Soccer at Beechwood?

[98NCCalum]

If the students have any say there will be..

 

http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3062ec8e-8a2b-42c9-8a2d-571aa051d9ab

[Gunner11]

Good for them. I do not think it will detract from football either. You can be strong in both, even at a smaller school.

[EQUUS GREVYI]

I do not think it will detract from football either. You can be strong in both, even at a smaller school.

 

I imagine that it would the volleyball program that would suffer if girls' soccer is added. Is there a push for boys' soccer as well?

[Beechwoodfan]

This is a huge issue here at Beechwood. Unfortunately, the pro soccer people grossly mis-represented the facts to the media in an attempt to pursuade the school.

 

Those against the addition of any fall sport (not just soccer) have NEVER given football as the reason to turn down soccer. As I am sure you will see, I am one of those opposed.

 

Beechwood is a very small class A school. We have been able to develop an excellent girls sports program. We have a very competetive volleyball and golf team in the fall. In addition, though not a sport, our band is incredibly successful (National Champions last year). Cheerleading is also heavily participated in.

 

The concern is, that if another sport is added, it would dilute the talent pool and the overall effect would be negative on the programs we currently have. This has happened to many class A schools. Bottom line is, we would prefer to be more competetive with what we have instead of hurting what we have.

Quality, not quantity.

 

Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against soccer. All 3 of my children played. If Beechwood had a soccer program and was currently trying to add volleyball, I would be fighting volleyball for the same reason.

 

Believe me, there are not "hundreds" of parents fighting for soccer. Most of the parents are elementary parents who do not have children in high school. There are many parents who feel the same way I do as well. The account in the paper is no where close to a balanced view of the issue.

 

This issue has already been voted down once by a committee of parents and teachers formed to study both sides. Unfortunately, the respose of the pro soccer people has been to hire an attorney and misrepresent the facts to the press. Very sad.

[StickerMann]

This is a huge issue here at Beechwood. Unfortunately, the pro soccer people grossly mis-represented the facts to the media in an attempt to pursuade the school.

 

Those against the addition of any fall sport (not just soccer) have NEVER given football as the reason to turn down soccer. As I am sure you will see, I am one of those opposed.

 

Beechwood is a very small class A school. We have been able to develop an excellent girls sports program. We have a very competetive volleyball and golf team in the fall. In addition, though not a sport, our band is incredibly successful (National Champions last year). Cheerleading is also heavily participated in.

 

The concern is, that if another sport is added, it would dilute the talent pool and the overall effect would be negative on the programs we currently have. This has happened to many class A schools. Bottom line is, we would prefer to be more competetive with what we have instead of hurting what we have.

Quality, not quantity.

 

Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against soccer. All 3 of my children played. If Beechwood had a soccer program and was currently trying to add volleyball, I would be fighting volleyball for the same reason.

 

Believe me, there are not "hundreds" of parents fighting for soccer. Most of the parents are elementary parents who do not have children in high school. There are many parents who feel the same way I do as well. The account in the paper is no where close to a balanced view of the issue.

 

This issue has already been voted down once by a committee of parents and teachers formed to study both sides. Unfortunately, the respose of the pro soccer people has been to hire an attorney and misrepresent the facts to the press. Very sad.

 

Come on BWF--This is, was and always has been about football?? Girl's soccer is shortly followed by Boy's soccer, which could detract from Football!! Please don't tell me that the BW faithful are really that concerned about the effects on the girl's volleyball and golf teams--Total rosters are like what 20 kids total?? And it's not like Beechwood is a Silver Grove, Calvary Christian, Heritage sized school--They're a mid-sized "A" school bigger than Ludlow, Bellevue and Dayton. It would sure seem likes there's room for a sport requiring another 20-30 girls??

[stinkyboy II]

It actually amazes me that Beechwood High School doesn't have a soccer program. The posted link lists Beechwood as 1 of 3 schools in N Ky without school programs. That means Beechwood, Silver Grove and Heritage are the only schools without teams. I can't imagine watching my child compete for years in a recreational or competitive soccer environment only to have their sport of choice not be offered by their high school. Soccer is way too popular today for a school like Beechwood not to give their students a chance to play.

