Excuses for not Playing Six-Man Football

[Knowmystuff]

OK...what are the excuses for an 11-man team/school, who could be playing six-man football, why they are not playing six-man.

When you post please note if the excuse is one that

1. You have heard first hand from a school (school board member)

2. Someone else within the school

3. Someone from within the community

4. Just one that you have heard or think is one

If you post an excuse name the school/town you heard it from and when (year), if you feel up to it, but not an individual by name please

Lets make this a classic Topic!

 

[CowboyP]

Board members are afraid of kids getting injured. - Comstock

It will cost too much to start a program. - Knippa and Utopia

It's not real football. - Nueces Canyon and D'Hannis

 

[Knowmystuff]

Also, If you where affiliated with a school that had to make the decision to play six-man, such as:

Marfa in 2011-12
Savoy in 2011-12
High Island in 2011-12
Throckmorton in 2003-04
Wheeler 2003-04
Paducah 2003-04
Fort Davis in 2001-2002
Sanderson in 1995-96

Or any other school that has made the transition in the past...PLEASE share some of the excuses and discussions from the community or within the school system during that time. If you were a school board member please tell us!

 

[Shad Kline]

"We will play 11 man as long as we can field a team. It's our tradition and what we know." ~school board member, Baird.

1st hand, about two weeks ago.

 

[jc_30]

We're a basketball school- Hartley superintendent about a month ago at the girls regional tourney in Levelland.

 

[CoachT16]

The school and the board were for the change at wheeler. The community however was very split. The change usually happens when a school is no longer able to compete in 11 man, but in wheeler that wasn't really the case. 3 state championships in school history and at that point had only missed the playoffs one time since 1989 (I think) . Many in the community argued you shouldn't "ruin" a tradition by playing a different kind of game. Wheeler has run the same offense for 20-30years more or less (triple option) and that doesn't translate in sixman. Also wheeler was known as Black Death defense in the '90s and the misconception is that there isn't defense in 6 man. A lot of stigma is attached to the game. I will say while some didn't enjoy it while wheeler was sixman the support for the kids was always there!

 

[Brawny]

"We got big corn fed boys. We aren't fast enough"

 

[Dogface]

There's nobody to play-Leakey
Told me by Supe. & Princ.

 

[CowboyP]

There's nobody to play-Leakey
Told me by Supe. & Princ.

The previous supe was in favor of making the switch to sixman.

 

[BE]

Oneday, I'm way off your theme but speaking for myself I thought alot like those who made these comments until I made a playoff game between Panther Creek and Lometa in the early '90s at GW stadium in Brownwood; that was probably my fourth sixman game. The experience gave me the feeling that sixman actually was real football played with fewer players. However, the ones before were all played on unkept, inadequate facilities which left me with the feeling of being in a one tent circus, and the impression that no one cared. I'm not going to identify the schools mainly because it would be in bad taste to do so and that all but one of those places have upgraded tremendously...one even has a new turf field. Attitudes are changing.

Anyone having the intention of spreading the gospel of sixman keep in mind that first impressions are powerful, even if it be a classic example of "judging a book by its cover".

You know, I think I unwittingly made a good argument for playing the state game in DFW. ):

 

[freeagent]

We're a basketball school- Hartley superintendent about a month ago at the girls regional tourney in Levelland.

I was told by parents who wanted to bring in 6 man at their school that the supt. told them it would cost $1 million to start six man football. This, at a school that had a track stadium easily convertible to football. I guess if you went with artificial turf, built lots of stands, a new press box and field house, you might spend close to that, but they could have started up for much less and added stuff as they needed (and where they are located, they are awash with tax money needing to be spent before the state gets their mitts on it).

I offered if they gave me a contract for $950,000, I'd split the profit with them 50-50. And I think there'd be a nice profit.

 

[SPREAD]

It's not really football.
It's a step down.

 

[RedBird Man]

Just saw this, been away for awhile. I was on the board both times we voted on sixman football. The first time was in 2002,and it did not pass. I voted for it, but I knew nothing about sixman and really defend the move. In my opinion it was a bad decision on our part. In two years we disbanded football till 2007. Last year it was passed because the coaches came and convinced us that it was best for the program.
I heard everything from:
"It's not real football!", "That is nothing more than playground ball.", "We don't need to go back to football, it hurts basketball."
"We are not a football school", "We'll have to travel too far".

Well, it was a decision that has helped the whole community. I have since talked to other schools in this area and most just say it is too expensive to start up right now.

To all the board members or administrators that have doubts look up Savoy ISD and contact us. I will be happy to talk to you about our experince this past first year. You will find no better people than you will meet in sixman!

 

[midkiff1]

Not knocking six man, because it is a great game, but have any of you seen an eight man game. Some 11 man and some six man. It is pretty good for schools with larger enrollments.

 

[freeagent]

I realize that this may not translate as well into the public school world, but in private schools, one of the selling points for six-man football in small schools is that without football, schools operating K-12 or PK-12 find that they lose students in 7th grade to public and other private schools with football.

And not all those kids leaving are boys. If little Johnny is going into 7th and wants to play football, you might find that little sister Sally in 5th grade may be going with him to the new school as well. Add up a couple like tha every year and all of a sudden, you more than enough cover the cost of football (plus, chances are in private school, you still do a few fund-raisers to cover the cost as well).

I'm thinking that in public schools, you might find some flight into nearby districts that play football and accept transfers or parents actually move. Every kid not coming in your doors means less state funding, right? Gotta think that may count for something after reading an article the other day ... a nearby public school district decided to close the entire week of Thanksgiving instead of having two days of school. Seems the reduced attendance (92% vs. an average day's 96%) was significant enough in state aid to make the move.

So what would having four, six or ten more kids in a small six-man district mean in additional state aid?

Plus, I gotta think there would be more than a few donors in the community that could assist in buying equipment and renovating an old 11 man field if it exists. Plus, you don't have to build a Cadillac facility in year one ...

 

[freeagent]

Not knocking six man, because it is a great game, but have any of you seen an eight man game. Some 11 man and some six man. It is pretty good for schools with larger enrollments.

Heretic Alert!

Be gone, ye evil one! Talking that eight man nonsense!

 

[RedBird Man]

Lifegate hits the nail on the head, that is what happened to us when we shut down football. We dropped from 320 to as low as 270 something on ADA. Both boys and girls programs took hits and the boys are still trying to come out of it. We have had an electrical power plant here since the 60's, but it was also mothballed which contributed some loss. But the biggest was boys and siblings leaving to play football at Bells, Whitewright or Bonham.

 

[freeagent]

Lifegate hits the nail on the head.

Even blind squirrels find acorns ... or, so my wife tells me.

 

[Old Bearkat]

Not knocking six man, because it is a great game, but have any of you seen an eight man game. Some 11 man and some six man. It is pretty good for schools with larger enrollments.

Did someone say 8 man?????

 

[51eleven]

Your getting doggie excited with that picture.
Oh yeah, I already ate man.
(stole that from markf)