I am absolutely ecstatic about frenchie... let's get it
With all due respect. Sports that I enjoy or care about are the big 3. For us to be competitive we need to recruit outside just our state. Basketball if we owned our state we would be ok.Agree. Football is king in the South. There are far more competing sports that are big in the North .
It's amazing how fast the staff turned the biggest weakness into a strength in under a year. After RB on OL, WR has to be the strongest position of talent and depth. It's impressive. AND there is still potential to add more! I think it says more about Rod Smith than anything else. Players want to play for him and believe in him despite not hitting the preverbial mark of a bowl game.
I’m going to reserve judgment until I see whether these guys can get consistent separation and hold onto the ball in a few actual games.It's amazing how fast the staff turned the biggest weakness into a strength in under a year. After RB on OL, WR has to be the strongest position of talent and depth. It's impressive.
My little brother teaches in Brandon Mississippi. His daughter played high school and now collegiate tennis. They have all the sports that Urbana High has. More kids may play soccer now but I think less play tennis or other sports I dont feel that is a regional thing. I wish we recruited those states too. I mean little Louisana came up here with players the SEC didnt want and clobbered us. I was there. That's frustrating to me.. Could have got some of those guys? That RB is in the NFL now. What did Miss St just have drafted 3 guys from Mississippi In the first round? I think we could compete recruiting there with Lovie . We must recruit the south. I know you agree. The main reason the southern teams have won 12 out of the last 13 titles is due to talent. I dont feel it's because its spread around up north more than down south. It may be economic. Basketball and football are cheaper to play as young boys growing up but te high schools offer the same sports there as here and I dont recall any stud football player going out for another fall sport. Maybe very few choose hockey up here . I just dont buy that happening often.. let's go get them regardless n Go Illini!You need to re-read my post. I was disagreeing with Twangers post and agreeing with RockfordIllini. Florida and Texas (South) are particularly fertile football recruiting grounds and it makes sense for us to spend quite a bit of our effort recruiting there. Many high schools in Texas have football stadiums that would make colleges blush. I offer as the reason for this the fact that football dominates fan interest compared with the North where sports teams compete for athletes in many different sports - the sports climate is NOT dominated by football alone. I agree that we should find talent wherever we can find it including Illinois. Our best players are likely to come from elsewhere. I'm not sure where you are disagreeing with me?
My little brother teaches in Brandon Mississippi. His daughter played high school and now collegiate tennis. They have all the sports that Urbana High has. More kids may play soccer now but I think less play tennis or other sports I dont feel that is a regional thing. I wish we recruited those states too. I mean little Louisana came up here with players the SEC didnt want and clobbered us. I was there. That's frustrating to me.. Could have got some of those guys? That RB is in the NFL now. What did Miss St just have drafted 3 guys from Mississippi In the first round? I think we could compete recruiting there with Lovie . We must recruit the south. I know you agree. The main reason the southern teams have won 12 out of the last 13 titles is due to talent. I dont feel it's because its spread around up north more than down south. It may be economic. Basketball and football are cheaper to play as young boys growing up but te high schools offer the same sports there as here and I dont recall any stud football player going out for another fall sport. Maybe very few choose hockey up here . I just dont buy that happening often.. let's go get them regardless n Go Illini!
Hmmm, a process designed to generate opportunities. I'm a fan.Athletics are prioritized, athletes are developed, and opportunities are created.
I see why you teach down in Texas.Lots of southern states also offer athletic periods. Instead of PE you go to practice all school year long. Weights, skills, agility, plyo, technique. Full on development, year long. In Texas they also give us 8 hours of strength and conditioning and 2 hours of actual practice per week (so 10 hours total development) for 10 weeks. We basically work our kids out 48-50 weeks per year. This doesn’t include spring leagues, fall leagues, summer leagues, 7 on 7s for football, camps, etc. Athletics are prioritized, athletes are developed, and opportunities are created.
