State soccer tournament reorganized

Higher seeds to host all matches but final

Hersh Wilson enjoys the sights and sounds of the state soccer tournament at the Bernalillo Soccer Complex.

Wilson, the boys soccer coach at Santa Fe Prep, said there is something about the atmosphere of the complex, with multiple matches happening at once and swarms of fans moving from one field to the next, that warms his heart.

He and other soccer coaches will not experience that in the fall, however, as the New Mexico Activities Association’s board of directors voted to change locations and the format for the tournament.

By a unanimous 10-0 vote, the board agreed to let the higher seeds host first-round, quarterfinal and semifinal matches before the two finalists square off at the UNM Soccer Complex in November. NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez said the organization received positive feedback from the soccer community regarding this year’s format for the shortened season, which had higher-seeded teams host the quarterfinals and semifinals prior to the championship round.

Marquez added it allowed communities to experience postseason soccer across the state and helped some schools trim travel expenses since they were not staying in Albuquerque for more than one match.

Wilson, however, said eliminating the quarterfinals and semifinals from one centrally located area takes away from the ambiance of the state tournament, which is what made the Bernalillo Soccer Complex such an entertaining venue.

“There are so many teams there, and so many other games,” Wilson said. “In this case, there are no other games and you don’t get that mixture of all the fans from all of those other games that bring energy to the tournament.”

Larry Chavez, the incoming superintendent for Santa Fe Public Schools, said one problem the soccer tournament posed was that some teams would stay in Albuquerque for up to three days, which takes time away from school.

In this format, teams will be on the road for just one day, limiting the amount of missed classes, which is an important factor as the state emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Studies have shown students lost anywhere from four months to up to a year or more of learning because they were away from campus.

Chavez also said the soccer format is more consistent with football, which holds each round of the playoffs at either the home of the higher seed or the team that is

owed a home game based on its history for the semifinals or championship game.

“With a home site, it gives our fans a chance to come support our teams that make the playoffs,” Chavez said. “I think having the opportunity to host games and having home fans in attendance is a good thing.”

While the soccer playoffs are in a state of flux, so is the NMAA board leadership. Anthony Casados, the superintendent of the Chama Valley Independent School District, was named president of the board for a two-year term starting July 1. He replaces Hobbs Superintendent TJ Parks, who is retiring at the end of the 2020-21 school year.

Casados, who was the board vice president, was approved by a 6-4 vote against Gadsden Independent Schools Superintendent Travis Dempsey, who will serve as vice president. Casados, who has been on the board since 2011, said he has big shoes to fill in replacing Parks and appreciated Parks’ ability to understand the impact board decisions had on both large and small school districts, since he was Tatum’s superintendent prior to working at Hobbs.

“He can relate to our needs and our issues as well as he relates to large-school issues,” Casados said. “Although I have quite a few years of experience on the board, I am fortunate enough to have colleagues on the board from large schools that I can turn to assist in understanding those issues on a topic.”

The board also extended Marquez’s contract through the 2023-24 school year, commending her for her advocacy for student-athletes and helping ensure each sport competed this year despite the pandemic.

The scope of the pandemic’s impact was revealed in the NMAA’s financial report. Shari Kessler-Schwaner, the organization’s business manager, said it made $400,000 in gate receipts from fall and winter sports championships — an amount that was not factored into the 2020-21 budget. However, she said the NMAA earned more than $1,971,000 from gate receipts for the 201819 school year, which was the last time it had a full year of sports.

“The pandemic, what that did to us finance people, is made us crazy,” Kessler-Schwaner said.

Kessler Schwaner added the organization did away with walk-up ticket sales, instead using the online app GoFan for fans to purchase tickets. She said the response she received from spectators about ticket purchases was overwhelmingly positive.

“Things are changing — nobody is doing cash at our events,” Kessler Schwaner said. “We’re still learning, but the fans were great. They were happy to be there. They didn’t complain once about ticket prices.”

The board also approved allowing cross-country teams to use nine runners for the pre-state meet at Albuquerque Academy next year instead of the usual seven. Marquez said it would allow alternate runners a chance to run the championship course prior to the state meet in November. The only other time teams could use nine runners is at the district meets.

The board also approved allowing cross-country teams to use nine runners for the pre-state meet at Albuquerque Academy next year instead of the usual seven.