10
Thursday, November 17, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Trends show soccer's popularity
By RODNEY ANDERSON
Sports Writer
Soccer at the University of Kansas: the bottom line.
A club level sport at KU for eight years, soccer is not a varsity sport because the Big Eight Conference does not recognize soccer as a sport and Clyde Walker, KU athletic director, said that the University will not fund a sport that is not recognized.
KU Soccer Club coach George Mooney said that there was a possibility that soccer soon would emerge as a varsity sport on Mt. Ore.
"It's only a question of time," he said. "Soccer has been taken up by more and more colleges everywhere and there aren't many to prevent it from becoming a varsity sport."
Since soccer was adopted by the NCAA as an intercollegiate sport 19 years ago, the sport has spread from 160 participating schools to 437 schools in 1877.
OF THAT NUMBER, 140 are NCAA Division I soccer teams. Kansas is a Division I school. The majority of Division I schools listed by the NCAA as midwest region teams are concentrated in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
Mike Crawford, former soccer player and now KU professor of anthropology, said the heavy concentration of soccer players in the large cities on the East and West coasts could be attributed to the popularity of the European immigrants of the late 18th century.
"Some parts of the country just don't have the ethnic tradition that is right for the growth of soccer," he said. "Midwest immigrants have their roots in football."
CRAWDROP SAID that early American soccer was played primarily by ethnic teams in cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, New York and Cincinnati. In the far west, soccer was introduced by Mexicans and in the Pacific Northwest, by Canadians.
"Earlier, only the ethnic groups were paying soccer." Crawford said. That is, they had no ties to the team.
Foley by the New York Cosmos Soccer team
that an imminent factor in the growth
of the league.
In 1975, the year Pete signed with the Cosmos, there were $58,500 registered soccer players in youth leagues, high schools and junior college teams, according to figures from the North American Soccer League. Now there are more than $30,000.
Crawford, who coaches a Lawrence junior high school team in the Heart of America Soccer League in the metropolitan Kansas City area, demands the demand for soccer fields
HE SAID THAT more than 3,000 players competed on team in the league, with more than 25,000 players.
Crawford said the high level of skill by the players in the junior soccer league surprised him and he predicted that the United team would compete with the European countries.
He said the future growth of soccer in America in all levels of play was dependent on the continuance of the youth soccer leagues.
Mooney said that many KU alumni had expressed interest in seeing KU adopt soccer as a varsity sport because many of their players were playing soccer in the youth leagues.
Mooney said that the University of Colorado has been attempting to make soccer a varsity sport but that he thought it would be at CU could be as far away as three years.
AT KU, SOCCER is organized under Recreation Services. Mooney said that Recreation Services has been trying to increase in soccer through an intramural program.
According to Crawford, that is not enough. He outlined steps that would have to be taken before KU would ever have a varsity soccer program.
"A school must get a charismatic and excited coach who can go out and drum up interest in soccer," he said. "That's what has to be done here.
"Someone must then arrange series of exhibition soccer matches at the halftime of
Knapple leads the Big Eight in passing with 1,198 yards on 79 completions and is second in total offense, trailing only Terry Miller of Oklahoma State.
Knapple leaves CU squad
BOULDER, Colo. (UPI) - Quarterback Jeff Knapple, the Big Eight Conference's passing leader, walked out of a Colorado University practice session this week and has been cut from the squad, head coach Bill Mallory announced yesterday.
"Knappie walked off the field in Tuesday's practice on his own, and that's how he came to this morning (yesterday) and we met. He asked to be reinstated and I declined. His future with us is not ours. And we will discuss it after the season."
a football game to capture fan interest in soccer.
"The athletic department here lacks imagination," Crawford said. "They're unwilling to invest in the seeds of soccer to develop it."
HE SAID THAT if one Big Eight school invested money in soccer for a few scholarships, travel money and equipment, they would follow suit and upgrade their programs.
Five Big Eight schools now have club-level soccer teams.
EVEN TROUGH KU has a football program, Keough said he thought there would be a major matchup.
"I'd be delighted to see the game of soccer prosper in the Big Eight," he said. "Somewhere down the road Kansas would be competitive."
"As far as our own program goes, we have the players right here in St. Louis." Keough said. "We've always had the material. All we had to do was blow the whistle and they all would come out of the woodwork. We were never in the position KU is in."
"There is room for both soccer and football," be said. "Most football coaches see soccer as a threat to football because most comments are becoming more budget-minded."
Harry Keough, coach of the St. Louis University soccer team, said the fate of soccer on all levels in the midwinter rests with the coaching and maintenance of youth soccer programs.
The junior, who has started every game this season as well as last year, left a practice session Tuesday after he was replaced on the No. 1 offense unit by sophomore Pete Cyphers of Grand Junction, Colo.
Keough said that an athletic department could outfit an entire soccer team for the same amount of money it took to outfit five or six football players.
Mooney said that players don't have to specialize to play soccer.
"IN SOCCC it's very rare to have one person dominate a team," he said. "Of course there are variations in ability but everyone usually works as a team."
Other non-revenue-producing sports at KU include men's and women's gymnastics and men's and women's swimming, all of which take place in the intercollegiate level.
Mooney said he did not understand why the athletic department, as heavily as it subsidized other minor sports at KU, did not consider soccer a profit-making sport.
