Soccer Academies

[mediahound]

I'm just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the soccer academies (Reynolds, Woodlands on the Island ... whomever on the mainland) competing against non-academy schools for zone or provincial titles?

I am kind of indifferent to it myself. Sure it's a fairly large hurdle for the regular schools but it's just another challenge for a good team.

Unless we begin to see domination from these academy schools. Then what?

Steve

 

[One Dart]

If students transfer to the academy after their grade 9 year they are not allowed to play for that school in the sport in which they receive instruction. Students who are in the catchment area of that school and participate in the academy are fine as are students who transfer to the school before they start grade 10. BC School Sports deals with younger students transferring to an academy as they do any other students transferring to a school for a sport: currently there are no penalties. If this were something that became a problem then I would imagine they would deal with it.

This gets down to the idea of recruiting which is extremely hard to prove and has been going on for a long time.

 

[mediahound]

Thanks for the quick response.

I don't see it as recruiting so much as them having much more to offer to a very good young soccer player than the non-academy schools. The association with the University programs can only help that (among other things).

If the parents want they can move their young athlete to an academy school pre-grade 9?

Is it as simple as that? Are there boundaries?

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Thanks for the quick response.

I don't see it as recruiting so much as them having much more to offer to a very good young soccer player than the non-academy schools. The association with the University programs can only help that (among other things).

If the parents want they can move their young athlete to an academy school pre-grade 9?

Is it as simple as that? Are there boundaries?

As of now, it is as simple as that. The bottom line is that if a player has that much desire to travel from somewhere else to the school(we have a player on our team who is in the hockey academy who travels from Burnaby every morning) and it really is a big deal to them to play for the school team, then that's fine(as long as it's before grade 10). I've also heard that if they transfer after grade 10 started, they would have to sit out the following year after they transferred but could play in their last year.

Our school will PROBABLY have one up and running next year but to honest, from a personal standpoint, I still have mixed emotions about it as it would be possible from some of the 'out of district' players to tryout for the school team and make it over the players who are in the catchment area. That's the fun part of coaching high school.....you have 3 months to try and assemble a team to make it competitive and make provincials. In community soccer, the league means piss all as the Provincial Cups are what most strive for. In school soccer, the league games mean something as you're attempting to qualify for Provincials.

Go Devils