Planned changes to NCAA soccer

Some of you may be aware of the recent proposals from the NCAA regarding men's and women's soccer (along with other fall sports) at the Division 1 level. If you are not familiar, check out this article by examiner.com.

If you work in NCAA Division 1 soccer, are a player or parent, or know some that is, then I urge you to pass this blog on to them.

As previous blogs have probably indicated, I am not a fan of some of the NCAA rules in place. Many of them actually hurt the very welfare of the student-athletes that they are supposedly meant to protect. I will not go into these now, but will address the (some of the) new proposals below. The emphasis will be on the physical and injury side of this argument. I will leave the coaches, players, and administrators to discuss how college soccer will be impacted beyond this.

Reduction of Competition by 10%
Teams typically play around 20 games during the fall season so taking 10% away would leave 18. This is not many games in which to compete for a championship nor does it give much oppurtunity to develop the soccer athlete. I have discussed the packed schedule (these games tend to come in a 12 week season plus playoffs) and how this can lead to a very high risk of injury in NCAA soccer (especially when you consider the very short preseason period). Theoretically, two less games could aid with the management of fatigue (that is assuming the folk at the NCAA don't also reduce the length of the season). For this reason, my main arguments are with the changes below rather than with this one (this does not mean I am in favor of the 10% reduction).

Elimination of the Spring Season
As discussed above, the fall season (the one that truly counts) is already very brief (and may be getting shorter still). The negatives of this can be countered, in part, by a successful spring season. Playing on 5 competitive dates throughout the spring has a number of benefits as outlined in the examiner article, and taking this away may have a huge knock-on effect on the physical side of soccer and injuries:

• Our research here shows that injuries are highest in most sports in the period when athletes return to extensive training and games. 
• This is especially true in soccer when the long gaps between seasons leads to a lack of preparation (despite the S&C coach's best efforts). 
• The gap from the end of the spring season to the beginning of the fall season is around 3.5 months. A long time. Extending this to 8+ months is madness. 
• If you were to ask an experienced expert in physical development, people at the very top of their field such as Frank Dick, Mike Stone, Vern Gambetta, and Dick Bate, then I am sure they would agree that such a gap is madness.
• College soccer already has a long off-season (albeit one that is split in two), and yes this can help with developing certain physical attributes, however there is nothing that quite prepares a player for 90-110 minutes of intense match play than just that. The impact on the level of soccer performance to one side, injuries will be an even bigger problem in college soccer than they already are.
• More serious injuries may likely follow. If the ultimate motives behind these changes is saving money (as it seems), then they are extremely short-sighted. The cost of insurance policies and medical bills will rise significantly.

Possible glimpse into preseason injuries - 

orthopaedic surgeons across the country can't wait

• Players will want to play more than they are allowed by the NCAA, and so summer leagues will probably prove to be where student-athletes turn to. Many current college players do this already and often with success. Unfortunately there can be problems:
• There is a strong chance of injury while away with summer teams. Many of the teams are not run or coached as professionally as NCAA teams, and they often lack the support of qualified sports medicine and strength and conditioning staff. From voluntary self-reported data that I have collected in the past over the summer - there seems to be VERY little elements of fatigue management and injury prevention strategies. 
• The players are not "theirs" so why should they invest in this? It is the college programs that truly suffer if long-term injuries occur as so much is invested in these student-athletes. We had two starters suffer major injuries while away from us during the past summer and had to redshirt them. 
• The balance of more game experience vs. accumulation of chronic fatigue is a tough one. Some players (juniors and seniors) may be more prepared to go from a short but intense summer season straight into the subsequent short but very intense fall NCAA season. Younger and less physically-able players, however, now may be more inclined to go by this option to avoid the lack of games problem discussed above. This may be further exasperated by poor training practices.

• The 5 playing dates in the spring, while not a full season by any means, brings about structure and motivation to training at this time of year. 
• Training endlessly with seemingly no end in sight would be hard for the majority of student-athletes. I can see problems with drink and drugs being a much bigger issue as the temptations of being a student with time on their hands come to the surface.
• Academics are massively important in college sports. To say that traveling and playing in the spring significantly impacts studies however may be missing the point. 1. It is five dates - almost always played at the weekends avoiding lectures and exams. 2. I know that I had far better grades in the fall during play than when we we were out of season. The structured days and weeks in place help this.

Keep working hard and neglecting your social life, 

next season is just at the end of this road

• Restrictions brought about by the Soup-Nazi, errr I mean the NCAA, already keep / force out many good, well educated coaches and staff. Bringing in more rigid rules will make college soccer even less attractive to these people. Poorer coaches = a drop in performance and an increase in injury. I feel that my colleague Satoshi and myself do a pretty good job with the ETSU men's soccer team in regards to performance and injury. Future work in NCAA soccer seems far less attractive to us now and I am sure we are not the only people thinking this.

No soup soccer for you. Come back 1 year 9 months!

The ultimate impact of the proposals is that it will hurt the student-athletes collegiate experience. In addition, torn ligaments, muscles, and tendons will quite literally hurt them. The welfare of NCAA Division I soccer players, along with other fall sports, is at risk here and we all need to stand up to protect them and our sport(s). Please pass this on or get writing yourselves on the topic if you wish to have an impact.

Kind regards,

Howard Gray

Coaching Manager - CESSCE

Sport Scientist - ETSU Men's Soccer