• The South Dakota State Soccer Association voted Sunday at its Annual General Membership meeting to end its sponsorship of high school soccer activities after the 2014 season ends.  After that sunset date, the only high school soccer available in South Dakota will be that sanctioned by the South Dakota High School Activities Association.
• Groton Area is one of three public schools in the state participating in the SDHSAA soccer program. Duane Kavanaugh, Groton, is the chairman of the South Dakota State Soccer Association. He said, "We really saw a big change in our school as far as they treated us. We've always had a great relationship with the Groton School. It's just that next level up. We call the secretary and they say 'Oh yea, it's taken care of.' Our AD Brian Schuring was very active. He had the ball  bought before we even thought about it and they did some of the things that schools do without thinking. It was a real nice advantage for us."
• Now it will be up to the individual school districts as to which schools will play sanctioned soccer after 2014.
• There has been a great deal of opposition to this idea in the past and there has been a great deal of debate, as well.  However, many speculated that once the South Dakota High School Activities Association began turning in successful results, there would be incentive for the state association to sunset their support of soccer and once again focus on its primary mission.
• High school soccer was never a mission of the state soccer association, but they picked it up in 1997, with the first state tournament taking place in 1998.  The sport has grown dramatically during that time, but as a club sport.  Today, most of the schools playing under the auspices of the SDHSAA are private schools, with Aberdeen Central, Mitchell High and Groton Area being the only public schools partici

(Continued on page 7)