Deanery Leagues a huge hit

One of the greatest sporting success stories in Southern Indiana recently is the growth of the New Albany Deanery Soccer Leagues.

And this weekend, more children (320 plus) and more teams (26) than ever will be taking to the fields when the league kicks off for a third year.

Frank Riely, whose children attended Holy Family when the league for third to eighth graders commenced in 2006, said the growth has everyone involved anticipating a great two months of soccer and fun.

"We’re excited that, in our third year, the popularity of the soccer ministry is still growing, with more players, more teams, more parent volunteers and greater interest and participation from all our parishes," said Riely.

Today (Friday), games for third and fourth graders will commence at Providence (6 p.m.), while fifth and sixth graders will be in action at Sacred Heart in Jeffersonville (5.30 p.m.). On Sunday, it will be the turn of seventh and eight graders, also at Providence (5.30 p.m.).


Action from the New Albany Deanery Soccer Leagues, now in their third - and most successful - year

"By hosting our games at their facilities, Providence High School and Sacred Heart Parish are making especially important contributions to the ministry," said Riely. "We’re hoping that the warm, community atmosphere and the sense of fun that we’ve had in our past seasons continues this year as well."

It was a conversation in October of 2005 that kick-started a league which, seven months later, would see so many children in schools across Floyd and Clark counties involved that it catapulted the game to the position of being one of the most played sports in most of the area's grade schools.

Steve Parker, Greg Reger, Mike Bittenbender and Bart Makowski had children who had all played on the same team at YMCA for three years. They thought it would be a good idea to form an official team at their children's school, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Sensing more of an interest in the area for the sport than he had originally envisaged, Parker decided to contact Ray Lucas, the director of youth ministries for New Albany. Lucas explained staff was limited but they would support a league if Parker could find the people to put it together.

And that he did. The hard work paid off when the first of 250 children showed off their skills to proud parents on April 9, 2006. From there, its popularity has rocketed.

Nine schools are involved in the league: Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Holy Family; Sacred Heart; St. Mary's New Albany; St. Mary of the Knobs; St. Paul's; St. Anthony's; St. Mary's Navilleton; and Providence Junior High. And the league has greatly improved pupils’ involvement in sports, claims Riely.

"Because of soccer, our student participation in extra-curricular activities jumped to something like 98 per cent," said Riely. "Basically, kids who weren't involved in any other activity wanted to play soccer - what a great measure of success."