I talked with a friend over the weekend and he told me that his kids play on a High School Co-Ed soccer team. Is there such a league, that has mandatory rules for the number of girls that have to be on the field? If so, I think it would be great for some schools in Southern Ohio to look into. I watched Adena? (I think) play and they had more girls than boys on the team. West Union also played several girls (mainly becuase the Basketball Coach doesn't allow his players to play soccer). Several other teams seem to always have 3 or 4 girls on the field. I have watched a lot of good female soccer players have to give up the game because they don't want to play against all boys team and risk injury. What's your opinion?

All boys soccer teams can play girls--if there is no girls' soccer team at the school. There are no minimum or maximum numbers involved. Northwest, West, Clay and New Boston all have girls that start on their teams this year. Wheelersburg plays one girl regularly on varsity though she does not start but they have had some in the past and Valley has had at least one girl start for them. Waverly and South Webster have girls on their rosters but usually doesn't play them much.

All SOC teams are Co-ed except for Minford which has both teams though Minford was co-ed until about 2003.

It has been this way since soccer started in Scioto County in 1979--well, I am not positive if the Patriots had any girls on their teams and I don't recall Minford or New Boston having them on their first teams in 1983 but otherwise...

I understand that the girls can play on the boys teams, and most of the smaller schools have to play girls in order to field a team. What I was talking about was a true CO-ED league that required all teams to have a certain amount of boys and girls on the field. For example, in CO-ED volleyball leagues you have to have 3 girls on the court at all times. This type of set up would allow girls to play and even the playing field for teams who have to play girls to field a squad. I was told that some schools in Columbus and northern ohio have such leagues, but I have never heard of it. So it might be an intramural type league.

Gallia has a female starting goal keeper. She is very good. Having gone against her a few times and come out on the losing end many of those times.

the best 11 play, i would hope

What happens if the school only has a girls soccer team,no boys team. Will boys be allowed to play on the girl's team? Maybe the boys teams that have more girls than boys need to switch call themselves a girls program. Might do good in the state tournament. How many girls do you have to have to be considered a girls team? Is it the same for boys?

All must be girls to be girls squad. A single boy on squad puts the squad into the "Boys" division.
And the answer to the second question is no. Boys division requires somewhere between one and all players be boys.

She's a fantastic keeper. I've been told she may find her way to OU to play.

I think everyone misunderstood the original question. I know that girls can play on boys soccer teams, they can play baseball, football and basketball too, if they make the team. I was asking, has anyone heard of a "by rule" CO-ED soccer league that makes mandatory you have half girls and half boys on the field, including rules on positions that they play. Like 2 full back, 1 mid and 2 forwards.

I have seen girls play alot more sports than baseball, football and basketball. I have never heard of a 2 1 2 formation?? Soccer has eleven players usually 10 plus a keeper with various formations. That formation would only have six, counting a keeper. I have heard of that for basketball, in zone presses. Full court, 3/4 court, and half court.

outside of a funky rec or intramural league, never heard of anything like your suggestion.

2 - 1 - 2 was referring to the girls on the field the other 5 would be boys and the goalie could be either, but as the previous poster stated this is probably a rec or inter-city league. I think it is a good idea and would give girls a fair chance to continue playing soccer in high school without sitting the bench on a boys team. Especially at the smaller schools. As far as I know, only Minford has a girls team in Southern Ohio. Who do they play?

I thought anyone who played soccer aka kickball was a girl......

that is true if they wear the same silky undergarments you are currently wearing.

Real footballers don't need all those big pads and a sissy helmet. You wouldn't last 10 mintues on the pitch, boy.

I believe the reason they call Soccer a Co-Ed Sport at many Southern Ohio Schools is so they do not have to offer a separate girls team...We have had several parents try to form a Girls Team and have always been shot down due to monetary issues. Many of the parents have suggested using Title IX as an argument, but you can't use that argument if it is a "Co-Ed" Sport!!

It is actually a boys league, but many smaller schools have to use girls to fill out the squad. If it were a true "Co_ed" sport there would be a mandate on how many girls had to be on the field at all time. So, you can put girls on the boys team, but you can not put boys on a girls team. Well actually you can, if you want to go thru the legal system. I have seen where boys have sued to play girls sports in other states. Probably more of a protest against title IX.

I would think that Title IX would apply here. It's not a coed team, it's allowing girls to play on a boy's team. If that is the logic we are to use then other than volleyball why not force the girls to play on boys teams in all sports? I don't think many of the basketball, baseball or track teams would like that solution. Not allowing them to form a team of their own is just plain wrong. I've never understood why only 24 of the 71 schools in the SE district field a girl’s soccer team. At the schools that have boys programs most have to compete with football for athletes but, still field a boy’s team where the girls would only compete with volleyball. I'm certain that in most cases more girls would participate if they offered a girls team. I would think that most right thinking administrators realize that the more involved your students are the better your schools perform across the board. I realize money is tight all over but, it seems the ladies constantly get the short end when it comes to athletes.

more people need to continue to press the issue. it would be great to see these schools have to make a team available. most girls lose interest in jr high because there is no team for them to go to in high school. they try volleyball or another sport. the parents of these younger girls need to get together and press onward. kudos to minford for advancing the sport.

I think both of you guys are missing the big picture. No one is letting or forcing the girls to play. Most of the smaller schools simply do not have enough boys to fill out a team with all boys, and the definetely don't have enough to make a girls team, so they usually end up with 10 boys are 4 girls.
I believe South point actually had enough players to put a girls and and boys team in the tournament, but played as one team during the regular season. It's tough playing with 11 or 12 boys only so you have to have a few subs and some of the girls are actually better than the boys so your glad to have them on the squad.
As for Baseball, if you only had 8 boys try out for you ball team I think you would be happy to pick up three girls to fill out the roster. You usually don't have a problem with basketball since it only takes 5 players, and football is usually too physical for girls at the high school level but I have seen some play up thru their freshman year.

I understand at a lot of smaller schools they have to play co-ed or not field a team at all. My point was that in a case like South Point, they have enough but are told no. That's the part that is wrong.

You really can't judge how many girl's you would have by the number of girl's that play on the boy's team. Many girl's will not even try to play if they know they have to play against all boys.

My point was give them a fair chance. If they have the numbers to have their own team, they should be allowed to have a team.

I agree with the South Point issue. I guess it would come down to money and how many girls did they actually have. Since boys can't help fill out the girls team it might have been in the best interest to field a boys team only.
It would be nice to see a co-ed league that required 5 boys and 5 girls on the field at all time, but I don't think it will ever happen, other than recreational play.