Mooney said that football breeds early retirement for its players but that he personally of people over 50 years old still playing soccer.
"Of the varsity sports now at KU, I think soccer is at least on a level with baseball as far as crowd attendance goes," Mooney said.
"Soccer will never be as popular as a football but it could possibly rank a close second."
--it's holiday season . . . Set aside time for exercise between parties . . . It will help you stay in shape.
And that is the bottom line.
9:00-12:00 p.m.
The fun doesn't stop when Steve Martin does. Thursday, November 17,
THUMBS
The Lawrence Opera House $1.00 General Admission $.50 with Steve Martin ticket stub.
All New Classes Starting Monday
Points East 841-7066
105 E. 8th Corner 8th and Mass.
Classes By Night
Strictly Exercise -clinicism, stretches & relaxation
Strictly Exercise -clinicism, Mon., Wed, Fr. 12:00 noon
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Wed. 10:00 a.m., Wed. 7:30 p.m., Thurs. 6:30 p.m
Intermediate Belly Dancing--2 to 4 months previous experience
Tues. 12:00 noon, Wed. 8:30 p.m.
Continuing Experience Belly Dancing—at least 4 months previous experience
Tues. 6:30 p.m., Thurs. 7:30 p.m.
Ballet For Adults- W. Whitley, Instructor
Tues. 12:00 noon, Wed. 8:30 p.m.
Register Today!
Hoping to qualify for the national tournment, the KU volleyball team takes on the University of Missouri at 5:30 this afternoon. The team will compete in VT tournament in Grand Forks, N.D.
The tournament is composed of 12 teams, and the top two will go to the national championship.
The Jayhawks have been placed in a pool with the Universities of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and St. Cloud University of Minnesota. A second pool consists of Drake, Kansas State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Missouri State and St. Louis Universities.
The top four finishers in each pool will go to a single elimination tournament to determine the winner.
KU coach Bob Stankill said he was *optimistic* of the Jayhawks' chances to qualify.
KU to face Tigers in volleyball regional
"We've already played four of the five teams we'll have in the pool play," he said. "I'll go first."
The Jayhawks have split matches with
Nebraska and defeated North Dakota twice
and defeated North Dakota twice.
nationals. A consolate bracket will be set up to determine breadth through eight.
Koleer, Lawrence sophomore, has been playing with a torn calf muscle.
"The only negative thing for us is injuries." Stamatti said. "Jane Kaleber and I were injured."
Estes, Overland Park freshman, has a badly srained ankle.
People Book Special One More Week! or bring in this coupon
Also special discounts on BASF tape and cassette carrying cases
928 Mass. 843-85001
$895
12 C-60 Capitol Cassettes
What does this strange little plant have to do with smoother, softer, healthier looking skin? Come see for yourself and get a free demonstration you'll love it!
AUDIOTRONICS
Season Tickets may be purchased after Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Main Ticket In Allen Field House anytime prior to the first game.
1977-78
Student
Season
Basketball
Tickets
Nov. 14-Nov. 17
Monday-Thursday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Daily
Allen Field House
East Lobby
NOTICE Season ticket is not good for spring semester unless accompanied by validated Spring I.D. at Student Gates.
Plan Now To See The Jayhawks! Be Part Of This Excitement!
1977-78 Kansas Basketball Schedule
Nov.28(Mon) Central Mo. State
Nov.30(Wed) Fordham
Dec.21(Fri) Southern Methodist
Dec.24(Mar) Ray State
Dec.7Wed) Fairleigh-Dickinson
Dec.10(Sat) Kentucky
Dec.17(Sat) St. Louis
Dec.19(Ulysse) St. John Roberts
Dec.22(Thu) Iaf Arkansas
Dec.27(Tue) Iaf 8 Big Blday Tourn.
Dec.28(Wed) Iaf 8 Big Blday Tourn.
Dec.30(Fri) Iaf 8 Big Blday Tourn.
Jan.7(Sat) * at Missouri
Jan.11(Wed) * Oklahoma State
Jan.15(Wed) * Oklahoma State
Jan.18(Wed) * at Iowa State
Jan.31(Sat) * Kansas State
 Jan.25(Wed) * nebraska
 Feb.14(Cowork) * Colorado
Feb.17(Wed) * Oklahoma State
Feb.4(Sat) * at Oklahoma (TV)
Feb.8(Wed) * Missouri
Feb.15(Wed) * Oklahoma State
Feb.15(Wed) * Iowa State
Feb.18(Sat) * Nebraska
Feb.25(Sat) * at Colorado
Feb.28(Wed) @Big Blday Post-Season Tourn.
Mar.3(Sat) * Big Blday Post-Season Tourn.
Mar.4(Sat) * big Blday Post-Season Tourn.
Iaf Little Rock. * "Big 8 Conference Game."
lati Little Rock,   *Big 8 Conference Game*
Kansas City,    *@Site to be determined.*
TICKET INFORMATION
**Season Tickets**
Student Price $15.00
Student Spouse Price $15.00
(Proof of Marriage Required)
I.D. Required When Purchase
Is Made
Single Game Tickets
Student Price $2.50
Student Spouse Price $3.00
A limited number of single game tickets will be sold for each game. Tickets are available 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I.D. is required to purchase and for admittance at gate.
Crimson Blvd. Interquartal Game Monday, Nov. 21:7:30 p.m.
KU Students--Free with I.D.
Alten Field House