There are too many football programs, and a consolidation is needed

[Longtime Observer]

The sport of football has evolved significantly over the last several decades. High school football in particular is dramatically different than it was even 20-30 years ago. There are two primary reasons why I think many schools should eliminate their football programs:

1) Reasonable concerns over the safety of the game have led to a significant decrease in youth participation in the sport. From the Washington Post: "Data in the sprawling and unregulated youth sports industry is less reliable, but regular participation in tackle football among kids ages 6 to 12 fell 13 percent from 2019 to 2022, according to annual survey data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)". Fewer players, quite obviously, portends fewer teams.

2) The clear trend for a couple of decades now (I trace it back to "the decision", where LeBron James, Dewayne Wade and Chris Bosh decided to join forces to build a "super team" with the Miami Heat) has been for collections of star players to join together to build super teams. This is clearly what the vast majority of athletes prefer these days. This practice widens the disparity in the quality of programs. Not just in player quality, but also in team culture. There is significant positive peer pressure in programs loaded with top athletes; the inverse is true for the programs left behind.

It's also worth noting the relative lack of fan and financial support for programs in Florida. Many of the playing surfaces at schools and their practice fields is so poor as to be dangerous. A given community may be able to invest in one or two really nice facilities, but not be able to do so for every single school in the community.

I think all parties will be better off in having fewer, but vastly superior football programs. Programs that have little or no fan support, have their players playing on dirt, pothole-filled fields would be better off dropping the sport. The remaining programs can absolutely still reflect their communities and be "homegrown". They'll just pull from multiple schools, which would be legal under current rules if kids playing for other schools are coming from schools that do not have a football program.

*Perhaps high school football should be attached directly to communities, and not specific school sites. The city of Lakeland, for example, could have one program that the best kids from all schools could play for.

I think we can all agree that what we have now isn't working for most. As I've said for several years here, I do not enjoy seeing teams devastated by losing most of their best players to a local rival. What's happened to Auburndale in particular the last two seasons is very sad.  

 

[flabuck]

You raise some points that are worth discussion but the problem goes to a much deeper, fundamental problems. Far too many kids are not involved in any form of sports today, especially team based sports. Today it seems as if everything has to be organized in some manner. When I was in my youth, weather permitting we could easily get a group of 8-20 similar aged kids together and play pick up games. It could be playground basketball, baseball, football. We might play in somebodies yard, a vacant lot or driveway it really didn't matter, we were outdoors playing by ourselves, no parental supervision needed. The concept of travel teams and pay for play has driven many families out of the game as well, they simply can't afford it, especially with multiple kids in multiple sports.

If we had a disagreement we worked it out among ourselves.

Now everything has to be planned out, organized and supervised. Many kids they have no desire to go out and play, many are content staying home and playing a video game alone or maybe bringing over a friend or two. Add into the equation many parents are afraid to have the kids out of house, at some park. Depending upon the location those fears could be warranted.

The concept of consolidating teams would be a logistical nightmare.  How many kids are going to want to attend class in one school, get transported after school to a practice four days a week, transported again on game day and then go home after a very long day. Coaches would only only interact in person with the players when they are on site. You don't develop that coach/ teacher relationship that many kids need.

Community support has always been an issue especially when the kids don't live close to the school or they are school hopping. The alumni, especially the locals are the ones who need to step it up, the local small business owners need to be more involved. The AD and the coaches have to have a good relationship with sponsors and donors, current and potential. Build out the base instead of constantly reaching out to current donors for more money. Many will simply stop donating when under constant soliciting.

Like many of the high population states, the high schools are competing with pro sports and high profile college sports. From Miami to the panhandle you will find a pro or large college nearby. Lakeland is surrounded by a team in all four major pro sports and two large colleges with UF not that far away. This is all the more reason to recruit  the local alums and businesses. The big dollars are going to those teams.

On the issue of fan support, Florida does not have the multi generational history of families staying in one area. The state is built on growth from the outside, not internal growth. Very few schools have long standing traditions that get passed from generation to generation. The state is also growing so fast that many schools with have some sense of tradition get split up. Add into the mix the every growing number of kids who are home schooled or in a private school.

The FHSAA needs to do a better job as well, I don't think they do a very good job with what they are tasked to do, they need to be more than some administrative arm.