Our school district is struggling how to implement the new state law on allowing 8th graders to compete varsity sports. They are waiting until after the state board holds a public hearing August 11 and then when permanent rules are in place. I imagine many are struggling too.
High School Sports Thread
- Thread starter qwerty
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That is different than what the head of the IGHSAU said when interviewed during the 5A game. Said everyone said they liked it and heard nothing bad so it was a great change.
I wish they would have don’t like Ohio/Pennsylvania did back 10 years ago or so. 8th graders could play JV but not varsity. Many small schools can’t field JV teams even for basketball. They end up playing 6th/7th varsity in players for a bit so the others can get court time. Same with JV baseball. Let 8th graders (7th grade for baseball now) fill JV slots and it opens things up. Coaches can get in a jam when games go extra innings and they had 1-2 pitch JV. Now they don’t even have emergency pitchers.
A local Board is allowing 8th moving up but after an approval process by the coaches and finally by the parents. One concern by coaches is that loss of playing time for under classmen by 8th graders moving up will result in some dropping out.
I like the ruling, but agree it is going to need some guiderails. Student athlete, first and foremost, should have the choice. I think they should also allow for a hybrid where an athlete can play both jr. high and HS with a minutes limit. They already have limits on basketball minutes between JV and Varsity, so shouldn't be that hard to track and enforce.
My daughter's school is a small 1A and while we have decent numbers in most sports, most of the schools in our conference do not. We played only 4 JV softball games this year (scheduled for 18), and softball already has 8th graders eligible, so this new policy will definitely not fix everything. Where it will help is in a situation where numbers are low in HS and high in junior high and there are a few girls that are above the others as far as skill level in junior high. In this case, it is a no brainer. It allows the skilled players to move up and play against better competition and it opens more playing time for less skilled junior high players at that level.
There are 8th grade girls that can, at the very least, play JV and some varsity. Pretty sure CC and the Joens girls would have been able to handle it, even at large schools. There would be fewer boys just because of biology, especially in football, but probably a handful would be able to make the step up as well.
Allowing it is a positive, but like most things in "amateur" athletics these days, it can probably be abused somehow.
They might be. They're STACKED and I don't think there's a 5A team that you can say is head and shoulders above everyone else this year on paper.
Somebody needs to investigate what they are giving those Waukee NW girls!!!! It's gotta be double digit state championships over the last 2 years.
Probably not but the best 5A teams would splatter Xavier IMO.
The people yelling were way overboard. The coaches gotta have a come to Jesus talk with a couple of the parents in the stands.
There were more F bombs in that two minute clip than in Midnight Run
Good for the ump. Those parents should be embarrassed. There was a Little League organization out east a few years ago that created a rule where if you're a parent and cross the line arguing with an ump or step onto the field to argue, you're effectively banned from attending any more games at that complex until YOU serve as a volunteer ump for three games. I have no idea how the rule has worked, but I love the spirit of it.
Great job to Indianola! First ever Baseball championship.
It’s verrry rare. That’s why when these clubs roll in that act like this they need kicked out.
I don't think it's that rare. It's a big part of the reason there's been an umpire/ref shortage for youth sports for the past several years now.
