A friend of mine used to coach at a feeder school for Ashbrook, he always said that the talent was unbelievable but just could never seem to put it together. This thread struck my curiosity, so I asked his opinion on what holds back not only Ashbrook, but Gaston County (other than SP) as a whole.
1. Too many schools. He said that if Forestview and Stuart Cramer did not exist, it would be better for everyone.
2. Lack of sense of community. He said that unlike places like Cleveland and Lincoln Counties, very few, if any, kids dream of playing for their local high school because kids are always on the move from school to school, or at the youth level, team to team.
3. Lack of support not only from school administrators, but the county as a whole. Too much movement year to year with administration makes it hard to establish a culture in the building.
4. Too many recycled coaches, not enough qualified coaches. Especially ones making a jump from the youth levels to high school. Said high schools will hire these guys just for a player to come to that school.
5. Too much player movement. He said that if the group he had at a few years ago at the feeder school would have stayed together, that Ashbrook would be even better off.
