collisions at just about every school. Now, let's see if the all wise NCHSAA in their infinite wisdom holds any of these schools with film on platforms like HS OT and others accountable for rules violations
 
NC definitely needs to step up its game in comparison to other surrounding states as far as development opportunities. The way rules are now makes it difficult. We have to abide by said rules but at the same time we need to shift those rules to ways of new thinking. NC football has too much talent to be as far behind overall as we are to states like SC. In many ways up to and including training and development, financially and commercially. Improvements have been made in some ways over the years but still lagging on certain things... as per the usual with NC in economic, political and overall attitude to procrastination vs innovation
 
NC definitely needs to step up its game in comparison to other surrounding states as far as development opportunities. The way rules are now makes it difficult. We have to abide by said rules but at the same time we need to shift those rules to ways of new thinking. NC football has too much talent to be as far behind overall as we are to states like SC. In many ways up to and including training and development, financially and commercially. Improvements have been made in some ways over the years but still lagging on certain things... as per the usual with NC in economic, political and overall attitude to procrastination vs innovation
I think it is the coaches decision. You see how many years it took for them to finally get spring practices in. I think over the years, with the amount of time they spent during the regular season and summer, they thought it may have caused even more burnout adding spring practices. With how things have changed and shifting to win now or lose out(players,jobs,backing), more coaches would be ok with adding more to their schedules. I think if the coaches wanted it,they would have it. Make a proposal, have it voted on, and they would get it.
 
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Just drop Spring all together, keep them in the weight room and on the board for install. But allow for an actual Summer Football camp. 2-a-days plus an evening half-pad/ST practice. One practice a day, subject to ridiculous weather/heat rules, is a joke. That is the main reason why NC is behind. You can't get the schemes in properly, let alone get your players into the necessary "football shape". Not to mention all the intangibles that a grueling summer camp provides a football team and its players - for the upcoming season and beyond. It's shameful IMO. Too many people - in every district, and in every state - running athletics, who know absolutely nothing about it.
 
Weight room is essential and can't be overlooked. We should start doing Power Lifting and/or Olympic Lifting between local schools to make that a team and competion thing for conditioning classes. Maybe make it a club sport and if it gets support then an official sport. This will also give our athletes male and female Olympic opportunities in more avenues.

Football. I think you should get one to two weeks in spring and a jamboree at the end between local schools to test juniors and sophomores and freshmen rising up. Also for interested kids who aren't playing spring sports or rec ball. If you're feeling froggy jump and make the jamboree a conference or county tournament 7 on 7 or 6 on 6.

And/or two a days to three a days at summer camp like we did at Catawba when I played. Warm up conditioning before or after breakfast, pads and shorts after lunch, 7 on 7 or 6 on 6 for skill players and ultimate football for linemen in the afternoon or evening to simulate 7 o clock game time. Team bonding is the goal.

Get local stations for multiple regional games to market high school football and if they aren't at the games they still make ratings and also money of which the schools should have a portion of the pie. Take a look at what the UIL does in Texas and evaluate how NC could parody that if not put our own spin on it...

Yes this is wishful thinking in a fantasy world. But also possible if you build it.

BTW NC basketball and baseball would also get ratings I believe and draw the crowd that can't make the games in that area. Basketball in particular would be lucrative because we own that sport in this country. And we're pretty dang good at baseball too... NC is underrated in overall athletes that make D1 schools come to think of it...

Yes I'm biased lol. Love ya guys. Don't mind me. Rant over lol.
 
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My guess is that HSOT wants to get as far away from that as possible. They filmed a school that had several major spring ball violations during a "Game" So I can see HSOT brass shutting that sh!t down for various reasons. 1. They may be asked to provide all film on this and be the tool to pass out any penalty and I am sure they do not what that.
2. In the future coaches may not want them to come to their spring practices due to any film that may have violations might make it on the internet. We all have had the occasional kid hit the ground that was unintended and no coach wants to explain why that may have happened
 
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Yeah, I'd try to turn the page as quick as possible if I was HSOT. Not their fault though. None of this was done in secret. A lot of these teams promoted it on social media and charged money...
 
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The NCHSAA needs to act quickly and hand out punishment to those who can't follow the rules. Otherwise more schools will continue to push the envelope.

They need to find a way to pay coaches in spring, let us have practices after spring sports end and give us 8-10 days of regular practices with at least an inter-squad scrimmage at the end. That would be a step in the right direction. It won't happen. But would make sense.

We don't need 2 or 3 a day practices. It's very possible to get your team in "football" shape without having to do all the excess and burn out. If you can't get it done in the time allowed, revisit why your strategy isn't working. If you want to take steps forward, coaches need to lose the old school mentality of as much practice and meetings as possible in one day. It burns kids out like crazy and decreases production. Minimum effective dose works best.
 
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1, 3 hour practice during summer camp is a joke. Ever hear of the law of diminishing returns? old school mentality?? 2 2 hour full pad practices and 1 1 hr special teams practice...that's considered old school?? that's too much for teenage boys nowadays? God help us. Or is it too much for the coaches?? I think a lot of coaches themselves like those soft schedules.
And What's your evidence that minimum dose works best? That's laughable. Maybe travel out of state and see the quality of play elsewhere. It would be great if your state champs could play their classification counterparts from other states. You wouldn't fair well with a large majority.
 
