Correct, I was meaning before the latest departures but did a poor job of explaining that. They should have just added Newman and Osage to the Corn bowl when it was still a thing.
Iowa High School BEDS count 24-25
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Osage wouldn’t have just came. They were the big pushers for the bigger conference. They wanted this huge wrestling set up, now that is collapsing, and from what I’ve heard, the schools that leave point to Osage quite often. The corn bowl would have best to have just tried to get Newman IMO.
When all the consolidation inside of the Corn Belt happened, it definitely created a little separation sizewise. Instead of having 6 schools all close in size between Riceville, Rockford, RS, SCMT, North Central, and NSRF, you ended up with 2 larger and 2 smaller.
Dont forget Greene and Nashua, prior to their consolidation.
I want to say the OGs were, Riceville, Greene, Nashua, St. Ansgar, NSRF, North Central, Rockford, Rockwell-Swaledale.
Then SCMT and NK joined a few years before it collapsed. Which is a bit strange because historically it always felt like NK was in the conference because so many teams in the Corn Bowl played them regularly in every sport.
I know Osage wanted to join the conference and tried for many years, I believe that was part of the issue when it all fell apart. The bigger schools that had consolidated were willing to bring them in, but the smaller schools already behind all those consolidated districts did not want an even bigger school in the district.
Yes, Green did merge with AB to form North Butler. But Greene was an original member of the Corn Bowl conf. before that merger.
And Nashua was an OG member prior to their merger with Plainfield.
I was not saying Greene and Nashua merged with each other, I can see how it could be interpreted that way.
High School baseball and softball have been able to dress 8th grade kids for a long time. Soon all sports will be able to bring 8th grade kids on the roster? Had a guy tell me that today. Does that sound correct?
There was a bill passed in the Iowa House last year to allow it, I believe with almost everyone voting in favor. I dont think it was ever voted on in the Senate, at least up to this point anyway.
I would guess it will pass at some point in the future.
I say this as a parent of a kid that that pulled up as an 8th grader in baseball, I hate it. Unless you have a problem with participation like we had those kids should be playing USSSA or rec leagues. Or as a compromise let them practice but I wouldn't let them dress. The other piece of that except for baseball and some of the smaller sports (swim/tennis/golf) they all have middle school seasons. Let the kids compete with kids their age. I don't see any reason why people are so quick to make their kids grow up.
And to be honest...most varsity level coaches will make good decisions regarding this situation...but not all of them! HUGE developmental difference (physical and maturity) between an 8th grader and a senior...and they are supposed to compete against one another? Rare is the kid who can understand, accept and learn from that type of situation. It would hurt more kids than it would help!
For baseball/softball I have no problem bringing them up for JV games, but it's asking a lot for varsity games. Many schools have MS baseball and softball, which play in the mornings, so I suppose you could do both.
Our youngest was a decent left handed pitcher, and when he was in 8th grade, I went to the coaches and asked if he could practice with the JV/Varsity team, I didn't expect him to play much at all on the JV, but I wanted him to practice with them, his brother was a sophomore on the team. He was playing Babe Ruth and coaching was basically non existent. The coaches said they really didn't want him too, that it hadn't been done in years, but I finally told them his brother is playing, he can ride with him, I do not even care if you dress him JV, just let him come to practice.
They finally relented, the deal was Babe Ruth was the priority, and if games conflicted, he would go to BR. After a couple of weeks he was starting on the JV, the coaches were asking me if he could miss BR games, and I reminded them what our deal was, Babe Ruth was first, JV was just extra practice and playing time. They dressed him to have him on the bench for the varsity by the end of the season, he never played but it was good for him to see that level of play and pitching. It really helped him on his Babe Ruth team, he hammered the ball that season, and was one of the better players in the league.
Our youngest was a decent left handed pitcher, and when he was in 8th grade, I went to the coaches and asked if he could practice with the JV/Varsity team, I didn't expect him to play much at all on the JV, but I wanted him to practice with them, his brother was a sophomore on the team. He was playing Babe Ruth and coaching was basically non existent. The coaches said they really didn't want him too, that it hadn't been done in years, but I finally told them his brother is playing, he can ride with him, I do not even care if you dress him JV, just let him come to practice.
