First Day of Practice Numbers ‘26

[BBHoops_18]

11 minutes ago, Bcats said:

I'll say this the section of Bristol i live in I'm probably closer to John Battle and Tennessee High football field than Va High field, so I'm not over that way a whole lot but I did drive by the football field on Saturday and the shopping center parking spaces was filled and I looked inside Va High stadium and I never seen so many people in there before besides the Vt-game. It was packed, I didn't have a clue what was going on, then at look at the field and seen it was a soccer game. I still don't know much about the soccer teams that were playing but I can go ahead and tell you that will be the largest crowd this year at Gen Malcolm stadium (if it's still call that) since the vt-game isn't there this season. Soccer is rising in America 

That was the Bristol Rhythm. They play in the NPSL which is considered to be the fourth level of soccer in the US. That was their league championship and they were playing a team from San Francisco. There players are amateurs who mostly play at ETSU, Tusculum, and Milligan.

[appyvol]

11 minutes ago, Bcats said:

I'll say this the section of Bristol i live in I'm probably closer to John Battle and Tennessee High football field than Va High field, so I'm not over that way a whole lot but I did drive by the football field on Saturday and the shopping center parking spaces was filled and I looked inside Va High stadium and I never seen so many people in there before besides the Vt-game. It was packed, I didn't have a clue what was going on, then at look at the field and seen it was a soccer game. I still don't know much about the soccer teams that were playing but I can go ahead and tell you that will be the largest crowd this year at Gen Malcolm stadium (if it's still call that) since the vt-game isn't there this season. Soccer is rising in America 

It was the NPSL National Championship. The Soccer Club in Bristol won the Southeast Region, and then advanced to the national championship game, where they unfortunately lost to a team from San Francisco. 

[Stelley]

1 hour ago, tornado99 said:

The soccer influence has brought up some interesting points whether masculinity or economics which brings up a great point about playing the two sports, and that’s size. In looking at the recent World Cup rosters the average size of the players virtually mirrors the average population barring the obesity epidemic in developed countries. Football mostly consists of specialized body types or attributes. Those that thrive are on one or both ends of the extremes. It helps certainty have both size and speed, but often those are opposite qualities. I know it’s not always the case, but roughly half of the positions are the biggest kids and the other are the fastest kids. In soccer, you have a lot more room for average to above average. While speed is never a disadvantage, size can be. Just being honest, you don’t see many big, fat kids who are in shape playing soccer. You’re more likely to find more of the skill position sized players finding a spot on the pitch. 
Admittedly, I’m a football guy, but I certainly see the appeal if you or your kid is athletic enough or of average size to be a role player. A very average receiver/running back has the opportunity to be an excellent soccer player through practice and skill development. They might be a poor lineman as well simply due to size and frame. (I know it helps for a big man to be agile and in shape. I can still take the biggest kid who may not be athletic and he still occupies a position because he’s harder to move out of the way at the youth level simply from eating and genetics.)

A bit of a side note that might be add a little bit to this debate. All of the slander Team USA got this year for being a weak team in soccer is also due to the fact that soccer is far easier than a sport like football, basketball,  or baseball, easily accessible for everyone and you don’t have to be a genetic anomaly do excel in it.
 

Americas best athletes don’t play soccer, imagine if Anthony Edwards, DK Metcalf, or Tyreek Hill if they spent their whole lives playing soccer.

 

[Real Sasquatch]

17 minutes ago, BBHoops_18 said:

That was the Bristol Rhythm. They play in the NPSL which is considered to be the fourth level of soccer in the US. That was their league championship and they were playing a team from San Francisco. There players are amateurs who mostly play at ETSU, Tusculum, and Milligan.

Cool.  I'll have to check them out next season.

[Real Sasquatch]

Northwood with 26.

[Sixcat Adjacent]

32 minutes ago, Stelley said:

Americas best athletes don’t play soccer, imagine if Anthony Edwards, DK Metcalf, or Tyreek Hill if they spent their whole lives playing soccer.

I don't fully disagree with you, but there is quite a bit more to it than just athleticism. Technical skill is lost on US players, past and present. We just don't grow up using our feet instead of our hands for sport the way other countries do. It's a whole different mindset. While I agree, Anthony Edwards, DK Metcalf, and Tyreek Hill would have an athletic advantage in learning the game, it's also glossing over the fact that the best soccer player in the world (Messi) is 5'-6" tall and not as athletic as your average centerfielder. But his technical skill dribbling a soccer ball is arguably unmatched in history.

As a noted example, Usain Bolt comes from a soccer crazed country and is one of the greatest athletes in history, regardless of sport. When he attempted to play soccer as a young boy, he was terrible. Faster than everyone, but lacked technical skill to the point, he was useless on the pitch.

