Private School Football Thread

[Anonymous]

Final score Prep 35 STA 0. Not really close. The Prep vs Episcopal game should be fun. Prep is benefitting from great coaching and an amazing defensive line that is small but tough.

[Anonymous]

LOL at anyone from STA who thought this could be anywhere near competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in the discussion about tiers of football programs. There are obvious powerhouses and there are plenty of schools that field teams with varying degrees of success. How should the region balance the future D1 football prospects with kids who want to play the game and maybe a handfull could play at a D3 school?

It seems like the way the leagues are currently set up are not conducive to the dichotomy.

It would be interesting to see how much the average roster size in the DMV has shrunk over the past 20 years/10 years/5 years. I think we'll see schools (private for sure, with their smaller enrollments, and maybe public too) starting to eliminate football in the next decade, not because of a philosophical opposition but for lack of student interest.

1,000,000 boys participated in high school football in the US this year. Interest doesn't appear to be waning.

As a mother of 3 boys who play football in privates I can tell you it is waning...at least in this area. My oldest has been playing tackle for 10 years starting in youth tackle then moving on to playing for his middle school and now high school. My youngest has been playing for 3 years in youth tackle. The number of kids playing now versus even 5 years ago has greatly decreased in all age groups. I'm sure by the time my 9 year old is in high school there will no longer be middle school teams at most of the local privates and several IAC, MAC and even a few in the WCAC will have dropped their programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in the discussion about tiers of football programs. There are obvious powerhouses and there are plenty of schools that field teams with varying degrees of success. How should the region balance the future D1 football prospects with kids who want to play the game and maybe a handfull could play at a D3 school?

It seems like the way the leagues are currently set up are not conducive to the dichotomy.

It would be interesting to see how much the average roster size in the DMV has shrunk over the past 20 years/10 years/5 years. I think we'll see schools (private for sure, with their smaller enrollments, and maybe public too) starting to eliminate football in the next decade, not because of a philosophical opposition but for lack of student interest.

1,000,000 boys participated in high school football in the US this year. Interest doesn't appear to be waning.

And perhaps the numbers are steady in the DMV as well – – that is why I wish there was data on this. Participation seems to be down in this area to my observation (probably is not down in Texas, for example), but that is merely observational and certainly not tested by actual data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in the discussion about tiers of football programs. There are obvious powerhouses and there are plenty of schools that field teams with varying degrees of success. How should the region balance the future D1 football prospects with kids who want to play the game and maybe a handfull could play at a D3 school?

It seems like the way the leagues are currently set up are not conducive to the dichotomy.

It would be interesting to see how much the average roster size in the DMV has shrunk over the past 20 years/10 years/5 years. I think we'll see schools (private for sure, with their smaller enrollments, and maybe public too) starting to eliminate football in the next decade, not because of a philosophical opposition but for lack of student interest.

1,000,000 boys participated in high school football in the US this year. Interest doesn't appear to be waning.

And perhaps the numbers are steady in the DMV as well – – that is why I wish there was data on this. Participation seems to be down in this area to my observation (probably is not down in Texas, for example), but that is merely observational and certainly not tested by actual data.

The 1,000,000 is the real data and it's up slightly from last year. One of the drivers curiously is new immigrants in the Southwest who are increasingly playing HS football.

When you live in the DC bubble you tend to think it is typical. It would be hard to find a place more atypical.

[Anonymous]

The change a Prep is not with just football, but athletics, in general. With the hiring of Scott Urick, a whose family name remains prominent in the lacrosse world, lacrosse will remain strong. The football program is starting to gain traction again after a couple of mediocre years. Expect basketball to follow. The other sports, baseball, golf, swimming, wrestling have remained strong. By the way, they just received a $20 Mil. anonymous donation to start their new capital campaign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The change a Prep is not with just football, but athletics, in general. With the hiring of Scott Urick, a whose family name remains prominent in the lacrosse world, lacrosse will remain strong. The football program is starting to gain traction again after a couple of mediocre years. Expect basketball to follow. The other sports, baseball, golf, swimming, wrestling have remained strong. By the way, they just received a $20 Mil. anonymous donation to start their new capital campaign.

