In order to prepare for the implementation of sports in the 2014-2015 school year, Foothill administration has hired three new coaches. They are also continuing negotiations for use of facilities.

Recent updates include:

• Mike Giles was hired as the girls’ water polo coach. Giles has coached water polo from the club to the collegiate level for over 25 years; he led teams to both state and national championships. Giles currently heads the local Gold Coast Water Polo Club.

• David Wallace was hired as the boys’ water polo coach. Wallace has taken his high school teams to the CIF championships and his club teams to rank in the top ten in the National Junior Olympics. He has been coaching for more than 18 years.

• Analiese White was chosen as the girls’ soccer coach. White currently teaches at Oxnard High School. According to principal Joe Bova, White has been coaching soccer for other teams “very successfully.”

• Pending CIF approval, Foothill will be accepted into the Tri-County Athletic Association (TCAA). For the 2014-2015 school year, the teams will be placed in the Frontier League in the CIF Southern Section. After two years, Foothill will be evaluated to determine if teams should be moved up to the Tri-Valley League.

• Foothill has signed a contract with the YMCA for use of its facilities. “The Y is basically giving us carte blanche, whatever you want, whatever you need over there,” said Bova. Because of the Independent Study Physical Education (ISPE) program, Foothill has a long-standing relationship with the YMCA.

• Foothill’s first ever practice took place a few weeks ago with the AAU Sand Volleyball team. Coach Chip Tarleton led the practice.

“The TCAA is split into two leagues, the Tri-Valley League (TVL) and the Frontier League (FL). Teams float between the TVL and the FL depending on how well they do,” said Bova. “It really helps with competitive equity.”

Because the pool of teams in each league is smaller, the association can send more teams to the CIF playoffs.

Foothill plans to create roughly 20 varsity and junior varsity teams for the 2014-2015 school year. They will be placed in the lower-level Frontier League, but could be moved up to the Tri-Valley League based on their performance.

Tentative game schedules have been worked out for fall and winter sports. Schedules were negotiated with the other teams in the league so that most Foothill sports will have the majority of their games towards the end of their seasons. This is to help minimize the impact that the mandatory 30-day league sit-out period will have on Foothill teams.

“We’re not even part of the league yet, but they’ve [the league] been really kind to us, and we’re already scheduled in and everything,” said Bova. “They’re just waiting for official approval.”

The track and soccer fields are planned to be built at Anacapa Middle School, however, will likely not be completed in time for the upcoming school year. A master plan for the construction is being worked out by the Business Services and Facilities section of Ventura Unified School District, but teams in the meantime will have to practice at other locations.

The YMCA, Mavericks’ Gym, and Ventura College (VC) are options for most Foothill teams; track and field will most likely have to share facilities with Buena and Ventura High Schools.

Foothill is close to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mavericks and VC. Mavericks will be available for athletes in pre-season training over the summer.

“We’ve come to an agreement where we’re going to have Mavericks’ Gym for two separate one-hour sessions each day in the summer, so when coaches are doing summer workouts they can choose whether they want to get in there and work out with their teams,” said Bova. The gym will also be open to in-season athletes during the school year.

Ventura College will allow Foothill athletes to use its weight facilities during the seventh period Core Athletics Program, according to Bova. Athletes not in season will be able to use the weight room from 2-3:30 p.m. every day.

Foothill hopes to share the Anacapa fields under construction with the YMCA. Once softball fields are built at the Ventura Community Park on Kimball Road, Foothill teams should have full access to Ventura College’s softball fields.

Bova has noticed an unexpected interest in sports from the student body. More students are also switching over from Buena or Ventura athletics to Foothill than were expected.

“In some sports, probably mostly girl’s sports, we’re going to have two levels starting next year. We could have varsity and JV because there’s enough interest to do that,” said Bova.

In addition, Foothill’s lottery system may alter the demographics of individual sports from year to year.

“Any given year we could get a different athletic circumstance here,” said Bova. “We could get a bunch of kids in a sport get into the school and maybe not as many in another sport.”

The sports administration will hold a general interest meeting on June 16. Coaches will meet with all interested athletes, including incoming freshmen.

“There will be a general meeting with all the teams, and then at that point, we’ll break out into different sports for meetings with the coaches,” said Bova. “That’s our big first meeting.”