(Published in the Evening News & Tribune, February 19, 2008)
Professional soccer looks certain to return to the Louisville metro area in 2009 thanks mostly to a Jeffersonville architect.
Speaking this week, Wayne Estopinal said the team should be ready to play in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the fall of next year.
Estopinal, who owns the rights to the MISL franchise in Louisville, visited Detroit at the weekend where he saw the city’s expansion, Ignition, take on and beat reigning champions Philadelphia Kixx.
There, Estopinal and his ownership team held a positive two hour meeting with MISL commissioner Steve Ryan and Detroit Ignition’s John Hantz.
“We were very pleased with what we saw in Detroit,” he said. “Our ownership will be submitting a final proposal within the next 45 days.
"I feel very comfortable we will be playing at Freedom Hall first in 2009, and then at the new arena in 2010."
The expansion, not yet named but with a working title of MISL Louisville, is expected to join nine existing franchises from the likes of Chicago, Orlando and New Jersey. There is also the possibility of two other new expansions being added in 2009, making it a 12 team league.
The season currently runs from October to April, but moves are being made within the MISL to push the season back towards December, with a later finish.
Estopinal and part owner, attorney/soccer referee Louis Waterman, had hoped to have the team ready to play this fall, but numerous delays combined with getting everything in place made 2009 a much more realistic prospect for a project that will cost an estimated $400,000-$600,000 a year to run.
A general manager should be in place by this summer, while image consultants will be hired soon to help come up with a team name, logos and a mascot. Players will be acquired via open try-outs and the MISL expansion and college drafts.
Estopinal will be known to many involved in the game locally, as he is majority owner of Mockingbird SC. The new expansion will use facilities at the club, which will include a new $150,000 Sportexe synthetic playing surface -- the official surface of the MISL – while the Melwood avenue facility is also in the process of making further renovations, including dressing room improvements and the installation of a new air conditioning system.
The indoor game is six a side, with four 15-minute quarters and a different scoring system, which involves the awarding of two or three points per goal. Estopinal believes the higher scoring games will appeal to a more general audience, attracting many new fans to a game which already has TV exposure via Fox Soccer Channel on Friday nights.
"It's completely opposite to the outdoor game," Estopinal said. "It will change the public’s perception of what soccer is, and maybe in the long run it will help local clubs by having a professional outfit in Louisville, while also helping University of Louisville to keep talented kids locally and help with recruiting."
The area's last professional indoor team - Louisville Thunder - lasted three years, from 1984 to 1987, winning the American Indoor Soccer Association's championship in its final year.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Indoor legues heating up
Where can you find the Purple People Eaters, the Spanky Panthas and the Motorcycle Mafia on cold winter weekends?
In the warmth of Mockingbird Valley's Melwood Avenue indoor facility in Louisville is where. And they are just a few of the teams which are part of a growing soccer league program featuring hundreds of high schoolers, including many from southern Indiana.
The leagues for varsity and junior varsity boys and girls are really heating up at the moment as they move towards their March conclusion.
Mockingbird's league director, Deron Schulten, said the program has been in existence since the late 1980s, but took off when the facility grew in size.
"When we expanded to two indoor fields in 2004, it really exploded," he said. "Now we annually host between 80 and 90 teams in each of our winter sessions."
There are 16 varsity and 24 junior varsity boys' teams, as well as 12 varsity and 24 junior varsity girls' teams playing in the leagues.
And such is the growth that Mockingbird is now planning to have spring and summer sessions for the first time due to the high interest level.
"Typically we host many teams from around the region, pulling a between eight to 12 teams from Southern Indiana," said Schulten.
Among those involved on this side of the river are coaches Todd Perkins and his wife Michelle. Todd has two U14 teams playing -- Jabouti and Orange Crush - while Michelle coaches the Spanky Panthas, with former SIU president Scott Klink.
"It has been tremendous fun and good competition for the girls on my teams," said Todd Perkins. "Indoor soccer is a different game with rebounds off of the side and end walls still being in play. The ball rebounds and moves at a very fast pace and it forces the players to speed up their reaction time to keep up the play.
