Often overlooked, yet crucial to the development of the players, junior varsity teams are a forgotten necessity to scholastic sports.

For two area soccer programs, this season brought the saddening news that their teams' numbers are so low, that both Tamaqua and Northern Lehigh had to waive their JV teams' seasons. As an alternative, there will only be varsity boys' soccer teams this season, and the two head varsity coaches are dealing.Tamaqua's Ian Blyth (second season) and Northern Lehigh's Rick Jones (third season), are both relatively new coaches to their respective programs, yet they'd like to make a strong impact on the future of their schools' soccer teams. Increasing the numbers is something they'd naturally like to start with."The junior high kids that will be coming up next year," Blyth mentioned. "I've invited them to practices and then, I go and watch their games down at their level, as well. Hopefully, they remember that and I think that kind of mutual support can go a long way."Meanwhile, for Coach Jones and the Bulldogs, steps for a remedy exist. "We've finally started a middle school soccer program, and it goes on in the Spring season," Jones admits. "That program comes from the feeder programs at the younger ages. So I'm hoping that it maintains the athletes' interest and translates into a solution down the road."Jones also mentioned a soccer coaches clinic that started this past off-season and he hopes to continue with that, as well.The idea of not having that junior varsity team is a pressing issue and quite sobering to both coaches."It has been and will continue to be a detriment to our program," Jones states. "The kids are not getting the playing time on that level, and the game experience that they would normally get while playing a junior varsity schedule of games. Ultimately, the athletes are going to need that experience down the road if they want to excel on the varsity level."In his three years at Northern Lehigh, this is the lowest number of players out for the sport of soccer, and when asked why he thinks it is this way, he guesses, "Possibly it could just be a lack of commitment on the part of some of the kids. I know back when I played, I gave up family vacations to train with the team and I put the time in to wanting to become a better athlete. It may just be a lack of commitment to be something better."With both teams having small enrollments to begin with, there are only so many student-athletes made available to the soccer program. With the successful history of the Bulldog football program, that sometimes tends to draw away from the other boys' Fall sports, as well. However, since the inception of the Northern Lehigh boys soccer team twelve years ago, its popularity seems to be dwindling."According to the other Fall sports coaches here at Northern Lehigh, it seems that this year is the lowest in terms of numbers, for all of our sports," Jones added.The Blue Raiders' Coach Blyth related to the idea of football success luring potential soccer players away, saying, "Whenever there is a rally for the football team and they start to be successful, the kids want to be a part of that. They want to be in the spotlight."Both coaches plan on using the absence of the JV teams to attempt getting the younger players into the varsity game."With no JV team, if our starters get us a lead early in a game, I'm going to put those younger players into the varsity game," Blyth mentioned. "Sometimes that works for people when they are thrown right into the fire and need to sink or swim.""It's difficult to get them the playing time they would get on a JV team," NL's Jones said. "They've gotten some in our pre-season scrimmages and I've been talking to them at practices, scrimmages and games. Also, as freshmen, they're going to be out-sized out there on the field in a varsity game, but they're going to have to get used to the quicker, bigger game eventually."With both coaches ready to take on any challenge, let alone this one, they will need to rely on a lack of injury, along with the athletes willingness to develop on their own.The popularity of sports seems to ebb and flow, which provides both coaches with hope that this dilemma may be one that is short-lived.