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Post by North Coast 707 on Jan 29, 2015 16:09:16 GMT -5
I read in the PD that the SCL turned down changing the soccer season to winter. The MCAL and NBL soccer teams are now going to play in the winter along with the east bay schools. It seems to be that with the smaller schools in the SCL and NCL that many athletes are choosing soccer over football. With the declining enrollment already taking a toll on many teams the prevalence of soccer it destroying some programs. Upper lake, Tomales, and Calistoga are transitioning to 8-man NCL III football this year, which is probably a direct result of enrollment loss, and soccer popularity. In the case of Calistoga and Tomales , which are both majority made up of hispanic students, the football programs are suffering due to some good hispanic athletes choosing soccer. Both longtime Tomales coach Leon Feliciano and Calistoga head coach Paul Harrel have retired. The football landscape is changing raptly here in the North Coast.
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Post by scobserver on Jan 29, 2015 20:56:46 GMT -5
The landscape has changed all over the state. The little towns in the Northern Section (Williams on north) staved this off awhile back by going to winter soccer...frankly, that's the only reason many of the small schools in Northern Sec can keep football. In fact, I think the MCAL and NBL change was primarily to diminish soccer and try to keep football turnouts higher, though of course this was never spoken.
I don't think NCL and HDNL towns will switch, though...there is just too much rain, the field will turn to mud.
The SCL won't change soon. Sonoma and Healdsburg play at off-campus baseball/football combo stadiums likely to always have grass (because of baseball and the owners can't afford it, anyway). Supposedly Analy, Casa and Petaluma are going to install turf, but maybe somebody knows if this is certain. Besides, all 6 SCL schools with lights play soccer at night, and every penny counts, and there will be no night games in winter season. At some SCL schools, if boys soccer was allowed to play Friday nights, they would draw better than the football team. Sorry, but I think that is how it is.
I wonder if NCL III football will last much longer. And with Madison Lott not coaching Allen next year, who will be able to pull another miracle and get enough bodies for the Lobos to stagger through another season?
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Post by hbfbcoach on Jan 29, 2015 22:38:05 GMT -5
Dumb decision to not move soccer. But so typical when you look at what schools voted against moving it.
I'm not sure about what schools soccer teams would out draw the football teams. I don't see that happening.
Madison no longer coaching at Elsie sucks but they need to clean house and start fresh. They have athletes over there. It's a matter of getting a Guy who will stay and build the program from the bottom up. You look at some schools and they are doing it with the same types of issues.
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Post by North Coast 707 on Jan 29, 2015 22:54:17 GMT -5
Is Lott also the basketball coach and AD? Elsie's basketball team is doing very well this year, I know the soccer team did very well as well. They do have decent athletes at the school, it is very difficult to establish a program with many 1st or 2nd generation americans who grew up without a football background. Elsie also took a hit with Roseland Prep becoming bigger and adding more sports, their soccer and basketball teams compete with many larger schools year in-year out. Elsie loses over 400 students to Roseland, as well as many to Analy.
Its just too bad soccer couldn't make a permanent move to another season, although with this drought persisting maybe field conditions would be a problem haha. The small schools with hispanic populations such as Calistoga, Tomales, Cloverdale, ect... are especially hurting for football numbers. At these schools soccer will have around 30 players while football will struggle to reach 20.
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Post by scobserver on Jan 30, 2015 19:13:54 GMT -5
707, you summed the issues facing declining participation, in that some schools see greater numbers for soccer than football. Unfortunately,I bet the MCAL and NBL schools will barely see a ripple of higher turnout for football, even with soccer in winter.
I do think that our beloved football is doomed at the small schools that keep soccer in fall.
At bigger schools, easing soccer into winter (under guise of worrying about the quality of their playoff opponents, heh, heh!) will help.
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Post by bella on Jan 30, 2015 19:58:47 GMT -5
Bad decision not to move to the winter as pointed out above! Ever since soccer began to gain traction in the early 90's I know several small school football coaches who said it would be the downfall of some football programs!
SC, I do think many if the area soccer coaches wanted to challenge themselves with better completion. John Schwann has been telling me for years he wants a shot a DLS (as he said in the PD) and some of the better eastbay programs so I really don't think that is PR move. Just wish the girls would have done the same, Monty vs. Carillo 3 for the girls title every year does get a little boring!
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