Let 'em Play! Sanctioning soccer at Sigourney High School

We understand how busy everyone is and how hard it is to attend meetings especially for families with active school age children. Therefore, we are simply asking for your support of the proposal to sanction soccer at Sigourney high school, with player co-ops with Keota and Tri-County high schools, by signing this petition. Here are the details...

In eight previous years the Sigourney School Board has been approached to sanction soccer at the high school level. This year we are again requesting that the board approve sanctioning co-ed JV and varsity soccer teams at Sigourney high school beginning with the spring 2020 high school soccer playing season. Our proposal also requests a co-op with Keota and Tri-County high schools.

Why is this year different? Mid-Prairie high school previously had co-ops with both Sigourney and Keota high schools that allowed our soccer players to play at Mid-Prairie. That co-op is no longer in effect and thus the current and upcoming high school soccer athletes for Sigourney and Keota have no options to play at the high school level.

Therefore, Keota's and Sigourney's players will not be eligible for any collegiate soccer scholarships. There are approximately 2,720 collegiate soccer programs across the United States. Sixty-three are in Iowa alone. Athletic scholarships can greatly reduce the financial burden on families.

We have compiled a 27-page research document that covers coaching credentials of the volunteer coaches, sport season overlaps (there is no regular playing season overlap between soccer and baseball), sharing of athletes, start up costs, seasonal recurring costs, where soccer would practice and play, scholarship statistics and data, injury statistics, and information on soccer as a crossover sport.

Crossover sports are those sports whose trained athletes share specific player attributes and skills from which each sport can benefit. Crossover sports with soccer are football, basketball, cross country and volleyball. Soccer and football are crossover sports in that athletes share attributes of speed, core strength, team play, and kicking. Soccer trains football kickers through normal practice and play. Basketball and soccer share very similar tactics with off the ball play, passing, speed and teamwork. Stamina in soccer athletes is a natural fit for cross country. Volleyball and soccer athletes share proficiency in jumping and diving. All four crossover sports have playing seasons opposite of soccer.

I am happy to share the entire 27-page study with anyone that would like to see it. Please contact me at ciosbaker@gmail.com should you wish to read it or read sections,

Thank-you.