(Published in The Evening News & The Tribune, September 11, 2007)
It was the second Friday of September 2006 when Henryville played its first ever soccer game against Restoration Christian School.
And it was the first Friday of September 2007 when the Hornets won their first-ever game — a memorable 1-0 victory against Rock Creek. Matt Smith scored the second-half winner, with Jacqueline Guthrie making the assist in what was also Henryville’s first-ever home contest.
“We had a great turnout for the game,” said Henryville’s coed coach, Joey Farmer. “Everything about the night was perfect. Most of our fans were watching their first-ever soccer game, we were playing our very first home game, and we won our first game.”
Coach Farmer, a former Campbellsville University player, started building the Hornets’ soccer nest last year at the junior varsity level and a first season saw them end with an 0-4-3 record, having played all their games on the road. Moving to varsity level this season, the Hornets now have a record of 1-2-1 and Farmer says he can see a definite improvement in the team.
“Without having a little league team in Henryville and all but one player had played before last year, I think that we are coming right along,” he said. “It takes time to build a program from scratch. To continue to grow, I need an assistant coach.”
If you think you can help, you can contact Henryville High School at 812-294-1455 or e-mail coach Farmer at jfarmer@henryville.wclark.k12.in.us.
Meanwhile, Henryville’s next game is at home against Southwestern Thursday.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Do yourself a favor — watch the Women’s World Cup
When out getting my weekly fix of high school soccer games recently, I remarked — not to anyone in particular — that the girls of a certain school may very well do better than its boys this fall, having seen both squads in action.
Someone responded, “I hope not.” Now, I would expect that comment from someone who maybe had a few dollars riding on the outcome of who progressed further with their local bookmaker for the fun of it. Only they don’t have bookmakers in Indiana (legal ones anyway), and I’m sure if they did they wouldn’t have odds on such scenarios.
So I can only put it down to what I call “begrudgeryism.” You probably won’t find that word in the dictionary because I made it up, but basically what it means to me is that the parent of Little Johnny has no interest in seeing the girls’ team at Little Johnny’s school outperform him and his teammates. Self-interest is another phrase that springs to mind.
Personally, this sort of attitude disgusts me and is not confined to this area. If the girls of high school teams go on a longer run than the boys during the state tournament this year — or any year — great. I’ll be waving their colors on the sideline in the regionals and beyond if they do, just like I would the boys.
And I feel that is more of a possibility this year because, despite the increasing popularity of the game in this area, I am disheartened that the standard of boys’ soccer doesn’t seem to have improved from last year (that’s another story for another day), but I am alternatively encouraged by the improvement on the girls’ side.
Just as a matter of interest, the only player in these parts to go professional in any sort of capacity as far as I am aware is a female (Floyd Central graduate Jaime Halas, English Premier League). And it’s the USA’s women’s team which has won two World Cups.
Starting today, USA goes go for a third title — and a first prize of $1 million — as it enters the China-hosted tournament as the No. 1 seed. It plays powerhouse North Korea this morning (re-aired ESPN2, 7 p.m.) before games against Sweden (Friday, 5 a.m.) and Nigeria (Tuesday, Sept. 18, 8 a.m.) in Group B.
You can follow all the action on the ESPN network (live and re-aired) over the next three weeks. You are bound to learn something from the skill, technical acumen and display of heart that will be on show — and that goes for whether you’re a boy or a girl.
Girlpower
Speaking of women’s soccer, Jeffersonville High School graduate Chelsea Grover opened the regular season at Western Kentucky University with 25 minutes as a reserve defender in a 3-0 win over Georgetown last week.
And Halas has helped Keynsham Town (mentioned above) remain unbeaten in four games in the English FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division. Keynsham beat Newquay Ladies 2-0 on Sunday and is now joint third in the table.
Transy's Karaffa hopeful of comeback
Recently, we reported that New Albany High School graduate Matt Karaffa was looking forward to his senior year at Transylvania University, a soccer program fancied to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and put up a bold showing in the NCAA Division III championship.
