SCL principals to discuss winter soccer at public meeting

Sonoma County League principals will meet Thursday, Nov. 19, to discuss the prospects of switching their high school soccer season to winter months

Soccer had been solely a fall sport in the region until the North Bay League principals voted to move their boys season to the winter, a change that will take effect this month. Sonoma County League principals decided then to remain in a wait-and-see posture and maintain a fall soccer schedule, which also was the decision for the North Bay League’s girls season.

The meeting next Thursday will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Piner High School and is open to the public.

SCL commissioner Dave Ashworth said he expects a decision to be made at this session, although he hesitated to say which way he thought the decision would go.

The debate over moving soccer to the winter is not new. Favoring the switch is the fact that the California Interscholastic Federation crowns state champions in soccer, but only for those programs competing in the winter months. The opposing side counters that deteriorating winter weather would lessen the number of paying customers drawn to the matches, and that early sunsets of winter would impact games and daily practices. There also is the matter of the scheduling conflict that would exist in the winter months with the region’s vibrant club soccer community.

The case of Piner High School will have to be considered by the SCL principals in that the school’s athletic field does not have lights.