San Francisco’s public school students at times seem to be deprived of ordinary experiences that commonly exist in neighboring school districts. For the past year, I have found myself in the absurd position of advocating for something profoundly ordinary: junior varsity soccer in public high school.
If you are fortunate enough to be a soccer-playing high schooler in Pacifica, Daly City, Berkeley, Oakland, Burlingame, Marin, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Napa, Albany, Millbrae, Larkspur, Rohnert Park, or San Rafael, your school will offer access to both varsity and JV soccer. But in SFUSD, students have received a message of varsity or bust.
There are approximately 15,000 public high schoolers in San Francisco, and nearly half of them attend Lowell, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington.
These large schools educate a high percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students (Lincoln is 52 percent socioeconomically disadvantaged, Washington 51 percent, Lowell 40 percent), and competition for coveted varsity spots is fierce.
An extraordinary few make varsity as freshmen, but a large number of students are turned away after tryouts. Others, upon learning that varsity is the only option, elect not to try out at all.
We know that physical movement matters. Teens are living increasingly sedentary lives, and participation in school sports offers character-building opportunities that enable students to forge unshakable bonds with peers and coaches alike.
Why would we want a scenario where only three to five spots may be available on a team?
Parents, coaches, and administrators have advocated for the addition of a sanctioned JV soccer league. So far more than 300 parents have signed a letter of support. But parents shouldn’t have to advocate for such simple things. Student-facing educators and coaches, often overworked and insufficiently paid, shouldn’t have to tirelessly advocate for ordinary things, either.
Throughout this process, I learned that decision makers in charge of athletics expect educators, coaches, or site-based athletic directors to submit thorough proposals for a JV league. (Perhaps we should ask custodians to submit proposals for hand soap while we are at it.)
Nate Garcia, a skilled educator and coach, was one of these tireless advocates. He taught a full day of Algebra 2 and Precalculus at Lincoln to more than 100 students. But before school he and the Lincoln varsity team woke up at the crack of dawn for 7am practices at the Beach Chalet fields — the only time with free space, because private schools and exclusive clubs often rent SF’s public fields in the afternoons.
This is the kind of dedication that kids and coaches consistently demonstrate in our district. That Garcia has departed SFUSD for a higher paying job on the Peninsula is our district’s and students’ loss.
DIY doesn’t do it
Garcia and other coaches emphasized to SFUSD decision makers the importance of an official JV league sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), not just a do-it-yourself effort, due to the need for administrative and logistical support such as scheduling games, communicating with the Recreation and Park Department, managing coach stipends, and other tasks.
When district leaders articulated concerns about and barriers of such a league, we shared a plan to raise $45,000 (the estimated yearly costs) with donations from PTAs, alumni associations, local funds, and parents. We suggested the idea of collaboration with Rec and Park to explore the possibility of granting SFUSD access to public field space during prime afternoon hours. We shared ideas, but there doesn’t seem to be a “can do” attitude in the air.
We aren’t advocating for anything exclusive or exclusionary. No one is requesting a ski team or a yacht club.
Decision makers may tell you that smaller schools in our district can’t “field” JV teams, but this is not always true. SF International and Mission, both considerably smaller than the big three, experience demand for increased soccer opportunities among male students, specifically.
Besides, only four schools are needed for the creation of a CIF-sanctioned JV league. This is achievable, as there is strong interest in boys soccer, specifically, at Lowell, Lincoln, Washington, Mission, and SF International. Over time, additional schools can join. You start small and develop accordingly; you don’t cower at the first or second challenge.
We aren’t advocating for anything exclusive or exclusionary. No one is requesting a ski team or a yacht club. Soccer/fútbol holds universal appeal. It’s a sport for every man and woman, for every boy and girl (and for those who may not identify as either).
Where’s the will?
You absolutely needn’t be raised with a silver spoon to love soccer. In fact, depriving public school kids of JV soccer disadvantages teens whose parents cannot afford the exorbitant costs associated with the local club experience.
Because San Francisco has a massive private school population, and because we perceive ourselves to be feel-good, “bleeding heart liberal” folks who want to increase access and uplift all, it’s important to consider offerings at SF’s private high schools: the Urban School educates 420 children and offers both JV and varsity soccer; Lick-Wilmerding educates 550 children and offers varsity, JV, and a frosh-soph girls team. Lowell, Lincoln, and Washington each educate more than 2,000 children. The inequities feel jarring.
Parochial high schools, too, offer multiple opportunities for soccer. We ought to be concerned when parents opt out of SFUSD in pursuit of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, and Archbishop Riordan due to discrepancies in extracurricular offerings. District leaders often mention that declining enrollment is tied to our revenue crisis. We ought to acknowledge that our offerings matter. Depriving high schoolers of entirely typical experiences is unwise.
There are some barriers to the creation of a JV soccer league, but they are not insurmountable. As I have repeatedly muttered to myself endless times during the past several months: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Site-based educators and administrators, on the ground, every day, operate with this mentality. Most of us have grown long tired of decision makers and leaders who don’t convey such will.
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