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New Bern does things a little different for the kids to avoid them being burnt out, seems to be working.

"I'm not a fan of doing workouts all summer like that. We're a three-day-a-week program in the summer," Nowell said. "We give our guys the rest of the day off and let them relax and Mondays, Fridays, and the weekends are for them. I think sometimes (coaches) fall in love with just trying to make (players) just work, work, work, work but they're still kids."

 
1, 3 hour practice during summer camp is a joke. Ever hear of the law of diminishing returns? old school mentality?? 2 2 hour full pad practices and 1 1 hr special teams practice...that's considered old school?? that's too much for teenage boys nowadays? God help us. Or is it too much for the coaches?? I think a lot of coaches themselves like those soft schedules.
And What's your evidence that minimum dose works best? That's laughable. Maybe travel out of state and see the quality of play elsewhere. It would be great if your state champs could play their classification counterparts from other states. You wouldn't fair well with a large majority.
Easy Bear Bryant, Don’t have to get your panties in a bunch. Just my opinion. Based on your comments you are probably not open minded enough to actually look into it. But track football consortium talks a lot about this. Similar to what Chip Kelly did at Oregon. Also the great strength coach Louie Simmons was the one who preached minimum effective dose. He worked with very high level athletes in multiple sports. Times are changing and science/experience prove it.
 
New Bern does things a little different for the kids to avoid them being burnt out, seems to be working.

"I'm not a fan of doing workouts all summer like that. We're a three-day-a-week program in the summer," Nowell said. "We give our guys the rest of the day off and let them relax and Mondays, Fridays, and the weekends are for them. I think sometimes (coaches) fall in love with just trying to make (players) just work, work, work, work but they're still kids."

I would argue that this process is probably a key contributor to the success at NB. Outside the box thinking. That works.
 
I would argue that this process is probably a key contributor to the success at NB. Outside the box thinking. That works.
Ok...last post. no Bear Bryant here. I just understand better than most what the experience should look like and that a large majority of high school athletes/football players are missing out on that experience.
That being said, I immediately regretted voicing the argument regarding practice schedules and how it affects the quality of play in NC and beyond --- namely bc that is not the real problem with HS football.
The real problem is that everywhere, in every state, HS football is extremely TOP HEAVY. Some of it is nothing more than the Pareto Principle; while some of it may be due to shenanigans, IDK.
But I am glad that the example of New Bern was brought into it. NB is, in fact, very illustrative of my point. By my best estimate, they participated in exactly one competitive game prior to the 2nd round of the playoffs. ONE. NB can clearly afford minimum dose. They probably saw a 2nd half running clock in all but 4 games, out of 16. That is a common reality in every state. What on earth are kids getting out of that type of "competitive" environment. The answer, we all is know, is Nothing.
So, it works for New Bern at this stage of the game, BC just about anything would work for the best schools, like NB. But schools with a history of mediocrity or worse ---and there are way worse, many schools dont play a competitive game all seasons or multiple seasons -- have zero chance to catch up with NB unless they get more "football" time. Coaches who think they are gonna catch up in the weight room, and then catch up in the fall bc of it, are dreaming. This isn't 1967...everyone is lifting, and doing even more. The issue is culture. I have heard repeatedly from the coaches of "no hope" teams that our kids have no "football IQ", and they don't know anything. At the same time, their remedy seems to always be to coach them less. Yeah, that's not gonna work. Again, they have no chance to turn their programs around, bc they first havent ID'ed the right problem, and 2, they are hamstrung even if they did correctly ID it, and then most wouldn't be able to remedy it anyway. It's a real problem.
So, let's say we compromised between proposals -- 2, 1.5/1.75hr practices and 1 1 hr ST practice per day. that would only be 1 more hour outside in the heat. You would have the kids, however, ALL day, and they could accumulate all the intangibles that a team must from spending 12 hours a day together (overnight camp would be even better btw). This extra football time would make all teams better, and make the state far more competitive inter-, intra-, and extra-murally.
So that would have been the better argument, altho the other is still valid.
I'm out. Peace and love.
 
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Read on another site that with these spring games the poster asked did the coaches put players in danger by not following guidelines about how to tackle, did they give the amount of days like they do in the summer?????
 
As far as taking it easy or being Bear Bryant (no coach worth his salt holds back on water in this day and age) the answer is both are correct. And middle of the road depending.

A program like New Bern with deep and rich traditions and success can take it easy and make it more about people. Talent is never an issue so focusing on players as people works. Numbers are not a concern.

On the other hand at a school that has never experienced winning in any shape or form you have to balance making sure you have numbers and shaking the rust out of their helmets and pads.

Nobody is Bear Bryant or should be anymore. Athletics are purely volunteer and fun and a public (or private) school should never cut players. But when you come to work you better actually come to work. Playing football to be in front of the cheerleaders is ridiculous and those players should be weeded out. If you love football you stay. If you don't or use it for social shenanigans get out. Those are usually weeded out with conditioning...
 
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