Scoop27
05-17-2014, 04:30 PM
This may be old news but read on Gonzales Cannon website where Gonzales added soccer to the athletic program.
By Mark Lube/sportseditor@gonzalescannon.com
Next school year, there will be a new kid on the block in Gonzales.
The school district will be adding soccer to the athletic program for the 2014-15 school year, athletic director Kodi Crane has confirmed.
“During my interview, the school board said they wanted to move forward with soccer,” he said.
This is not the first time Crane has been at a school that added a new sport.
“When I was at Muleshoe, we added softball,” he said. “Adding a new sport is complex, especially when you have to hire a new coach for the sport who has a passion for the sport as well as equipment and where games are going to be played. It is a complex process but it is not overwhelming.”
“Once we get coaches, we will hand over the operation to them and let them move forward the way they want do.”
One of the more challenging things for Gonzales will be to acquire a head soccer coach, either from within the current staff or on the outside.
“We do have coaches on the staff with interest in coaching soccer. Our number one thing is we want to find the best coaches, whether on the inside or outside,” Crane said.
There is expressed interest from both female and male students at GHS in participating in soccer.
“Several students have asked me about a soccer team and there is a game that goes on in front of the school at lunch. I have stopped by and talked to some of those kids,” he said. “I think we do have some interest on the girls’ side, just not as much as the boys. When we start rolling with things, that will spark some interest among the girls.
Crane said the plan is for there to be one team for the girls and one team for the boys.
“We want to start with one team for each, have a range of ages and go with that,” he said.
The teams have a couple of options for game sites — the fields that the City of Gonzales will be building at JB Wells Park and Apache Stadium.
Crane said his preference is to play at Apache Stadium.
“We are going to have to measure the field and make sure it is big enough since soccer fields are bigger than football fields,” he said. “If not at the football stadium, we will look into other venues.”
Adding a soccer program will add to the number of student athletes in the athletic program as it will reach out to all different kinds of students.
“Those kids that are not in sports and want to play soccer, can come in and participate and join other sports, whether it is running for the cross country or track teams or kicking for the football team,” Crane said. “Numbers to our athletic program will be the main benefit.”
During the first two seasons of the program, Gonzales will not be place in a district and will not be eligible for the playoffs.
“They will have games for the first two years with an ‘outlaw’ schedule and after that, the teams will be in a district,” Crane said.
He said the athletic department is looking forward to doing all the things to
By Mark Lube/sportseditor@gonzalescannon.com
Next school year, there will be a new kid on the block in Gonzales.
The school district will be adding soccer to the athletic program for the 2014-15 school year, athletic director Kodi Crane has confirmed.
“During my interview, the school board said they wanted to move forward with soccer,” he said.
This is not the first time Crane has been at a school that added a new sport.
“When I was at Muleshoe, we added softball,” he said. “Adding a new sport is complex, especially when you have to hire a new coach for the sport who has a passion for the sport as well as equipment and where games are going to be played. It is a complex process but it is not overwhelming.”
“Once we get coaches, we will hand over the operation to them and let them move forward the way they want do.”
One of the more challenging things for Gonzales will be to acquire a head soccer coach, either from within the current staff or on the outside.
“We do have coaches on the staff with interest in coaching soccer. Our number one thing is we want to find the best coaches, whether on the inside or outside,” Crane said.
There is expressed interest from both female and male students at GHS in participating in soccer.
“Several students have asked me about a soccer team and there is a game that goes on in front of the school at lunch. I have stopped by and talked to some of those kids,” he said. “I think we do have some interest on the girls’ side, just not as much as the boys. When we start rolling with things, that will spark some interest among the girls.
Crane said the plan is for there to be one team for the girls and one team for the boys.
“We want to start with one team for each, have a range of ages and go with that,” he said.
The teams have a couple of options for game sites — the fields that the City of Gonzales will be building at JB Wells Park and Apache Stadium.
Crane said his preference is to play at Apache Stadium.
“We are going to have to measure the field and make sure it is big enough since soccer fields are bigger than football fields,” he said. “If not at the football stadium, we will look into other venues.”
Adding a soccer program will add to the number of student athletes in the athletic program as it will reach out to all different kinds of students.
“Those kids that are not in sports and want to play soccer, can come in and participate and join other sports, whether it is running for the cross country or track teams or kicking for the football team,” Crane said. “Numbers to our athletic program will be the main benefit.”
During the first two seasons of the program, Gonzales will not be place in a district and will not be eligible for the playoffs.
“They will have games for the first two years with an ‘outlaw’ schedule and after that, the teams will be in a district,” Crane said.
He said the athletic department is looking forward to doing all the things to