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There's a point of home field advantage, and then there comes a point of common sense. I'm curious to see if people involved with the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional have common sense.
I'm betting they do, because I already know they do.
From Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins - Mr. Soccer in the Chicago area - a very bright athletic department and smart soccer community to the great IHSA, someone better step up.
I took a poll of 10 coaches on Wednesday night after watching the slip and slide mud pit battle between Fenwick and Lyons. Every coach - some who played at Hinsdale Central recently - all agreed the no-brainer and right thing to do is change the site of Saturday's game.
That's why I know there is no way Hinsdale Central will host Saturday's final between Hinsdale Central and Lyons.
Right now, I'm planning to cover the Brother Rice/Eisenhower final Saturday, which is the same time as the Hinsdale Central/Lyons match.
But if for some unthinkable reason that game is played at Hinsdale Central on what some lawyers would consider unsafe conditions (as you can see in the photos provided by Lynn Magnesen), I will personally drive IHSA executive director Beth Sauser to Hinsdale and ask her to explain how this happens in today's day and age?
Other schools with turf fields were willing to host this sectional to begin with. But I guess this is high school soccer, and who cares if you play a tournament game in the so-called biggest tournament of the year on a field in poor condition.
There is more than enough time to communicate the site change, so all the fans can attend.
But now that I think about it Sauser, who will be in Naperville for the Class 1A state finals, might not be able to ride with me to Hinsdale if the game is there. She may be thinking of making the ride with Providence to Edwardsville for its sectional final on Saturday.
Oh, shouldn't that be a fun four-hour ride in this geographic tournament. I wonder how many bottles of beer were on the wall when they laid out that sectional. Maybe they were watching YouTube videos in the IHSA office and just overlooked the fact Providence is more than 400 miles away from Edwardsville.
Sauser made the short ride to Normal on Wednesday to watch Providence's win, but never once did she apologize to the Providence coaching staff or parents for this blunder. Its game vs. Normal was moved from Edwardsville to Normal on Monday.
Hopefully, common sense will reign to make sure she doesn't have another problem at Hinsdale Central. I know she has Wiggins' direct number, as they work together on the IHSA Soccer Advisory Board.
Do what's right for the sport.
Do what's right for the kids.
Do what's right for the game.
It's common sense.
- Joe Trost
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Agree 100% Joe. That game was a mess. Not sure why it was played there. Serveral games were moved last week due to field conditions if I'm not mistaken.
I was at both games hosted at Hinsdale Central and first of all, you should have a lighted field to host a sectional as there is not enough sunlight if the game goes into overtime. Secondly, with all the turf fields available, this should never happen. The fact is it always rains in October and grass fields are generally torn up by this time in the season anyway. Adding the serious risk of injury and the liability that poses makes it a simple decision and the right thing to do. LT and Hinsdale Central are so close in proximity and the last several years, HC has had more fans than LT even when playing on the LT facility (which incidently is a turf filed with lights) Come on Coach Wiggins-USE COMMON SENSE and think about the boys safety first!!!
Kudos to the Providence families, alumni and fans...they had more fans than Normal did at the game tonight! Great game, a few questionable referee moments, but the final outcome was well worth the trip! Onward south on I55!!
If that is a picture of the game all involved with running that sectional should change the game to a nuetral turf field for Saturday. That is terrible. Why is this a sectional host? Makes no sense... Not fair to respective schools and more importantly the kids! Beth & the IHSA pretend like this is HS football and actually look into doing something about this.
"Do what's right for the sport.
Do what's right for the kids.
Do what's right for the game."
Where in high school soccer do these three statements EVER come true . Nowhere.
Until we get soccer people at the IHSA and in positions of responsibility in the school districts , it will be same old same old . Trust me - I've fought with administrators about issues involving those three principles . Like water off a duck's back.
you have consistently bashed HC on the girls side (their state title had to really piss you off) and now you bash the field conditions which HC had zero control over. They will do the right thing (the football team is playing Sandburg at IBC). Nice picture BTW from a mom of an LT player. How is your boy Kilrea doing anyway- you know the super at LT?
"So-called biggest tournament of the year"? Any objective commentator would agree the IHSA state tournament is without question "the biggest tournament of the year." To win the state championship, the prevailing school has to defeat at least four top-notch teams and, in the more loaded sectionals, 5. Adding to the challenge is the fact a loss in the IHSA tournament means the end of the season, not ot mention high school career for seniors. The Pepsi Challenge is a great tournament for the Chicagoland soccer community, but your implication that it stacks up to the IHSA tournament isn't persuasive.
Worst field conditions I have seen in a very long time. Fortunately, there were no injuries related to the slop the boys were playing in. IHSA needs to do the right thing and switch fields for this weekend.
They need to move that game - someone is going to get hurt and the injury might be so severe that it impacts their club season! and the forcast calls for rain tonight and all day Friday!
I think you are trying to imply something. I think there are a lot of great tournaments every year from Naperville to Barrington to Peoria to Glenbrook. In my mind, we forget what the the IHSA tournament is. It is not to see who is the best, it is to give every part of the state a chance to be represented equal. For years, the Public League received a free bid to the so-called Elite Eight. Why do you think I stopped referring to it as the Elite Eight - it's not. It's set up as an AYSO event to reward everyone. The IHSA has a great opportunity to make this tournament so much better, but the problem is that no one pushes for it to be better. Do you think the Public League girls teams played four tough games to make it to the final eight in the past. Come on. Let's sit down and look at the facts.
