All-Area (or county, etc.) teams

[KYSportsWriter]

One of our All-Area teams (wrestling) came out today and there was some questionable voting done by the coaches (as there almost always is when it comes to this stuff).

Some state placers didn't get on either team (first, second and honorable mention), while others were at least honorable mention. A (former) parent who now serves as a volunteer coach at one of our schools e-mailed me today asking why some kids made the team and some didn't.

I told him that's how the coaches voted, and that's how it's always been for these teams.

My question is, is there a better way to handle All-Area stuff? How does your paper handle?

 

[SCEditor]

In our newspaper's All-Area teams, WE pick the teams with the exception of wrestling. The wrestling coaches in the area had always done an all-area team, so we go with theirs (in fact, the coach asked us to add a few names since some kids who made the state tournament weren't on the original all-area team that came out before individual duals).

But with the exception of wrestling, we pick our own all-area team. We ask for input, but at the end of the day, we make the call on who makes the teams.

 

[lesboulez]

always picked the teams ourselves. it's the "Podunk Press" All-Area team. not the "Podunk Area Coaches" All-Area Team.

 

[jps]

coaches nominate their kids, send in stats or whatever. then the staff gets together and builds the team.

 

[pseudo]

League all-star teams are voted on by the coaches here, but the paper that does the All-Area teams (football/soccer/hoops/wrestling) makes their own choices. They do use a committee of volunteers for football, because they cover so many teams in a six-county/two-state area, but I believe the SE runs that meeting. For everything else, they'll accept input, but the guy who leads their coverage of that sport has the final say.

 

[Starman]

Assuming you cover enough games to get a legitimate look at the players in your area, YOU pick the teams, with "input" from the coaches.

Leaving it up to coaches' votes, or for that matter, even nominations, opens the door to all sorts of politicking, sandbagging, score-settling and back-scratching, and throws all credibility out the window.

 

[pseudo]

Why does anyone need to vote on a wrestling team? Shouldn't that be clear from, you know, all the wrestling?

Depends. If they have large- and small-school divisions (or two different states, as in our area), some of the top kids in each weight class may never face each other.

 

[pseudo]

Assuming you cover enough games to get a legitimate look at the players in your area, YOU pick the teams, with "input" from the coaches.

Leaving it up to coaches' votes, or for that matter, even nominations, opens the door to all sorts of politicking, sandbagging, score-settling and back-scratching, and throws all credibility out the window.

Nah, nobody would ever do that.

Regards,
America East basketball coaches

 

[ltrain1127]

Our all-area wrestling team comes out tomorrow. We have a 16-person team for our 7 high schools.
The 11 state qualifiers from our area were automatic. Then we had coaches and our staff vote on five wild cards and the wrestler of the year. No glaring omissions this season.

We have in the past had players of the year in some sports that I didn't agree with, but they were defendable.

 

[The Granny]

Coaches are picking your all-area team. I think your problem is now solved. You pick em.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

We run the coach selected teams and the teams we pick. Rarely a complaint.

 

[HejiraHenry]

coaches nominate their kids, send in stats or whatever. then the staff gets together and builds the team.

What he (or she) said.

 

[JackReacher]

Coaches are picking your all-area team. I think your problem is now solved. You pick em.

What she said.

 

[jagtrader]

I poll the coaches to get a consensus and make changes if there are any dubious selections. Usually, we're close to agreement.

In my area, I'm the only reporter who watches my sport. It's always better to get several opinions rather than go with my opinion when I may have only seen some top players once or twice.

 

[TheHacker]

We ask coaches for nominations, allowing them to nominate their own kids or others they've seen during the season who are from our coverage area. But we tell them up front -- it's in the information we send to them asking for their nominations -- that their input is only one piece. Our staff's observations and stats are the other factors we look at, and we don't place any specific amount of weight on any of them. Our area is around 30 schools. In big sports like basketball and football, we get maybe half or two-thirds of the coaches who actually make nominations. In other sports it's a lot more spotty.

You're always going to get complaints no matter what you do. We get them all the time. I had two basketball coaches call me today pissing and moaning that their kids didn't make our first team. But what's really bugging me -- and I wonder if others have experienced the same -- are the number of coaches who lobby on their own behalf to be selected coach of the year. We had two basketball coaches who kept nagging us about it, and not good-natured joking, but earnestly pleading their cases. And we had a wrestling coach, who did the same and then turned into a massive prick when he found out we didn't pick him. How arrogant do you have to be to pick up the phone and call the paper asking for an honor for yourself?

 

[JakeandElwood]

I take coach votes, but my opinion can trump theirs if I strongly disagree. For example, with the volleyball team, there was one clear player of the year, but she was a sophomore. She got no votes for player of the year, but I gave it to her because she deserved it the most.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

See, that's why we have a player/wrestler/whatever of the year and a sophomore of the year award.

 

[imjustagirl]

always picked the teams ourselves. it's the "Podunk Press" All-Area team. not the "Podunk Area Coaches" All-Area Team.

The paper I used to work at, it actually was the Coaches' all-area team.

 

[mike311gd]

Why does anyone need to vote on a wrestling team? Shouldn't that be clear from, you know, all the wrestling?

Head-to-head meetings, accomplishments, strength of individual schedule, where they floated in the weight classes, injuries -- takedowns, reversals, pins, other scoring -- and the size of your area all should play into your selection process for wrestling. We've got 14 weight classes, and wrestling is very strong. It's not an easy team to select. Certain spots are gimmes, while others aren't.

 

[mike311gd]

See, that's why we have a player/wrestler/whatever of the year and a sophomore of the year award.

You're all winners!