Some random thoughts/ideas 53,262 student athletes participate in HS soccer according to CIF participation census. Once CIF starts organizing the State Championships for soccer, where the Northern Regional Champions play against the Southern Regional Champions (Similar to our Football and Basketball State Championships) there will be a lot more interest amongs schools, scouts, colleges, and the community. This will make HS soccer more relevant, As of now, the place for development is within the DA program and club soccer. One solution to making HS soccer more relevant, is extending the season. Ideally replicating as close as possible to the DA. The 2-3 month season is very detrimental to the health and safety of HS athletes. Sometimes these kids play 2-3 games a week. Spreading the season out creates player safety, better games and focuses on development. If the argument against HS soccer is that they have coaches that are not qualified to coach, these changes will eventually make HS’s focus on getting high quality soccer coachea. The DA not allowing its players to play HS soccer should be fine, there will be diamonds in the rough that can’t afford to play in the DA and will be found through the HS ranks (hopefully) Sasho Cirovski (University of Maryland Mens coach) though of this idea of extending the college soccer season, I just put it in HS terms.
OK, I'll bite. Why does a State Championship in one state mean more interest in schools, scouts, colleges, and the community? Are kids not playing school soccer because there is no state championship currently? In my part of the world, Football and soccer both start mid august (optional workouts in July). Soccer state districts are 2nd week in October, regionals the following week, then state finals the following. Football tournament starts the first week of November and goes 5 weeks. While I think spreading out the soccer season is a good thing, I don't think it will help make soccer "relevant". It's not just coaches. It's also players. My son's varsity team had 18 on the roster. I think five play club. Are there complaints about women's basketball not being relevant? What about swim/dive teams? Softball? Tennis? What determines if a sport is "relevant"?