Ti parents push for boys school soccer team

TICONDEROGA | Soccer moms and dads in Ticonderoga with children who are passionate and have fallen in love with the sport are advocating for the school district to add a boys soccer team to its athletic offerings. According to World Atlas, soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with a staggering 3.5 billion fans globally as of 2025. "The Ticonderoga Youth Soccer Program, which is part of the Essex County Youth Bureau, has students from Kindergarten through sixth grade," explained Dr. Katie Alexander, who has two kids enrolled at Ti Elementary who currently play on the town team. "Participation in that program is strong; there are about 80 kids playing from Ti and half of them are boys, but when these boys reach middle and high school, there is no local opportunity for them to continue playing competitively. Adding a boys' soccer team would build on this existing momentum." Ticonderoga does offer girls soccer at the modified, junior varsity, and varsity levels and has for many, many years. As it stands now, once boys hit seventh grade, they age out of the youth program. With no modified, junior varsity, or varsity teams within the school, those young athletes are at a dead end, their blossoming soccer careers coming to a screeching halt. The district does offer a strong cross-country track program and Ticonderoga historically has had a football program, but not every male wishes to play full-contact football, nor does every parent desire for them to do so. "As a parent, traumatic brain injuries are a concern," Alexander admitted. Soccer parent Garrett Lee, who also has male children who participate in the Youth Soccer program, praised soccer for being a less volatile pastime. "Soccer is a pretty safe sport for your body, I didn't suffer more than sprained ankles through college," he said. Lee relocated to Ticonderoga within the last few years to raise his family, and recalls being shocked to discover there was no boys soccer program already in place within the school. "It's a sport I have enjoyed my whole life, starting from five years old. I always assumed soccer was available to every kid (boy and girl)," he said. "I played for the town I grew up in and for the school district. Parents travel enough living here so rather than joining a travel team, it'd be great to keep playing with the school. It's the most popular sport in the world." At the October School Board meeting, a group of parents approached the board, expressing their desire for the creation of a boys soccer team, asking the board to consider ways of bringing a boys team to reality. "I recently read an article in the Adirondack Explorer about declining enrollment in schools across the Adirondacks and how communities and school districts are creating ways to continue to make opportunities available to our kids," Alexander expressed to the board. "Schools in our region are feeling the effects of a shrinking student base and funding per student — which means we should be proactive about ensuring that every remaining student has meaningful opportunities." Alexander also wondered about the possibility of combining a boys soccer team with a neighboring district might be a solution to entertain. "The interest and talent are there for a boys team," said soccer mom Akashia Ross, whose son plays on the youth teams and currently has no interest in football. "Our sport selections should reflect the wants of the players." Ross said as a parent, she is a proponent of soccer because it is a game of patience and teamwork. "The slower pace teaches the kids to think through their options and to trust their teammates," she said, adding that as a taxpayer, the lack of a school team leaves her feeling primarily frustrated. "It's hard to see not just my own child, but all the youth soccer boys have to wonder what they'll do. They don't see playing football as an option. Ticonderoga Central School District Director of Athletics, Dan Dorsett, said that participation numbers have consistently remained the same over the years in the school's Athletic Program. "The percentage of students in athletics compared to the amount of students in school has remained consistent over a long period of time," he shared. "If we have had low numbers in participation, it has been due to low numbers in class sizes. Therefore, the percentages have remained steady." Dorsett said whether or not the district adds additional opportunities in the future is greatly affected by the current system of funding schools in New York State and lower enrollment numbers. For a complete soccer team, 11 players are needed on the field during a standard match: 10 outfield players and one goalie. "You also need subs so I would say about 15 is a full team," Ross said. This most recent season, the Youth program had 10 boys on the third and fourth grade team and eight boys on the fifth and sixth grade team. "It's important to encourage any sport or healthy participation," Ross reflected. "There are a lot of complaints about 'youth getting in trouble' around town and I wholeheartedly believe that if they have more appropriate options, then we can encourage them in the right direction." Dorsett said that there is great participation at all three levels, including modified, junior varsity, and varsity in every sport the district provides. "Both boys and girls athletics have seen a great deal of success and displayed a tremendous amount of enthusiasm at all levels in every sport," Dorsett remarked. "Moving forward, I am very confident that we will be able to continue to offer our student-athletes a great experience." Alexander encourages other soccer parents who would like to help the cause to reach out to her.

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Ti parents push for boys school soccer team

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