Unfortunately, disaster struck for Matt before the season even began, as he broke his collarbone in a scrimmage against Campbellsville.
“Our outside midfielder played a through ball for me to run onto and while going after the ball, the defender and I collided in a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, where I then fell onto the ground right on my left shoulder,” he said.
Team doctor Pete Hester inserted a plate and seven screws to stabilize the bone, and last week he had the stitches removed. He is hoping with plenty of physical therapy that he can be fit enough to play a part in Transy’s important end of season campaign.
“If all goes well, I am shooting for a comeback date somewhere around the middle of October or maybe a little later in October,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get some games in before we start our conference tournament. Every day on the sideline gets me more eager to recover faster. Our victory against Muskingum was a great start to what we think can be a phenomenal and very successful year.”
Pioneers top at Firefigthers' Cup
Providence proved best at the junior varsity Firefighters’ Cup, hosted by Jeffersonville last week.
The Pioneers got off to the best possible start last Wednesday when putting four past Floyd Central in the first half of the tournament opener. Scorers included Evan Coombs, Jared Hennessy, who had two goals, and Justin Throckmorton.
A 1-1 tie with Jeffersonville on Friday was enough to secure the tournament for Providence for the fourth year in a row, as Floyd Central defeated Jeffersonville in the 2-1 in the third game.
The Pioneers got off to the best possible start last Wednesday when putting four past Floyd Central in the first half of the tournament opener. Scorers included Evan Coombs, Jared Hennessy, who had two goals, and Justin Throckmorton.
A 1-1 tie with Jeffersonville on Friday was enough to secure the tournament for Providence for the fourth year in a row, as Floyd Central defeated Jeffersonville in the 2-1 in the third game.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Rec soccer kicks off
(Published in The Evening News & The Tribune, September 4, 2007)
Fun is the name of the game as recreational soccer kicks off in Southern Indiana this week.
The Southern Indiana United recreational soccer program caters for hundreds of children from the age of 4 and upwards and is run totally by parent volunteers. The opportunity is provided for all children of any skill level to learn and play the beautiful game between now and the end of October.
SIU registers approximately 550-700 children each season, relying completely on parent coaches. As many teams as possible are set up based on the number of parent volunteer coaches and field availability.
Under 6s will be the first to take the playing field on Thursday at Church of the Nazarene, located next to Floyd Central High School. Then it’s the turn of the U7s, U8s and U10s on Saturday, with the U5s kicking off their careers next Monday.
SIU’s recreation organizers said their main focus is on fun.
“Players learn about good sportsmanship, teamwork and get great exercise,” they said on their Web site, siusoccer.com. “All team members play at least half of every game. There are no cuts or tryouts. Each child receives a uniform and players provide shinguards, a ball and a water bottle.”
Registration for the fall recreational program closed in July. But if you’re interested in getting your child involved in the spring games, you can find out more at the SIU club’s Web site.
Hard test at Hoosier Cup
The Providence boys’ and Floyd Central girls’ varsity teams were up against some of the best squads in the state when traveling to the Hoosier Cup this past weekend.
Some 48 teams from Indiana and Kentucky took part in three boys’ and girls’ pools. The Pioneers, in Pool B, took on Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger — currently listed as a “Team to Watch” in the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association polls — in their opening game, going down 4-0.
The following day, Providence went up against Evansville Harrison in a game that finished 1-1. However, the Pioneers were unlucky to go down to the bleachers on penalties.
In their third game for seventh place, they finished on a high note, beating Edgewood 3-0. Dwenger went on to the Pool B final, where it lost to 2-0 to Avon.
Floyd Central meanwhile, lost its first game 4-0 in Pool E to No. 17-ranked Bloomington South Friday, before going down narrowly to Lexington Lafayette of Kentucky and Greenfield Central, both by 1-0 scorelines.
In fact, the Highlanders’ first-game result turned out to be no disgrace at all, as Bloomington South went on to win the pool by beating No. 11-ranked Brownsburg 2-0.
