SIDNEY — Though the start of fall sports may sneak up on some, it never does for Sidney athletic director Mitch Hoying. Hoying spends much of his summer getting ready for the upcoming school year and sees athletes from all sports working out.
The high school football season began for Sidney and most teams across Ohio on Friday. Football is the last fall sport to begin regular season play; most other sports started in the last two weeks, and golf started earlier this month.
And though football always receives the most attention from fans, Hoying said he’s excited for the school’s other sports as well.
“All of our athletes have had a pretty good summer,” Hoying said. “There have been a lot of good things going on in the weight room and on the practice fields. Everybody’s got a week of academics in at this point. We’re really grateful for the efforts the kids have put in. This should be a very exciting season for all fall sports.”
This season will mark the first that Sidney and Piqua will compete for an all-sports trophy. Though an all-sports trophy is awarded to a GWOC North school every year, the league’s largest schools (Troy and Vandalia Butler) usually claim the trophy.
Piqua athletic director Chip Hare came up with the idea of an all-sports trophy between the Indians and Yellow Jackets, and Hoying liked the idea.
“It’s a really good thing,” Hoying said. “It gives every single team one more big game and one more thing to be excited about, regardless of whether their season is undefeated or winless. Piqua and Sidney share many similarities. As long as we’re competing successfully against them, we know we’re going to be doing a pretty good job at that sport.”
The schools compete in 22 different sports each year, and the competition will be tabulated by a points system. In sports where teams play twice — like volleyball — each game or match is worth half a point. In sports like football, where the teams play just once, a full point will be awarded to the winner. The school with the most points at the end of the year receives the trophy.
Volleyball will kick things off, with Piqua traveling to Sidney next Tuesday. It’s the first of three competitions this week. On Wednesday, boys and girls cross country will compete in a one-mile race, and the boys golf teams will play at Shelby Oaks on Thursday.
Behavior reminder to fans: Hoying said fan behavior at sporting events has become an issue across the state in recent years, and more schools have been forced to eject unruly spectators.
“Just remember that they’re kids,” Hoying said. “They’re doing their best. They deserve to be supported. Obviously as a spectator, profanity is never acceptable. Obviously derogatory remarks about a person’s play on the field is never acceptable. At the end of the day, we need people to show up that are in the mood to support the guys and girls playing and enjoy an evening of athletics.
Parking reminder: Sidney City Schools will be patrolling the grass lots around Sidney Memorial Stadium and will be stepping up parking enforcement. No one is allowed to park on the fields, which are used for practice.
“We’re asking people to park on the pavement in the lined spots,” Hoying said. “It costs us a lot of time, effort and money to repair every year, and we don’t want it to keep happening. Too many ruts, too may tire tracks, too much general disregard for trying to keep campus looking nice.”
Though Hoying said the district is in the process of getting the word out about the parking enforcement, violators will be towed in the future.
