Tough season for mhs athletics

I think the answer is multi-faceted as to why this has been a tough year for MHS sports. And you even said it yourself in your post.... just 2 seasons ago almost every single sports team at MHS made the playoffs.

Things tend to cycle in sports. You build up to a contender (usually a senior-laden team) and you win...and then you come back to Earth with a young team.

I think that's what we've seen with baseball....we are just 2 seasons removed from playing in the 5A region semifinals. Who in our district has done that besides Hallsville? No one that I can recall....maybe Whitehouse...but they were in the South district then. We built up to the teams that made those playoff runs. Now we're young again.... AND we have a new coaching staff...they are learning new ways of doing things.

We were good at basketball for well over a decade.... we were bound to have some down years.

And the ladies are up and coming. I can't even recall the last time the Lady Mav basketball team made the playoffs in consecutive seasons... future looks good for them.

The football team was ONE YARD away from winning their playoff game.... but the fact is....we were going to face a top 5 team in week two. I wish we had beat Crandall...but for a first year under Alvarez...I don't know how anyone could complain.

The talent will ebb and flow.

But there's more to consider than just talent...and senior leadership....and building and rebuilding.....

There's the whole classification thing to consider. Our district has TWO schools in it that have more than 2,000 students: Longview and Tyler.

Guess who a lot of those playoff berths are going to in many sports: Longview and Tyler.

We can't deny that the two schools that each have 500-600 more students than most of the other schools in the district have an advantage. There's a reason the UIL classifies schools. Numbers matter. And it's pretty clear that the Lobos and the Lions are using that to their advantage. They aren't cheating... they aren't being dirty. They are 5A schools just like Marshall, Whitehouse, and Hallsville, who all have 1400-1500. But there's no coincidence that they have had success in most sports. Texas High....while not as big as Longview and Tyler....are still bigger than most of the district as well...and they too have been pretty successful. So there you have it.... three of the biggest schools in the district have proven to take many/most of the playoff berths in a lot of sports.

Until UIL either starts splitting the classifications for other sports like they do football.... the best we can hope for is that Longview and Tyler return to 6A. OR...we can just do better and be better.

Finally.... there's one other facet to consider.....

Talent drain. Specifically for baseball and softball. For YEARS.... many of the best baseball and softball players within the city limits are playing for other schools. Namely Hallsville (especially for softball) and also Elysian Fields.

We've got to figure out how to keep that talent at MHS. There are all sorts of reasons why they choose to play elsewhere. Some of it has to do with scholarship chances, some of it has to do with select/fall league shenanigans, some of it has to do with perceived academic differences in schools....and sadly.... some of it is just "white flight". I'm not sure what can be done to slow that down. Because TBH.... some parents wouldn't choose MHS even if they were rated academically superior solely based on demographics. You can't change people's hearts. Only God can change hearts. But I have NO DOUBT some of the flight is based on THAT R word.

Lastly.... and this could be said about basketball, baseball, softball...but especially soccer since it's come up repeatedly on this board.... Marshall needs to get more organized with it's developmental leagues.

The Marshall football league has deep roots...... and obviously that pays off by the time those kids arrive at MJHS to start 7th and 8th grade football.

We've got to grow little league baseball/softball....all the way up till they join the 9th grade. Have these kids playing together for YEARS PRIOR to even getting to high school. Waiting till they get to 9th grade to get things started is TOO LATE.

This is no doubt true for soccer too. We need to get these kids solid in fundamentals so that by the time they get to HS.... they are already a working unit.

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We still have the spring sports to see how they do. Baseball and track could still have strong seasons. We need to be patient. Not too late for softball to get things going.

But no matter what happens THIS season..... things will ebb and flow and we will have more success in the future across the board.

The problem is that the kids are lazy.  Parents don't care.  They don't put in the work to be great players.  They settle for being mediocre and they are getting beat by lesser athletes that are more determined to be better.  Marshall has soccer talent on the boys and the girls teams, but they don't want to put in the work to be better.  They are settling for just being good enough to make varsity.  They aren't doing elite camps, they aren't playing in leagues in the offseason.  And neither team is being lead by soccer-specific coaches.  As far as basketball goes, that's a coaching thing.  It's time for new blood and a change in how things are being done.  There's no reason for this basketball team to struggle the way it has the last few years with the talent they have.  Baseball and softball are having to take what's left over after Hallsville lures away the best players to come play for a team with more recent history of success and a demographic that some parents prefer.  I don't see things getting much better any time soon until we can stop the pipeline west.   Football will be the next sport to suffer if Hallsville has another win over the Mavericks this coming season.  There will be a great exodus of our best football players too.  

It's absolutely ridiculous to think these kids aren't working their tails off to win.

Also ridiculous to think the parents and boosters don't care.

While I'll agree that we need to do a better job cultivating and recruiting talent with youth leagues and skills camps in all our sports, I have NO DOUBT these students are working to improve and get better.

We've been winners in every single sport you listed with exception of girls soccer....and we just need to give them the tools to help make them successful.

I also believe the staff is working hard too.

I'd invite you to volunteer some of your time and skills if you'd like to help.