Just curious as only two 8th graders listed on Wilson JV roster. Where are the 8th graders? Do you guys feel the middle school, little league, JV thing is hurting 8th grade participation? I know it is tough on 8th graders going against 10th graders but they really have no other choice.
Only having two 8th graders on the Wilson JV team is pretty surprising considering the amount of kids in that school system.
I understand the idea for middle school football but I prefer the previous model for Augusta County that had the kids playing for their quarterback clubs rather than middle school ball before going to JV.
Some of the things I liked for the quarterback club was the ability to split into 2 teams if there was an abundance of players which got more kids on the field & less kids sitting on the sidelines, the quarterback club games utilized special teams, the coaches had to develop players because there were required minimum play requirements for each player, and the games didnt seem to be as rushed through as the middle school games. More coaches were available to coach the quarterback club teams as well as it is tough for most working adults to make a 330 pm practice each day. A lot of things factor into kids stopping sports at that age group, and this is not directed at Wilson but when you open the door for fewer qualified coaches to coach, players not getting developed and possibly not getting any playing time, one can see where kids may give up the sport a little earlier.
Given the events that took place at the elementary school in Waynesboro, it would not surprise me to see more people exploring the possibility of homeschooling their kids, and under the quarterback club model, the homeschool kids could play but it is my understanding that the middle school model in Augusta County does not permit that for middle school football.
