Here in TN boys soccer is in the spring & girls in the fall.If they changed IHSA boys soccer to the spring would that help football numbers or no?
Would this help football numbers any?
- Thread starter crazylegs777
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I think a handful of kids would play both, but not enough to move the needle. Spring time is club soccer season. Cub soccer is viewed as more important than high school.
You are either a football player or a soccer player. Just like a hooper and a wrestler - you can't be both.
Brings back bad memories when they played football in the spring because worthless canceled the fall season
I am no soccer expert at all. But, I think soccer is played in the fall because in that season, the truly elite players are allowed to play on their school team.
They then join their travel team (such as the Chicago Fire's elite youth program) for the winter and spring season.
I think that if boys soccer was played in the spring, then all the elite-level players. would not be on the high school team because they have to play club soccer.
I actually think that is a reason why the level of girls prep soccer in Illinois feels like it has not advanced over the years as much as boys soccer has.
In the spring, the elite-level girls soccer players are generally playing for their club team and not for their prep team.
I am a a listener of AM-1000 sports talk radio in the afternoons and host Tom Waddle has four daughters, and I think every one of them was a soccer standout.
Yet, none of them ever put on a soccer uniform for Lake Forest High (the high school they attended) because each spring they were involved in club soccer. And I think that at least a few of the daughters played soccer at the collegiate level.
Someone from Lake Forest would be familiar with this situation. I am just trying to remember what I heard whenever father Tom Waddle would speak about his kids and soccer.
So, as my uneducated guess, I would say if boys soccer became a spring sport, then the elite level boys would. all join their club teams for the fall season and would never represent their school.
Again. this is just a guess.
They then join their travel team (such as the Chicago Fire's elite youth program) for the winter and spring season.
I think that if boys soccer was played in the spring, then all the elite-level players. would not be on the high school team because they have to play club soccer.
I actually think that is a reason why the level of girls prep soccer in Illinois feels like it has not advanced over the years as much as boys soccer has.
In the spring, the elite-level girls soccer players are generally playing for their club team and not for their prep team.
I am a a listener of AM-1000 sports talk radio in the afternoons and host Tom Waddle has four daughters, and I think every one of them was a soccer standout.
Yet, none of them ever put on a soccer uniform for Lake Forest High (the high school they attended) because each spring they were involved in club soccer. And I think that at least a few of the daughters played soccer at the collegiate level.
Someone from Lake Forest would be familiar with this situation. I am just trying to remember what I heard whenever father Tom Waddle would speak about his kids and soccer.
So, as my uneducated guess, I would say if boys soccer became a spring sport, then the elite level boys would. all join their club teams for the fall season and would never represent their school.
Again. this is just a guess.
At the end of the day not sure there is much crossover other than kickers. They kinda went their route in lower levels…no?
If you move boys soccer to the spring, then you create much more conflict with lacrosse.
Also, there would be a field access crisis at most schools.
Suddenly boys soccer, girls soccer, boys lax, girls lax are all fighting for field team. (lets not even include club sports like rugby or frisbee) . Most large school carry 3 teams per sport. That means 12 fields could be needed after school for practice most days.
Also, there would be a field access crisis at most schools.
Suddenly boys soccer, girls soccer, boys lax, girls lax are all fighting for field team. (lets not even include club sports like rugby or frisbee) . Most large school carry 3 teams per sport. That means 12 fields could be needed after school for practice most days.
I disagree with their not being any cross-over. Hank Beatty who played at Rochester and is now playing for the Illini was just as good (some say better) at soccer than football. There are some natural athletes that would excel at both.
More than just kickers too...WRs and DBs.
More than just kickers too...WRs and DBs.
Of course there are…but I don’t think it would make an actually increase in participation which was the conversation.
I am a soccer expert so can educate a little bit on this.
1. Elite boys soccer players are involved in high level club play year round. The top club league in the country is the MLS Next Academy. There are 3 clubs in the Chicago area that compete at that level and another couple down in STL. The season starts in August and ends in July. Each weekend those teams are traveling to Michigan, Ohio, St Louis, Milwaukee, Indy or Kansas City to play league games or hosting and 3-4 times are year are traveling to showcases in Florida, Texas or California to play teams from all over the country. Most power 5 recruits or future professionals come from these teams. The ones associated with MLS teams are completely free but if you play for the Chicago Fire then, at a certain age, they require you to enroll in an online school so you can train in Bridgeview twice a day. It is extreme but the Fire is trying to develop players for their professional team. They have been pretty successful with making local kids into pros and even sold a kid from Addison to a team in London for 10 million dollars last year. The players on the Fire Academy that do not go the pro route end up and major colleges and the Fire retain their rights after college.
2. Some top level boys players will come back to play their senior season for their high school if they have secured a scholarship because playing with your friends and a crowd is a different experience. New Trier won state this weekend and their star player has not played high school until this fall. He already had secured a scholarship to NU and was not planning on going the pro route. The team they beat on the final, Lyons Township, had 3 excellent players that did not play high school soccer but rather stayed in the MLS league. This is pretty similar to high level youth hockey. Most kids play AAA instead of competing for their high school club. Same with gymnastics and tennis.
3. The girls used to follow a similar pattern which is why the Waddles never played high school. Recently that changed so the Chicago teams play against other states that have a spring high school from august to November. They then play the fall high school states teams from November to February using full sized indoor fields while also going to showcases in Arizona, California, North Carolina and Florida. The Chicago teams take a break from March-June so girls can play with their high schools and then start back up in June to finish the regular season and the playoffs.
4. Not many soccer kids are cut out for football but a few are. LT had two kids that look that part. One is 6-4 and thick. He is reasonably athletic and likes contact so they could find a spot if he had started playing football as a freshman. The other is 6-3 and very athletic. He could be a safety or wide receiver but has signed with a D1 soccer team so no chance. I would say most soccer players that are not college prospects tend to do track, basketball or baseball as a second sport.
I actually agree with you...I was responding to the posters who were saying "you're either a soccer player or a football player".
Our kid played golf and football this fall and the scheduling nightmare was insane.
In Iowa, soccer is also a spring sport. It probably helps soccer numbers more than football. However, back in 2016 and 17, the school I work at had a group of good skill players and almost none of them would have picked football if they had to make the choice.
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