Question to coaches and players...the pit

[PitCrazy34]

Is The Pit the hardest place to play?

[tsumi77]

Answer from EA...

The Pit IS a difficult place to play especially with a rivalry such as EA - St Amant!! I found the Pit Crazies quite funny last night and the fact that you all know each other pretty well only added to the great atmosphere! As far as soccer is concerned, the turtle back is hard to adjust to as the ball goes quickly out of bounds and playing long balls on the outside is tricky!

[lakeview]

Hunter stadium at St Pauls is tough when the wolves bring their fans. And the bell.

You sit on the same side as the players which nobody else does.

Great atmosphere.

[PitCrazy34]

As far as soccer is concerned, the turtle back is hard to adjust to as the ball goes quickly out of bounds and playing long balls on the outside is tricky!


That may be true but if it wasnt for the "turtle back, that game probably wouldnt have been played. And that, my friend, would have been a tradgedy. haha

[tsumi77]

whodat34 said:

... if it wasnt for the "turtle back, that game probably wouldnt have been played. And that, my friend, would have been a tradgedy. haha

agree 100%

[YellKeeper]

as a player i found it no more difficult then playing anywhere else.

i felt a lot more prssure from fans when i played basketball at st. amant's dome. that place gives me a headache .. but i guess that's a bit expected.

[over40player]

Its a small field, if your playing them because of the slope there are plenty of throw ins. the goal can be reached by a player with a great throw and St. Amant has one. So the ball is in the mouth of the goal on alot of throw ins. They have a BIG player on the goalie and they are a big threat at that point. They scored two goals like that on EA. If your use to playing on a full size field you will feel very contained. They have a great little sweeper very fast and don't make the mistake to think you will just run over or by him, he will eat you up. Its a great place to watch a game, alot more if your side is winning. But it better be late in the game because they don't give up.

[The Irish Fro]

havent we already gone over this?

[stafan119]

blah blah blah. we are just unstoppable at the Pit. Jordan is great on throw ins. C-Bass is just amazing. our defense is pretty good and our goalie is good but makes mistakes sometimes. thats were we (the crazies) come into play and help our team out by gettin into the other teams head. dont hate us because you aint us. ya heard me.

[beckhamismyidol]

who was hating?

[dbeasely17]

lakeview said:

Hunter stadium at St Pauls is tough when the wolves bring their fans. And the bell.

You sit on the same side as the players which nobody else does.

Great atmosphere.

Hunter Stadium is alright when the fans are there, but is pretty lame otherwise. The Dawg Pound has to be up there as well. Fontainebleau always has a healthy student section and they sure know how to heckle. Even Northshore and Covington have had their fair share of fan support this year.

[JustSomeRecPlayer8]

dbeasely17 said:

The Dawg Pound has to be up there as well. Fontainebleau always has a healthy student section and they sure know how to heckle. Even Northshore and Covington have had their fair share of fan support this year.

Fountainebleau had a good student section when we played them in the first round last year... Didn't hear much heckling, but they were loud. Made me feel like I was home at the Pit.

[pitcrazynumero1]

pretty much the pit is the greatest place on earth for a soccer game

plus us crazies are crazy yeard me

[lsutiger08]

THE PIT FEILD WISE IS SHORT IN WIDTH THEREFORE ST AMANT CAPATILIES OFF OF THROW INS..AS FAR AS THE STUDENTS AS A PLAYER ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE AND NOT GET DISTRACTED BY WHAT IS TOLD TO YOU......ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PLAY YOUR GAME AND BLOCK THEM OUT...

[rbsoccerinsouth]

This is the dumbest crap that I've heard in a while (at least since I've posted in the past).

Coachray, you know where this is going... don't you. The fact that you keep supporting this behavior blows my mind. Wasn't it you that not too long ago gave me the advice that you better be careful of what you are asking for especially if you cannot accomplish it or back it up. That may not be the exact way to say that you gave me that advise, but in any sense of it, be careful of what you bring upon yourself is what you told me. As they say, the game needs to be played out on the field... not in the stands.

As you yourself told me... you don't have a strong team @ St. Amant that is not going to do much of anything this year. You either lied to me (and probably other coaches) or are setting your team up for ultimate failure against the stronger teams that you have to face.

