The Nebraska Schools Activities Association will consider several proposals this fall that could shake up high school sports a bit. The biggest proposals involve swimming and soccer. One proposal in each sport suggest moving the season to the fall, from winter (swimming) and spring (soccer). Other proposals would allow athletes to engage in non-NSAA-sanctioned events during the NSAA season.
The proposal to change soccer seasons comes up all the time. Most states play high school soccer in the fall. Nebraska's spring season puts our club soccer participants at a competitive disadvantage in organizations like the Midwest Regional League, and at events such as the U.S. Youth Soccer National Tournament. On the flip side, many of Nebraska's schools simply don't have the facilities or personnel resources to support soccer in the fall. And our already thin supply of referees would be pushed to the brink if the high school and college seasons were to overlap.
The proposals to allow athletes to engage in non-NSAA events would be a foot in the door. It would (probably) begin with swimming and (maybe) soccer, but surely athletes in other sports would be quick to demand equal treatment. And why not?
Personally, I would like to see some serious discussion about replacing high school sports with club alternatives. The foundation is already there in many sports. Consider baseball, for example, with its strong summer American Legion leagues. I'm convinced there are ways to dissociate schools from (some? many? all?) sports, while still maintaining the important virtues that high school sports provide. It is still possible to link academic performance and athletic participation, and there is no reason open participation could not continue. A governing body -- NSAA version 2.0, if you will -- would help ensure such things.
But I digress. It will be interesting to see how the NSAA treats these proposals. We will know more this fall.
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That is a TON of sports in the fall.
Why top load the Fall?
Actually, there are a significant number of states that play soccer sometime other than fall. I found 19, including Nebaska that play in winter or spring. And that’s just boys. There are also a few states where boys play fall and girls play in spring.
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