An interesting look at the S.C. Poverty Index and the correlation of high school soccer performance.

(Rank) School, Poverty Index -- Boys Rank / Girls Rank
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(1) Chapin, 12.70 -- #4 Boys 3A / #7 Girls 3A
(2) Academic Magnet, 14.31 -- #3 Boys 1A / #6 Girls 2A/1A
(3) Fort Mill, 17.39 -- #12 Boys 4A / #7 Girls 4A
(4) Riverside, 17.48 -- #3 Boys 3A / #3 Girls 3A
(5) Lexington, 19.23 -- #5 Boys 4A / #2 Girls 4A
(6) Charleston School of the Arts, 21.57 -- no teams fielded
(7) Greenville Technical Charter, 22.71 -- NR Boys 1A
(8) Dutch Fork, 22.95 -- #6 Boys 4A / #3 Girls 4A
(9) Wando, 24.00 -- #3 Boys 4A / #1 Girls 4A
(10) Fox Creek, 25.58 -- NR Boys 1A
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(11) Mauldin, 25.73 -- #4 Boys 4A / #8 Girls 4A
(12) Eastside, 27.29 -- #5 Boys 3A / #1 Girls 3A
(13) Daniel, 28.88 -- #8 Boys 3A / #12 Girls 3A
(14) Wren, 29.54 -- NR Boys 4A / #14 Girls 4A
(15) Hilton Head, 30.09 -- #15 Boys 3A / #2 Girls 3A
(16) Ridge View, 30.33 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(17) Waccamaw, 32.48 -- #3 Boys 2A / #3 Girls 2A/1A
(18) Fort Dorchester, 35.39 -- #15 Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(19) Hillcrest, 35.66 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(20) J.L. Mann, 35.95 -- #11 Boys 3A / #10 Girls 3A
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(21) Clover, 36.29 -- NR Boys 4A
(22) Irmo, 36.39 -- #7 Boys 4A / #4 Girls 4A
(23) Indian Land, 36.45 -- NR Boys 1A
(24) North Augusta, 36.63 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(25) James Island Charter, 37.10 -- NR Boys 4A / #15 Girls 4A
(26) White Knoll, 38.00 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(27) Spring Valley, 38.17 -- #1 Boys 4A / #10 Girls 4A
(28) Blue Ridge, 38.47 -- NR Boys 3A
(29) South Aiken, 38.84 -- #11 Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(30) May for Math, Science, & Technology, 39.00
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(31) Summerville, 39.50 -- #10 Boys 4A / #5 Girls 4A
(32) T.L. Hanna, 39.59 -- NR Boys 4A / #13 Girls 4A
(33) Northwestern, 40.22 -- #2 Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(34) Stratford, 40.25 -- #13 Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(35) West Florence, 40.29 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(36) A.C. Flora, 41.44 -- #14 Boys 3A / #9 Girls 3A
(37) Gilbert, 42.22 -- NR Boys 2A / #7 Girls 2A
(38) Boiling Springs, 42.42 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(39) Easley, 42.84 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(40) Blythewood, 43.28 -- NR Boys 3A / #15 Girls 3A
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(41) Bluffton, 43.89 -- #12 Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(42) Wade Hampton-G, 44.30 -- NR Boys 3A / #11 Girls 3A
(43) Byrnes, 44.45 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(44) Lugoff-Elgin, 44.46 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(45) Socastee, 45.20 -- #2 Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(46) Greer, 45.64 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(47) Pickens, 46.27 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(48) Boiling Springs (9th Grade Camp), 46.77
(49) Landrum, 46.83 -- NR Boys 1A
(50) Dorman, 47.23 -- #9 Boys 4A / #6 Girls 4A
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(51) St. James, 47.44 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(52) Walhalla, 47.83 -- #5 Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(53) Richland Northeast, 48.09 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(54) Buford, 48.31 -- #9 Boys 2A
(55) Dreher, 48.43 -- #6 Boys 3A / #6 Girls 3A
(56) Seneca, 48.51 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(57) Ninety Six, 48.59 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(58) Chapman, 48.88 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(59) Carolina Forest, 49.15 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(60) Travelers Rest, 49.23 -- NR Boys 3A / #13 Girls 3A
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(61) Mid-Carolina, 49.30 -- NR Boys 2A
(62) Hanahan, 49.38 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(63) Pendleton, 49.45 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(64) Rock Hill, 50.02 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(65) Greenville, 50.27 -- #1 Boys 3A / #14 Girls 3A
(66) Palmetto, 50.40 -- #8 Boys 2A
(67) Dorman (Freshman Campus), 50.42
(68) Aiken, 50.69 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(69) York Comprehensive, 51.46 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(70) South Pointe, 51.51 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
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(71) Belton-Honea Path, 51.55 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(72) West Ashley, 51.90 -- NR Boys 4A / #12 Girls 4A
(73) Lewisville, 52.13 -- NR Boys 1A
(74) Greenwood, 53.15 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(75) Dixie, 53.16 -- #5 Boys 1A
(76) Johnsonville, 53.18
(77) Woodruff, 53.57 -- NR Boys 2A / #2 Girls 2A
(78) Beaufort, 53.95 -- #8 Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(79) Chesnee, 54.13
(80) North Myrtle Beach, 54.20 -- #7 Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
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(81) Myrtle Beach, 54.22 -- #10 Boys 3A / #4 Girls 3A
(82) Liberty, 55.10
(83) South Florence, 56.19 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(84) Emerald, 56.75 -- #2 Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(85) Camden, 57.09 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(86) East Clarendon, 57.37
(87) Andrew Jackson, 57.39 -- #6 Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(88) Lockhart, 57.45
