And for anyone who may be considering sending their kids to Beechwood.

 

And since it is taxpayers who support the school, it is not just an internal issue rather you want it to be or not.

 

Great point, where were all these taxpayers when it came to raising money for the cost of the field, nowhere to be found! The field, basically, was paid for by one individual w/some promises involved. W/those promises not being filled, they will not paint over the existing field, as you all suggest. I am not positive but I do not believe that Newport soccer lines were painted on. I think they are permanent. How tacky to paint on a $500,000 field? I can see Highlands and CCH doing that:laugh:, NOT!

 

It's a number game, there aren't enough H.S. students interested to form a team. It will get voted on again and it will get voted down. As for sending or not sending your kids to Beechwood, well, if they play soccer I guess you won't send them.

Great point, where were all these taxpayers when it came to raising money for the cost of the field, nowhere to be found! The field, basically, was paid for by one individual w/some promises involved. W/those promises not being filled, they will not paint over the existing field, as you all suggest. I am not positive but I do not believe that Newport soccer lines were painted on. I think they are permanent. How tacky to paint on a $500,000 field? I can see Highlands and CCH doing that:laugh:, NOT!

 

It's a number game, there aren't enough H.S. students interested to form a team. It will get voted on again and it will get voted down. As for sending or not sending your kids to Beechwood, well, if they play soccer I guess you won't send them.

 

 

You are correct that the lines at the Newport facility were built in to the original design. If I am not mistaken, the yard line hash marks and the sideline yard marks are "painted" on the football field at HHS (someone will have to verify that, I know it was done that way in the past, may have been recently changed). Not sure I would consider that tacky??? Unless the paint is still wet... ;-)

 

It's a number game, there aren't enough H.S. students interested to form a team. It will get voted on again and it will get voted down. As for sending or not sending your kids to Beechwood, well, if they play soccer I guess you won't send them.

 

The dangerous part of this stance is that if 15-20 girls sign a petition that they want to play, you have no stance against soccer at the Beechwood.

There is alot more involved that all you experts don't know about but maybe all the pro soccer fans will tell the paper and the real facts will come out.

 

Why not get out in front of the "pro soccer fans" and let your facts speak for themselves?

 

Won't fit on field, not enough interest, will dilute band/volleyball....those are not exactly show stoppers.

There is some old influencial money in Ft Mitchell that has a lot to say about how things are done at Beechwood and I would say the Pro-Soccer people will have a battle on their hands with regards to this issue. Some of these people are adamently opposed to soccer and they don't want to see soccer played on the football field they paid for. Beechwoodfan would probably know a bit more about this then I but it appears she wants this issue to just go away.

Honestly I think it has been a good debate on this topic with people from both sides of the issue stating their respective cases and I believe that is the goal of BGPs..Good job everyone.

Fact, you can't just paint over top of the existing field. The new lines would have to be re-cut and that will not happen. Like I said before, where would the money come from? The man who paid for the field is still waiting for his money and the school can not afford to go into any further debt. Education is the first concern. There is alot more involved that all you experts don't know about but maybe all the pro soccer fans will tell the paper and the real facts will come out.

 

 

No one is trying to be an expert. I just want a reasonable explanation and I will be satisfied. Every point you have given us, has been proven to be wrong.

All of the arguments made against starting soccer at Beechwood are the same ones made at Corbin when soccer was started about 15 years ago. They play on the same field and the two programs get along rather nicely with a lot of the football players rooting for the soccer team at home matches. I noticed the same type of support at Danville when Corbin played them in the State Sectional this past fall.

 

School sports are for the kids, not the adults who want to force their will upon these kids.

It appears as though this issue has once again made its way into the newspaper and there appears to be a number of people who have strong feelings on both sides of the issue. I personally don't have much concern one way or the other with regards to this issue but I was somewhat taken aback by the comments of a Mr White in the Enquirer. He state, "It's about excelling" and "It's about achieving excellence". I know that Beechwood has been very successful in a few of their sports and extra- curricular activities but with this line of thinking I guess we are telling the kids at Beechwood that you better win or we probably won't want continue with this sport or activity. The Beechwood fans already show that they really only support their winning programs. If you don't believe that then I suggest you attend a girls basketball game at Beechwood and for that matter a boys basketball game when they are mediocre or worse.

Personally I think there is more to be learned by a kid then win, win, win. I think teamwork and participation and working together as a team are very important to the other all development of a child. Must you win at everything. It is this rather pompous and arrogant attitude that gives others outside your district a poor view of what Beechwood fans are really all about and I know there are far more good and supportive fans at Beechwood then those that share the attitude of Mr White, or at least I hope so.

