New High School Soccer Schedule - Impact on Thanksgiving Tourneys?

No, the change does not only impact soccer. CIF changed dates for many programs (fall through spring): https://www.noozhawk.com/article/prep_seasons_will_start_end_earlier_in_2018_19

Soccer is a winter sports in So Cal because Football is a fall sport (nobody is changing this) and Track/Field and Lacrosse are Spring sports. If soccer were to move to Spring then Track/Field and Lacrosse would need to switch to Winter. Consider that schools generally only have 1 field/stadium. Teams need to practice and share resources. Football uses the fields/stadium almost exclusively in Fall. Football is the 800 pound gorilla because it makes money (sort of) for the schools. Once football ends, soccer (boys and girls need practice field and game space) which is exactly the same spot for most schools that football just left. Once soccer ends, the track and field and lacrosse teams need field space, which is the exact spot that soccer just vacated. In fact, its not unusual to be playing a JV soccer game in the stadium and have the track and field team on the track warming up/practicing (an annoyance).

Because soccer can be played in the rain with little danger, whereas, track and field should not (more dangerous with certain events) ... winter it is.
 
timbuck said:
Probably a much broader question, but here goes - Why is soccer a winter sport in So Cal? Why not make it a Spring high school sport?
Club runs through fall with State Cup wrapped up for all age groups by end of February. High School kids play in Spring. Younger kids do their Spring friendlies, Spring leagues and tournaments.
Does this announced change only impact soccer?
Is this CIF's way of saying "screw you club soccer. You took your DA players out of our competition, so now we are going to make life a bit more challenging for your coaches and players."
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Soccer was a winter sport for HS So Cal long before anyone even knew about club soccer.
 
espola said:
Tournaments only count as 2 games each, no matter how many are played, and post-season playoffs (Section and State) don't count at all. It's not hard for a good team to get to 29 games.
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Actually just this month, new rules were put in place regarding HS contests. The 20 point system and tournaments counting as “2 points” is no longer in San Diego. Now schools have a maximum of 28 contests and each tournament game will count as 1 point or contest. It may change some tourney formats, but for now schools attending tournaments will have to allow for a minimum # of their games to be used for the tournament or cancel later scheduled games. For example: if a school enters a tournament with a minimum guarantee of 3 games and they do not allow for a possible semi final or even final, and they advance; they will have to cancel non league games scheduled at a later date (if their schedule is full). OR if they allow for 4 or 5 games, and do not advance, they will have 2 openings to either schedule additional games later, or not.
 
MWN said:
....Soccer is a winter sports in So Cal...........Football uses the fields/stadium almost exclusively in Fall. Football is the 800 pound gorilla because it makes money (sort of) for the schools. Once football ends, soccer (boys and girls need practice field and game space) which is exactly the same spot for most schools that football just left.............
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I know this sounds so intuitive but how do NoCal schools and most of the country's high schools do it in the fall? Soccer is a fall sports in the vast majority of the country - the same time as football.

If we moved our soccer to fall, we could actually have a state championship game between north and south - just like football. And, kids can play soccer-basketball-baseball at high school.

The field availability is an easy excuse to use but it can be made to work. Many schools have both fields anyway between the practice field and game field.
 
mirage said:
I know this sounds so intuitive but how do NoCal schools and most of the country's high schools do it in the fall? Soccer is a fall sports in the vast majority of the country - the same time as football.

If we moved our soccer to fall, we could actually have a state championship game between north and south - just like football. And, kids can play soccer-basketball-baseball at high school.

The field availability is an easy excuse to use but it can be made to work. Many schools have both fields anyway between the practice field and game field.
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Norcal had playoffs this year in early March, the same time as southern Cal. The only thing stopping a state championship is will (and perhaps a sponsor).

http://www.cifstate.org/sports/soccer/NorCal_brkts_2018/bd1
 
mirage said:
I know this sounds so intuitive but how do NoCal schools and most of the country's high schools do it in the fall? Soccer is a fall sports in the vast majority of the country - the same time as football.

If we moved our soccer to fall, we could actually have a state championship game between north and south - just like football. And, kids can play soccer-basketball-baseball at high school.

The field availability is an easy excuse to use but it can be made to work. Many schools have both fields anyway between the practice field and game field.
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As @espola stated, NorCal does not play in fall. Soccer is a winter sport in all of California. SoCal and NorCal sports basically track throughout California (http://www.cifstate.org/governance/Playoff_Calendar.pdf). In California the CIF has a rule that prohibits simultaneous club/CIF play. In other parts of the country that isn't the case.

You are correct, it can be balanced. Football will always get Friday night. Soccer would just get other nights. While most of the nation places HS soccer in the fall (due to inclement weather issues), the Sunbelt states generally make it a Winter sport because we can and its helps with allocating field resources and the kids have additional athletic opportunities. I for one enjoy the fact that my son a GK has the opportunity to also play football in fall and lacrosse in spring if he so chooses.
 
I grew up in the midwest. High School soccer was a fall sport. Same as football. The teams played in the same stadium. Varsity soccer games were played on Thursday. Varsity football on Friday. JV played away when varsity played home.
We had one kid who played soccer and football. He was the football kicker.
 
As a HS & Club coach. The main issue will be starting league before Christmas Break. It makes it hard to schedule pre-season games and tournaments with league starting in December but you adjust. We didn't schedule any preseason games before Thanksgiving to give anyone a chance to play showcases without missing a HS game.

CRL caused some issues in the past when it went into December for olders but you work with what you have. I always tell our players that their first priority is Club since that started in Fall and once they are finished then they start up with HS. They do come to practices but with limited work as to not burn them out. I know a lot of club coaches who run their girls to death at the end of the fall seasons because they NEED that win to finish at the top of league or CRL. People say HS gets players injured but most of our girls come into HS already injured. Some don't even get to play until the end of the season because of injuries.

Simple solution for a HS coach. Don't schedule anything before Thanksgiving just because CIF allows you to start earlier now. If you are concerned about not having your team then schedule games later and maybe not as many. 28 games are allowed but they really don't need to play that many games in 3 months.
 
 
MFranco said:
As a HS & Club coach. The main issue will be starting league before Christmas Break. It makes it hard to schedule pre-season games and tournaments with league starting in December but you adjust. We didn't schedule any preseason games before Thanksgiving to give anyone a chance to play showcases without missing a HS game.

CRL caused some issues in the past when it went into December for olders but you work with what you have. I always tell our players that their first priority is Club since that started in Fall and once they are finished then they start up with HS. They do come to practices but with limited work as to not burn them out. I know a lot of club coaches who run their girls to death at the end of the fall seasons because they NEED that win to finish at the top of league or CRL. People say HS gets players injured but most of our girls come into HS already injured. Some don't even get to play until the end of the season because of injuries.

Simple solution for a HS coach. Don't schedule anything before Thanksgiving just because CIF allows you to start earlier now. If you are concerned about not having your team then schedule games later and maybe not as many. 28 games are allowed but they really don't need to play that many games in 3 months.
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Are you sure you are a coach? This sounds way to reasonable.
 
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