Soccer season freezing some out

While the sport of soccer continues to make strides year after year in popularity and participation in northeast Louisiana, the sport continues to be plagued by one bitter variable: cold weather.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association plays soccer as a winter sport, and some have proposed moving the season to improve weather conditions and, possibly, attendance.

"I think it needs to be a different time of year," OCS boys soccer coach Bill Chapman said. "The problem we see is that, you can wear layers for the cold, but it is also raining a lot. The area is getting a lot of turf fields now, but for private schools, we don't have the funds to pay for it. I am a big advocate of it being a spring sport. It is not going to be a fall sport because of football."

Other coaches are opposed to moving the season.

"I think it is too taxing on the student-athlete," West Monroe Lady Rebels coach Chris Barron said.

Supporters of the current format argue that the reason things are in the winter is because many club soccer teams play during the fall and spring months. The practice and games that many players are committed to through the club soccer system would be taxing on the student-athletes if the seasons were to overlap.

"I think (the current format) is fine," St. Frederick coach Russ Parent said. "Many people, I think, get used to the cold after a couple times. And, too, many of your high school coaches are also club coaches."

While the LHSAA Convention convenes January 28-30 with proposals to divide soccer into four divisions instead of the current 3 divisions and ending games early where one team leads by 8 goals or more at halftime, changes to the season calendar are not expected to be brought before the LHSAA for voting.

"I think (the crowds) definitely are effected by the weather," Barron said. "I have had a lot more people come out when we have good weather and say 'that was so much fun, but usually it is too cold'."

The area is expected to have plenty of representation in the upcoming LHSAA soccer playoffs.

In Division I boys, Ruston is currently No. 16, West Monroe is No. 19 and Ouachita No. 20.

West Monroe leads the way in area Division I girls at No. 8, Ruston is No. 40 and Ouachita is No. 50. The top 32 teams make the postseason.

In Division II boys, Neville is No. 11, West Ouachita is No. 21 and Bastrop is No. 28. The Neville Lady Tigers are currently No. 10 while West Ouachita is No. 15, Wossman is No. 36 and Bastrop is No. 34 in the LHSAA unofficial power rankings.

In Division III, St. Frederick is No. 7 in boys and No. 4 in girls soccer. Both the Warriors and Lady Warriors swept their way to the District 2 championship last week.

Ouachita Christian is currently No. 28 in boys soccer and No. 28 in girls power rankings and Sterlington No. 31 in the girls power rankings.

The LHSAA soccer regular season ends on Feb. 2.

Connect with Cody on Twitter @cfutrellTNS or via e-mail cfutrell@thenewsstar.com