SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Junior Varsity Soccer Fort Mill to drop middle school sports

Big hit to the Irmo JV tournaments

Fort Mill schools give initial OK to cut 47 jobs
The (Rock Hill) Herald
March 9, 2010
by Toya Graham

http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/09/2002895/fort-mill-schools-give-initial.html

Will provide a big bump to the jv programs of NaFo and FM.

I believe you had mixed thoughts when they added middle school soccer. What do you believe is the best way to run a program. With middle school, without. With a C team, playing JV or without.

Our coach had to cut 20 plus from the JV team this year... I am asking the admin to add a C team to keep the kids next year. We only lose 2 seniors, so I figure she will cut 30-35 next year. You have been around a while, just want your opinion. THANKS..

Assume you were asking Hurst, but I'll put my 2 cents in.

The purpose of dropping MS sports is financial. Doesn't make a lot of sense to cut a MS team, then add a second jv team. So I think a C team makes no sense.

In flush times and with sports like basketball where you have a large pool of kids who grew up playing....I like MS and JV as it gets more kids playing. But with soccer....in most areas you have a fairly limited pool of players. I'd rather only offer JV soccer. MS kids can play up....9th and 10th graders can't play down.

Fewer teams means more player cuts. I don't see how you can get around that and in areas (most of SC) that have limited soccer pools.....why would you want to?

Rather than editing my prior post...

I'm sure some people would argue that you need the extra teams and some of the marginally talented players in order to build the sport. I understand that argument, but disagree that school soccer is the place to do so.

I would suggest working locally at the Y or wherever to build and expand the rec program and get more older kids playing there. Clubs like CESA and CASL do a great job of offering rec for older kids, as well as adult leagues.

Thats the path for growth....not extra school teams.

I hate to see this happen to those kids. Our girls played FM Middle tough for a 1-1 tie and our boys narrowly escaped vs Springfield for a 1-0 win. The schools and coaches are doing it right up there in exposing thier kids to other players and teams through tournaments and training of the coaches. I went through the Certification class with a coach that drove down from Ft Mill even with the heavy snow.

I understand the financial obligation of middle school sports but Ft Mill did it too themsleves breaking down all of their fall and winter teams into 7th and 8th grade. So which ones do you cut? To not show favoritism cut them all.

Again it is a shame for those kids that will be cut from high school bc that are too slow or small. or maybe not just developed enough. I have 8th graders on my team that were projects last season that are not only leaders but have physically matured and play great. If they had gotten cut, would they still be interested in the sport?

Fort Mill went from the outhouse to the penthouse without the benefit of MS soccer. The year we went to the state championship we didn't have middle school soccer, the JV roster was stacked with 7th and 8th graders.

As Daddy says, in "good times" there is definitely a place for middle school sports, but in "these times", I would hate to see my daughter lose her teaching job because someone chose to keep the MS program.

It's been a terrible couple of weeks up here. Many school district employees are losing their jobs and teachers, coaches and administrators are taking a big financial hit.

For those 7th and 8th graders (or 9th, 10th & 11th) graders who don't make the HS JV team, there is still club and/or rec. We are not denying them the opportunity to play.

In conclusion, I wish we weren't in this mess and that we weren't even having this discussion.

1. I was asking Hurst, but do not mind the dialog.

We do not need rec players, those we have had for years and have been killed because of it.

It needs to be such, you have to practice year round or you do not make varsity... club level practice, not rec.

The teams that are very successful, are that way. We could not generate enough numbers for the kids to feel that pressure. They could make the team without that.

Now over the last couple of years, we have made an effort to get more kids in clubs, on the teams, More kids in the program etc. One year we funded a U14, and U12 team at Cesa, to get more girls in. It worked several jumped to full time club players. We still raise money, and probably could pay for the C team, to do JV or the CESA program.

Our Region does not have middle school soccer, so it is kind of not going to happen. We could run a C team as a second JV team, let them play a normal JV schedule. Best players on Varsity, next best on JV and next best on C, others cut. We had enough to do that this year with no cuts. Next year with only losing 2 seniors. We will have enough to do that with a cut off the bottom.

Just trying to make it very competitive to get to the top of the ladder. If that happens, only club players will make it, or the great athlete. Then we are cooking with gas.

There is no reason for us not to have three layers in the High School system... The Football team has 6 layers, and next year it will be 6 layers and a redundant middle school set.

As far as soccer goes, normally I do not think they will get better there, but that is who they are, where they live etc. Get the hook in them, so we get them year round, and build the program, build the pressure, build a traditon.
Now I am trying to get a trainer who can make them better there as well.

sorry to hear about all the trouble, pain, etc. Just trying to figure a way to prime the pump faster, and better. Build it and they will come kind of thought process. Good luck, in these tough times.

Daddy,

Fort Mill is cutting middle school sports, BUT they are adding high school lacrosse. Gotta believe the HS coaches will make decent money, plus they will have to buy a NEW program new equipment.