Our varsity girls soccer team has 27 girls on it. Yes, 27. No cuts. The JV looks similar. There are 3 junior high teams for a co-ed HS population of about 1500.
Are we in an era where we have to create a youth running club before kids marry themselves to another sport at age 8?
Do you need to prioritize the parents over the kids?
In-home visits? Challenge the soccer team to a mile race? Free t-shirts or food for doing something?
To be honest, I'm more of a popular teacher than an unpopular teacher in my building. I reached out to every girl who previously did soccer, and didn't try out this fall. I gave them the option to try coming to ONE practice. Just to see. No one took me up on that. I think half the problem is that those girls will still play "travel" soccer since there is a D team for all age groups if you'll keep writing the check.
Thanks for your help! I miss the days when kids got cut in 9th grade and found their new sport of running.