Kaelyn Hawa is an ASU Cronkite Journalism student assigned to cover Coronado High School for AZPreps365.com

SCOTTSDALE - Smaller enrollment numbers at Coronado High School have an impact on its athletic programs, even leaving some teams struggling to consistently have enough players. 

With an enrollment of around 747 students, Coronado is on the smaller side, especially compared to other schools within its conference, which range from around 1,100 to nearly 1,600 students, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) website.  

The difference in size can show itself in athletics, where smaller rosters, player priorities, and limited team levels can create challenges for teams and their ability to compete. 

According to Article 8.1 in the AIA handbook, a conference is a group of member schools whose enrollment falls within the same size range. Member schools are then divided into small and large conferences, with small defined as 1A, 2A, and 3A, and large defined as 4A, 5A, and 6A. 

Coronado’s conference is 4A Black Canyon. The AIA Handbook Article 8.1.6.4. states that the 4A conference generally consists of schools with student enrollment of 1,000 or more. 

So, for Coronado, that means facing schools with enrollment sizes like Cortez (1,113), Desert Sunrise (1,024), Dysart (1,551), Tempe (1,500), and Yuma (1,114). 

Coronado softball assistant coach Mike Hill, who also coached flag and tackle football at Coronado, said limited roster numbers is something he has seen first-hand through multiple teams.

“We had 29 kids in football, but at practice, we’d have maybe anywhere from 12 to 14 on any given practice day,” Hill said. 

In football, 11 players are allowed on the field for each team, and while games can be played with fewer, teams are at a disadvantage. 

Being short on players is an issue that is even more noticeable in a sport like softball, where you need at least 9 players to be able to play.

The Coronado softball team had to forfeit its March 24 game against the Cortez Colts due to a shortage of players.  

Hill also said that factors like open enrollment can influence where student-athletes choose to play. He said if athletes want to go into a stronger program, they have other schools within the district that are much larger.

“You want to go where you have your best opportunities,” Hill said. 

At the same time, athletics at Coronado compete with other successful programs on campus. For instance, Coronado has a successful band program as well as career-focused programs, which can create other priorities for students. 

Hill said that with a lot of success within the school, it creates competing priorities, and teams don’t always have players at every game or practice because they have other things they need to focus on as well. 

Despite these challenges, Coronado athletics continues to focus on making the most of the resources and players they have.

“We work with what we got,” Hill said. “And we’ve got a lot of great kids at this school.”