You have a beautiful football field that could also be used for Soccer. Let them use it and quit looking for lame excuses. These kids deserve at least an opportunity. It is about the kids isn't it?

Beechwood's Soccer team should/will never rise. Volleyball at Beechwood was the best women's tradition at Beechwood ever since Matt Long had joined the program. Are players that want to play at college like Robin Hood and/or Taylor Snyder switching schools or just playing J.O.?

One thing I have learned as someone very close to this situation is that newspapers and tv tend to take things out of context. Mr White's comments are no exception.

 

What the public does not realize is that this push for girls soccer has been almost exclusively from elementary parents. There are only 3 high school parents that I know of who have been active in these meetings. The girls that show up in the cute little t-shirts are fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Just look at the picture in the paper. In all the meetings, and I have been to them all, only one high school girl came and said she would be for soccer. Otherwise NO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS have in any way, spoken up or asked for a soccer program. I dont know of any other school where the elementary parents dictate what the high school does.

 

 

The soccer proponents say they are not interested in boys soccer because it would hurt football. Mr. White, as the parent of girls asked why is excellence in football important to boys, but excellence in the girls volleyball not considered important? Certainly adding another fall sport will hurt volleyball and band, both of which are successful programs.

 

Yes, there have been numerous surveys. However there is a big difference between asking "would you be interested in playing soccer", "do you think Beechwood should have soccer" and, as a high school girl WOULD YOU ACTUALLY PLAY SOCCER IF IT BECAME A REALITY?

 

 

The site based council made the correct decision. Opening up a camp to see the true interest of HIGH SCHOOL girls and moving on from there seems prudent and reasonable. It puts the decision to have or not have soccer in the hands of the high school girls, where it should be Allowing elementary parents to dictate what should happen based on what they THINK their girls will want to do when they get to high school is wrong.

 

Mr. White is a Beechwood grad and the father of two girls at Beechwood. To describe him and those who share his opinion as pompous, is unfortunate. If you had attended the meeting and heard his comments in context I dont think you would feel the same way.

 

Hamilton Joe, you say that Beechwood parents think "you better win or we will do away with your program? Where have you ever seen or heard that? We fully support our new girls basketball coach who is working very hard to improve our current program. Never, has any Beechwood parent said that we have to excell in everything. However, when you have great programs established and someone wants to add another program that will directly compete with them, there is nothing wrong with investigating the effect the new program will have on existing programs. That is all the soccer "opponents" are concerned with.

When will Soccer be made official at Beechwood?

One thing I have learned as someone very close to this situation is that newspapers and tv tend to take things out of context. Mr White's comments are no exception.

 

What the public does not realize is that this push for girls soccer has been almost exclusively from elementary parents. There are only 3 high school parents that I know of who have been active in these meetings. The girls that show up in the cute little t-shirts are fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Just look at the picture in the paper. In all the meetings, and I have been to them all, only one high school girl came and said she would be for soccer. Otherwise NO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS have in any way, spoken up or asked for a soccer program. I dont know of any other school where the elementary parents dictate what the high school does.

 

 

The soccer proponents say they are not interested in boys soccer because it would hurt football. Mr. White, as the parent of girls asked why is excellence in football important to boys, but excellence in the girls volleyball not considered important? Certainly adding another fall sport will hurt volleyball and band, both of which are successful programs.

 

Yes, there have been numerous surveys. However there is a big difference between asking "would you be interested in playing soccer", "do you think Beechwood should have soccer" and, as a high school girl WOULD YOU ACTUALLY PLAY SOCCER IF IT BECAME A REALITY?

 

 

The site based council made the correct decision. Opening up a camp to see the true interest of HIGH SCHOOL girls and moving on from there seems prudent and reasonable. It puts the decision to have or not have soccer in the hands of the high school girls, where it should be Allowing elementary parents to dictate what should happen based on what they THINK their girls will want to do when they get to high school is wrong.

 

Mr. White is a Beechwood grad and the father of two girls at Beechwood. To describe him and those who share his opinion as pompous, is unfortunate. If you had attended the meeting and heard his comments in context I dont think you would feel the same way.

 

IMO it is a district wide issue and one that should include the input of the entire community, not just the high school football and V.B supporters.

I agree that the SBDM did make the right decision in starting with the camps to determine interest. If enough show up then I believe Beechwood needs to take the necesary steps to start a Girls Soccer program. If they don't have a large turnout then it seems pretty simple, No Soccer. Lets let the kids decide on this one and not a handful of big money donors who helped build a football field

IMO it is a district wide issue and one that should include the input of the entire community, not just the high school football and V.B supporters.

