Two class soccer -- step in the right direction?

Two class soccer -- step in the right direction?

The IHSAA’s announcement that high school boys’ and girls soccer is to be divided into two classes in the fall of 2011 appears to be a step in the right direction.

However, many in the game will reserve judgment until further plans for the revamped tournaments – to be based on school enrollment -- are announced next spring, following the next classification realignment. The cutoff point will be of paramount importance.

At present, there are 282 boys’ and 251 girls’ programs playing in Indiana, with more expected to join the fold over the next few years.

As stated before in this column – when advocating a flexible divisional set-up based on team strength as opposed to a two-class system – Kick It for one doesn’t get too much of a thrill seeing certain schools getting trounced in sectional championship games.

Nor, it seems, does the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association, which proposed the switch after conducting surveys of its members in recent years.

While maybe not all the trouncings will disappear, we should at least see more newly crowned state champions. Of the IHSAA 16 state soccer tournaments to date, there have been nine different boys’ victors and six different girls’ winners. Only 11 schools in the whole of Indiana have actually won these titles.

With the exception of Evansville Memorial (enrollment 791) and Castle (enrollment 1,853), you won’t find too many of them from down south.

Of these, six are public and five are private, with enrollments ranging from 780 students to over 4,000. They’ve either been large public schools or relatively small private establishments.

Where the cutoff for two class soccer will be exactly is unclear, but there has been talk in the past week that it will around the 750 mark.

If this is indeed the case, then you’re looking at a new second-tier championship featuring teams that have never won state. If it’s slightly higher, then you could have a situation where the likes of Evansville Memorial could dominate the lower class level to the point that it could border on the farcical.

The general consensus seems to be that Providence, enrollment of 451, will benefit most locally. Regular further runs past regional into semi-state and state look a possibility for both boys and girls.

Dave Smith, head coach of the Lady Pioneers – four-time sectional winners under the current one class system -- said it will certainly help smaller sized schools which would never achieve state success under the current format.

“Consider the case of the Austin girls' basketball team this winter, winning the state championship,” he said. “Is it realistic to think that they would have had a legitimate chance of defeating the 4A schools from this area, and from Indianapolis?

“I doubt the people of Austin would recommend going back to an open-class system for the postseason, as this was an experience made possible solely through the multi-class system.”

He added it will be interesting to see where the split occurs among teams, and believes there will be more changes down the line.

“As more schools add soccer, I believe we will see more than two classes adopted for the tournament,” said Smith. “If it works for football, baseball, volleyball and basketball, why wouldn't IHSAA do the same thing for soccer?”

Smith added the Pioneers still have every intention of continuing their local rivalry games, regardless of the enrollment numbers of their opponents.

“These are the highlights of the season for the fans and players alike, and make for friendly, high level competition,” he said.

The question is, however, will the bigger schools want to continue these rival games? It’s hard to see the likes of Floyd Central, New Albany and Jeffersonville omitting such a game with Providence from their schedules, but it could affect the progress of, say, Christian Academy of Indiana’s boys’ team, for example.

CAI has only recently been added to the schedules of Providence and Jeffersonville because of its improving team and the fact it plays in the same sectional. Coach Will Lorigan said he believes it might now be harder to "entice" teams like Jeff, New Albany and Floyd Central to play them since there is no benefit for them to want to.

“At the moment, Jeff plays us because we are in the same sectional, so it helps them -- and us -- to see a team's potential during the season,” said Lorigan. “When bigger schools don't need to play us, why would they? They have the history and connections to play other big -- but not necessarily better -- schools, so we end up playing smaller schools which don't force us to develop and play good soccer.”

Lorigan added that the part that really hurts CAI is that Providence will be in its sectional but has the connections and history to play bigger schools, get better and develop.

“It's not that we can't or won't develop a good program, it will just be harder and may take longer.”

Whatever about regular season, some of the area’s competitive local rivalry games will disappear post-season. I will let you decide amongst yourselves whether, for example, you feel the disappearance of Jeffersonville-Providence boys’ sectional finals are to be mourned following last year’s controversial encounter.

The move will, on the other hand, result in some interesting sectional matchups at both class levels, with teams from further afield being added to what will become a fresh – and hopefully competitive -- mix.



Enrollment numbers of local schools with soccer programs involved in area sectionals (source IHSAA)

New Albany 2,119
Jeffersonville 2,108
Floyd Central 1,657
Corydon Central 778
North Harrison 697
Charlestown 692
Silver Creek 680
Providence 451
Christian Academy of Indiana 174