Even basketball recruiting is picking up in the south because kids who specialize in basketball reap the same benefits of time+development.
There are kids consumed by sports all over this country. They do the same everywhere. My cousins kids dont do anything different than mine did. Your right about the fact that what kids want to invest time in they will be good at. Thats not a regional concept. here are the same numbenot aminutes in the day for them all. The kids I coached when I lived in the south just spent much more time playing than the ones I coached in illinois and they were better because of it as young kids and growing up.Lots of southern states also offer athletic periods. Instead of PE you go to practice all school year long. Weights, skills, agility, plyo, technique. Full on development, year long. In Texas they also give us 8 hours of strength and conditioning and 2 hours of actual practice per week (so 10 hours total development) for 10 weeks. We basically work our kids out 48-50 weeks per year. This doesn’t include spring leagues, fall leagues, summer leagues, 7 on 7s for football, camps, etc. Athletics are prioritized, athletes are developed, and opportunities are created.
Even basketball recruiting is picking up in the south because kids who specialize in basketball reap the same benefits of time+development.
That and its warmer outside and they play more. Many dont have a PS4. Those same things were true back in the day with Rice, Walter Payton, Farve, McNair, and many many others or in Louisiana too. Its just if not more true today. When a states like Mississippi of 2.8 million has more great and good players than more than one 4x that size thats gotta be something to look at into and we should certainly be recruiting there. Who's our states best player in the last 50 years? We need to recruit here for sure but we need to elsewhere to compete with the top programs. Regardless of why I dont think that's really debatable when it comes to the facts regarding football today. Go Illini. I love that Lovie us doing just that in texas and Florida. I hope he continues to expand that searchWith football being the clear #1 sport down south kids parents are way more willing to sign their kids up for pee we football. As a whole the south develops better players at younger ages.
That and its warmer outside and they play more. Many dont have a PS4. Those same things were true back in the day with Rice, Walter Payton, Farve, McNair, and many many others or in Louisiana too. Its just if not more true today. When a states like Mississippi of 2.8 million has more great and good players than more than one 4x that size thats gotta be something to look at into and we should certainly be recruiting there. Who's our states best player in the last 50 years? We need to recruit here for sure but we need to elsewhere to compete with the top programs. Regardless of why I dont think that's really debatable when it comes to the facts regarding football today. Go Illini. I love that Lovie us doing just that in texas and Florida. I hope he continues to expand that search
From one perspective this sounds brilliant. But for kids without...athletic dispositions, let's say...this sounds like hell on earth. Can those kids seek their opportunities equally in music or arts programs? Because the right-brain people might actually provide more entertainment than sports do, (i.e. think of how many hours of music that young people listen to everyday vs. time watching ADS and a game), and helping them develop those skills can reap tremendous rewards for communities.Bingo. The weather plays a huge factor in football development. The state championship in Texas is played the Saturday before Christmas. Imagine doing that in Illinois. Tough for us in basketball if we share important guys, but football is king.
Also, most schools use track as a speed/athleticism development tool for football (as in, you better run track if you wanna keep playing football). I don’t start my track appointment until after basketball in early March, but for kids who don’t play a winter sport, practice starts in mid JANUARY, meets start mid February and the season rolls until mid May. 4 months of speed work if you’re a football/track guy.
Schools also get 15 (I believe) spring football practices that often end in a spring game (like college). Like @RIVERCITYCHIEF said, the difference isn’t that the kids love sports any different, it’s the amount of time they’re given to work.
Who's our states best player in the last 50 years?
Oohhhh....cut-off to include Otto graham! /sProbably Donovan McNabb, right? Simeon Rice is not far off.
I think we could still land Khalil Tate, am I right?
I always loved watching Rice play. Was there when he chased Jeff Blake around I nbn think it was him.in the Liberty BowlProbably Donovan McNabb, right? Simeon Rice is not far off.
Probably Donovan McNabb, right? Simeon Rice is not far off.