[hawg laig]

Small A and AA schools across the state struggle with small roster numbers. I would like to see Boys soccer become a spring sport.
1. Young men who play soccer would be more likely to play football and conversely the football players would be more likely to play soccer.
2. Scholarship opportunities would increase due to two sport exposure.
3.Girls could stay in the fall, that way one coach could coach both squads saving schools money.
4. year round soccer for the fans, and year round conditioning for the players.

What would it take to make this happen? Legislation? KHSAA rule change?
Whatever but I think it is a good idea.

What does everyone else think?

[tcb]

Well then soccer would then compete with track and Field as well as baseball. Not a good ideal. They should make it a winter sport so it could compete with basketball and wrestling.

[cougarpride08]

I agree it should be a spring sport. Not to many soccer players are playing track. If you are running track then you are taking football and track seriously.

[launchpad4]

I agree these two sports compliment eachother and shouldn't have to compete with the other sport. In states where they take football serious Soccer is either a winter or spring sport. I know it can't be a winter sport here because of the weather, but having it as a spring sport makes much more sense. Small schools have trouble fielding teams enough as it is and this only hurts them. Plus some athletes that would be good football players don't play because it interferes or isn't possible because of soccer and vice versa. KHSAA needs to quit coddling basketball as the state sport because last time I checked KY is producing more and better football talent at the next level and is more popular.

[CatDawg]

I wish they would make it a spring sport then more schools would be willing to have soccer programs.

[sstack]

I agree it should be a spring sport. Not to many soccer players are playing track. If you are running track then you are taking football and track seriously.

Soccer is a game of speed with many track runners on the soccer teams! At our high school, during tryouts for soccer, you are timed in the 100,200,400,800,and1mile, and must meet set times for each distance. Soccer is not a warm weather sport, try running nonstop during a game in the heat and you will see why.

[nky]

Soccer was at one time a spring sport that was moved to the fall in early to mid 1980's

[Stardust]

LOL - Make Baseball a Fall Sport and Football a Spring sport. In High School, the weather is more conducive to do this. Football practices and palys their games in the dead of summer. Baseball plays 90% of their season in the cold and rain of the back end of winter.

[barrel]

In states where they take football serious Soccer is either a winter or spring sport. .

Which states? I a just wondering.

[OrangenowBlue]

I agree these two sports compliment eachother and shouldn't have to compete with the other sport. In states where they take football serious Soccer is either a winter or spring sport. I know it can't be a winter sport here because of the weather, but having it as a spring sport makes much more sense. Small schools have trouble fielding teams enough as it is and this only hurts them. Plus some athletes that would be good football players don't play because it interferes or isn't possible because of soccer and vice versa. KHSAA needs to quit coddling basketball as the state sport because last time I checked KY is producing more and better football talent at the next level and is more popular.

Basketball pays the bills.

[barrel]

Are you saying that basketball (only boys not boys and girls combined) pulls in more money per year than football? Is there any numbers to support that?

[Amped 88]

:Thumbs:

[OrangenowBlue]

Are you saying that basketball (only boys not boys and girls combined) pulls in more money per year than football? Is there any numbers to support that?

I am not talking about at the local high schools. One of the primary sources of income for the KHSAA is the state tournaments. The total attendance for the boys state football tournament was around 37,000 people. The average total attendance for a boys Sweet Sixteen is around 150,000. I believe the highest attended football game in the state finals this year was close to 10,000. The smallest attendance at a boys session is never under 10.000. I know it is hard to compare the two as each session you have four teams in basketball. The KHSAA depends on ticket and merchandise sales to keep them afloat and to supply their budget. The Sweet Sixteen also has probably more people attending the tournament who are not connected to any team (they come just to watch the tournament) then the football finals attendance combined. In a lot of towns on the local level, I would absolutely say that football is the bigger moneymaker, but when it comes to the state and money for the KHSAA, basketball is king. The girls Sweet Sixteen generates more money then the football finals. It also helps having National City and Houchens Industries sponser the two tournaments.

[GOREDDEVILS]

I think it should stay where it is because some schools have soccer players who play basketball as well.

[Harper9]

I think it should stay where it is because some schools have soccer players who play basketball as well.

Soccer should be a winter sport. It does not take many players to make a basketball team. This would be a good move for soccer as well as football. Many football players would probably play soccer and several soccer players may play football.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Soccer should be a winter sport. It does not take many players to make a basketball team. This would be a good move for soccer as well as football. Many football players would probably play soccer and several soccer players may play football.

yes it does take a lot of players to make a good basketball team you need a bench and a good starting 5 to win. A lot of star players play both.

[Harper9]

12 at the most for basketball.