Hot rivalry at JV Firefighters Cup
High school junior varsity boys’ teams take center stage this week when the fifth annual Firefighters’ Cup is held at Jeffersonville High School.
The rivalry will no doubt be intense as the competition pits the Red Devils against Floyd Central and Providence.
Providence and Floyd Central will kick off proceedings at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Then on Friday, host Jeff will have a busy evening as it entertains the Pioneers first (5:30 p.m.), followed by a game with Floyd Central at 7 p.m.
September is Youth Soccer Month
Did you know that more than 19 million children between the ages 5-19 participate in soccer regularly in the United States? In fact, more children play the game than peewee football, youth basketball or Little League baseball.
Recognizing the impact and importance the sport plays in the day-to-day lives of America’s families, September has been designated Youth Soccer Month and Indiana Youth Soccer will be celebrating with a variety of youth soccer nights at soccer associations, high schools, colleges and universities across the state.
And with so many high school soccer games going on at the moment, as well as club recreational and select soccer now in full swing, it’s not hard to catch a game in your area (just check our area calendar). Sixty-eight universities countrywide will also host more than 50 events from coast-to-coast.
If that isn’t enough, two collegiate soccer matches will be featured on the Fox Soccer Channel (University of Tulsa versus Virginia Tech on Friday, Sept. 14 and the University of Tennessee versus South Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 27).
Oh, and don’t forget also to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which starts in China next Monday and sees the USA going into the tournament ranked No. 1. More on that in next week’s column.
Meanwhile, Susan Boyd, a featured US Youth Soccer National Championships blogger and soccer parent, will be writing a weekly story about the four messages of Youth Soccer Month — fitness, fun, family and friendship.
You can go to www.youthsoccermonth.org Monday mornings to read her story and to catch up on what’s going on in your area.
Fun is the name of the game as recreational soccer kicks off in Southern Indiana this week.
The Southern Indiana United recreational soccer program caters for hundreds of children from the age of 4 and upwards and is run totally by parent volunteers. The opportunity is provided for all children of any skill level to learn and play the beautiful game between now and the end of October.
SIU registers approximately 550-700 children each season, relying completely on parent coaches. As many teams as possible are set up based on the number of parent volunteer coaches and field availability.
Under 6s will be the first to take the playing field on Thursday at Church of the Nazarene, located next to Floyd Central High School. Then it’s the turn of the U7s, U8s and U10s on Saturday, with the U5s kicking off their careers next Monday.
SIU’s recreation organizers said their main focus is on fun.
“Players learn about good sportsmanship, teamwork and get great exercise,” they said on their Web site, siusoccer.com. “All team members play at least half of every game. There are no cuts or tryouts. Each child receives a uniform and players provide shinguards, a ball and a water bottle.”
Registration for the fall recreational program closed in July. But if you’re interested in getting your child involved in the spring games, you can find out more at the SIU club’s Web site.
Hard test at Hoosier Cup
The Providence boys’ and Floyd Central girls’ varsity teams were up against some of the best squads in the state when traveling to the Hoosier Cup this past weekend.
Some 48 teams from Indiana and Kentucky took part in three boys’ and girls’ pools. The Pioneers, in Pool B, took on Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger — currently listed as a “Team to Watch” in the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association polls — in their opening game, going down 4-0.
The following day, Providence went up against Evansville Harrison in a game that finished 1-1. However, the Pioneers were unlucky to go down to the bleachers on penalties.
In their third game for seventh place, they finished on a high note, beating Edgewood 3-0. Dwenger went on to the Pool B final, where it lost to 2-0 to Avon.
Floyd Central meanwhile, lost its first game 4-0 in Pool E to No. 17-ranked Bloomington South Friday, before going down narrowly to Lexington Lafayette of Kentucky and Greenfield Central, both by 1-0 scorelines.
In fact, the Highlanders’ first-game result turned out to be no disgrace at all, as Bloomington South went on to win the pool by beating No. 11-ranked Brownsburg 2-0.
