After watching his program advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2019 on Saturday, Flower Mound boys soccer coach David Doyle was glad everyone held their legs for 80 minutes.
The night before, in the 6A Region I semifinals, Doyle's team survived a shootout against El Paso Eastlake. The penalty kick was taken after 100 minutes of soccer, including 80 minutes of regulation time and two 10-minute overtime periods.
Flower Mound returned to school around 8:30 Friday night and played Prosper the next day at noon in the 6A Region I final. Before the regional tournament, Flower Mound faced a tough Allen team in the third round last Tuesday.
As Flower Mound defeated Prosper 1-0 to win the 6A Region I title, Doyle noticed he was stuck on the field.
“Saturday, they were exhausted heading into the final,” Doyle said. “You could see that. Even though Prosper didn't go to overtime, you could see he was getting a little tired towards the end of the game.”
Prosper girls soccer players had similar feelings after surviving back-to-back shootouts in Friday's district semifinals and Saturday's district finals.
“There's a lot to ask of our kids these last two games in a row, and I'm so proud of our kids for fighting through it,” Prosper coach Matt Dickinson said after the 6A District I final victory over Flower Mound Marcus. I think so,” he said.
High school soccer players can run three to five miles per game, and they often sprint downfield or exert themselves in other ways. When muscles are not given enough time to recover, an athlete's performance decreases and the risk of injury and overtraining conditions increases.
Several Dallas-area soccer teams competing in the UIL state tournament this week at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown will have little time to recover between games if they advance to the state finals after the state semifinals. There is a possibility of falling. The Class 4A girls state semifinals and finals and the Class 6A boys and girls state semifinals and finals will be held on consecutive days. Area coaches are determining the best way to help players recover while on the road, but some expect the schedule to change in the future.
For Mr Doyle, the current format does not prioritize the welfare of children. “We may have an injury that may take more than a few days to recover from, but then both teams will be at full strength,” Doyle said.
“It's definitely taxing, and it's definitely hard to switch over and play another game the next day,” Frisco Wakeland boys coach Andy Holt said. “And that’s where recovery begins in a big way.”
Flower Mound boys, Duncanville boys, Prosper girls and Rockwall girls could compete on both Friday and Saturday. The Celina girls were able to play on Wednesday and Thursday.
The area's Class 5A teams (Colleyville Heritage girls, Midlothian boys and Frisco Wakeland) will play state semifinal games on Thursday and the state final on Saturday if they advance.
After playing three games last Tuesday through Saturday, the Wakeland boys will get a day off at state if they beat Leander Glen in the state semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m. The 5A boys final will be played Saturday at 1:30 p.m. I don't get caught
However, the Flower Mound boys were left with the same scenario as the regional tournament, with the state semifinal game scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the state finals scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. has been done. Teams cannot take breaks between games.
Friday's game, like Flower Mound's district semifinal game, could go into overtime, meaning the game likely won't end until around 10 p.m. In that case, players will need to eat something and have enough time to recover.
Doyle said the UIL told Flower Mound trainers in an email that a recovery room was available at the tournament venue, but it would cost athletes $100 an hour to use it. UIL did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
“We will bring as many recovery supplies as we can to help them,” Doyle said. “But do we charge a fee to use the equipment that's there? And when we ask them, [to stay in the recovery room] Even if you play 30 minutes after the game, at 7:30 at night, to get ready for the next day? That's crazy.
“I can’t see Duncanville or DeSoto.” [football] They must play the semifinals on Friday night and then turn around and play the final on Tuesday. They take a whole week off. Well, it's a different sport, but my kids keep moving for 80 minutes. ”
Holt plans to find a place along the route to Georgetown where the Wakeland boys can stretch their legs and kick a ball. He wants to keep kids moving and not just sitting in a hotel room waiting for a game.
At Wakeland, Holt sticks to a routine of ice baths, rollers and whatever else trainers recommend to keep his players feeling fresh. This bodes well for Wakeland, who advances to his ninth state tournament on Saturday and will be aiming for his sixth state title this weekend.
“It's really, really important that I do what I have to do to get my body back and ready to play,” Holt said. “I think the teams that can do that are the ones that will be successful.”
See more of The Dallas Morning News' high school sports coverage here.