"The 13 and 14 year old girls on my U14 teams have had to play against much bigger and more physical high school players. There are several high school girls that are close to 6' in height. Sometimes it even resembles ice hockey with the boards and the physical contact. The referees do a good job though of keeping it from getting too rough."
Perkins said they do a number of things to keep it fun.
“We have some girls from other clubs on the team to give them a chance to play with other friends,” he said. “ The team names, custom jerseys, guest coaches and playing other positions all add up to keeping it fun and interesting. The girls have been really enjoying the indoor sessions. Having fun while learning is the best way for players this age."
For more information about the leagues, visit www.mockingbirdsoccer.net.
Above: Holly Cobb (orange) and Michelle Klueppelberg (yellow) of SIU in action during the Mockingbird indoor high school leagues at the weekend. Photo courtesy of Todd Perkins.
Free night Futbol
Mockingbird Valley is not the only venue where girls can play indoor soccer at the moment.
A little closer to home you will find some free night futbol going on at Mt Tabor Elementary’s school gym every Monday and Wednesday.
Girls from U6 to U10 play from 6.30 to 7.30pm, while U11s and older play from 7.30 to 8.45.It will run for two more nights: This Wednesday (Feb. 20) and next Monday (Feb. 25).
A little closer to home you will find some free night futbol going on at Mt Tabor Elementary’s school gym every Monday and Wednesday.
Girls from U6 to U10 play from 6.30 to 7.30pm, while U11s and older play from 7.30 to 8.45.It will run for two more nights: This Wednesday (Feb. 20) and next Monday (Feb. 25).
Jef is coach of the year
(Published Evening News & Tribune, February 12, 2008)
Southern Indiana United coach Jef Fifer has won an Indiana Youth Soccer annual award for "making soccer fun."
In the spirit of recreational soccer, which encourages participation ahead of winning, he shared the prize with Jeff Thomas of Cutters Soccer Club in Bloomington.
Fifer has been involved in recreational youth soccer with SIU since the fall of 2001. In spring 2002, he became an assistant coach for a U8 coed recreational team and moved on to coach U10 and U8 girls' teams for two of his daughters in fall 2002. He later coached his youngest daughter’s team from her U5 to current U8 years.
Jef has also served as the SIU recreational registrar for the past two years and is involved with promoting SIU soccer and recruiting recreational coaches for Southern Indiana United teams.
SIU said his organizational and communication skills make him a vital asset to his club both on and off the field, but his players believe the key to his coaching is simple. “ He just makes soccer fun," they say.
Randy Trebing of Clark County Soccer Association was also a finalist in the same category. He began coaching soccer with CCSA in 1993 and has coached all age groups - both coed and girls’ teams - and is known for always going the extra mile for soccer.
He can be found mowing, picking up trash, refereeing, or taking kids to higher level soccer games. Although he did not grow up playing soccer, Randy has learned to love the game and appreciate its benefits for the youth in the community. He has also served on the CCSA board of directors, including three years as president.
Southern Indiana United coach Jef Fifer has won an Indiana Youth Soccer annual award for "making soccer fun."
In the spirit of recreational soccer, which encourages participation ahead of winning, he shared the prize with Jeff Thomas of Cutters Soccer Club in Bloomington.
Fifer has been involved in recreational youth soccer with SIU since the fall of 2001. In spring 2002, he became an assistant coach for a U8 coed recreational team and moved on to coach U10 and U8 girls' teams for two of his daughters in fall 2002. He later coached his youngest daughter’s team from her U5 to current U8 years.
Jef has also served as the SIU recreational registrar for the past two years and is involved with promoting SIU soccer and recruiting recreational coaches for Southern Indiana United teams.
SIU said his organizational and communication skills make him a vital asset to his club both on and off the field, but his players believe the key to his coaching is simple. “ He just makes soccer fun," they say.
Randy Trebing of Clark County Soccer Association was also a finalist in the same category. He began coaching soccer with CCSA in 1993 and has coached all age groups - both coed and girls’ teams - and is known for always going the extra mile for soccer.
