Picking county teams

By Staff
Kimberly West
Franklin County Times
Other than watching an Alabama game from the press box, the most enjoyable part of my job has been covering the scholarship signings by student-athletes in this county.
In the past year, 13 local players from Russellville, Red Bay and Phil Campbell have signed full athletic scholarships in basketball, baseball, softball, football and golf to places as far away as Fairfield (Conn.) and as nearby as Northwest-Shoals in Muscle Shoals.
Playing a sport at the next level and having some or all of your college expenses covered by an athletic scholarship is not only an indication of a player's talent but also of his or her's dedication in practice and in the classroom.
On the flip side, choosing all-county teams in baseball, softball, basketball and football has been the most challenging aspect of this job.
My college newspaper benefited from a top-notch sports information staff that kept meticulous statistics on every player, regardless of his or her sport. But I have found that high school coaches usually don't have the luxury of a full-time statistician who attends every game.
When I first started this job, I was warned by some people not to release All-County teams because they're controversial. But I think I would be shortchanging these players by refusing to choose teams just because of angry phone calls.
The idea behind all-county teams, at least to me, is to recognize the best players in the county in a particular sport. The challenge is determining who the "best" players are because it's so subjective.
A concerned parent called today and asked how I choose All-County teams. I base it on individual statistics, team performance, recommendations from a player's own coaches and opposing coaches, plus games I witnessed during the season.
I also look at the strength of schedule for a player's team and his or her performance in tournaments and during the playoffs, if applicable.
If at all possible, I try to include every player nominated by a coach, and I discuss these nominations as much as possible with coaches.
Ultimately, I'm the person responsible for these selections so if you have any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to talk to you.
Kim West is sports editor for The Franklin County Times. She can be reached at kwest@fct.wpengine.com or (256) 332-1881, ext. 30.