Let's face it, your team isn't strong and can't play any quality soccer on a regulation or close to regulation size field. I'll give it to you, you've got alot of very good athletes on the field. But, that doesn't win games against teams with "soccer players". As for the PIT, we might as well as ask someone to donate their backyard as a playing field and put lines on it. We may as well shorten the 11 v 11 field and get an 8v8 field and play on it. Wouldn't be much of a difference in the quality of the game. However, the game was meant to be played on a certain size field to provide for the quality of the game. Sorry to say, your school and field does not provide for that experience. Once the game is played on a field smaller than regulation at 11 v 11, it is not soccer. You may call it soccer, but in reality, it's just a bunch of kids kicking a soccer ball in and out of bounds. Get a real soccer field and let's play the game.

You're supporters are great, but you need to get a leash on them before they hang you and your team.

By the way, when are you going to contact me about Sebastian and some of his college options? Did anyone ask to hear the message that I left you as per one of your last posts? I really would like to help the kid once I get to know more about him.

As for the "Pit Crazies"... keep falling into the hands that set you up

[gatorsoccer4]

i believe the simple questioin was is the pit a hard place to play not lets bash someone and his team

[over40player]

build a bridge and GET OVER IT rb !, your beating a dead horse. Have a very merry christmas and the same to everyone on this site.

[JustSomeRecPlayer8]

rbsoccerinsouth said:

This is the dumbest crap that I've heard in a while (at least since I've posted in the past).

I think I speak for all of us when I say that maybe you should go back and read your own posts. Your opinion might change

rbsoccerinsouth said:

Coachray, you know where this is going... don't you.

No, I'm sure that he doesn't because he is not as knowledgable as you seem to be. So why don't YOU who have played at the Pit one time, tell all of Louisiana what you think having an enthusastic fan support does for the team.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

The fact that you keep supporting this behavior blows my mind. Wasn't it you that not too long ago gave me the advice that you better be careful of what you are asking for especially if you cannot accomplish it or back it up. That may not be the exact way to say that you gave me that advise, but in any sense of it, be careful of what you bring upon yourself is what you told me.

Maybe I'm the stupid one but I don't see how any of that mumbo-jumbo ties into how the Pit is not worthy of being a tough place to play COUGH* 5-0 *COUGH... sorry this Christmas weather must be getting to me.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

As they say, the game needs to be played out on the field... not in the stands.

I've personally never heard anyone say that... You can't just throw "As they say" in front of anything you want... People actually have to say it

rbsoccerinsouth said:

As you yourself told me... you don't have a strong team @ St. Amant that is not going to do much of anything this year. You either lied to me (and probably other coaches) or are setting your team up for ultimate failure against the stronger teams that you have to face.

Coach Ray apologive to the man for not giving the teams complete medical history, bank statements, game film and fresh oven baked muffins from the Miss's, As well as telling him you were wearing your lucky underwear ... But most importantly apologize for hurting his feelings.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

Let's face it, your team isn't strong and can't play any quality soccer on a regulation or close to regulation size field.

You've seen them play on a full size field when? They are very few high school fields that actually are regulation.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

I'll give it to you, you've got alot of very good athletes on the field. But, that doesn't win games against teams with "soccer players".

So by your opinion, all the teams that they beat... including yours contains no REAL "soccer players."

rbsoccerinsouth said:

As for the PIT, we might as well as ask someone to donate their backyard as a playing field and put lines on it. We may as well shorten the 11 v 11 field and get an 8v8 field and play on it. Wouldn't be much of a difference in the quality of the game. However, the game was meant to be played on a certain size field to provide for the quality of the game. Sorry to say, your school and field does not provide for that experience. Once the game is played on a field smaller than regulation at 11 v 11, it is not soccer. You may call it soccer, but in reality, it's just a bunch of kids kicking a soccer ball in and out of bounds. Get a real soccer field and let's play the game.

If YOU read the regulations then YOU would know that it doesnt have to be a 130x70 field to be regulation. Second of all who are you to say that its not soccer. Last grow up... no other coach has ever whined about the field at the pit as much as you have, You HAVE to play on it next year... Get over it.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

You're supporters are great, but you need to get a leash on them before they hang you and your team.