(89) Brookland-Cayce, 57.65 -- #9 Boys 3A / #8 Girls 3A
(90) Batesburg-Leesville, 57.97 -- #4 Boys 2A
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(91) Broome, 57.98 -- #10 Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(92) Silver Bluff, 58.02 -- NR Boys 2A
(93) Airport, 58.05 -- NR Boys 3A / #5 Girls 3A
(94) Gaffney, 59.17 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(95) Spartanburg, 59.24 -- NR Boys 4A / #11 Girls 4A
(96) Chesterfield, 59.29
(97) Whitmire, 59.70
(98T) Westside, 60.31 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(98T) Barnwell, 60.31 -- #7 Boys 2A / #10 Girls 2A
(100) Ware Shoals, 60.36 -- NR Boys 1A
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(101) Goose Creek, 60.96 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(102) Sumter, 61.14 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(103) Midland Valley, 61.29
(104) Crescent, 61.48
(105) McBee, 61.82
(106) Aynor, 61.90
(107) Laurens District 55, 62.01 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(108) Great Falls, 62.09 -- NR Boys 1A
(109) Berkeley, 62.29 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(110) Woodmont, 62.45 -- NR Boys 3A
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(111) Blacksburg, 63.08
(112) Pelion, 63.16 -- NR Girls 2A
(113) Richland Middle College @ Midlands Tech, 63.30
(114) Union Comprehensive, 63.59 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(115) Abbeville, 63.93
(116) Lancaster, 63.96 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 3A
(117) Williston-Elko, 64.00 -- NR Boys 1A
(118) Crestwood, 64.57 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(119) Saluda, 64.80 -- NR Boys 2A
(120) Hannah-Pamplico, 65.40
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(121) Branchville, 65.48 -- NR Boys 1A
(122) Wade Hampton-H, 65.64 -- NR Boys 2A
(123) Hartsville, 66.32 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(124) Swansea, 66.52 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(125) Cheraw, 66.75 -- NR Boys 2A
(126) Battery Creek, 67.36 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(127) Southside, 68.33 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(128) Georgetown, 69.25 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(129) Chester, 69.28 -- NR Boys 3A
(130) Clinton, 69.71 -- NR Boys 3A
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(131) Westminster MS, 70.04
(132) Berea, 70.52 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(133) Strom Thurmond, 70.54 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(134) Lower Richland, 70.58
(135) Bamberg-Ehrhardt, 70.60 -- NR Boys 1A
(136) Wagener-Salley, 70.86 -- NR Boys 1A
(137) Tamassee-Salem, 71.00
(138) Conway, 71.59 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(139) Latta, 71.70
(140) Central, 71.83
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(141) Aiken Performing Arts Academy, 72.92
(142) Columbia, 73.32 -- NR Boys 2A
(143) Wilson, 73.81 -- #13 Boys 3A
(144) Newberry, 73.82 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A
(145) Ridge Spring-Monetta, 74.31
(146) North Central, 74.39
(147) Colleton County, 74.44 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(148) Charlestowne Academy, 74.87
(149) Marion, 75.73 -- NR Boys 2A
(150) Edisto, 75.78 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A/1A
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(151) Jonesville, 76.08
(152) Lake View, 76.88
(153) Timberland, 77.06 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(154) Loris, 77.17 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A/1A
(155) Keenan, 77.38
(156) Lakewood, 78.41 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(157) Darlington, 78.68 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(158T) Manning, 79.27
(158T) Lamar, 79.27
(160) Woodland, 80.29
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(161) Garrett Academy of Technology, 81.06
(162) Calhoun Falls, 81.09
(163) The Phoenix Center, 81.82
(164) Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 82.24 -- NR Boys 4A / NR Girls 4A
(165) Jasper County, 82.43
(166) Green Sea-Floyds, 82.76
(167) Timmonsville, 82.97
(168) Carolina, 83.26 -- NR Boys 2A
(169) Andrews, 83.51 -- NR Boys 2A / NR Girls 2A/1A
(170) Marlboro County, 83.70 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
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(171) Lake City, 84.01 -- NR Boys 3A
(172) McCormick, 84.04
(173) Dillon, 84.09
(174) St. John's, 84.55
(175) Blackville-Hilda, 85.27
(176) Mullins, 85.74
(177) North, 85.76
(178) Wohali Academy, 85.88
(179) Lincoln, 86.00 -- #2 Boys 1A
(180) Carvers Bay, 86.51
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(181) Cross, 86.67
(182) R.B. Stall, 86.80 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(183) Fairfield Central, 87.02
(184) North Charleston, 87.10 -- NR Boys 3A / NR Girls 3A
(185) Septima Clark Corporate Academy, 87.23
(186) Eau Claire, 87.76 -- NR Boys 3A
(187) Military Magnet Academy, 88.04
(188) Calhoun County, 88.12
(189) Lake Marion, 89.33
(190) Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, 89.82
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(191) Estill, 90.15
(192) Hemingway, 90.18
(193) Allendale-Fairfax, 90.28
(194) C.A. Johnson Prepatory Academy, 91.27
(195) Kingstree, 91.47
(196) Youthbuild Charleston Center, 92.45
(197) Baptist Hill, 93.00
(198) Hall Institute, 93.20
(199) Scott's Branch, 93.85
(200) Burke, 93.99
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(201) C.E. Murray, 94.00
(202) Denmark-Olar, 94.06
(203) Washington Center Sp, 94.40
(204) Morningside MS, 94.41
(205) Bethune-Bowman MS/HS, 94.80
(206) McCarthy/Teszler Learning Center, 95.59
(207) Lee Central, 95.74
(208) Creek Bridge, 95.80
(209) Pendergrass-Fairwold School, 98.18