[Gunner11]

I imagine that it would the volleyball program that would suffer if girls' soccer is added. Is there a push for boys' soccer as well?

 

I am not sure it will... There are some very similar sized schools (granted slightly larger than Beechwood) i.e. NCC, BB, Covington Holy Cross, and St. Henry that have very competitive girls soccer programs as well as volleyball. With as many girls that play soccer in the Fort Mitchell, Park Hills, and Covington area, Beechwood might attract some of these girls if the school offered soccer. Instead those girls now choose to attend the many private schools around Beechwood that do offer soccer. So instead of diluting the pool of girls, it may actually increase.

[Gunner11]

This is a huge issue here at Beechwood. Unfortunately, the pro soccer people grossly mis-represented the facts to the media in an attempt to pursuade the school.

 

Those against the addition of any fall sport (not just soccer) have NEVER given football as the reason to turn down soccer. As I am sure you will see, I am one of those opposed.

 

Beechwood is a very small class A school. We have been able to develop an excellent girls sports program. We have a very competetive volleyball and golf team in the fall. In addition, though not a sport, our band is incredibly successful (National Champions last year). Cheerleading is also heavily participated in.

 

The concern is, that if another sport is added, it would dilute the talent pool and the overall effect would be negative on the programs we currently have. This has happened to many class A schools. Bottom line is, we would prefer to be more competetive with what we have instead of hurting what we have.

Quality, not quantity.

 

Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against soccer. All 3 of my children played. If Beechwood had a soccer program and was currently trying to add volleyball, I would be fighting volleyball for the same reason.

 

Believe me, there are not "hundreds" of parents fighting for soccer. Most of the parents are elementary parents who do not have children in high school. There are many parents who feel the same way I do as well. The account in the paper is no where close to a balanced view of the issue.

 

This issue has already been voted down once by a committee of parents and teachers formed to study both sides. Unfortunately, the respose of the pro soccer people has been to hire an attorney and misrepresent the facts to the press. Very sad.

 

The reason most of the parents are elementary parents is that because Beechwood does not offer soccer, they are sending their kids to the surrounding schools that do offer soccer (for sure not the primary reason to send your kid to a school, but no doubt it is a factor). IMO if Beechwood offered girls soccer, its girls enrollment would increase and not dillute the pool as you suggest. The other examples provided also show that it can and has been done at similar sized schools.

[Beechwoodfan]

Well, needless to say, it is a very complex issue and definately involves more than "20 girls" as noted previously.

 

I also would like it to be noted that the parents who are opposed are parents of girls, not boys.

 

I am not going to debate the issue any further here. That is an internal issue with our school. I just wanted people to know that there are two sides of the story. It is not a case where "hundreds" of parents want it and the football parents are trying to stop it. Far from it.

 

I would also like to add that our administration has bent over backwards to be fair to both sides. They are in a very difficult position and are handling it with class.

[Gunner11]

Well, needless to say, it is a very complex issue and definately involves more than "20 girls" as noted previously.

 

I also would like it to be noted that the parents who are opposed are parents of girls, not boys.

 

I am not going to debate the issue any further here. That is an internal issue with our school. I just wanted people to know that there are two sides of the story. It is not a case where "hundreds" of parents want it and the football parents are trying to stop it. Far from it.

 

I would also like to add that our administration has bent over backwards to be fair to both sides. They are in a very difficult position and are handling it with class.

 

 

:thumb: Fair enough. I agree that it would be more than the 20 as previously noted. Probably only need 20 for a varsity roster, but really more like 35 to 40 for varsity and junior varsity.

 

I have zero connection to Beechwood, but can you help me out Beechwood fan? Are there girls who attend the elementary school that do not go to Beechwood high school and wind up at the other surrounding schools because of the lack of soccer as a choice? My guess would be yes, but not sure.

 

If it can be done at the other schools I mentioned, why can Beechwood not have a competitive volleyball and soccer team?