The fans don't care about wins or losses they care about supporting thier friends... No one is going to hang anyone.... I don't know if you know this or not but friends are better than enemies.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

By the way, when are you going to contact me about Sebastian and some of his college options? Did anyone ask to hear the message that I left you as per one of your last posts? I really would like to help the kid once I get to know more about him.

Let's see if I can break this difficult one down.... Now your trying to prove that all in all your a good person to the LAprep public when it's obvious you have Coach Ray's cell phone number and could call him to find out this information your going to post it up here so everyone could see that your a good guy.

rbsoccerinsouth said:

As for the "Pit Crazies"... keep falling into the hands that set you up

So who set them up... cause I know for a fact that Coach Ray never promised the Pit Crazies a season without losing or anything like that... Maybe you can clear a couple things up for me...

Merry Christmas

[stafan119]

rbsoccerinsouth said:

This is the dumbest crap that I've heard in a while (at least since I've posted in the past).

Coachray, you know where this is going... don't you. The fact that you keep supporting this behavior blows my mind. Wasn't it you that not too long ago gave me the advice that you better be careful of what you are asking for especially if you cannot accomplish it or back it up. That may not be the exact way to say that you gave me that advise, but in any sense of it, be careful of what you bring upon yourself is what you told me. As they say, the game needs to be played out on the field... not in the stands.

As you yourself told me... you don't have a strong team @ St. Amant that is not going to do much of anything this year. You either lied to me (and probably other coaches) or are setting your team up for ultimate failure against the stronger teams that you have to face.

Let's face it, your team isn't strong and can't play any quality soccer on a regulation or close to regulation size field. I'll give it to you, you've got alot of very good athletes on the field. But, that doesn't win games against teams with "soccer players". As for the PIT, we might as well as ask someone to donate their backyard as a playing field and put lines on it. We may as well shorten the 11 v 11 field and get an 8v8 field and play on it. Wouldn't be much of a difference in the quality of the game. However, the game was meant to be played on a certain size field to provide for the quality of the game. Sorry to say, your school and field does not provide for that experience. Once the game is played on a field smaller than regulation at 11 v 11, it is not soccer. You may call it soccer, but in reality, it's just a bunch of kids kicking a soccer ball in and out of bounds. Get a real soccer field and let's play the game.

You're supporters are great, but you need to get a leash on them before they hang you and your team.

By the way, when are you going to contact me about Sebastian and some of his college options? Did anyone ask to hear the message that I left you as per one of your last posts? I really would like to help the kid once I get to know more about him.

As for the "Pit Crazies"... keep falling into the hands that set you up

dude get a life and accept the fact that you lost to us, and it was a really bad one at that. and how would we "hang you and your team"? thats probably the stupidest thing i've ever heard. have you ever heard of adapt to your playing field? cause I have so maybe you should try it next time with a different gameplan when you play on somebody's "backyard" field.

[coachray40]

Yawn.....

As I have become older,I have learned to become more patient, especially with the birth of my son. Those closest to me know that I have chilled out quite a bit since my earlier days. That being said, I really am running out of patience with the continued yaw-yawing I have to read on here about how awful St Amant is from you RB. Its christmas time, and we certainly should be spending out time with our families, rather than yapping on here.

I've been diplomatic so far, but since you insist on trying to bait me into a bunch of crap, I'll take the lure and pop a few shots.

First RB, I dont care what you think about my team. As I told you before, and this is the direct quote"We have a young team, very eclectic bunch, and I dont know how we will do." I NEVER said we wont do much of anything, and those who know me best know that I am always one who will prop my team up regardless of where they are in ability level. You are trying to start some crap right now because you dont have the group chemistry with your team like I have with mine. HINT--dont get on here and run your mouth and maybe your kids will respect you, and you'll get them to show up for practice and get better. What I said still stands true. My team is young and at times inexperienced, and has a lot to learn. That being said, we are growing and improving daily, and that is all I ask of my players. I am having a lot of fun with this group, they are enjoying themselves, they are coming to toghether and playing from the heart. Thats all I could ever ask of them. They are doing fine, and we will be fine throughout the rest of the season. We might even win a another game or two.

