Change is always a challenge, but there are some positives with this new idea. It would put us on a schedule similar to most of the state in regards to when high school soccer is played. It would allow us to still go to the Thanksgiving tournaments like the high school soccer players do in the East Bay, South Bay, and Southern California. The players simply register for high school soccer after the weekend they get back from the Thanksgiving events, which means that only a few practices would be missed at their high school. The club season would resume in time for college showcases in March and State Cup. The change would also give us a competitive playing league in the fall versus the winter league we currently have, by allowing us to play East Bay and South Bay. Changing to a winter season would also give our players more field space in the winter when light and fields are tight.

 

Moving the season to winter does bring some concerns. The families that play for United, but play for a high school in the fall because of the school they attend, would have to make some difficult decisions. They may have to choose whether they want to play high school soccer. That would be unfortunate. Another concern would be fields. Winter is a wet season and we may not have enough all-weather fields to satisfy the needs of the high schools. This will be something the high schools will have to address.

 

Again, these are some thoughts for us to think about. Whatever decision the high schools make, United will move forward and make it the best for our kids and families. We will continue to monitor the progress and we are excited about the future.

 

Steve Rammel