#14 Wren was ranked #14 in girls 4A, not ranked in boys 4A.

Throw in flexible/open enrollment along with the private schools and you see some disparities—what I would suggest are unbalanced playing fields. State championships in soccer at all classifications are dominated by affluent schools, private schools, and schools with flexible/open enrollments (and of course some combination of those three, often all three).

Class 4A
(1) Fort Mill, 17.39
(2) Lexington, 19.23
(3) Dutch Fork, 22.95
(4) Wando, 24.00
(5) Mauldin, 25.73
(6) Wren, 29.54
(7) Ridge View, 30.33
(8) Fort Dorchester, 35.39
(9) Hillcrest, 35.66
(10) Clover, 36.29
(11) Irmo, 36.39
(12) North Augusta, 36.63
(13) James Island, 37.10
(14) White Knoll, 38.00
(15) Spring Valley, 38.17
(16) South Aiken, 38.84
(17) Summerville, 39.50
(18) TL Hanna, 39.59
(19) Northwestern, 40.22
(20) Stratford, 40.25
(21) West Florence, 40.29
(22) Boiling Springs, 42.42
(23) Easley, 42.84
(24) Byrnes, 44.45
(25) Dorman, 47.23
(26) Richland Northeast, 48.09
(27) Rock Hill, 50.02
(28) Aiken, 50.69
(29) York, 51.46
(30) South Pointe, 51.51

Class 3A
(1) Chapin, 12.70
(2) Riverside, 17.48
(3) Eastside, 27.29
(4) Daniel, 28.88
(5) Hilton Head, 30.09
(6) JL Mann, 35.95
(7) Blue Ridge, 38.47
(8) AC Flora, 41.44
(9) Blythewood, 43.28
(10) Bluffton, 43.89
(11) Wade Hampton-G, 44.30
(12) Lugoff-Elgin, 44.46
(13) Socastee, 45.20
(14) Greer, 45.64
(15) Pickens, 46.27
(16) St. James, 47.44
(17) Dreher, 48.43
(18) Seneca, 48.51
(19) Carolina Forest, 49.15
(20) Travelers Rest, 49.23
(21) Greenville, 50.27
(22) Belton-Honea Path, 51.55
(23) North Myrtle Beach, 54.20
(24) Myrtle Beach, 54.22
(25) Camden, 57.09
(26) Brookland-Cayce, 57.65
(27) Airport, 58.05
(28) Midland Valley, 61.29
(29) Woodmont, 62.45
(30) Union, 63.59

Dorman and Spartanburg seem to buck the trend. Very good girls soccer programs despite being ranked fairly low on the totem pole.

