Font ResizeFor one, the Bermudian Springs athletic director will have to hire a new coach -- current girls' coach Phomma Phanhthy already coaches the Eagles' boys' soccer team in the fall. Orwig will also need to juggle field space in the fall to accommodate two soccer teams, not to mention Bermudian's field hockey and football squads.
More than anything, he's worried about the athletes themselves.
"My biggest concern is that girl that's going into her junior and senior year and has played soccer and field hockey throughout high school," Orwig said. "Now all of a sudden, they've got a problem."
That's because the PIAA Board of Directors voted 22-7 on Friday to shift girls' soccer from the spring to the fall beginning with the 2010-11 school year.
The move holds one primary benefit: All girls' soccer programs in the state will now play in the fall, creating a unified state championship. Currently, some schools play girls' soccer in the fall, while others -- mainly in District 3 -- play in the spring.
That perk, many say, comes with several short-term costs. Chief among those is the reality that many female athletes will be forced to choose between playing soccer and other fall sports, namely field hockey.
"I'd say I probably had about 15 or 16 field hockey players on my team this year," said West York girls' soccer coach Brett Maxwell. "I don't know if we're going
That's not the only issue. Athletic directors will have to stretch already thin resources such as officials, field space and coaches to facilitate another fall sport.
"I don't think they're giving us enough time to do it right," Maxwell said. "We're getting basically a year to make the transition."
That part of it -- the timing -- irked Dallastown athletic director Tory Harvey. As one of District 3's representatives, Harvey thought the issue wouldn't come up until at least 2012.
"This topic rears its head every few years," Harvey said. "... It seemed like this wouldn't be an issue for at least two years. All of a sudden, it hit the agenda."
Harvey said he was "extremely surprised and disappointed" by the decision. Besides forcing athletes to choose between sports, Harvey worried that cramming another sport onto the fall slate might create logistical problems.
"If we had to play varsity, J.V. and junior high in the fall, we don't have the facilities to accommodate that," Harvey said. " ... We don't have officials right now to cover that many events."
Harvey, like Orwig, will have to hire another coach -- Dallastown girls' soccer coach Barry Barbush is also an assistant with the boys' team.
The move could hit smaller schools especially hard. They often rely on athletes playing two or three sports to fill out teams. The PIAA's decision means girls' field hockey, tennis, volleyball and cross country will all play in the fall.
"Our volleyball coach was saying 'What are we going to do?' " said Dover athletic director Rich Leathery.
The switch does have backers.
"I think it's a great move," Central York girls' soccer coach Liz Critchfield said. "It's a good move having the one state (title) game. I also think it's a positive because of the weather."
Eastern coach Chrissy Crumling also supported the move, citing weather and the ability to use practices during the summer to ease into the season. She admitted she expects some "growing pains in the beginning."
Those growing pains may not be worth it, Orwig said.
"It's us, the smaller schools, that will be impacted the most," he said. "I think it's going to create a watered-down product. It's going to take some time to recover."
jclayton@ydr.com; 771-2045
