I agree. Initially they did not have enough girls to sign up for the clinic. They extended sign ups for two weeks while the soccer proponents called girls asking them to play. I know a few girls who signed up as a favor to make the numbers look right who have no intention of actually signing up for the team.

 

The media reflected what the soccer proponents told them. They inflated their numbers got attorneys, called the media and did every thing they could to force this issue. The site based people are all great people who have had a very hard year with this issue. I think the soccer proponents simply wore them down and they had no option other than to vote for it.

 

Most likely the board will have no option either. The soccer proponents have a lot of money and are ready, willing and able to take legal steps if necessary. The school simply cannot afford to wage a legal battle.

 

The fear of the soccer opponents has always been that adding a fall sport will result in two bad teams.

 

As I stated earlier this is why elementary parents (who make up the majority of the soccer proponents) should not dictate what goes on in the high school.

 

If you never establish a program the soccer players certainly will be going to NDA and St. Henry. That is for certain.

 

Absolutely correct but how do you establish a HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM W/ELEMENTARY PLAYERS?

Absolutely correct but how do you establish a HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM W/ELEMENTARY PLAYERS?

 

With much pain. I am not proposing playing elementary players, but I do think you need to take the 12-14 players that are interested, try to add a few and see if you start slowly and get some momentum to keep girls, who might otherwise go elsewhere at Beechwood. However, that isn't getting a lot of support from you or Beechwood fan.

With much pain. I am not proposing playing elementary players, but I do think you need to take the 12-14 players that are interested, try to add a few and see if you start slowly and get some momentum to keep girls, who might otherwise go elsewhere at Beechwood. However, that isn't getting a lot of support from you or Beechwood fan.

 

Believe me, the entire school knew of the situation w/the numbers game. They, soccer, just did not produce those numbers to convince me and others that soccer will flourish at BHS. You can not play the game of soccer w/12-14 kids, it won't work, injuries, kids quitting, it won't work. W/that said, I still think the board will vote it in, just my opinion.

 

I look at it this way, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken :sssh:! The kids might be good for their age but not good to compete w/older kids, not to mention dangerous!

So, what is going on now? What did the board decide at the last mtg or did it get put on the shelf for another month?

Hey all you Beechwood soccer fans, where are you now? I guess since the dictator is off for a newspaper article or the camera isn't rolling for TV everyone is gone now. So, who did they hire to coach this elementary team??

Any updates?

I was told earlier that on the lighted sign infront of the city bldg, the sign read, "congratulations BHS JV soccer team!"(something like that) Anyone know what this is all about??

Wow! That's all I can say. I'm just an "outsider", so I know this won't mean anything, but I have been reading this thread with my daughter. I wish we found it earlier. My thoughts were "wow, this is the most disturbing thread I've ever seen here". Her thoughts were "OMG, I thought the 50's were over!" Then she asked if there is a legal fund to help out the "pro soccer" girls. Is there?

 

I've always heard positive things about Beechwood on BGP, so why is the community already packing it in before you even get started? Is there no fight in your community, or are you just afraid of change? It won't happen overnight. You can't start a full and competitive soccer team, especially after all the years of brainwashing the kids into believing it shouldn't happen. No wonder girls in the HS won't fight for it - they'll be ostracized. I almost guarantee if you field a team, there are girls who will choose your school because of it, especially with free tuition. It happens in Louisville dozens of times every year from the cathloic grade schools.

 

We experienced this in 8th grade field hockey. We had nine players, and you need 11. It was summer time, with vacations as well. We had no goalie either, except a girl who wanted to try, and she borrowed equipment, often from the opponents. As usual, the parents wanted to pack it in, but the kids wanted to play. We lost every game, but the girls still had fun at times, and they helped their defensive skills for high school. :thumb: These girls weren't losers either, as half of them had won the city championship a year earlier with an undefeated season. Unfortunately, most of those girls graduated. :cry:

 

I do know a few things, even as an outsider. Our family is VERY familar with volleyball, since my kid played club for years. She switched sports due to not growing! Short girls play other sports - like soccer! Or filed hockey in her case. We know a few dozen girls personally who play v-ball for our local schools, Assumption, Mercy and Sacred Heart. I would say they are competitive. And to a man (or woman in this case), they haven't kicked a soccer ball since 4th grade. They are two different type athletes. To say the two will affect each other is laughable, in a competitve program. They likely play club all year and won't have the time. Sounds like your school is a great place to play sports, unless you're a short girl! :creepy:

 

The field issue is a non issue as well. Our school has been open since 1885, and we just got our first field in Spring of 2008! We made due for 123 years! We played where-ever we could, often playing our home games on our opponents fields, or on fields where drunk adults waited for our games to end so they could play softball. When it rained, some of our teams practiced on a gravel lot. Most schools in Louisville play on FB fields. We actually played some of our Mercy games on city park fields - with NO lines! We used cones for markers, and what the ref says is golden.

 

I normally rip public schools for not fielding lacrosse or field hockey teams for girls, so I was literally shocked schools are still fighting soccer. We had 5 girls gets college scholarships for lacrosse (2 D1, and 3 D2), and these girls never even picked up the game until high school. Beechwood could be sitting on the next great female athlete, or likely already has, and you'll never know it. As the father of a girl, this truly saddens me, seeing this view point in this decade.

 

I know I've offended you as an outsider, but so be it. I hope your soccer teams gets the chance to thrive, before the naysayers try to shelves the "soccer expirement". If Beechwood is what many have claimed to be, I'm not certain why you are even worried.

 

Hamilton Joe, I enjoyed your many posts. Way to keep up the good fight, along with others who support ALL girls having chances to play sports as well.

