I think HS soccer is soccer in one of its purest forms. At the heart of HS soccer, it's about the love of the game and reppin for your family, friends and community. It's essentially a chance for athletes that spend so much time on this game to showcase what they can do. I agree with everyone here, HS soccer doesn't do much to develop the top players in the state into better players. If done right, it definitely develops them into better people, but as mentioned, there are other ways for that to happen as well. But, at the heart of soccer, why is it played? For those moments of glory, point blank period. Nothing beats the feeling of grinding in a game for over an hour and then finally scoring that important goal. Or defending a lead for large parts of the game and bending but never breaking. It's those glory moments that drive every player's desire to play this game we love. HS soccer gives opportunities for athletes to have those glory moments AND share them with their communities. Club soccer, for the most part, doesn't do that. So for me, I think HS soccer will always have a place in the soccer landscape.