The US has never been able to get past the technical skill gap with the rest of the soccer world. When people like Landon Donovan outline step by step, how that technical skill gap translates to what we see every four years in the World Cup, we should all listen. He's been banging that drum for 20 years. 

[SandlickWolf]

On 8/5/2026 at 2:05 PM, Gridiron60 said:

Unfortunately, it practically sits in Kentucky 😂😂😂 but I agree. It’s very impressive. 

What is the problem with that?

[Stelley]

13 minutes ago, Sixcat Adjacent said:

I don't fully disagree with you, but there is quite a bit more to it than just athleticism. Technical skill is lost on US players, past and present. We just don't grow up using our feet instead of our hands for sport the way other countries do. It's a whole different mindset. While I agree, Anthony Edwards, DK Metcalf, and Tyreek Hill would have an athletic advantage in learning the game, it's also glossing over the fact that the best soccer player in the world (Messi) is 5'-6" tall and not as athletic as your average centerfielder. But his technical skill dribbling a soccer ball is arguably unmatched in history.

As a noted example, Usain Bolt comes from a soccer crazed country and is one of the greatest athletes in history, regardless of sport. When he attempted to play soccer as a young boy, he was terrible. Faster than everyone, but lacked technical skill to the point, he was useless on the pitch.

The US has never been able to get past the technical skill gap with the rest of the soccer world. When people like Landon Donovan outline step by step, how that technical skill gap translates to what we see every four years in the World Cup, we should all listen. He's been banging that drum for 20 years. 

That’s also a little bit of why I’m saying we haven’t closed the gap on the skill side is because the cream of the crop athletes are putting their effort into other sports.

To add on to the Usain Bolt topic, running in a straight line relies more on your athletic ability instead of coordination

[Sixcat Adjacent]

52 minutes ago, Stelley said:

That’s also a little bit of why I’m saying we haven’t closed the gap on the skill side is because the cream of the crop athletes are putting their effort into other sports.

You're not wrong, but it's far more nuanced than simply saying "put Tyreek Hill on the pitch." Athleticism doesn't equate to skill in the way soccer requires. Hand/eye coordination in soccer is nonexistent and not very useful. You need foot/eye coordination and that's only the beginning. The whole "America's best athletes play other sports" argument just isn't the flex most non-soccer fans think it is. I agree, the best athletes in America would have a decided advantage in developing those technical skills but it requires a completely different set of skills than anything America's best athletes have ever been exposed to. Like I said, it's far more nuanced than simply putting the best athletes in soccer.

Youth soccer in the US costs as much or more than any other sport to play at the highest youth levels. I have a friend with a daughter playing club soccer in the Winston Salem area. He pays well over $15k annually to keep her spot on the roster. It's ridiculous. And she plays pick-up soccer in the public parks around Winston Salem and gets her ass handed to her by the Hispanic kids that can't afford to play club soccer.

Go watch this video. You're not wrong, but it'll never happen until the US separates pay-for-play from youth soccer!

 

[VHSLhelper]

On 8/5/2026 at 2:05 PM, Gridiron60 said:

Unfortunately, it practically sits in Kentucky 😂😂😂 but I agree. It’s very impressive. 

And Legion Field practically sits in Tennessee.

Bill Strong Field practically sits in North Carolina.

So there's that.

[Gridiron60]

3 hours ago, SandlickWolf said:

What is the problem with that?

Technically ,  nothing I was just eluding to the fact it’s going to be a drive for some schools to get there. 

[Gridiron60]

27 minutes ago, VHSLhelper said:

And Legion Field practically sits in Tennessee.

Bill Strong Field practically sits in North Carolina.

So there's that.

That’s true. 

[Real Sasquatch]

Graham literally played in West Virginia....lol.  Their High School field now practically sits in West Virginia.

 

Just giving Gridiron a hard time.  There are a lot of folks in Buchanan County complaining about that trip and I would expect a bunch of kids going to schools in Russell Co. or going across the border.  

Several Counties, like Carroll, Floyd, Craig, Patrick, Bland, etc.... have only one High School.  Not all have quite the terrain that Buchanan County has, but they all face similar issues.

 

My big concern for Buchanan County going forward would be maintaining a tax base to keep that school running, especially if kids go to other schools, they would lose quite a bit of per pupil funding from the State.  That County has a history of struggling "bigly" financially, as it is.

[Bluebird]

Why not try and get something like a baseball team in Buchanan County.  It could be a college woodbat or an independent baseball team. It’s not much but will give people something to do and a few jobs.  

[SandlickWolf]

49 minutes ago, Real Sasquatch said:

Graham literally played in West Virginia....lol.  Their High School field now practically sits in West Virginia.

 

Just giving Gridiron a hard time.  There are a lot of folks in Buchanan County complaining about that trip and I would expect a bunch of kids going to schools in Russell Co. or going across the border.  