I agree that the SBDM did make the right decision in starting with the camps to determine interest. If enough show up then I believe Beechwood needs to take the necesary steps to start a Girls Soccer program. If they don't have a large turnout then it seems pretty simple, No Soccer. Lets let the kids decide on this one and not a handful of big money donors who helped build a football field

 

Another misconception. The football parents have stayed entirely out of this fight. The parents opposed were almost all high school parents of girls who play volleyball. This entire debate has always been between parents of GIRLS.

 

And I respectfully disagree. The community should not have a direct say in whether or not Beechwood has soccer. On the surface, most people in the community would say, "Sure, why not have soccer?".. It is the students and parents of the HIGH SCHOOL who should have the most imput because they are there every day and have an understanding of what the students really want.

Another misconception. The football parents have stayed entirely out of this fight. The parents opposed were almost all high school parents of girls who play volleyball. This entire debate has always been between parents of GIRLS.

 

And I respectfully disagree. The community should not have a direct say in whether or not Beechwood has soccer. On the surface, most people in the community would say, "Sure, why not have soccer?".. It is the students and parents of the HIGH SCHOOL who should have the most imput because they are there every day and have an understanding of what the students really want.

 

 

Do you think it is possible that the reason many of the people involved are middle school kids/parents because they want to be able to send their kids to Beechwood High School and that soccer being a possibility is a factor in their decision making process??? For those already in Beechwood High School, that decision was made already and those same kids that were in the 7th and 8th grade, ended up going to the other surrounding schools because soccer was not a possibility???

 

How many kids in the 7th and 8th grade do not attend Beechwood High School in the 9th grade because soccer is not offered? If we knew the answer to that question, it would answer the question of volleyball and if the other activities are sustainable. Old ground here...

 

How many girls would leave volleyball for soccer? In my experience, very few do both of those particular sports...

 

Anyone have a link for the article in the paper?

One thing I have learned as someone very close to this situation is that newspapers and tv tend to take things out of context. Mr White's comments are no exception.

 

What the public does not realize is that this push for girls soccer has been almost exclusively from elementary parents. There are only 3 high school parents that I know of who have been active in these meetings. The girls that show up in the cute little t-shirts are fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Just look at the picture in the paper. In all the meetings, and I have been to them all, only one high school girl came and said she would be for soccer. Otherwise NO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS have in any way, spoken up or asked for a soccer program. I dont know of any other school where the elementary parents dictate what the high school does.

 

 

The soccer proponents say they are not interested in boys soccer because it would hurt football. Mr. White, as the parent of girls asked why is excellence in football important to boys, but excellence in the girls volleyball not considered important? Certainly adding another fall sport will hurt volleyball and band, both of which are successful programs.

 

Yes, there have been numerous surveys. However there is a big difference between asking "would you be interested in playing soccer", "do you think Beechwood should have soccer" and, as a high school girl WOULD YOU ACTUALLY PLAY SOCCER IF IT BECAME A REALITY?

 

 

The site based council made the correct decision. Opening up a camp to see the true interest of HIGH SCHOOL girls and moving on from there seems prudent and reasonable. It puts the decision to have or not have soccer in the hands of the high school girls, where it should be Allowing elementary parents to dictate what should happen based on what they THINK their girls will want to do when they get to high school is wrong.

 

Mr. White is a Beechwood grad and the father of two girls at Beechwood. To describe him and those who share his opinion as pompous, is unfortunate. If you had attended the meeting and heard his comments in context I dont think you would feel the same way.

 

Hamilton Joe, you say that Beechwood parents think "you better win or we will do away with your program? Where have you ever seen or heard that? We fully support our new girls basketball coach who is working very hard to improve our current program. Never, has any Beechwood parent said that we have to excell in everything. However, when you have great programs established and someone wants to add another program that will directly compete with them, there is nothing wrong with investigating the effect the new program will have on existing programs. That is all the soccer "opponents" are concerned with.

 

:confused: The support for the girls basketball program at Beechwood has been pitiful in recent years and I agree Coach McCarthy is doing all she can with the talent she has. Support for the boys basketball program is lukewarm at best and people tend to show up only when they are having a good season.

I agree investigating the effects of a new program need to take place but lets be true to the process. You say that is all they are concerned with and I disagree. There is a very strong financially supportive, influencial group at Beechwood that has thrown up roadblocks and made excuses everytime this issue comes up. Just be true to the process and see what happens...

 

Just for the record I am no soccer fan whatsoever, I just think people sometimes lose sight of what the purpose of education and extra-curricular activities are all about. It's about doing whats best for our kids.