Committee members developed 4-question student survey on
Monday
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
A student survey looking to gauge interest in a football program at Anzar High School was all but finalized on Monday night when the Football Advisory Committee held its second meeting in San Juan Bautista.
The survey will be distributed to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students at both Aromas and San Juan middles schools, as well as ninth- and 10th-grade students at Anzar High, said Mike Perez, who is part of the student interest subcommittee and is also on the board of trustees for the Aromas — San Juan Unified School District.
“We want to get a good size of school participation and people supporting it,” Perez said.
The survey is said to be three to four questions — depending upon whether the student is in either middle school or high school — and will delve into academics as well as gauge interest from both potential players and fans.
The first question lists several fall activities, including football, cheerleading, volleyball, cross country and an “other” category where students can choose a sport not on the list, and asks the student to pick a sport they would prefer playing. Currently, Anzar offers only girls volleyball and coed cross country during the fall season, when football is played.
The second question, which will be answered by only high school participants, asks if the student has ever been academically ineligible to play a sport.
A longer list of sports that Anzar High does not offer, including every sport played under the Central Coast Section umbrella like water polo and lacrosse, is the focus of the third question. Students are asked to select boxes as to which sports interest them.
“A student could check 10 boxes or zero boxes,” said Chris Wardlaw, a math teacher at Anzar High and the former athletic director at the school. “We’d be interested to see where football ranked.”
Fan interest is the subject of the fourth and final question, and asks students if they’d be interested in football as a non-player.
“Basically, are you interested in attending football games?” Wardlaw said.
Perez, who was pleased with the turnout of the student survey, said there was discussions on Monday night regarding a separate parent survey, which would be a little more in-depth.
“At this time, there is no parent survey,” Perez said. “But I’d be fine with a parent survey.”
While the student questionnaire dominated the discussions on Monday night, Wardlaw, who is part of the feasibility subcommittee looking at program requirements, said Title IX was also discussed and having a football program might actually balance the Title IX playing field.
Two years ago, Wardlaw said, there were 97 girls playing sports and 92 boys. Last year, there was a 20-student discrepancy in favor of the female athletes.
“As far as football, it would not push us out of Title IX compliance, as far as last year,” Wardlaw said. “Getting football would help in regards to pulling in more boys.”
The Football Advisory Committee will meet the second Monday every month at the District Annex in San Juan Bautista at 2300 San Juan Highway.
The next meeting is scheduled for April 12 at 6 p.m.
