Recruiting

As a parent of another Burke county athlete. I am really bothered of the information I heard this week. Is it fair that a coach from one district takes a rising9th grade player from another district school to a Nike Combine. The kid is set to go to Patton however a Freedom coach takes him to a combine. To me that seem to be a serious no no. What do you guys think?

 

The camp you are referring to was a underclass combine and all the kids that went were middle school kids who were taken by the coach at walter johnson. Could your last name be Glass???? I want to ask you this why did Patton refuse to play east burke???

 

As an outsider looking into Good Ol' Burke County this truly proves how some absent-minded people try to jump on things without knowing facts and trivialize something done by a player's current coach to further a player's chance to be seen as potential college talent. Was the player in question the only one to go from his school? Why post after just HEARING and not knowing the whole story? Student-Athletes have now began being noticed as 8th graders and most of the GOOD middle school coaches try to give their players every opportunity to be noticed if the talent is possibly there to go play college football. Remember, let he who is without sin cast the 1st stone. Patton High school is well known and disliked in my county for the way that they have handled the whole football situation last year. Not to mention the fact that their staff has total disregard for all rules set forth by the NCHSAA. I know for a fact from relatives in the area that Patton began spring drills prior to the dead period ending on March 15 (hiding in the gym, etc). They are also in direct violation of NCHSAA rules by allowing middle school players to participate in sessions with the high school students. The principal who has no prior high school experience either has no clue or totally disregards the unethical behavior of this staff. As for the game Patton is supposed to play with East Burke, it once again shows how the money areas continue to run your educational system. In order to please those in power, don't worry about how it affects others. Draughn, you will never receive the attention that Patton requires to please the politcal needs of the board members and super. Get used to being stepped on. I hate to see a once rich athletic county, not as rich as my county though, being totally overrun by incompetent, politically motivated people. Sorry Burke County!

 

I think that Patton is getting a little more credit than most think. About being hated by other counties because of the varsity football thing, that was a higher ups mistake. I believe that the coaches informed the higher ups in early April that playing varsity was not a good idea. Unfortunately decisions were not made by the people that should have been making them. As far as the other things you are talking about. As far as the middle school coach taking kids to camp. That is not the problem. What is not being said is that if I am not mistaken this coach is no longer the middle school coach and has now taken a football position at Freedom and works there as well. THis same coach applied for the Patton job and upon not being offered the position (which I heard that he might have gotten a raw deal) he turned anti-PAtton. He a may have a right, dont know about what happened there. The real issue is that with having 4 high schools now there is going to have to be clear cut rules that forbid these type things. With transfers going back and forth ( and that goes both ways) there has to be something to let these kids know they need to go where they are supposed to go, if not this will get out of hand. Coaches should not have to act like college coaches and recruit. If something is not done then it will get nasty. AND as far as your other questions remember this not every decision is made in Burke county is made by head coaches.

 

Oh yeah as far as the rules violations, no middle schoolers have been doing spring workouts at Patton to my knowledge. They are allowed to come lift weights if they dont have a weight room and they are not even doing that I dont think. I know alot of early things were canceled on their calendar due to the MArch 15th date

 

The coach you are reffering to is as far as I know still coaching at the middle school level.I have also heard about patton practing middle schoolers and having practices in the gym before the deadline.I also heard Patton practiced last year on the first day of practice in full gear.Its funny how people from patton like to run their mouth about freedom by writing letters to the editor and mess because they think they are owed everything.The kid in which ftball28645 is reffering to lives about 3 minutes from Freedom high school in the area which is considered on the line.Had it been a kid who lives in Freedom district going to a camp with someone who may be thought of as a patton coach you would not have said a word about it.I also want to know the answer.Why is Patton refusing to play East Burke.Is it because its too tough of a game???? Freedom plays Shelby,Crest,TC Roberson,and Asheville and there not trying to get out of it.

 

If he is still going to be a coach at the middle school then there is no harm no foul. As far as living close or far away from the school that goes both ways as well. The district lines dont make much sense. PAtton has kids that live closer to Freedom and Freedom has kids that live close to Patton. It is split by elementary schools. Regardless how close or how far the lines are the lines. We need to go by them until they are changed. When a school is split like it is it causes problems. And as far as Freedom's schedule if you could get out of a couple of those games I am sure you would at least that is the sentiment of a couple of your coaches. No doubt you have the toughest nonconference schedule around. I dont really know if it is helping you right now though. COnfidence is 50% of a kids playing ability, and I think you will agree with that. Is you nonconference schedule giving you confidence? Will you still schedule these teams in the SMAC? But either way hats off to you. I think the whole newspaper thing is ridiuclous. I can t believe the paper even prints it. It is a joke. For instance the softball thing, that was silly. From what I heard Freedom was very respectable and did not run up the score. Parents need to keep to them selves in those situations when they really dont know whats going on. No Patton was not in full gear the first days of practice. Regarding the EB thing as I said in other posts, all of the decisions are not made by who you think they are. Patton is playing Freedom the first game I do believe. The bottom line other than that middle school coach the majority of the coaches Patton dont have a problem with Freedom or their coaches. In most situations the games have been civil and Freedom has exhibited class. I havent been to one yet so I dont know first hand. The parents are another story. The fences need to be mended at some time. The coaches need to talk to each other and not through AD's and Principals.