He can be found mowing, picking up trash, refereeing, or taking kids to higher level soccer games. Although he did not grow up playing soccer, Randy has learned to love the game and appreciate its benefits for the youth in the community. He has also served on the CCSA board of directors, including three years as president.
Become a ref
A Thai referee may have been beaten up by an entire soccer team and forced to lock himself in a dressing room after he sent off three of their players last week, but don't let that put you off becoming a man or woman in black.
The playing environment around here is a much more friendly one altogether, and now's your chance to become a certified soccer referee.
Adults and players U14 and older are being sought to add to the area's referee pool, and a three day course will run at Mt Tabor School, New Albany, from Feb. 15 - Feb. 17.
To register, go to www.indref.com . Choose the "course" button, then "referee
Class Grade 8." When a list of classes appear, choose the New Albany
location and follow the registration instruction.
The playing environment around here is a much more friendly one altogether, and now's your chance to become a certified soccer referee.
Adults and players U14 and older are being sought to add to the area's referee pool, and a three day course will run at Mt Tabor School, New Albany, from Feb. 15 - Feb. 17.
To register, go to www.indref.com . Choose the "course" button, then "referee
Class Grade 8." When a list of classes appear, choose the New Albany
location and follow the registration instruction.
Javanon gets national recognition
With the area's club teams getting fit and ready for the spring campaign, there was some very encouraging news recently when Soccer America magazine chose Louisville club Javanon as one of the best 25 youth teams in the country to play for.
The boys' and girls' clubs were chosen based on success of their teams in national youth competitions over the last three years and national recognition for players from these clubs in 2007. Javanon, a club which features a number of players from southern Indiana, was voted No. 24 in the United States in the boys' category. Carmel United of Indiana, meanwhile, was voted No. 9 in the girls' category.
"Selecting America's best youth clubs has become very difficult because of the increasing quality we're seeing nationwide," said Paul Kennedy, managing editor of Soccer America Magazine. "As a testament to the depth at all levels, we have expanded our rankings from the best 20 to the best 25 boys' and girls' clubs."
For the record, Dallas Texans was voted best boys' team in the country, while Eclipse Select of Illinois was voted best girls' team.
The boys' and girls' clubs were chosen based on success of their teams in national youth competitions over the last three years and national recognition for players from these clubs in 2007. Javanon, a club which features a number of players from southern Indiana, was voted No. 24 in the United States in the boys' category. Carmel United of Indiana, meanwhile, was voted No. 9 in the girls' category.
"Selecting America's best youth clubs has become very difficult because of the increasing quality we're seeing nationwide," said Paul Kennedy, managing editor of Soccer America Magazine. "As a testament to the depth at all levels, we have expanded our rankings from the best 20 to the best 25 boys' and girls' clubs."
For the record, Dallas Texans was voted best boys' team in the country, while Eclipse Select of Illinois was voted best girls' team.
Premiership on tour?
News of an interesting proposal by the English Premiership has just been revealed, which, if given the go ahead, could see games played in the United States.
The EPL is planning to stage 10 games a season - over one January weekend - outside England in an effort to globalize its brand. Already, the Premiership’s 20 chairmen have given the plan - which could be ratified in a year - their blessing.
So, for example, you could have Arsenal playing Manchester United in Chicago, or Liverpool versus Chelsea in Miami.
However, opposition is growing to the proposal amongst supporters’ clubs in England and soccer chiefs in other countries.
The news comes just weeks after the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins played an NFL game at Wembley Stadium in London.
The EPL is planning to stage 10 games a season - over one January weekend - outside England in an effort to globalize its brand. Already, the Premiership’s 20 chairmen have given the plan - which could be ratified in a year - their blessing.
So, for example, you could have Arsenal playing Manchester United in Chicago, or Liverpool versus Chelsea in Miami.
However, opposition is growing to the proposal amongst supporters’ clubs in England and soccer chiefs in other countries.
The news comes just weeks after the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins played an NFL game at Wembley Stadium in London.
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