Hot rivalry at JV Firefighters Cup
High school junior varsity boys’ teams take center stage this week when the fifth annual Firefighters’ Cup is held at Jeffersonville High School.
The rivalry will no doubt be intense as the competition pits the Red Devils against Floyd Central and Providence.
Providence and Floyd Central will kick off proceedings at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Then on Friday, host Jeff will have a busy evening as it entertains the Pioneers first (5:30 p.m.), followed by a game with Floyd Central at 7 p.m.
September is Youth Soccer Month
Did you know that more than 19 million children between the ages 5-19 participate in soccer regularly in the United States? In fact, more children play the game than peewee football, youth basketball or Little League baseball.
Recognizing the impact and importance the sport plays in the day-to-day lives of America’s families, September has been designated Youth Soccer Month and Indiana Youth Soccer will be celebrating with a variety of youth soccer nights at soccer associations, high schools, colleges and universities across the state.
And with so many high school soccer games going on at the moment, as well as club recreational and select soccer now in full swing, it’s not hard to catch a game in your area (just check our area calendar). Sixty-eight universities countrywide will also host more than 50 events from coast-to-coast.
If that isn’t enough, two collegiate soccer matches will be featured on the Fox Soccer Channel (University of Tulsa versus Virginia Tech on Friday, Sept. 14 and the University of Tennessee versus South Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 27).
Oh, and don’t forget also to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which starts in China next Monday and sees the USA going into the tournament ranked No. 1. More on that in next week’s column.
Meanwhile, Susan Boyd, a featured US Youth Soccer National Championships blogger and soccer parent, will be writing a weekly story about the four messages of Youth Soccer Month — fitness, fun, family and friendship.
You can go to www.youthsoccermonth.org Monday mornings to read her story and to catch up on what’s going on in your area.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Nomad Net-Surfers will soon have its 'field of dreams'
The 'nomad' Net-Surfers will soon have a place it can call home - but the road there has been a long and winding one.
The southern Indiana all-girl club has been busy developing a 22 acre flat farm site beside Highway 111 for a soccer complex comprising five full-sided and five small-sided fields.
Phase one of the project is seeing the building of a parking area, the excavation of the land, fencing, the development of two fields for full sided play and two for the small game, and a structure for holding board meetings in.
Estimated costs for this phase come in at around $75,000, but Tony Holland of Net-Surfers said the club hopes to cut a lot of it by utilizing volunteers. In fact, Holland - with the assistance of some soccer mad teenagers and parents - spent 10-11 hours a day through the entire summer on their "field of dreams" by building a farm fence around the site. He reckons the hard toil has helped save nearly $50,000.
"We had the fence boards sawn out of the oak and ash trees that I and some dads had cut down off our land," he said. "We left all the shade trees that we could but those trees were in the way of fields and needed to come down. We hired an excavation company to grind up the remaining tree tops and stumps into piles of mulch which we are using to build a walking path around the outside of our park.
They also spread topsoil and began developing four fields that they hope to plant in grass this fall.
"Our goal is to begin league play there either next spring or next fall depending on the fields," said Holland. "We have written several grants and are waiting to hear from them. Financially we have done everything we can possibly do.
"This park is a dream that I want to see and make happen for our girls and community. We are making a difference to the girls that play for Net-Surfers and this park is only a tool that will help us do even more for them."
Starting out with a girls' and a boys' team in 1995, Net-Surfers dropped the boys' outfit a year later but the original female squad stayed together until 2001, winning Hoosier State Games titles five times before heading off to high school.
Director of coaching David Smith said he was spurred to start a new generation of Net-Surfers by his younger daughter, when a new U11 competitive team was formed that same year. Two more teams were added the following year and in 2003 it was accepted into the Indiana Youth Soccer Association as a club.
Net-Surfers will have 100 girls playing soccer this fall, including six teams between U10-U14 who will play in the Kentucky Select Soccer League out of Louisville; the U9 Academy, which plays in the G.I.R.L.S. League out of Bloomington; and the U6-U8 Academy.
