A Good Question

Not trying to start an argument, just looking for some answers here.
Now, it would seem that I have hurt some feelings with a rather honest assesment. Let me go on the record as saying that I have ZERO doubt that the young men who are playing basketball in the LPD are working their butts off and giving their all. I can respect that. I know TJ is working his kids hard (BTW at no time did I attack JJK, as these folks seem to think. I said it was bad period across the league). Stop and read a little.
My question is : Why does the league have two recent state girls champions (JJK and Appy) as well as GC and Clintwood which field solid clubs and, have made trips to regions as well as state? Where is the difference between the Ladies and the Gents? Is it that the ladies get more involved with AAU ball than the guys? If so, why aren't the guys doing the same? Not being a smart arse at all-just looking for the reasons why we have went 32 years without a boys state title in basketball. Do we simply not have the athletes (as I have said before)?

Girls dont play football, plain and simple. For girls athletics around here, basketball is it. For boys on the other hand football is the main attraction. I think that is why we seem to be so successful at football and girls basketball and not so much at boys basketball, baseball, softball (with the exception of GC).

I disagree. Boys do not play volleyball, nor softball. Also, more times than not at least half of the boy's basketballers didn't play football. I know at JJK Hopkins, Mitic, Bolling, Reza at least didn't.

I meant that is why we are not that successful in girls softball and volleyball and with the exception of GC we are not. I realize that there is no boys softball or volleyball...geesh.

Just a theory of mine, what do I know. Just seems like the interest around here is football and girls basketball, nothing else seems to really thrive.

J.J. Kelly Volleyball= State appearance this year
J.J. Kelly Softball=State appearance this year
BTW: the football excuse seems to be the more common one we hear. I was just saying that the gals carry a full load as well.

And this is the first time since...???

Volleyball and softball haven't been around for too long in Wise and some other schools as well. Pretty good progress IMO.

Football is not an excuse, it is a fact. More interest and money is generated towards football in this area in all sports. I dont follow girls sports that closely, Ill admit that, but what I have seen, basketball seems to be our bread and butter. GC and Kelly however usually have exceptional female athletes for this area. I guess you might could say that GC's main female sport is volleyball, but I dont think you could say that about any of the other teams. Kelly has a great tradition for girls basketball, Id say you could ask 10 female athletes in JJ Kelly high school if they would rather play basketball or volleyball/softball and 8 out of the 10 would say basketball.

I would wager that GC's very successful softball athletes would disagree with that statement, not to mention the Lady Devil tennis squad.

Boys- Football main sport in LPD, other than Wise then I believe baseball is looked as being the main sport. Fact is none of them are thinking dang I wish Football season would hurry up and be done so b-ball will start.
Girls- It depends on the school what sport is thought to be of greatest importance, Pv's girl sport would probably be softball, some schools are more leaning toward b-ball, some toward volleyball for girls.

maybe just better talent and coaches? i dont know

Then we here in SWVA are to blame for putting all of our proverbial eggs in one basket, and sadly that will never change.

i know in my class we played AAU together since 5th grade...that helped a bunch, the girls were involved in rec ball but not too many in AAU

Oh, Unchained how i disagree with you there. You are correct, Bolling and Reza didnt play football this fall. While our jjk boys fought hard up above the softball field, Bolling and Reza was in BSG and in the Shanendoah Valley playing golf. Yes those boys( jjk golf) went to state this fall and finishe 5th. Also the Cross Country team ALSO appeared in state this fall.

Hopkins play any other sports? How about the JJK bench?

Didn't Gate City and Twin Springs make it to the final four last year in boy's basketball? I don't believe basketball in SWVA is as bad as most of you think. Twin Valley has an excellent chance of going all the way this year. Sure, the LPD (except for Gate City) is weak in basketball, but SWVA still has some excellent basketball programs.

Basketball is a secondary sport for most of the guys here...most play footballand it comes first for them . Alot of these girls probably work on their basketball skills all summer as some of the guys lift and run for football during the summer.

The CD with TS and BDD with Council have represented SWVA well, but they are the exceptions no doubt. As hard as we laugh at those districs for football futility, they return the favor come basketball season.

Hopkins only playes basketball, Bentley playes baseball, Wilson also playes baseball,

The Cumberland District will be tough this year. Twin Springs, Castlewood, Rye Cove, and St. Paul all have good teams this year. Besides Council, the Black Diamond also has Haysi, which is always competetive. I don't think it's fair to say that SWVA basketball is weak just because the LPD is not a top basketball conference.

Rye Cove has lost to both JJK and Appy. St. Paul got whacked by Honaker, who barely scratched out a 2 point win over JJK. I think before it's said and done Twin Valley, Gate City, and maybe Coeburn will be the ones to make some noise.

It's very early in the season to know who's going to be the top teams this year. Don't forget, Rye Cove easily defeated a tough Patrick Henry team who was picked to finish at the top of the Hogo district. Teams like St. Paul, who are young at the key positions, will get better as the season goes along.

Like someone said earlier, it really just comes dowon to what the boys are interested in. Boys and 40 year old men LIVE for football in this district. At Kelly, esp when I played, baseball was really big, and even during football season, baseball was always in the back of our mind.

Amen.

Baseball was always in the back of my mind

as a whole the district is weak.. but Gate City did go to the State tourney last year and made it to the final four I do believe.. so you can't say that any team from our district isn't competitive...

What LPD teams are playing tonight and where?

Pound is playing Wise at Wise, its a super night

Clintwood at Coeburn tonight, another one of those super nights

sports in the LPD are weak period.
Thats evident by Gate City coming in and man handling the district since they got here. Males and females, to call out one sport is laughable.
Where is Fred with his "here it is LPD in your face numbers dont lie" post about how the LPD should be called gate City and some other teams they beat up on.