Several Counties, like Carroll, Floyd, Craig, Patrick, Bland, etc.... have only one High School.  Not all have quite the terrain that Buchanan County has, but they all face similar issues.

 

My big concern for Buchanan County going forward would be maintaining a tax base to keep that school running, especially if kids go to other schools, they would lose quite a bit of per pupil funding from the State.  That County has a history of struggling "bigly" financially, as it is.

Similar to the issues we already have here in Dickenson, but with even worse roads…

[Wolf1207]

4 hours ago, SandlickWolf said:

What is the problem with that?

One problem for Southern Gap on that account is if they get some really good talent and Pikeville decides to start recruiting the area. It's only a 30 minute drive from there to Pikeville HS. 

[Wolf1207]

3 hours ago, Sixcat Adjacent said:

You're not wrong, but it's far more nuanced than simply saying "put Tyreek Hill on the pitch." Athleticism doesn't equate to skill in the way soccer requires. Hand/eye coordination in soccer is nonexistent and not very useful. You need foot/eye coordination and that's only the beginning. The whole "America's best athletes play other sports" argument just isn't the flex most non-soccer fans think it is. I agree, the best athletes in America would have a decided advantage in developing those technical skills but it requires a completely different set of skills than anything America's best athletes have ever been exposed to. Like I said, it's far more nuanced than simply putting the best athletes in soccer.

Youth soccer in the US costs as much or more than any other sport to play at the highest youth levels. I have a friend with a daughter playing club soccer in the Winston Salem area. He pays well over $15k annually to keep her spot on the roster. It's ridiculous. And she plays pick-up soccer in the public parks around Winston Salem and gets her ass handed to her by the Hispanic kids that can't afford to play club soccer.

Go watch this video. You're not wrong, but it'll never happen until the US separates pay-for-play from youth soccer!

 

I watched this a few weeks ago and I had no idea that it was like this. Going off what Frazier is saying the USA should be a lot better at soccer than it is.  But I may have misinterpreted what he's saying. 

[Real Sasquatch]

Princeton, WV - 53.

[JDHoss]

On 8/5/2026 at 7:08 PM, tornado99 said:

I know there are lies and statistics. I think the quote below does apply here. However, it seems I’ve read articles on a national scope that high school football participation has increased or recovered since the pandemic. I’m sure it’s driven by particular areas, such as Texas or population growth in the South or West. I’d ask JDHoss or SWVAOG among others what it really is like outside our corner of the country.

 

I'll get a better feel for this season here next Thursday, but in the 9 years we've been here, the roster numbers for teams haven't changed appreciably. The small 1A schools (with the exception of really small private or SSAA schools who aren't affiliated with the FHSAA) will generally have 30-40 player rosters. John Carroll Catholic here in town usually has between 40-60, but they recruit like crazy and they have a stable coaching situation with Micky Groody that helps attract guys.

The bigger schools will generally have between 40-60, but it's pretty rare for even the biggest schools and best programs to have over 60. Venice's 2024 7A state champs had "only"  54 on their roster. You'd think they would have had more players, but watching them warmup in the pregame, every single one of those guys looked like they could play. My guess is that a lot of these schools have a cut off number for their roster, in as far as dressing kids out just for the sake of the team picture or looking impressive running onto the field. 

The FHSAA has whittled down the number of classes from 8 to 6 for this year. They've been able to do that since the state has been building a lot of new schools to cut down on overcrowding. Even with that, there are still something like 15 schools who are over 3K (including Fort Pierce Central here in town)  and 3-4 others who are over 4K. 

1A: 1-499 (52 teams)
2A: 500-999 (40 teams)
3A: 1,000-1,499 (77 teams)
4A: 1,500-1,899 (87 teams)
5A: 1,900-2,399 (79 teams)
6A: 2,400-Above (81 teams)

[Real Sasquatch]

Honaker-44

[Sixcat Adjacent]

15 hours ago, Wolf1207 said:

I watched this a few weeks ago and I had no idea that it was like this. Going off what Frazier is saying the USA should be a lot better at soccer than it is.  But I may have misinterpreted what he's saying. 

Should be but it won't be until drastic changes are made. As @Stelleysuggests, we have the athletes to be a lot better than we are but politics and money dominate the grass roots of the game.

[Real Sasquatch]

J.I. Burton - 35

[Real Sasquatch]

Richlands - 28

 

(12) Allen Gregory on X: "Richlands media day. #hcfh https://t.co/RnuGrEZtJ5" / X

[Real Sasquatch]

John Battle - 31

(12) Allen Gregory on X: "John battle media day. #hcfh https://t.co/o0cMCtFWZg" / X

[Real Sasquatch]

Pikeview, WV -37