They finally relented, the deal was Babe Ruth was the priority, and if games conflicted, he would go to BR. After a couple of weeks he was starting on the JV, the coaches were asking me if he could miss BR games, and I reminded them what our deal was, Babe Ruth was first, JV was just extra practice and playing time. They dressed him to have him on the bench for the varsity by the end of the season, he never played but it was good for him to see that level of play and pitching. It really helped him on his Babe Ruth team, he hammered the ball that season, and was one of the better players in the league.
I'm of the opinion that bringing those kids up early, especially on a bad team like my son was a part of doesn't do anything except teach those kids how to lose.
Now onto good ideas I just came across this article this afternoon and I think I'd be all for having a few more mandatory breaks during the school year.
Lawmaker proposes more mandatory breaks from Iowa High School sports
A coach who’s also a member of the Iowa House is proposing an expansion of the time coaches are not allowed to have contact with Iowa students who participate in […]
ottumwaradio.com
I can see the smallest schools using 8th graders a lot.
I hate the idea of the mandatory breaks. They aren't going to shorten practice time before the games begin. Its going to eliminate a week of games. The actual fun part of participating.I'm of the opinion that bringing those kids up early, especially on a bad team like my son was a part of doesn't do anything except teach those kids how to lose.
Now onto good ideas I just came across this article this afternoon and I think I'd be all for having a few more mandatory breaks during the school year.
Lawmaker proposes more mandatory breaks from Iowa High School sports
A coach who’s also a member of the Iowa House is proposing an expansion of the time coaches are not allowed to have contact with Iowa students who participate in […]
MOST kids don't have a problem. Yes if you go deep into the postseason problems are created. Why are we punishing all of the kids for the problems of just a few teams?
High school me, given the option, would have MUCH rather rolled season to season with no breaks than eliminate a week of additional competition. I think we ran state track Thursday to Saturday and then started baseball games Monday and it was great. We did lose a couple kids every year for a game or two for state golf but that's understandable considering the window golf has to work with in respect to the weather. Went to a small school and we played at the UNI Dome fairly often...the week after the season ended everyone was still in the weight room boys basketball or not. How is that fundamentally different than practice?
Hell, some of the kids I played with NEEDED the sports to keep their asses out of trouble. A week off during track would have been disastrous from a training standpoint...especially because a LOT of schools don't have a spring break.
If you want to play sports sometimes there are sacrifices. Welcome to the rest of your life.
My oldest played 4A baseball and they had a couple 8th graders jump ahead of him and a bunch of his teammates to play varsity when they were sophomores then another one the year after that. Absolute insanity especially for a team that won 5 games. Like seriously what was the point of that?
Depends on the kid. My daughter started DHing softball about 40% of the way through the season and finished with a .560ish average (best she had). Or oldest son played some varsity baseball as an 8th grader and would have been a .500 wrestler had he wrestled varsity in 8th. They both developed a little earlier. Our youngest would not have done well as an 8th grader. He was more your typical progression.
So which of the bolded are you siding with, you flipped in a couple paragraphs.
Our conference has a 5 day no contact rule over Christmas break. Allows families to have Christmas together time. Before that I remember practices happening on Christmas Eve even.
There is a HUGE difference for boys between 8th and 9th grade. Sometimes there are 8th grade baseball players that are good enough to play varsity. But those kids are usually D1 type talents. If they're not, and they are playing varsity it's because they're team really sucks. Too dangerous in football. Some of these little districts need to consolidate or die.
I'm of the opinion that bringing those kids up early, especially on a bad team like my son was a part of doesn't do anything except teach those kids how to lose.
Now onto good ideas I just came across this article this afternoon and I think I'd be all for having a few more mandatory breaks during the school year.
Lawmaker proposes more mandatory breaks from Iowa High School sports
A coach who’s also a member of the Iowa House is proposing an expansion of the time coaches are not allowed to have contact with Iowa students who participate in […]
A mandatory break in December? Wrestlers and basketball players are in the middle of their seasons. They already have a few days during Christmas.
