Schools without football

[LoganElm_grad09]

I was curious about a topic that I haven't seen threads about recently (though I haven't been here in a while either); schools without football. I have a few questions about this.

What schools do not have football?
What are reasons that football has difficulty getting started at schools?
What are ways that programs get started?
What benefits do football bring to schools that other schools without a team don't have (if any)?

I was just wondering about these things because I grew up in a community that had football and had it for decades, along with every school that neighbored us, so I've never really been to these communities that don't have them and have never heard discussions about the topic.

[Ironman92]

The SHAC does not have a football league but Manchester and Fayetteville have had varsity teams for a few years now.

Eastern Brown, North Adams, Lynchburg Clay, West Union, Peebles, Fairfield and Whiteoak....all SE District teams from that league....their homecoming is during basketball season.

[Blackjack]

Have always felt bad for those kids not having a chance to play football. They don't know what they are missing.

[Hitops2.0]

The SOC I conference has 3 schools that do not have football : Clay , New boston , Eastern Pike (though they are trying to put one in place )
The SOC II has 1 school that does not have football : South Webster

Clay and South Webster have never had football in my time i dont know about earlier years
When i was a freshman in the 77-78 season both New Boston and Peebles had teams but shut them down the next year i think

lack of manpower and money are the main issues

Clay and New Boston only graduate 30 kids some yrs although so does Sciotovile (East) and Notre Dame and they both put very competitive teams on the field every year

Its the district preference in the end ...do the pros out weigh the cons

[bengalfan76]

The SOC I conference has 3 schools that do not have football : Clay , New boston , Eastern Pike (though they are trying to put one in place )
The SOC II has 1 school that does not have football : South Webster

Clay and South Webster have never had football in my time i dont know about earlier years
When i was a freshman in the 77-78 season both New Boston and Peebles had teams but shut them down the next year i think

lack of manpower and money are the main issues

Clay and New Boston only graduate 30 kids some yrs although so does Sciotovile (East) and Notre Dame and they both put very competitive teams on the field every year

Its the district preference in the end ...do the pros out weigh the cons

Western Pike also in SOC-I does not have football

[surfsider]

I know East Richland Christian (in St. Clairsville area) has 6-man football team.
The school plays others in West Virginia and Ohio with 6-man squads.
I read there's only 27 kids at ERC.

[BigBlueNation]

How many years did South Webster have pee wee football. I know it was not very long but I think they done pretty good.
As for Notre Dame at one time I believe they were the smallest school in the state to have football.

[noles_fan]

I think it was 3 years that they had pee wee. From what I heard they had people willing to donate money to get the high school program going but people said it would take away from their soccer program.

[The Oaf]

Surprised no one has listed the St Joe Flyers yet.

[4thgoal]

St. Joe, Clay, New Boston, and South Webster all have soccer programs. I don't think there is any way their enrollment could support both soccer and football. Eastern Pike did have soccer, but with JV football starting this year, their soccer team didn't make it. Other small schools like East, Notre Dame and Green do not have soccer, so football is fine there. Basically, the districts have to make the decision what they want. Football is obviously a big money maker, but there is also the up-front cost of pads, helmets, etc. that do not exist in soccer.

Getting football started at the grade school level can be accomplished, but if there is no high school program for the kids to go to, it will likely never survive. The schools I mentioned above all have youth programs in the same sport as they have in high school, but not in the other. I think this is why SW didn't continue their pee wee football, the high school wasn't going to support it and the kids would either go back to soccer or transfer to a school where they could continue playing football.

[punk rock rules]

I hate saying this but its because football is starting to die. Pop warner lost 23,000 players in two years and its not getting bettre its getting worse. Soccer enrollment has risen 35%. Parents are terrified to put kids in football anymore. Football is expensive and in the economy of today there will either start being some pay to play or dropped all together. I hate seeing it because i played football and i loved it but it is the short list of dying sports.

[LoganElm_grad09]

Soccer is certainly gaining some traction, but football is not going to be going away anytime soon. I know that horse racing and boxing used to be big deals, but I don't think football will suffer their fate in the modern world. Media has completely changed sports, and football is everywhere in sports. It may not be as popular in 20 years as it was not too long ago, but it is far from dying.

[The Oaf]

Soccer is certainly gaining some traction, but football is not going to be going away anytime soon. I know that horse racing and boxing used to be big deals, but I don't think football will suffer their fate in the modern world. Media has completely changed sports, and football is everywhere in sports. It may not be as popular in 20 years as it was not too long ago, but it is far from dying.

Agreed, football is not going anywhere. It owns all other sports combined.

[WU Coach]

West Union has started a football program but not school sponsored yet, offering grades 3rd through 12th in 2014 and first year of Varsity level. North Adams and Eastern Brown also started youth programs and will add Jr High this year, all non-sponsored for now. Excited to see football growing in SHAC country, the interest is there and hopefully the schools will sponsor it once they see it grow to a successful level.

[noles_fan]

Football has always been and will always be schools biggest money maker in this area.

[The Oaf]

Football has always been and will always be schools biggest money maker in this area.

You bet your hind end!!!!

[noles_fan]

Without football most high school sports wouldn't be able to function or would be forced to be pay to play.

[West Side Pride]

West is already pay to play in several sports. Four home games don't help.

[punk rock rules]

Im not saying football is going anywhere but anyone can see that football attendance is way way down. Kids are lazier and their toughness is questioned alot. Plus parents are scared of brain injuries, and i hate sayimg this many youth coaches these days are not as good as many were in the past. Football isnt what it once was and while i agree that in most schools football is where most money is made it also cost the most to maintain. Helmets costing 200 each shoulder pads 150 and other costs and that is just high school then you have to recondition every year. Its a VERY expesnive sport to maintain. So that is why i believe that football may never go away but the amount of kids participating and the almighty dollar arent helping to keep football as the most popular any more.

[sider]

Ill agree to disagree with this statement. There is a scare currently, but people still come to watch football. Every high schools home stands are packed on Friday night. It's the social event of the year.

I would like to see peebles add football. Their graduating classes are around 90 for the next few years, they would fit in nicely with the other shac school that are adding football.

I would imagine west union will be sanctioned the year after next. It's exciting to see these schools add football again!
Personally I would like to get back to the days where all schools had football. Could be a step in that direction