Net-Surfers' Tony Holland can be contacted at webmaster@net-surfers.org.
The southern Indiana all-girl club has been busy developing a 22 acre flat farm site beside Highway 111 for a soccer complex comprising five full-sided and five small-sided fields.
Phase one of the project is seeing the building of a parking area, the excavation of the land, fencing, the development of two fields for full sided play and two for the small game, and a structure for holding board meetings in.
Estimated costs for this phase come in at around $75,000, but Tony Holland of Net-Surfers said the club hopes to cut a lot of it by utilizing volunteers. In fact, Holland - with the assistance of some soccer mad teenagers and parents - spent 10-11 hours a day through the entire summer on their "field of dreams" by building a farm fence around the site. He reckons the hard toil has helped save nearly $50,000.
"We had the fence boards sawn out of the oak and ash trees that I and some dads had cut down off our land," he said. "We left all the shade trees that we could but those trees were in the way of fields and needed to come down. We hired an excavation company to grind up the remaining tree tops and stumps into piles of mulch which we are using to build a walking path around the outside of our park.
They also spread topsoil and began developing four fields that they hope to plant in grass this fall.
"Our goal is to begin league play there either next spring or next fall depending on the fields," said Holland. "We have written several grants and are waiting to hear from them. Financially we have done everything we can possibly do.
"This park is a dream that I want to see and make happen for our girls and community. We are making a difference to the girls that play for Net-Surfers and this park is only a tool that will help us do even more for them."
Starting out with a girls' and a boys' team in 1995, Net-Surfers dropped the boys' outfit a year later but the original female squad stayed together until 2001, winning Hoosier State Games titles five times before heading off to high school.
Director of coaching David Smith said he was spurred to start a new generation of Net-Surfers by his younger daughter, when a new U11 competitive team was formed that same year. Two more teams were added the following year and in 2003 it was accepted into the Indiana Youth Soccer Association as a club.
Net-Surfers will have 100 girls playing soccer this fall, including six teams between U10-U14 who will play in the Kentucky Select Soccer League out of Louisville; the U9 Academy, which plays in the G.I.R.L.S. League out of Bloomington; and the U6-U8 Academy.
Net-Surfers' Tony Holland can be contacted at webmaster@net-surfers.org.
Pioneers travel for Hoosier Cup
Providence varsity boys will be traveling to Bloomington this weekend to participate in the Hoosier Cup tournament (August 31/September 1).
The Pioneers, who will play in 'Boys B' of a three pool, 24 team competition, will kick off at 10.10 p.m. (yes, p.m.!) on Friday against FW Bishop Dwenger at Edgewood High School. Dwenger has got off to a flying start this season, recording a 9-0 victory in its first game against Elmhurst, before winning a tighter match-up against New Haven 2-1.
Providence's next games at Karst Farm on Saturday will be determined by how it fares in its opener. Also in its pool are Merriville, Evansville Harrison, Edgewood, Avon, Vincennes Lincoln and Columbus East.
Pool A, meanwhile, comprises such power houses as Evansville Memorial and Brownsburg, ranked #3 and #5 respectively in the Indiana Soccer Coaches' Association's week one poll released on August 20.
The Pioneers, who will play in 'Boys B' of a three pool, 24 team competition, will kick off at 10.10 p.m. (yes, p.m.!) on Friday against FW Bishop Dwenger at Edgewood High School. Dwenger has got off to a flying start this season, recording a 9-0 victory in its first game against Elmhurst, before winning a tighter match-up against New Haven 2-1.
Providence's next games at Karst Farm on Saturday will be determined by how it fares in its opener. Also in its pool are Merriville, Evansville Harrison, Edgewood, Avon, Vincennes Lincoln and Columbus East.
Pool A, meanwhile, comprises such power houses as Evansville Memorial and Brownsburg, ranked #3 and #5 respectively in the Indiana Soccer Coaches' Association's week one poll released on August 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
