Track has always been a spring sport at a lot of high schools.

A number of coaches want their football players to be on the track team fro conditioning. Some bigger players do field events like shot put. I can see in my mind a young Joey Slye taking up poll vaulting to try to vault himself through the goalposts:-)

The interest in track is likely because it's not contact, and running has been popular for years. It doesn't make a difference if it's cross country and/or spring track. It's the cardiovascular conditioning. If your going to do any physical activity you need to be in shape. Young people today want to be healthy.

By the way you have to be in great shape to play soccer. You are moving constantly and distance running helps condition.

The spring track milers usually were also on the cross country team. The 440 and 880's are more like sprints than distance. Anything up to the 880 had pure athletes in it, even through we wouldn't make good wide receivers:-)