Check out the two boys in the middle of the back row. The Old Mill goalkeeper is wearing a Juventus goalkeeper jersey, and the Bell High player is wearing a Boca Juniors jersey. Not that I would impugn their achievements in making all-Met, but isn't it illegal for high-school teams in the National Federation of State High School Associations to wear advertising larger than a certain height and width (isn't it 2 by 2 inches?) on their jerseys? What if, say, Bell High is actually a Coca-Cola jersey and the soccer team is wearing these big Pepsi ads on them? Or if a team shows up wearing alcohol advertising? MassachusettsRef, are you around?
Current rules would prohibit advertising of the size seen on these two shirts. However local organizations can ammend that portion of the rules, which may be the case with the Bell player's jersey. The goalkeeper jersey doesn't appear to have the name of the school on it so it may be a case of the player wearing something he likes. Back in the 70s, Carroll high school (player at the lower left) wore green and yellow striped jerseys given to them by an English club team (I believe it was West Bromwich) that had the club's crest but didn't bear the name of the school. I assume the Wood kid from Georgetown Prep is AJ Wood's brother. My coach in college used to refer to "coca-cola players" as the kind that hang out by the touch line and require service because they refuse to get stuck in! We always wanted to be "uncola" players; so what is this kid (besides very tall)?
A fantastic Idea A awesome idea ! In this era of much needed funds for soccer programs, this could be a breakthru for college or high school soccer, here in Houston Tx many local small leagues have use the same approach ....
So...what exactly are you trying to say? Remember that the rules for the high school/college game (NHSOA) are different than those that the regulate club & international (USSF/FIFA) game. Most colleges and some high schools already have athletic apparel contracts, so the size of the logo is already an issue. Very few high school programs in any sport have the kind of image that can generate income. Getting free equipment is about the best they can hope for.
Something to think about Probably a huge rules and regulations overhaul is in order, but probably It gona take some time for some soccer directives to realize that the sport need all the help it can get, alway keeping in mind a healthy balance between sports and excesive advertizing a huge mistake made by the Mexican soccer league, they have so much advertizement that the name of the team is lost ...
If you look at the "grassroots" program Nike and adidas have for high school and AAU basketball you will see corporations throwing large amounts of money at high school teams. My school's team was sponsered by adidas and the players recieved warmups, multiple jerseys, many pairs of shoes, bags and the like just to be a part of the adidas family. While the logos may have been small, if you knew for sure who sponsered our team. If this is spilling over into soccer, that would not be much of a shock. On a related note, I saw a team at a youth tournament who were playing in Man Utd jerseys. I asked one of the parents about it and they said they just ordered them and yeah it was expensive, but their kids look good playing in them.
Right know PEPSI COLA is paying Spring Branch school district 17 grand a year to have vending machines and advertizement on school property could you imagine how much money could generate if a soccer yersey have a Logo on, I hope that very soon our sports directives within colleges and school districts start to realize that bussines mentality is good for soccer as long as there is a good balance.....
There isn't huge money to be made in high school sports from advertising. The Mexican League is on TV, AAU basketball and some high schools generate interest, kids in a school system will buy Pepsi. But do you really think there is a profit to be made by Nike in paying Marshwood High School in Eliot, ME to wear their gear?
Of course not.... Of course not ...But I am sure that some extra money could go a long way to finance soccer endeavors for cash straps school districts, as a example check this out : Kingwood school district a very rich school district is able to affort a professional soccer coach a guy for argentina, on the other hand Northbrook High School a blue collar district have the same coach that coach baseball on the same school ..... You could imagine the scores every time Kingwood come to visit...Oh my God this look like tennis...