[Dlbdonn]

If Bellevue and Dayton can each field a girls soccer team then Beechwood should field one without any trouble .

[Beechnut]

If Bellevue and Dayton can each field a girls soccer team then Beechwood should field one without any trouble .

 

Simply being able to FIELD a team and play with any success are far apart. I am not slamming Bellevue and Dayton's soccer. I have no knowledge of their records. I'm just saying that simply because you can scrape up 40 kids for a JV and Varsity team doesn't mean that they will have success. And, it doesn't mean that some of those 40 kids weren't previously involved in another activity and their leaving wouldn't leave a void. It just doesn't appear that there are truely enough NON-PARTICIPATING girls in the fall to keep everything at the current level.

Beechwood considers grades 7-12 as high school. 7th and 8th graders are prohibited to participate on varsity soccer and football teams. (KHSAA rules)

That's about 80 girls, roughly, right there.

 

There is just alot more to this than simply stating that "The girls want it". Way more.

[EQUUS GREVYI]

There does, however, seem to be a cmopetitive difference between Beechwood's volleyball program and that of Bellevue and Dayton. I think the point that BWF is trying ot make is that they don't want to sacrifice their first rate volleyball program in order to field a soccer program.

 

I acknowledge Gunner's points on small schools with competitive programs in both girls soccer and volleyball. However, NCC, Holy Cross, St Henry and Brossart all have a strong parochial feeder system to support their volleyball that Beechwood doesn't have. They are all also Conference Division II teams where Beechwood is Division I (or III, I forget which one is small school).

 

I might rather look at Dayton, Bellevue, Ludlow and Newport and see how their small schools support both volleyball and soccer.

 

If soccer brings in a number of students that would have gone to Notre Dame then that would certainly help. I would think that all of that was taken into account by the school board that voted not to start the program.

[Gunner11]

There does, however, seem to be a cmopetitive difference between Beechwood's volleyball program and that of Bellevue and Dayton. I think the point that BWF is trying ot make is that they don't want to sacrifice their first rate volleyball program in order to field a soccer program.

 

I acknowledge Gunner's points on small schools with competitive programs in both girls soccer and volleyball. However, NCC, Holy Cross, St Henry and Brossart all have a strong parochial feeder system to support their volleyball that Beechwood doesn't have. They are all also Conference Division II teams where Beechwood is Division I (or III, I forget which one is small school).

 

I might rather look at Dayton, Bellevue, Ludlow and Newport and see how their small schools support both volleyball and soccer.

 

If soccer brings in a number of students that would have gone to Notre Dame then that would certainly help. I would think that all of that was taken into account by the school board that voted not to start the program.

 

How many elementary school kids in the Beechwood area are currently playing club/rec soccer and club/rec volleyball? I do not know of many that do both volleyball and soccer. I do know that the biggest club soccer team in NKY, not to mention those across the river or rec, fields 4 or 5 teams each of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade kids. I wonder how many of those kids attend elementary school in the Beechwood area and would attend Beechwood High School if they had a soccer team? Not sure of those numbers. I agree if that number is zero then adding soccer is a tougher sell, but still possible as I do not think there is too much crossover in students playing both volleyball and soccer. If that number is 10 or more, adding soccer would have little to no impact on volleyball.

[Hamilton Joe]

Has an audit been performed recently by the KHSAA with regard to Beechwood meeting all of their Tittle IX requirements? Has a survey been conducted with the student body at Beechwood suggesting that a certain percentage of students want to see soccer added as an extra-curricular activity at the school? Does Beechwood offer the same number of girl sports as they do boys sports?

I grew up in an era before soccer was very popular and few if any schools played soccer in the area I grew up in. Can't say I enjoy the game over even understand whats going on except they seem to be running around trying to kick the ball into a huge net.

With that said I sort of wonder who really doesn't want the soccer? The kids or a very vocal group parents who are afraid of a little change.

Before both sides continue to go at it over this topic why don't the good people at Beechwood sit down and meet with the student body. Kids can be very good with giving input when asked. Often times we forget to ask the ones that will be most effected. Change isn't easy but sometimes necessary.