Some highschool soccer packages across the Bay Space have greater than X’s and O’s on their minds as they put together for the season to begin in a number of weeks.
Jerseys and helmets are a priority, too.
Pandemic-related provide chain points have brought on a scarcity of jerseys and helmets for some groups, affecting each massive and small colleges, coaches say.
“Final 12 months this occurred, however I don’t suppose the issue was as unhealthy,” Menlo-Atherton coach Chris Saunders stated. “Final 12 months’s problem was reconditioning (helmets) since we performed within the spring and it was a good window for the autumn. That made sense.”
Los Gatos coach Mark Krail stated the dearth of jerseys is a frustration for a coach who positioned his order in January. On the extra optimistic facet, he stated his group has backup jerseys to put on till the common gear is available in, every time which may be.
“It’s a stock-type of jersey, and so they’re available to us,” Krail stated. “Mainly, they’re a reproduction of our JV jerseys, and everybody will look the identical and be sporting the identical jersey. We’ll have one thing that claims ‘Los Gatos’ once we kick off in a number of weeks.”
Over at Serra, the place practices started on Friday, the group has been in a position to considerably allay any points due to their partnership with Beneath Armour. However the Padres usually are not totally unaffected. Coach Patrick Walsh stated the group’s common jerseys have but to reach, however that the Padres produce other choices within the meantime.
“Now we have a backup plan to help us within the first couple of weeks,” Walsh stated. “We’re one in every of like 20 colleges who're in Beneath Armor’s elite standing partnership program, and we all know that not each college is as lucky as us.”
For a faculty like Gunderson, the difficulty isn’t anticipated to have an effect on varsity video games, as each varsity participant on the San Jose college ought to have a helmet by the beginning of the season. It's at decrease ranges the place the provision chain problem can be primarily felt.
“There can be a number of JV guys with out helmets for a number of weeks,” Harrison stated. “We’re about six helmets brief for JV.”
Saunders stated he wouldn’t be stunned to see “youngsters swapping helmets on the sidelines” of JV video games, and that he wouldn't be shocked if scrimmages had been canceled as a result of gamers didn’t have sufficient apply days in pads due to gear shortages. The CCS mandates that athletes should partake in a minimum of 10 days of padded apply earlier than they're eligible to play in video games.
“It’s all uncharted territory,” Saunders stated, whereas additionally clarifying that he didn't need for or plan on having his gamers share helmets. “Now we have youngsters with out helmets who aren’t in a position to do rather a lot in apply, and it’s irritating.”
The 2 highest rating officers in Bay Space highschool sports activities each stated that they don’t imagine an gear scarcity is a severe problem in the meanwhile. North Coast Part commissioner Pat Cruickshank stated he had not been contacted by any coaches about it, and Central Coast Part commissioner Dave Grissom stated only one coach talked about it to him.
“We’ve had a few colleges point out it in passing, however no person is 911-ing it,” Cruickshank stated.
Grissom added, “I've not heard of it being an enormous problem, however that doesn’t imply it’s not a difficulty.”
Bellarmine coach Jalal Beauchman stated that his program “acquired forward” of the difficulty and may have the vast majority of its gear by the point the season begins later this month. However he has heard in regards to the issues at different packages.
“I believe the timeline might have been modified,” Beauchman stated, “as a result of we've been listening to from different colleges that they weren’t anticipating to have the ability to get their stuff on time.”
“We'd like extra helmet suppliers available in the market, and we'd like a product that isn’t so inflexible in its means to satisfy demand,” stated Saunders, including that he was not an knowledgeable on the intricacies of the provision chain and manufacturing. “I believe it’s undoubtedly a distinct segment market that’s sat snug for some time.”
Bay Space Information Group highschool sports activities editor Darren Sabedra contributed to this report.