Medina’s football decision spotlights the wide spread problem of low participation numbers
For a scribe who has covered local sports for a long time Friday’s announcement that Medina was switching from 11 man to 8 man football due to low participation numbers was not a shock but it certainly was an attention getter.
Certainly in recent years declining participation numbers have been an increasing concern for high school coaches not only in football but in all sports.
And success does not guarantee good numbers as the struggle with lower than desired numbers to be sure has been the situation for the Medina football squad over the past very successful five years (five straight C North titles and two Section VI championships).
The decision ends, at least for now, well over a century of 11 man football participation for Medina and the equally long standing rivalry with Albion.
“That’s scary” said Albion Coach David Skrip of the decision but he quickly added. “It shows the state of football especially in small towns.” He noted that Albion too faced small numbers problems last fall and needed to bring up a number of younger players.
Holley Coach Wil Prince, whose own 8 man Hawks squad has had low numbers problems as well in recent years, agreed. “I am sure there will be other teams doing the same. I think that small schools football is in trouble all around. The kids just are not playing any more.”
However, as has been noted, low participation numbers are not a problem unique to football.
This past fall in N-O cross-country competition Albion, Medina and Wilson could not field compete girls teams and Akron and Wilson could not field complete boys teams. In N-O golf Newfane and Wilson could not field complete teams and in boys soccer it wasn’t until preseason practices were about to begin that Newfane announced it had enough players to field a varsity team.
And one just has to look at the results of most wrestling matches to see the number of bouts which are decided by forfeits to see that low participation numbers are a problem on the mats as well.
Low participation numbers are also evident by the number of merged teams in the area including Roy-Hart and Barker in football, swimming and wrestling, Holley and Kendall in wrestling and Holley and Lyndonville in football.
Medina football coach and Athletic Director Eric Valley has stated that he hopes this switch to 8 man will only be temporary and that the Mustangs will soon be able to get participation numbers up sufficient enough to resume 11 man competition and the rivalry with the Purple Eagles. Hopefully if the JV level team is reinstated that will help in the rebuilding process.
That challenge though to be sure is a big one. The state requires that a team must have 16 players healthy and eligible in order to play in an 11 man football game. However, in order to even practice 11 on 11 and to guard against losing players due to injury or eligibility a squad ideally needs to have numbers at least in the mid 20s.
The hope here is that not only will the numbers increase to enable the Medina football team to return to 11 man competition but that our area teams in all sports will have sufficient numbers to compete successfully.
The challenge is how to get more of our students interested in, and see the fun, enjoyment and camaraderie that comes with being the member of a team and competing in sports.
It is a challenge that we hope more of our students will take up and accept.
