Du Quoin rejects soccer cooperative with Pinckneyville

There was nearly a full house at last week's Du Quoin School Board meeting as a number of community members added their voices to the chorus of debate over the high school soccer cooperative agreement proposal from the Pinckneyville High School Board.
Shane Boyett, head girls track coach at Du Quoin High School, said he spoke on behalf of several high school coaches against adding soccer to the high school's roster of sports.
"We would be sharing athletes with the soccer program, and we do have some low numbers for some of our sports," Boyett said.
Board President Larry Valier asked for comments from the public, and Brandi Weeks spoke in support of the proposal. She said that there were plenty of students who weren't involved in other sports who would love the opportunity to play soccer.
James Denny, who introduced himself as a junior high soccer coach, told the board that the interest is there.
"Du Quoin kids love soccer!" he said.
Dennis Cole said he had met with representatives of the Pinckneyville group and described them as very "welcoming and accommodating."
"They made the changes to the proposal that we asked for," he said. "I believe this is a good, workable agreement that we can live with."
Several board members agreed that they didn't want to take the chance away from students who might want to play, but other board members said that nothing prevented students from playing in the Perry County Soccer Association.
"When you're talking about bringing in a new sports program, all of the pros and cons must be considered," Mark Woodside said. "It's not as simple as, 'Let 'em play.'"
"For a school of 400 students, we offer a lot of activities and a variety of sports programs," High School Principal Matt Hickam said. "Several boys participated in club soccer last fall."
Board members debated whether or not the "self-funding" aspect of the proposal would be consistent and not leave students "high and dry if the money ran out." Others debated whether it was "right to ask any one sport of club to raise the money or pay to play."
Hickam argued that there was a lot of money coming from the community for clubs, charities, sports clubs and other groups and activities at the high school.
"Are we making the pie bigger or cutting smaller pieces for everyone?" he asked the board.
Karen Williams said that the transportation details had not been worked out.
"What do you say to children who may not have the means to get to practice?" she asked.
Talk then turned to the high school's current programs.
Hickam told members that about 20 high school boys had signed a petition and asked him about starting a wrestling program, and that he had discouraged them from pursuing the idea.
"I shot them down," he said. "I told them that I could not recommend adding any new sports right now, considering our deficit budget."
And when several members started talking about whether there was a "need or interest on in a wrestling program," Board President Larry Valier stopped the discussion.
"We're talking about soccer tonight," he said. "Let's not get off on wrestling."
Cole said that when he went to high school, the boys played multiple sports.
"And we have the funds for soccer under this agreement," he said. "We don't have the funds for wrestling, tennis or any other sports."
Cole made a motion to accept the proposal. Valier seconded it. The motion failed on a 5-2 vote -- Cole and Valier voted yes -- and most of the visitors left the meeting.
The district has considered a similar proposal before, in 2011 when Perry County soccer parents brought the issue to the board; and again last year, when it was first presented verbally by a soccer association representative in April and in the fall, when nine Du Quoin coaches and assistant coaches signed a letter opposing the cooperative soccer team.