surry

Alleghany Varsity baseball did it again. They beat Ashe and their loud mouth coach. Great game and congratulations to a team and a coach who don't look like fools.

When our team played Ashe in baseball, their team was so mouthy and rude, that finally the umpire gave a warning and the head coach still did nothing. The Asst. Coach finally told them to shut it up. It was ridiculous. Poor examples they are setting for their teams.

Well badguy be sure to tell the guy to go to the high school and find the coach that suggested he write the story and have it out with them.

It's a shame that people around here get so worked up over something silly. A guy I used to work with in Jefferson said he heard someone say he was gong to "have it out" with that reporter at the next game he saw him at.

I agree with Nathan on this one.

I think that article is completely correct. What's the problem? If you're kid won't play for a school, but then play travel league sports, that's called a terrible teammate. I hope my child doesn't ever have to play any sports with yours.

Below is an article that the sports write from the Jefferson Post printed in this weeks online forum of their paper.

I am the parent of a kid that does go to ACHS. My child does pay on a travel ball team that has 12 other equally talented players. You have to play better to get better. School Ball at ACHS is a JOKE. Coaching at ACHS is a JOKE.

Rarely in small towns do you see athletes that do not play for their respective high schools. Usually, athletes play at least one or two sports, sometimes even three sports to compete against other schools, compete with teammates and most of all, just enjoy the high school athletic life.

Now, it seems like athletes and parents are turning their attention towards travel leagues.

First off, let me preface this by saying I have absolutely no problem with kids playing on travel teams and am certainly all for young athletes playing top notch competition and working with great coaches and getting valuable experience.

However, what bothers me, as someone that has followed prep sports for roughly the past 12 years, it is sad to see great athletes not playing for their own high school. Even here in Ashe County, it has become an issue that teammates and coaches have to deal with.

I fully support athletes doing what they feel is best for their future, especially if they feel like they are destined for great things as a potential college athlete. But doesn't it seem like a bit of a slap in the face to teammates and coaches that have expected these kids to play and suddenly, they don't show up?

I also realize that playing with travel teams might get you more exposure to college coaches and scouts. But after talking to a few former athletes and even a handful of area coaches, it sounds like when it is all said and done, a coach has all of the power and ability in the world to get their star athletes seen.

One player told me that he played some AAU basketball, but the best feedback and recognition he ever got was after his head coach sent video clips and made phone calls to college coaches.

With this being such a touchy subject for players and parents, coaches and players I spoke with did not want to have their names mentioned, and I respectfully honored that request.

I talked to four area coaches, and though they each coached a different sport, the feeling was about the same: Kids should play for their high school and let their outstanding play speak for itself.

All four coaches told me that they took pride in doing everything they could to get collegiate coaches to take a look at one of their players, whether it is on film at first or in person. One coach told me he specifically tried to schedule games for his teams to play in larger areas like Winston-Salem, or in non-conference and holiday tournaments just for that reason.

Another coach said that if he were a college coach, he would not even think about recruiting a player that did not play for their high school because in his eyes, it showed a lack of commitment to the sport when you can play travel league sports in the summer and play for your high school during the fall, winter or spring.

When you dedicate yourself to a sport to the point where you want to play at the next level, you have to make some sacrifices. Abandoning your high school team does not seem like a sacrifice that a player should ever consider making.

*Nathan Ham can be reached at (336) 846-7164 or on Twitter @NathanHam87

Working class, if you don't have a kid at Ashe or have anything to do with the school, my question would be, why are you so worked up over everything that goes on at the school? Did you get denied a job? Did your kid not make the team? Were you proven wrong in any situation and decided to take your anger out on all the kids and members of ACHS? Seems to me something along the line has just pushed you over the edge of a really really big mountain. Mount jefferson, perhaps.

When looking at this "working class" debacle, perhaps a return to the school to work on your grammar skills would be appropriate. "They are very few at the games". No one can predicate how many fans will be at the games. Weather, work, and other factors go into attendance issues. I am sure that you would make a fine coach and thus I would highly reccomend that you apply and fix all of the problems. You seem to have a great grasp of the situation and I am sure that you have won more games than you have lost. The state championships and the euphoric feelings from multiple state titles awaits the Huskies under your tutelage and leadership. My only question is would you use Ashe County as a stepping stone on your meteoric rise into college and the professional ranks!

Marbles If it doesnt mean anything then why are you on here defending what is wrong at ACHS ? I dont have a kid playing at this school. If I did I would be looking to move them ASAP. The school is losing all support. They are very few at the games. You do the MATH !

Wow. It's always something with Ashe isn't it. You people see one bad thing go wrong and lord help us all, the coach MUST go or the whole community is going to go crazy. Fact is, what you say on here, no matter how many times you say it on this little forum, your opinion means nothing to any of the school board or the coaching staff. All you are to them and to any of the rest of us is a huge cry baby behind your computer screen. So instead of bashing every little thing you can get your head around, why don't you go do what your name says "Working Class" and go work. I thought you would shut up when basketball ended but I guess you hadn't had enough.

Ashe has NO COACHING from what I have seen. Basketball or Baseball and its not going to change until the MAFIA is run out of there. Its a JOKE !

That's just the way them Ashe County peeps are.

If you weren't at Alleghany High School baseball game last night you missed it . Both coaches from Ashe County (especially varsity) made complete fools of themselves. They were yelling at the umps and jumping up and down. I thought coaches were suppose to set good examples. Seems like between basketball and baseball they don't have good coaches.