I couldn't have been happier for Skip Begley and his girls program. The man has put in countless hours and dedication to the sport. He has always been honest and straight forward, and it was great for him and his girls to win the IHSA tournament. I am not bashing Hinsdale Central - all I'm saying is people need to do what is right. They moved the football game, and I'm sure they will move the soccer game because it's the right thing to do.
And as I always say, have your facts right before you post here. The photos I received are not from a mom of a Lyons player on this squad.
Grow up and get a clue. And realize that at the end of the day, I would have made a difference if this field was at Hinsdale or Pee-Wee's Playhouse in Bloomington. I would have said the same thing - just like I have with fields in Chicago or Lincoln-Way or fields in the Pepsi Showdown.
You wouldn't put children in a poor classroom, you wouldn't put a basketball team on a wet floor. It's common sense.
Mr. Trost, Thank you for standing up for our sport. Soccer deserves better fields.
I have no quarrel with your comment that the Elite Eight are not the best eight in the state, but the geographic grouping is typical of all IHSA sports. It's very popular to accuse the IHSA of an anti-Chicago conspiracy (we hear that every year in basketball), but the alternative of a pan-state ceded tournament--which would be great--is impractical because it would lead to disuptive travel during the school week of the type Providence was just subjected to. Unfortunately, the stronger regions suffer, most significantly this year the Naperville North sectional--the "group of death" in World Cup speak. To call the IHSA tournament an AYSO affair, however, is disrespectful to the teams that have progressed in what is and remains the toughest tournament in the state (especially if your school is in the West suburbs).
Agree. But do you think it's fair when someone asked me why a team isn't ranked just because they advance to a sectional final, when better teams are losing in a regional final because of the area they are in? It's not fair and very misleading. This wouldn't be done in a classroom, but we accept it because the IHSA says so. This may have worked in the past, because it was a growing sport.
The only reason that the game was allowed to go on at Hinsdale Central last night must have been that the IHSA was introducing a new sport called mud hockey. At times the game looked more like a hockey game then a soccer game. I was really glad that no one got hurt. The refs could have declared the field unplayable. It truely was.
it would be a shame if they play on that field saturday.
It's a part of the game, deal with the environment your given.
It's not part of the game. It's part of the game if it happens DURING the game.
My son made an interesting statement this morning in regards to last nights game at Hinsdale, which he played in. He was surprised that the IHSA REQUIRES the larger shin guard (which they get checked for before every game?????) for protection but allow this type of field to be played on. It's not Hinsdale's fault...they don't control the weather. Yes, they need to move the field for Saturday.
I always have to defend the manhood of soccer players to the area football dads. Playing in a muddy field at this time of year is just normal. Not many schools, private or public, can afford artificial turf fields. Until they are available, we just have to play the game and may the best team win.
This statement is completely false. Playing on a muddy field at this time of the year was normal...in 1970, 1980 and 1990. You can say even the early 2000s. Most schools now have turf. There are a number of schools willing to host this game on Saturday, even colleges. As shown by Hinsdale Central moving its football game on Saturday to a local college, it shows there are sites.
Field conditions are very important to the game of soccer. Much more-so than football. The game last night was more like kick-the-can than soccer. Plays and strategies could not really be executed. I could see maybe a scrimmage on a field like this, but a game that counts, and particularly a state tournament game should be on a very good field.
I love the game of soccer, especially when played on grass (not mud)... along with a great atmosphere of cheering fans on both ends.. but Gman said it right.. it would not be LT vs. HC, rather LT and HC vs. the field. The muddy field knocked the players down soo many times yesterday, I'm surprised the ref. didn't give it a RED card. If a player falls when 2 guys go for it in the mud HOW is the ref. going to know if it was a slip or a foul? He is only human.. DO WE WANT THAT TO DECIDE A GAME. The game will come down to a player slipping on the mud with the attacker scoring.. yaa thats what we all want right !!!. I don't know of anyone who loves a sport that wouldn't want the best conditions if it can be accomodated. I always say may the best team win..
As a mom, and a huge soccer fan, I cannot believe that such a beautiful game can be diminished by playing on a field that lessens its worth. It's like saying the game being played isn't worth the time or effort. For anyone not to see the dangers it puts our boyz in...it's selfish. We have so many talented young man in danger of getting hurt and not fulfilling their dreams of playing college soccer BECAUSE someone wasn't thinking. Who wants that hanging over there heads????
I have not heard if the game has official been moved but I did hear that Hinsdale Central has moved practice to a turf field in Downers Grove on Friday afternoon. I heard they have used that field before when preparing for playoff games that will be played on turf.
What a disgrace! There are turf fields 6 or 7 miles from there that could have been used. The IHSA should be ashamed of themselves. This is not 1930 but some people obviously still think that it is.
No wonder soccer is regarded as such a sissy sport. People whining and complaining about a muddy field. There may have been turf sites willing to host the sectional, but the fact of the matter is Hinsdale was chosen to host it. The school chosen to host the sectional should be able to host it. I try to defend the sport at all costs but its the whining and complaining from people on this thread that really makes it difficult.
have you ever played soccer on turf? It blows fyi.
Sissy sport? They don't play baseball, softball, football, basketball or anything else for that matter on an unplayable surface.
Exactly right, imagine what you saw out there on a High School baseball or football field during the regular season and don't even think that a playoff game would be played in those conditions the HC football field was 5x better than the soccer field, why did they move that game.. and your NOT defending the game !! Is that what you call defending a game? You wouldn't be watching a good soccer game Saturday it would be SLOPPY soccer, is that what you call defending a game. Who are you fooling?
Downers Grove South vs. Waubonsie Valley class 8A playoff football game moved from DGS to Benedictine University due to unplayable field conditions this weekend. Just saying...