Wow! That's all I can say. I'm just an "outsider", so I know this won't mean anything, but I have been reading this thread with my daughter. I wish we found it earlier. My thoughts were "wow, this is the most disturbing thread I've ever seen here". Her thoughts were "OMG, I thought the 50's were over!" Then she asked if there is a legal fund to help out the "pro soccer" girls. Is there?

 

I've always heard positive things about Beechwood on BGP, so why is the community already packing it in before you even get started? Is there no fight in your community, or are you just afraid of change? It won't happen overnight. You can't start a full and competitive soccer team, especially after all the years of brainwashing the kids into believing it shouldn't happen. No wonder girls in the HS won't fight for it - they'll be ostracized. I almost guarantee if you field a team, there are girls who will choose your school because of it, especially with free tuition. It happens in Louisville dozens of times every year from the cathloic grade schools.

 

We experienced this in 8th grade field hockey. We had nine players, and you need 11. It was summer time, with vacations as well. We had no goalie either, except a girl who wanted to try, and she borrowed equipment, often from the opponents. As usual, the parents wanted to pack it in, but the kids wanted to play. We lost every game, but the girls still had fun at times, and they helped their defensive skills for high school. :thumb: These girls weren't losers either, as half of them had won the city championship a year earlier with an undefeated season. Unfortunately, most of those girls graduated. :cry:

 

I do know a few things, even as an outsider. Our family is VERY familar with volleyball, since my kid played club for years. She switched sports due to not growing! Short girls play other sports - like soccer! Or filed hockey in her case. We know a few dozen girls personally who play v-ball for our local schools, Assumption, Mercy and Sacred Heart. I would say they are competitive. And to a man (or woman in this case), they haven't kicked a soccer ball since 4th grade. They are two different type athletes. To say the two will affect each other is laughable, in a competitve program. They likely play club all year and won't have the time. Sounds like your school is a great place to play sports, unless you're a short girl! :creepy:

 

The field issue is a non issue as well. Our school has been open since 1885, and we just got our first field in Spring of 2008! We made due for 123 years! We played where-ever we could, often playing our home games on our opponents fields, or on fields where drunk adults waited for our games to end so they could play softball. When it rained, some of our teams practiced on a gravel lot. Most schools in Louisville play on FB fields. We actually played some of our Mercy games on city park fields - with NO lines! We used cones for markers, and what the ref says is golden.

 

I normally rip public schools for not fielding lacrosse or field hockey teams for girls, so I was literally shocked schools are still fighting soccer. We had 5 girls gets college scholarships for lacrosse (2 D1, and 3 D2), and these girls never even picked up the game until high school. Beechwood could be sitting on the next great female athlete, or likely already has, and you'll never know it. As the father of a girl, this truly saddens me, seeing this view point in this decade.

 

I know I've offended you as an outsider, but so be it. I hope your soccer teams gets the chance to thrive, before the naysayers try to shelves the "soccer expirement". If Beechwood is what many have claimed to be, I'm not certain why you are even worried.

 

Hamilton Joe, I enjoyed your many posts. Way to keep up the good fight, along with others who support ALL girls having chances to play sports as well.

 

Very good observations and thoughts but as you stated, you are an "outsider" looking in as many others. I don't think the BHS faithful are afraid of change but it just doesn't make sense to start a high school team w/elementary and middle school kids. It isn't fair to the kids to put them in that situation, IMO.

 

Free tuition, what is this? Are you saying it is free to attend BHS if they are in the school district, this is correct but no such thing as "free" tuition!:thumb:

... it just doesn't make sense to start a high school team w/elementary and middle school kids.

 

 

Right. It makes much more sense to let all of the Ft. Mitchell girls choose other schools (that actaully have established soccer teams) to attend and then try to form a team with your non-soccer playing student body.

 

That makes lots of sense.

Right. It makes much more sense to let all of the Ft. Mitchell girls choose other schools (that actaully have established soccer teams) to attend and then try to form a team with your non-soccer playing student body.

 

That makes lots of sense.

 

:thumb::ylsuper::lol:

I believe that adding sports and increasing extra curricular activities is certainly a positive thing. Anything to increase the options available to the student body and increase envolvement with the school should certainly be considered if at all feasible. It would appear that girls soccer at Beechwood, although not an easy addition, is certainly feasible.

 

However, this whole ordeal has been handled so poorly by parents and administration that it has become an embarrasment for the school. Hopefully this venture will work out and it will be a positive for the shool but its birth has been anything but.

 

Does anyone have any updates on the progress that the young JV program is having? Number of players, schedule, etc.?

Right. It makes much more sense to let all of the Ft. Mitchell girls choose other schools (that actaully have established soccer teams) to attend and then try to form a team with your non-soccer playing student body.

 

That makes lots of sense.

 

You know what I meant. You can not play a high school sport w/elementary and middle school aged kids. What should happen is BHS start and elementary/middle school team to play in a league somewhere and when that group is of age, then start their JV/V team. Sorry I did not make it so very clear for all to understand.

Edited July 25, 200818 yr by STRIKE3
to comply with Rule #8

You know what I meant. You can not play a high school sport w/elementary and middle school aged kids. What should happen is BHS start and elementary/middle school team to play in a league somewhere and when that group is of age, then start their JV/V team. Sorry I did not make it so very clear for all to understand.

 

My guess is the feeder system is already in place through the NKSL, Klass, The Kings, the Kenton County Rec. programs, etc. Having young girls play, learn, and excel isn't the issue. The issue is until you start the program then these kids aren't considering Beechwood as an option for High School.

 

Whenver you start the program it is going to be diffiicult, painful, and the foundation will be laid with younger kids. However, it takes that huge first step for it to happen.

Edited July 25, 200818 yr by STRIKE3
edited quote