With that in mind, I'll address the issue with The Pit along the same lines. This is HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER. Not club, premier, ODP, pro, or anything else. Its HIGH SCHOOL. High school soccer is a different animal. You need to learn to make the adjustment. The Pit is a HS soccer field-and for the record, it is 116 yards long by 55 yards wide. Thats about average for a HS soccer field in LA( and is actually wider than Fontainbleaus field). I would love to have a big field for sure. One of my 2 best players is a flank midfield player, and playing on the small pitch at The Pit stifles his ability, yet he(and the rest of us) just adapts and overcomes.

HS is not pretty soccer based on possesion and skill levels-for most teams its about speed and power, guts and heart. There are way more HS teams in LA than there are premier programs, so most of the kids playing are athletes more than soccer players. Does that mean the game sucks? NO, it just means its different. You dont get to choose the players you get, you just take what goes to your school and work with them. Carencro and Fontainebleau played for a state title last year--neither was the "best" team in the state at the time, but they played the butts off and did so from the heart. Almost all of these kids competitive soccer playing days are over 1 minute after their last game as a senior, yet they still want to play and train hard. Why? Because the one thing that should be the biggest constant is their passion to play. I tell my players from day 1, I dont want a single player on my team that is playing for a scholarship, or to get laid, or to be popular, or to show off. I want players who are there because they love to play...period. Thats the biggest difference between club and HS--passion for the game. Kids in HS have a lot less talent and skill than club teams, so they have to rely more on passion and heart to get them through.

With that in mind, i'll tell you the biggest difference in our two teams. Before that, I'll tell you this--you have a pretty good team. Lots of skill and ability and they seem to be able to play attractive soccer. The thing that I saw above all other things when we played--your team wasnt having any fun. It wasnt the fans at the Pit, or anything we were doing. That comes from you. My guys are having a blast this year, and thats all that matters. At the end of this season, we will still have our individual friendships, respect for each other, and the experiences that this season brought to us to reflect on with pride and some satisfaction that we did our best. I read an article about Jerry Yeagley( former coach at the University of Indiana and a much better coach than you and me), and when asked about his secret to success, he said it was simple: " Make sure everything you do with your team is fun." We are having fun..doesnt look to me like ya'll are. Thats a shame, because I think you have some good players, and none of this rant is aimed at them.

As for the Pit Crazies....dude just shut up and stop being such a little wuss about them. I can guarantee you didnt get half the hammering from them that EA did, and all they did was just laugh it off and move forward. Spend more time in getting your team to focus on the game. I spoke to at least 10 people who werent even involved with our team, that have read your constant whining on here and have said they will be sure to make it to next years game at the Pit just to see what happens with The Pit Crazies and you. So great dude, now you made it worse....keep going. They are just guys who support thier schools teams--if you want a silent Sunday approach go coach U6, get a cookie and run through the tunnel. Again, this is HS athletics, and fan support is part of the game. Stop selling lies that the chants were racist--thats a smokescreen to cover up your getting a verbal beatdown from the Crazies-- and just move on. I like the Pit Crazies, and have made it completely clear to them--no profanity, no racism, nothing morally unacceptable, after that get creative, be loud and have fun. Right now its sounds to me like they have achieved the desired effect--they have some teams more concerned about them and what they will do, and about the size of The Pit than the game itself.

As for Sebastian, he has plenty of help with college already, and isnt sure if he will even play. Hes TOPS eligible, and he, like many other players, may have to make a decision based on what is best financially over soccer. Either way, he has plenty of help from me, and from heavier hitters than you like Gary Buete, Chris Mitchell, etc. I dont believe C-bass or I think you have much to offer, and arent very impressed with your delivery. Oh and yes, many folks have had a chance to listen to the saved voicemail and laugh--and I still have it.

In conclusion, I'll say this..I really dont know what your beef is. You dont know me, we havent ever crossed paths, I dont ever recall crapping in your wheaties and I dont have a clue why you spend so much time dissing me and my program. Maybe you like to play mind games, maybe you drink a lot, maybe you have a habit, maybe you need a woman...I dont know. Next time you want to talk shiznit on here though, have the courage to do it in the regular day, not at 2:30 in the morning when nobody is on, or use that phone # of mine to call me personally. If you feel the need to step up I wont have any problem dealing with you man to man. And that, my brother, is from the heart