The 20 million is for renovation and improvement of the dorms for the boarders specifically, not a capital campaign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in the discussion about tiers of football programs. There are obvious powerhouses and there are plenty of schools that field teams with varying degrees of success. How should the region balance the future D1 football prospects with kids who want to play the game and maybe a handfull could play at a D3 school?

It seems like the way the leagues are currently set up are not conducive to the dichotomy.

It would be interesting to see how much the average roster size in the DMV has shrunk over the past 20 years/10 years/5 years. I think we'll see schools (private for sure, with their smaller enrollments, and maybe public too) starting to eliminate football in the next decade, not because of a philosophical opposition but for lack of student interest.

1,000,000 boys participated in high school football in the US this year. Interest doesn't appear to be waning.

And perhaps the numbers are steady in the DMV as well – – that is why I wish there was data on this. Participation seems to be down in this area to my observation (probably is not down in Texas, for example), but that is merely observational and certainly not tested by actual data.

The 1,000,000 is the real data and it's up slightly from last year. One of the drivers curiously is new immigrants in the Southwest who are increasingly playing HS football.

When you live in the DC bubble you tend to think it is typical. It would be hard to find a place more atypical.

I am interested in THIS REGION.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP who sees participation waning. Even if you look at the STA roster, it is very senior heavy with very smaller numbers in the younger grades.

I think it is a shame, it is such a great sport when played right. I am just not sure how it will work with waning numbers for the smaller schools to continue to field teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in the discussion about tiers of football programs. There are obvious powerhouses and there are plenty of schools that field teams with varying degrees of success. How should the region balance the future D1 football prospects with kids who want to play the game and maybe a handfull could play at a D3 school?

It seems like the way the leagues are currently set up are not conducive to the dichotomy.

It would be interesting to see how much the average roster size in the DMV has shrunk over the past 20 years/10 years/5 years. I think we'll see schools (private for sure, with their smaller enrollments, and maybe public too) starting to eliminate football in the next decade, not because of a philosophical opposition but for lack of student interest.

I would be interested in this as well. I know a few moms whose boys played in middle school, but they are not playing high school because of all the publicity on CTE.

[Anonymous]

There are a handful of schools that have very well staffed Varsity and JV teams. Some schools also have very full 6th, 7th and 8th grade teams.

Other schools have traditionally had that interest, but is down to a middle school team and a high school team.

Obviously there is interest to play the sport, but when a school has 30 boys playing, it is hard to compete against a school that has 70 boys playing on two teams.

What will the MAC and smaller IAC teams look like, or the smaller public schools in 5 years?

[Anonymous]

I really think it's only a matter of time before Prep leaves the IAC and joins the WCAC. Whether or not they want to, it more of a natural fit. But then again, I don't think GP wants anything to do with playing DeMatha or St John's.

While I don't think Prep is aggressively recruiting and offering full rides to some families, Prep does have over 500 boys which is a significant advantage for obvious reasons.

On another note, I do think the IAC and MAC will combine a form one league in the next 5 years. In each sport they will have an upper division and a lower division similar to the ISL. At the very least, Potomac and Flint Hill will be in the IAC soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think it's only a matter of time before Prep leaves the IAC and joins the WCAC. Whether or not they want to, it more of a natural fit. But then again, I don't think GP wants anything to do with playing DeMatha or St John's.

While I don't think Prep is aggressively recruiting and offering full rides to some families, Prep does have over 500 boys which is a significant advantage for obvious reasons.

On another note, I do think the IAC and MAC will combine a form one league in the next 5 years. In each sport they will have an upper division and a lower division similar to the ISL. At the very least, Potomac and Flint Hill will be in the IAC soon.

Potomac and Flint Hill will both have the same problem - a Co-ed school with 500 students cannot compete against an all-boys school with 500 students across the board in sports. Some sports, like basketball and cross country, sure, but across the board, particularly for football and Lax, forget it.

I think it is more likely that those schools would join an all-Virginia independent league, possibly with SSSA.

[Anonymous]

Football participating is declining. The Fairfax County youth football league is the largest in the nation, and enrollment has been declining for 3 years.

I love football and my son loved it. But more and more families are wondering if it's worth it. More and more are voting no.

[Anonymous]

When Prep leaves the IAC, I could see Potomac and Flint Hill coming in.