Sorry, while I support 100% that Dorman and Spartan High have fine programs and fine coaches, they are not low on the totem pole.

The first list in this thread has over 200 schools, placing Dorman in the upper quartile and Spartan High in the upper half. Both schools also have distinct socio-economic sub-categories in their schools—pockets of affluence and pockets of poverty. The pockets of affluence in both schools feed their soccer programs, fitting the pattern.

Academically, a poverty index in a high school above the mid-40s has a notable negative impact; while I haven't looked closely, I would argue that a poverty index in the 60s and above is likely where you see poverty impacting athletics negatively.

greenville is an exception to the trend

Spartan High has a greater PI than Greenville High—

(65) Greenville, 50.27 -- #1 Boys 3A / #14 Girls 3A
(95) Spartanburg, 59.24 -- NR Boys 4A / #11 Girls 4A

And Greenville High is in a large district with OPEN ENROLLMENT; so I would argue that it does not break the trend. Greenville High is much like DHS and SHS noted by another post. A significant school-within-a-school that feeds soccer well.

In response to a 60 or above psi affecting athletics -not "athletics", but soccer and all affluent sports. Lots of football powerhouses there.

In summary, as long as a "pocket" of avg to affluent kids exist + a club association within reasonable driving distance - a high school's soccer performances and the PI mean less than it would seem.

[Note: Sorry for the late response to this -- been too busy to log on for quite a while...]

At this moment, I don't have time to go through and test this hypothesis -- but I'll offer it anyway and qualify it as only a theory.

To me, the school that stood out on this list as an exception was BC. Over an average of the last few years, it seems to me that BC has had a higher ranked boys and girls program than their PI would indicate that they should.

If true (and that's a big, big if), this would line up with the qualitative opinion that I have that the club serving this area, CRSA, has done more than the average club in South Carolina in trying to penetrate underserved markets with respect to youth soccer.

I'd encourage anyone reading to find a youth soccer club that is trying hard to expand youth soccer beyond its traditional USYSA-type of affluent target market and volunteer either your time or your money helping them do that. These are the folks on the front lines of trying to make a difference.

Being the coach at Eau Claire the poverty issue is a major detriment to our success. Coach Brown at Chester was the first to mention last season it to me and this summer it really became apparent. The major reason for the disparity is the lack of exposure of kids in poverty to advanced soccer. For example, please don't think I am being resentful maybe a little jealous, but Coach Heise took his entire varsity team to Marc Berson's camp last week, while not one of my kids could afford to go, and my efforts to raise enough money to send a player or two came up short. So while coach Heise team was working on team building and developing better skills mine are at their summer jobs doing nothing to enhance their soccer ability, and I am not allowed to work with them because of the High School League rules.
While many of the top players in the area may spend the summer playing for Columbia FC, my players can't afford it. Now Ron Tryon did say he would help our kids out finacially if they needed it so the could afford the club fees, but unfortunately my kids don't have rides out to NE Columbia. Many of my kids if I don't drive them home after practice have to ride the city bus to get home, because their parents have no car. Its a sad situation really and if you are wondering why their is the disparity that is the reason.

I remember a series of posts from a few months (or years?) back that discussed all the things that CRSA did -- including going beyond financial needs scholarships to figuring out ways to get kids to practice who didn't have rides. It might be worth your while to contact CRSA to talk to them about what they've done and how you might partner with them -- they've had some success working in relatively less affluent sections of Richland.

danny_j_t: Did you contact Berson and ask for help in terms of the fees?

I did talk to Coach Berson and he was very accommodating, but he told me his hands were tied by NCAA recruitment rules. His explanation was that the NCAA essentially assumes that if coaches were allowed to make camp tuition exceptions for players then the highly sought after prospects would be the ones getting all the exceptions and therefore would be receiving "extra benefits". In the end I did have enough money raised to send one maybe two players to camp, but then I would have had to pick from the 4 seniors I told I wanted to send to camp the one or two that would go, and it didn't seem like a good situation to start playing favorites like that so I didn't send any.

As for CRSA, I have never heard of them, what do they do?

Danny, you get ten offseason days to get your teams together and practice/compete. Ask an AD, basketball, or football coach for details.

SAHS -- Technically you had all summer until Monday, July 23 (start of "Closed Season") to train with your specific team. In addition the SCHSL allows for 10 days, including camp(s), to compete with outside competition.

I have already contacted danny_j_t via private message in regards to CRSA and the possibility of including the Eau Claire program in the future.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Region 4 is hard enough as it is!!!!