Biggest issues facing Cincinnati soccer scene | Coaches confidential

The Cincinnati Enquirer high school sports team has brought back a popular feature, Coaches Confidential, to the 2026 slate of coverage.

The idea is for coaches to answer questions anonymously about their sport so readers can focus on the message instead of the messenger. While football coaches have been the primary focus in past features, we asked soccer and volleyball coaches to weigh in this year.

Coaches not on the mailing list who wish to answer questions may reach out to [e-mail].

This week's question for soccer coaches: What are the biggest issues facing Cincinnati high school soccer teams?

Club soccer, MLS NEXT

• "One of the biggest issues facing high school soccer is the perception that players have to leave high school and play MLS NEXT or MLS NEXT Pro pathways to improve or to be recruited for college. In my experience, that simply isn't true. High school soccer offers a unique opportunity to represent your school, build lifelong friendships and compete in an environment that club soccer cannot replicate. Last year, I saw several players who chose to skip their high school seasons only to quit soccer altogether before the end of their senior year. There are many different paths to college soccer, and high school is still a valuable one."
• "CUP, MLS Next. Definitely hurts the high school landscape, not allowing some of Cincinnati’s best players to play high school. Wish they would adapt the similar methodology of Indy Eleven and allow players to choose. I understand the developmental path, having a son who played a year and a half at FC Cincinnati. In my opinion, FCC and CUP are not one of the same in MLS Next play. Recruiting-wise, the fall is not a heavy recruiting time unless you are playing with an MLS Academy. Largest event in the nation is in the winter, well after high school is over."
• "One of the issues currently affecting the boys' side, but not as much (yet) on the girls' side, is club soccer.  Club leagues that restrict players from competing in high school soccer dilute on-field quality, especially in geographic areas where these high-level club teams are based."
• "The biggest issue facing high school soccer is club soccer. The demand for club soccer continues throughout the summer months and starts right after high school, not allowing players to have any rest in between seasons. This can lead to injuries and burnout.  It also has been an issue as far as girls specializing and we are lacking those multi-sport athletes."
• "With the introduction of MLS Next, it prevents those kids who play on those club teams from playing with their high schools. Recognizing this, MLS Next 2 was created, which allows for kids to play high school. However, most MLS Next 2 teams are considered second teams. If players value playing for top teams, then dropping to a second team to play high school is not appealing."
• "Year-round soccer driven by clubs looking for income give players no time off to recover as there is no 'in-between' seasons or ability to cross-train in another sport. This results in lots of overuse injuries and the eventual burnout of players."

Referee abuse, shortage

• "Referee abuse is a huge issue. Too many coaches, parents, and players are too comfortable verbally abusing the referees. For some reason, these coaches and players do not understand that we cannot play the games without referees and that referees are human beings.  They should be treated with respect regardless of how one feels about a call."
• "I am concerned about the lack of people willing to become referees. Part of this certainly can be based upon fan interaction (but that is handled easily by a strong coach and administration). But I fear that we are      headed toward a ref shortage in the near future."
• "Simply put, we need younger guys/girls to enter the referee pipeline. Unfortunately, those younger-aged folks don’t want the headaches of being berated during games. As coaches, we have to understand the shortage and understand that fans/coaches' behaviors are simply hurting the shortage more. We have some amazing referees in Cincinnati, and it’s an area of the game that can directly affect games being played and accuracy during the game (two-man vs three-man system)."
• "I think one of the biggest challenges facing high school soccer is both the shortage of referees and the need for greater consistency in officiating. Refereeing is an incredibly difficult job. Officials are expected to make split-second decisions while players, coaches and fans all have opinions on every call. That's not easy. At the same time, I think the game benefits from officials who are fit enough to keep up with play, have a strong understanding of the game, and can remain calm when emotions run high. Soccer is a passionate sport, and there will always be moments of disagreement. When possible, taking a moment to briefly explain a decision can go a long way in building respect and helping everyone move on. At the end of the day, we're all working toward the same goal: creating the best possible experience for the student-athletes."

Access for athletes

• "The biggest issue we have is access. I have a lot of boys who love the game and want to play all the time. They can not join a select team because so many are pay-to-play. Many of my boys have to help their family pay the bills and have to work, limiting the amount of time we are able to practice. Many of them take the bus from different parts of town. However, during summer, the school bus card is unavailable and paying for a bus ticket three days a week places undue stress on the family."

• "I think soccer in general has grown tremendously in the past 10 years. Access to equal coverage and appreciation of the sport has improved, but is still one of the largest issues.  It isn't just media, but overall within the schools.  The sport is growing and as it continues to be more mainstream that will help. To me the biggest issue is trying to get more involvement as club is expensive.  I coach at the higher level and know that can be a barrier outside of commitment for players.  It has financially become a barrier for many athletes." 

Overtraining in club soccer, difficult fans

"You don’t have enough time for my answer! Ha ha. The overtraining of club soccer is causing so many injuries. The cost of the game makes

it very difficult for many families. Unluckily, the fans have made it very difficult for officials ‒ the lack of sportsmanship continues to be very disappointing for me. We are not getting young officials ‒ so older officials are attempting to stay up with the pace of the game and that is very difficult. I believe strongly in multisport high school athletes ‒ and it is becoming harder and harder to do for the players. I do think the five divisions have given more teams a chance to get recognition. I don’t agree with some of the aspects of competitive balance because OHSAA doesn’t police the recruiting and what schools are doing to attract players to their school. Being at a K-12 school, I know who I have and am excited as they come through middle school before I get to coach them."

Referee shortage, injuries and club soccer highlight some top issues

"The biggest challenge I see is balancing high school soccer with the growing influence of club soccer. There are tremendous benefits to club soccer, and many players benefit greatly from the additional training and competition. At the same time, high school soccer offers something unique ‒ a chance to represent your school, play in front of classmates, being part of a team that reflects your community and the high school game offers a pressure that they do not always get in club. No one cares if you lose in front of eight moms in Albuquerque, but everyone cares if you lose to your rival across town.

"Another significant issue is injuries. The amount of soccer ‒ many athletes are playing year-round ‒ continues to increase, and we're seeing more overuse injuries and serious injuries like ACL tears. Unfortunately, we've experienced that firsthand this season. Keeping athletes healthy while still helping them develop is becoming increasingly challenging.

"Finally, recruiting and retaining quality referees continues to be a concern. The game is getting faster, expectations are increasing, and officials face a tremendous amount of pressure. We need to continue creating an environment where officials want to stay involved in the game."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Biggest issues facing Cincinnati soccer scene | Coaches confidential