Locked handson free throw?

[Adam]

Billy, I'm sorry, but calling them "varsity" when they're in elementary and middle school just seems silly. I'm sure others do it, but they all come off as silly

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I'm sorry, but calling them "varsity" when they're in elementary and middle school just seems silly.

Point taken. However, they're the oldest kids in the school, playing on the most select and competitive basketball team that the school has to offer.

According to my Funk & Wagnalls: Varsity: any first string team, especially in sports, that represents a school, college, university, or the like.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Point taken. However, they're the oldest kids in the school, playing on the most select and competitive basketball team that the school has to offer.

Varsity: any first string team, especially in sports, that represents a school, college, university, or the like.

Yeah, I understand that's why they're calling it "varsity," but it just comes off as one more example of dumbing down certain achievements.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Yeah, I understand that's why they're calling it "varsity," but it just comes off as one more example of dumbing down certain achievements.

When viewed from our perspective, which tends to rank the entire spectrum of playing ability, it seems pretty silly to call this level of ball "varsity". But perhaps when viewed from the child's perspective it's a pretty big deal. They are playing on their school's best team and that is a big achievement for them.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

When viewed from our perspective, which tends to rank the entire spectrum of playing ability, it seems pretty silly to call this level of ball "varsity". But perhaps when viewed from the child's perspective it's a pretty big deal. They are playing on their school's best team and that is a big achievement for them.

I would tend to think Jr High, 5th & 6th Grade, 3rd & 4th Grade, etc might be more accurate and sensible in terms of naming the teams. But, we live in the age of euphemisms, don't we?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

However, they're the oldest kids in the school, playing on the most select and competitive basketball team that the school has to offer.

They're what? 10-11 years old? I don't care how select and competitive they are, they're still middle school kids learning the games. Junior high comes next to 'em, Billy, not the NBA.

Jmo but sometimes I think that we do have to keep things in perspective.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

They're still middle school kids learning the games. Junior high comes next to 'em, Billy, not the NBA. Sometimes I think that we do have to keep things in perspective.

High school is next. We pretty much no longer have junior high schools here in Connecticut

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Sometimes I think that we do have to keep things in perspective.

And they do try in this league. Depending on the division: No strict coaching box rule, just stay away from the table. Yelling in the face of an opponent for any reason is not permitted. Three point shot only for upper divisions. Girls ball for younger boys. No overtime for younger kids. The game ends tied. Each team member must play a minimum of six minutes (one period for younger levels) in each game. Play zone inside three point arc and no fast breaks with big lead for younger levels. Kids in the youngest divisions are allowed to move closer to the basket if they can't reach it on free throws. We, as officials, are encouraged to explain our calls to all but the oldest kids. Sometimes we're more like basketball rule teachers out there on the floor than officials.

Interesting side note: T-shirt, headband, wrist bands, and jewelry rules are strictly enforced. If we, as officials, don't enforce these rules, we don't get paid by our assigner. All officials know this, as do all coaches. After a few reminders the first week of the season, we no longer have any problems with these "Fashion Police" rules. No, "The officials last week let her wear her lucky polka dot headband".

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

High school is next. We pretty much no longer have junior high schools here in Connecticut

So are 7th graders walking the hallways with 12 graders? Or are 8th graders walking the halls with kindergarteners?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

8th graders walking the halls with kindergarteners?

In the case of our small Catholic parish schools (described in the posts above), this is the case. Often these schools only have one, or two classes, in each grade, from kindergarten through eighth grade, after which they move on to high school, usually one of our Catholic high schools. My local parish school only covers kindergarten through grade five, with only one class in each grade. After graduating, these kids often move on to the public middle school, or to another parish school in our town that has kindergarten through grade eight.

Most of the public schools in Connecticut have a three tier system. Kindergarten through fifth grade in elementary schools. Grades six through grade eight in middle schools, and grades nine through twelve in high schools. Some towns even further break down the elementary schools into upper and lower schools.

The junior high system (grades seven through nine) was done away with about twenty-five years ago here in the Constitution State. The school system that I retired from was one of the last in the state to use such a system. There are only a few systems lift that still use the junior high system, which is why our state high school sports governing body uses grade ten through twelve population to determine the school size for state tournament divisions.

[Adam]

My "jr. high" was 7th and 8th. I wasn't aware there was a distinction between "middle school" and "jr. high" other than semantics. There was one district in my previous locale that had and 8th and 9th grade school.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Billy, I'm sorry, but calling them "varsity" when they're in elementary and middle school just seems silly. I'm sure others do it, but they all come off as silly

My schedule recently showed a G and B Varsity double header at on of the local religious schools (i.e. - 9th grade). I don't mind doing them as the school is not a long drive, has good facilities, the people are nice and ball isn't too bad. But, varsity?

About an hr after I accepted in Arbiter, I received an email that I was switched to a "real varsity" game down the road.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by grunewar

My schedule recently showed a G and B Varsity double header at on of the local religious schools (i.e. - 9th grade). I don't mind doing them as the school is not a long drive, has good facilities, the people are nice and ball isn't too bad. But, varsity? About an hr after I accepted in Arbiter, I received an email that I was switched to a "real varsity" game down the road.

Varsity: The principal team representing a university, college, or school in sports, games, or other competitions.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Varsity: The principal team representing a university, college, or school in sports, games, or other competitions.

Give it up, Billy.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Give it up, Billy.

Hey. Noah Webster used to live right down the street from me. In regard to definitions, I'm siding with him. He's what you call an expert.

[Welpe]

This is like the endline vs. baseline debate. There is a difference between the technically correct usage and the commonly understood.