[GOREDDEVILS]

russell has a starter on the girls basketball team who played soccer

[GOREDDEVILS]

12 at the most for basketball.

we have 14 or 15 on the team

[Redneck]

I think soccer should be played any time other than the fall. Not only would soccer players come out for football, but how many schools need a kicker.

[GOREDDEVILS]

I think soccer should be played any time other than the fall. Not only would soccer players come out for football, but how many schools need a kicker.

soccer games aren't played on fridays so soccer players can kick for the football team. Russells tanner locey plays soccer and kicks for Russell football

[Redneck]

soccer games aren't played on fridays so soccer players can kick for the football team. Russells tanner locey plays soccer and kicks for Russell football

Some schools have soccer games on friday's surely. Johnson Central's kicker plays both. IDK about Russell, but Paintsville could surely benefit from soccer bein moved to the winter or spring. It's more of a numbers game down this way, there were quite a few players on the soccer team that could've helped out the football team. How are the kids suppose to juggle both sports practice's if they wanted to play both? I know Paintsville had one kid that played both, but he ended up leavin the football team, and turns out he was pretty dang good goalie for the soccer team. He was also a good football player.

[Thunder Lips]

I am not talking about at the local high schools. One of the primary sources of income for the KHSAA is the state tournaments. The total attendance for the boys state football tournament was around 37,000 people. The average total attendance for a boys Sweet Sixteen is around 150,000. I believe the highest attended football game in the state finals this year was close to 10,000. The smallest attendance at a boys session is never under 10.000. I know it is hard to compare the two as each session you have four teams in basketball.

You tokenly mentioned it, but the fact that there are only 6 state football finals game and a total of 15 sweet 16 games skews the attendance numbers a bit.

Basketball still would draw a few more fans, but mostly because it is played indoors in a controlled climate.

I doubt moving soccer to the spring would help football participation. Most soccer players would simply play club soccer if they didn't play for their school.

[GOREDDEVILS]

from what i seen no schools play soccer on fridays. I'm sure russell isn't the only school who uses a soccer player to kick.

[OrangenowBlue]

You tokenly mentioned it, but the fact that there are only 6 state football finals game and a total of 15 sweet 16 games skews the attendance numbers a bit.

Basketball still would draw a few more fans, but mostly because it is played indoors in a controlled climate.

I doubt moving soccer to the spring would help football participation. Most soccer players would simply play club soccer if they didn't play for their school.

I am not promoting basketball and belittling football. I am just pointing out the fact that the Sweet Sixteen is the breadwinner for the KHSAA so it is going to get catered to a little more. As far as attendance numbers, in Rupp Arena, there is always at least 10,000+ at each game. Evening sessions usually have between 15,000 and 20,000. The highest attendance at a state football final this year was the 6A final which had almost 10,000 present. I do not know how you can skew that.

[Thunder Lips]

I am not promoting basketball and belittling football. I am just pointing out the fact that the Sweet Sixteen is the breadwinner for the KHSAA so it is going to get catered to a little more. As far as attendance numbers, in Rupp Arena, there is always at least 10,000+ at each game. Evening sessions usually have between 15,000 and 20,000. The highest attendance at a state football final this year was the 6A final which had almost 10,000 present. I do not know how you can skew that.

Again, a session at the Sweet 16 involves 4 teams and 2 games. If the average session is 15,000 and you divide that by 2 games you get 7,500 fans there for that actual game. Each state final football game averaged around 6,600 this year. Not a huge difference. I'm not saying you are promoting basketball or not...just saying a lot of folks talk as if the sweet 16 is a much bigger draw per game when it really isn't.

[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

We have two soccer players that kick on our team.

[launchpad4]

Which states? I a just wondering.

Florida, Georgia, Texas, have soccer in the winter. Virginia, South Carolina, and California have them as spring sports. I know that the climate in some of this is better than what we have, but Califormia has a wider climate range and in some parts it gets pretty cold during the Spring. I just don't understand why you would put two sports head to head that would compete against each other.

[hawg laig]

I feel the physical apsects of each sport compliments the other. Football kickers aside. I could see a rangey wide receiver being an ideal goalie. An alert, athletic midfielder playing corner or linebacker. I am sure some soccer players also run track but track is an individual sport for the most part. Footlball and Soccer are team sports so the mental spects also compliment each other.
What I do see, are A and AA teams with rosters at 30 or less including freshmen, and soccer teams who have ironmen players who rarely get to rest. Both programs suffer.
And I had never though about what CatDawg said, but yeah, a lot of schools would get on board with soccer if it did not compete with football.
I attend quite a bit of high school sporting events in the East and I don't see many basketball players on the soccer field so I don't think it would disrupt things.
Of course if we are going to disrupt, let's go with Stardust and change every season. It makes sense, but hey when was the last time you ever saw the KHSAA make a bold move.

[hawg laig]

And thanks for your comments, but does anybody know if this change could be done? and if so, How?